Review Article

Reflections on achievements, activities, and emerging issues of strategic nature within the current and future EURATOM RTD programme on radioactive waste management

Zuidema Consult GmbH, Wuerenlos, Switzerland

^* e-mail: piet.zuidema@nagra.ch

Received: 12 January 2023
Revised: 6 March 2023
Accepted: 16 March 2023
Published online: 8 May 2023

Abstract

This paper provides a review of and some reflections on radioactive waste management activities (including disposal) at the strategic level in connection with the ongoing ‘European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste management – EURAD’ and the European ‘PREDIS’ project on pre-disposal issues. The review took advantage of the large number of contributions made during the FISA 2022/EURADWASTE ’22 conference. The paper addresses the key characteristics of EURAD and PREDIS and highlights some of the key strengths of Joint Programming in supporting the member states with implementing waste management activities. Then, it discusses topics of strategic importance for waste management and the contributions of EURAD and PREDIS to these topics. This includes a summary of waste management strategies, the current status of implementing disposal solutions, the importance of knowledge management (taking the long duration of disposal programmes into account) and the importance of societal support of ongoing and future waste management activities. Finally, some remarks are made about issues of importance when organizing future joint activities on radioactive waste management at the European level.