[en] It was one of the design targets for the European pressurized reactor (EPR) to ensure the long-term integrity of the containment, and thus to significantly reduce the related radiological consequences, also in case of a postulated severe accicents with core melting. It is evident that this goal can only be achieved if the interaction of the molten core with the concrete basemat is avoided. For stabilizing the melt within the containment an ex-vessel strategy was chosen from the beginning, since the high power rating of the EPR aggravates any kind of in-vessel retention. The EPR strategy is based on the spreading of the molten core into a large lateral compartment followed by its flooding and quenching from the top. To avoid basemat penetration, the bottom of the spreading compartment is covered with a temperature resistant protective material, the long-term integrity of which is achieved by a number of diverse and redundant measures. One of these is a layer inversion caused by the incorporation of sacrificial material which makes the oxidic melt the lighter phase and therefore avoids its contact with the protective material. Sacrificial concrete layers are provided in the pit and in the spreading compartment. In the pit, the related MCCI also results in a temporary melt retention, which makes the concept independent of uncertainties regarding in-vessel pool formation and RPV failure mode, restricts and normalizes the spectrum of possible melt states at the time of spreading The retention phase ends after the concrete cover at the bottom of the pit is eroded and after a metallic plug is destroyed which blocks the access to a transfer channel. The retained melt is expected to spread in one pour and to distribute evenly in the provided compartment. Thanks to a following hour-long phase of interaction with sacrificial material potential spreading inhomogeinities are assumed to equal-out before the actual protective zirconia layer is reached. The chosen material is thermo-chemically stable in the range of given parameters. Stability is further ensured by an active cooling system at the interface with the structural concrete. The paper summarizes the features of the actual EPR melt retention concept and gives an overview of still disputed issues. (orig.)