The governance of radioactive waste management was highlighted as a key issue in the FP6 work programme which calls for the “development and evaluation of (…) better governance processes that properly address public concerns on waste disposal.”

The specific Euratom programme for 2005-06 emphasises the need for guidance for the application of new and emerging approaches in the radioactive waste sector taking account of national differences (e.g., culture, history, legal and administrative regimes), and for co-operation and dialogue among different social and technical actors.

The three projects selected by the European Commission on this issue for the period 2006-2009 under the 6th Framework Programme (ARGONA, CIP and OBRA) set up a joint portal on the invitation of the European Commission to inform of their respective activities. This portal provides direct access to the web sites of each project. It also delivers a newsletter to inform of the progress of the three projects and liaison activities.

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ARGONA

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The ARGONA project investigates how different approaches to transparency and deliberation relate to each other and how they link to the political system in which decisions, for example on the final disposal of nuclear waste, are ultimately taken. The project studies the roles of mediators who facilitate public engagement with nuclear waste management issues, and how good risk communication can be organized taking cultural aspects and different arenas into account.

ARGONA intends to demonstrate what it would mean to use certain approaches to transparency (including the RISCOM model) and participation within existing decision-making frameworks. Finally, the ARGONA partners develop guidelines for the application of novel approaches that will enhance real progress in nuclear waste management programmes.

The project, which started in November 2006 and will last for three years, is coordinated by the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate and managed by Karita Research.


 

COWAM

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The objectives of COWAM IN PRACTICE or CIP (2007-2009) are to :
- Make actual progress in the governance of radioactive waste management (RWM)
- Follow up and analyse 5 national processes
- Support stakeholders, particularly local communities, directly in their engagement
- Capture the learning from that experience for the EU 27

The originality of this project lies in a cooperative research approach, successfully experimented in the COWAM 2 project (2004-2006): the architecture of the project is purposely designed for the stakeholders to effectively influence and feed the project throughout its progress.

The objectives will be achieved through the live and direct assessment by concerned stakeholders of ongoing processes in 5 Member States (France, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, UK)


 

OBRA

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The OBRA project main objective is to promote a new approach to the governance of spent fuel and long-lived radioactive wastes by bringing together a multidisciplinary network of radioactive waste management agencies, concerned stakeholders and the academic research community, in order to assess the feasibility of a European Observatory for long-term governance on radioactive waste management.

The project aims to benefit a wide range of stakeholders such as local communities, academic and research community, through multidisciplinary education and a networking platform, European Commission, implemen- ters, and public.