Euradwaste '08 - EU Bookshop - Europa

4. The regulators could play a very important role in the process of achieving trust on the institutions
by the general public. It was recognized that an early involvement of the regulator in
the projects, already at the site selection and investigation stages, could be a productive approach.
With this regard, not a minor issue is the physical presence of the regulator on the
local site where investigations are carried out: this will help the public to achieve the feeling
that regulator in this process has the role of representative of the public;
5. It is also necessary to recognize that the concepts of risk and safety are perceived by the
general public in a different way than the experts and this is due not only to differences in
educational level but more often to emotional factors. Among the factors that are influencing
the public acceptance, also psychological factors have to be taken into account;
6. Universities and Research Institutes could also play an important role in the communication
process, since they can be seen as "third party", sufficiently “credible” and independent
from policy makers and implementers;
7. It has been generally recognized that one of the most important issue in the development of
a geological repository and consequently in a successful communication, is a clear and
transparent decisional process. Political commitment and national decision about radioactive
waste management is an essential starting point before going to the public;
8. Communication is not a process between one responsible organization and the public. There
are interactions among the different groups: Policy makers, Regulatory Authorities (that
could be more than one), Implementers, and Public. Each one has its own distinct role and
responsibilities in the process of achieving trust and confidence;
9. It was highlighted that, perhaps one of the mistake done in the past, and in some extent is
still present, is to approach the communication issue as "we and them", where "we" is intended
as the experts and "them" is intended as the public. The general approach of communicating
the safety of a radioactive waste disposal should start with creating a feeling that
we, as a nation, have a problem and each one is involved with their respective responsibility
to achieve a solution;
10. Finally, it was noted that a situation where the community has veto rights may favour the
dialogue and the cooperation amongst all involved parties.
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