Implementation of the obligations of the joint convention on the safety of spent fuel management and on the safety of radioactive waste management. Fourth national report of Switzerland in accordance with Article 32 of the convention

The report begins with a short description of Switzerland and its most important political structures. The right of referendum allows forcing a vote on changes of the constitution or against a new law. Historically, electricity generated in Switzerland came exclusively from hydropower. In the mid 1950's, interest in the nuclear energy technology was manifested to cover an increasing electricity demand. The implementation of any nuclear programme and project required a legislative frame to ensure safety and radiation protection. A corresponding article was introduced into the Federal Constitution. The Atomic Act was put into force in 1959. It attributed to the Federal Council the exclusive competence to grant licences for the construction of, operation of and modification to nuclear facilities. Licences were based on a detailed review and assessment of nuclear safety. During the 1960's, several projects for nuclear power plants (NPP) were initiated. Four of them reached the stage of realization, leading to the five currently operating units commissioned between 1969 and 1984. These five units contribute roughly 40% of the total national electricity production, the rest being essentially covered by hydro power. The increasing opposition to nuclear power during the 1970's culminated in 1990 in a double decision taken by the Swiss population: a) to accept the further operation of the existing NPPs; b) to impose a ten years moratorium on granting licences for new NPPs. In 2003 two public votes on the prolongation of the above moratorium and on the gradual phase-out of existing NPPs were rejected by the Swiss population. Simultaneously, an entirely new Nuclear Energy Act was passed by the Parliament; it came into force on 1st February 2005 and replaced the Atomic Act. In February 2007 the Federal Council issued a new national energy strategy, including the building of new large-scale power plants and NPPs in particular. In May 2011 following the nuclear accident in Fukushima the Federal Council announced to abandon plans to build new nuclear reactors. The existing reactors would be allowed to continue operating, but would not be replaced at the end of their life span. The major part of nuclear research in Switzerland is performed at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). These include research related to spent fuel and radioactive waste management. PSI operates several nuclear facilities: the research reactor PROTEUS, a hot laboratory, and waste management facilities. The former research reactors DIORIT and SAPHIR are in the state of decommissioning. Two small research reactors exist at the University of Basel (Uni BS) and at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) for teaching purposes. The former Lucens experimental NPP was decommissioned and dismantled after experiencing a loss of coolant accident in 1969. This site was declassified and released for non-nuclear activities, as well as the one of the small research reactor at the University of Geneva. Each NPP has facilities for the conditioning and interim storage of radioactive waste. PSI operates the National Collection Centre for all non-NPP radioactive waste coming from medicine, industry and research. In Wuerenlingen, the Central Storage Facility for Radioactive Waste (ZZL) has been constructed by the utility-owned company ZWILAG. The application for the general licence for a repository for low and intermediate level waste at the Wellenberg site was rejected by the citizens. Concerning the disposal of high level and long-lived intermediate level waste, the work was concentrated on the demonstration of the feasibility of such a repository in Switzerland. The feasibility study based on a repository in the crystalline basement of Northern Switzerland did not fully succeed in providing the required demonstration. The Federal Council then ordered that research should be extended to sedimentary rocks. As a result of a broad selection process, the Opalinus clay formation was chosen for further geological investigations. A comprehensive site selection process for a repository for high level waste and one for low and intermediate level waste has been started