Euradwaste '08 - EU Bookshop - Europa

FOREWORD
The Euratom Treaty celebrated its 50 th anniversary in 2007. Promotion of research and spreading of scientific
and technical knowledge for the peaceful use of nuclear energy have been and remain a core task of the
Treaty. Since the mid-70s, the European Commission (EC) has supported R&D on the management of radioactive
waste as part of Euratom multi-annual programmes, the results being reported at successive
Euradwaste conferences. This was the 7 th conference in the series and not only was a showcase event for
R&D performed in the 6 th Euratom Framework Programme (FP6, 2002-2006) but also presented more general
socio-political issues and related EU strategy in the field.
Energy is now at the top of the political agenda, with nuclear power an important element in the debate. A
number of initiatives have recently been launched that contribute to the Community's evolving strategy in
this field. The European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF) is facilitating a broad stakeholder dialogue and
analysis of key issues. On the regulatory side, a High Level Group on Nuclear Safety and Waste Management
(since renamed ENSREG) has been established, and the EC has published a new proposal for a Directive
on nuclear safety. In the area of low-carbon technologies, the Community's Strategic Energy Technology
Plan specifically mentions nuclear energy and the need for waste management solutions to be developed
over the next 10 years. All this is against a backdrop of only slow progress towards implementation of geological
disposal in most (but not all) Member States' national programmes. These and related issues were the
focus of day 1 of Euradwaste'08.
In the area of European research in general, new funding instruments were introduced in FP6 to tackle fundamental
concerns such as fragmentation, lack of critical mass and coordination, and general underinvestment.
A number of Integrated Projects and one Network of Excellence were subsequently launched in the
waste area within Euratom: EUROPART and EUROTRANS in P&T; NF-PRO, FUNMIG, and PAMINA in
near-field/far-field processes and performance assessment in geological disposal; ESDRED on engineering
studies and repository designs; and ACTINET-6 on fundamental actinide sciences. These and other Euratom
projects have helped redefine the state-of-the-art in their respective areas, and have also had a major integrative
effect on the sector as a whole. They were used as focal points for the Euradwaste'08 technical sessions
in days 2 and 3, which also turned an eye to the future by soliciting views on key remaining research and
how Euratom FP7 and later Community programmes can contribute. These sessions were complemented by
technical visits to either the French URL (underground research lab) at Bure or the HADES URL and PRA-
CLAY experimental gallery at the Belgium nuclear research centre, Mol.
All conference sessions included invited presentations and panel discussions. Summaries and proceedings
are available at http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/euratom-fission/euradwaste2008_en.html. These include summaries
for a less technical audience prepared by an independent journalist.
The conference attracted some 270 participants from 30 countries. Publicity and media involvement was a
key preoccupation. A media briefing on the status of research in geological disposal was held two weeks
before the conference at the Bure URL. Twenty journalists from eleven EU Member States took part, and
several articles were subsequently published in major newspapers or magazines. As a result of this interest,
local French public TV broadcast interviews recorded at the conference or during the technical visit to the
Bure URL on 23 October.
The EC would like to express its gratitude to all those who contributed to making Euradwaste'08 a resounding
success, in particular the chairs, rapporteurs, panel members, speakers, ANDRA for co-organising and
hosting several communication activities and the complementary session on developments in repository
technologies held at Bure on 23-24 October, and both ANDRA and EURIDICE for hosting the technical visits.
S. Webster O. Quintana Trías
Head of Unit Fission, DG Research Director Energy (Euratom), DG Research
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