RISCOM II - Enhancing transparency and public participation in nuclear waste management

The overall objective of RISCOM II was to support transparency of decision-making processes in the radioactive waste programmes (RWM) of the participating organisations. The focus on values in the otherwise very technically dominated area of RWM, coupled with the multi-disciplinary approach, opens new perspectives. Performance assessment (PA) is an important area where this is needed. One of the core issues addressed in the project has been how PA can be made more transparent and accessible to the general public. Transparency is strongly linked with public participation: it needs public involvement for testing and challenging the claims put forward by the proponent and the relevant authorities (stretching). On the other hand, meaningful public involvement cannot take place without transparent organisational processes that provide for real influence. It can be counterproductive to invite external stakeholders to a dialogue if afterwards they have no influence on the unfolding of events. Dialogues, in which stakeholders are fully engaged, need to be part of a decision making process. This kind of engagement requires the design of structural mechanisms for participation. The RISCOM Model highlights the need for local representatives and for opponents to be legitimate representatives of the 'silent majority' in stretching implementers and other official stakeholders. If external stakeholders cannot maintain their engagement in the decision process over time they may feel they are being manipulated by the establishment and lack opportunities to influence the outcome. (authors)