Decision reversibility and waste retrievability, an international perspective in the field of disposal of high- and medium-activity long life wastes, and of spent fuels

This contribution describes the role and the experience of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) in the field of waste disposal. It indicates references to the notion of reversibility in some NEA publications. The author discusses the meaning of retrievability and reversibility, presents and comments some common international measures which are recommended regarding waste management. He comments the issues of convergence and divergence (reversibility levels and practices) and outlines how these issues of reversibility and retrievability are addressed in different countries (in a law, by the government, by the operator), and how they are implemented according to some basic principles (protection of next generations, ability for any generation to take different decisions)