Sweden, France: dialogue is a key element for the acceptance of radioactive waste disposal projects

In October 2020 the town council of Oesthammar in Sweden voted in favour of a deep geological disposal site for radioactive waste on its territory. What a long way since 1980, the year when protest movements occurred on the site of the first project of an underground disposal of radioactive waste that was then abandoned. This failure obliged the Swedish authorities to change completely its approach by relying more on a large information of the public and the search for a minimal public acceptance for its next projects. The approach was successful and could be shared with other countries like France for instance. The Bataille law enacted on 30 December 1991 that gave 15 years for more research on radioactive waste management, allowed French authorities to launch campaigns of information for the managing of radioactive waste, focusing more on societal issues than on technical aspects. On 28 June 2006, a new law could define the conditions and the time schedule for the construction and operation of a deep geological disposal site near the Bure town. This project has been well accepted by the local population (Cigeo project). It appears that the confidence and trust of the public and discussions with local populations are key elements for the success of such a project. (A.C.)