25 years of CEC support to geological disposal

After recalling the historical background of the geological disposal concept and the early development of its basic principles, the paper describes the evolution and progress of the R and D activities of the Commission of the European Communities in the field. The very first research contract was signed in 1966 to support the development of the Asse salt mine, closed in 1964, as a possible underground repository for German waste. The first comprehensive multiannual research programme of the European Community was launched in the early 1970s in response to the production of reactor and reprocessing waste and the rising concern for environmental protection. Since then, multiannual R and D programmes have been renewed several times by the EC Council of Ministers with full approval of the EC Parliament. A clear picture appears over these years, reflecting the progress made; most, if not all, of the potential problems have been identified and tackled, a huge amount of experimental results and data have been collected, and models of phenomena as well as safety assessment methodology have been developed; construction and operation of underground pilot facilities are continuing. The present programme (1990-1994) aims at validating and completing the accumulated knowledge in the following sectors: long term behaviour of waste packages and engineered barriers; basic and experimental research on radionuclide migration; and safety assessment, construction and operation of underground facilities. In addition, some studies are being performed under contract to examine, using fresh data, the potential of transmutation strategies for enhancing the long term safety of geological disposal. Finally, the EC Council of Ministers renewed in June 1992 the EC Plan of Action on radioactive waste for the period 1993-1999, which has provided since 1980 a framework for co-operation in various fields related to waste disposal, such as regulatory matters and public information. (author). 10 refs, 2 figs