The European project COWAM in Practice (CIP) was aimed to lead for three years (2007-2009) a process of monitoring, analyzing and evaluating the governance linked with radioactive waste management. This project, in cooperation with a research group and stakeholders, was conducted in parallel in 5 European countries (Spain, France, United Kingdom, Romania, Slovenia).

This report provides - a detailed description of the Austrian policy and the usual practices concerning the management of spent fuel of the Austrian research reactors and the management of radioactive waste (see Section B); - a detailed description of the Austrian legal regime concerning the management of spent fuel of the Austrian research reactors and the management of radioactive waste (see Section E).

In Austria there is neither a nuclear power plant (NPP) nor any other fuel cycle facility in op- eration. One NPP was constructed in Zwentendorf in the 1970s, but, as a consequence of the negative vote in a referendum never put into operation. Two out of three research reactors in Austria have been shut down (ASTRA Seibersdorf in 2000, SIEMENS Argonaut Graz in 2004) and are currently under decommissioning. The remaining TRIGA research reactor in Vienna is still in operation. Spent nuclear fuel is stored on site in wet or dry storage facilities.

The use of nuclear energy has a strong tradition in Slovenia. In 1949 the Institute Josef Stefan was founded, devoted to research in physics, with great emphasis on nuclear physics. A few years later (1966) the research nuclear reactor TRIGA started to work in the vicinity of capital city Ljubljana, to support its research.

1. Recognizing the importance of the safe management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste, the international community agreed upon the necessity of adopting a convention describing how such safe management could be achieved: this was the origin of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (the “Joint Convention”), which was adopted on 5 September 1997 and entered into force on 18 June 2001. 2.

1. Recognizing the importance of the safe management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste, the international community agreed upon the necessity of adopting a convention with the objective of achieving and maintaining a high level of safety worldwide in spent fuel and radioactive waste management: this was the origin of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (the “Joint Convention”), which was adopted on 5 September 1997 and entered into force on 18 June 2001. 2.

1. Recognizing the importance of the safe management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste, the international community agreed upon the necessity of adopting a convention with the objective of achieving and maintaining a high level of safety worldwide in spent fuel and radioactive waste management: this was the origin of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (the “Joint Convention”), which was adopted on 5 September 1997 and entered into force on 18 June 2001. 2.

1. The operation of nuclear reactors whether for the purposes of electricity production or research, generates spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. Other activities also generate radioactive waste. The recognition by the international community of the importance of ensuring the safety of the management of spent fuel and the safety of the management of radioactive waste, led to the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (Convention).

The National Report on Fulfilment of the Obligations of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management is prepared in fulfilment of Slovenia’s obligation as a Contracting Party to this Convention.
This report was prepared by the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration. Contributions to the report were made by the Krško NPP, the Jožef Stefan Institute, the Agency for Radwaste Management, the Žirovski Vrh Uranium Mine and the Slovenian Radiation Protection Administration.

The National Report on Fulfilment of the Obligations of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management is prepared in ful- filment of Slovenia‘s obligation as a Contracting Party to this Convention.

The National Report on Fulfilment of the Obligations of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management is prepared in fulfilment of Slovenia's obligation as a Contracting Party to this Convention.

Answers to questions raised by other contracting parties under the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management were prepared by the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration, the Kr_ko NPP, the Agency for Radwaste Management and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Spatial Planning.

The National Report on Fulfilment of the Obligations of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management is prepared in fulfilment of Slovenia's obligation as a Contracting Party to this Convention.

Answers to questions raised by other contracting parties under the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management were prepared by the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration, the Kr_ko NPP, the Agency for Radwaste Management and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Spatial Planning.

In 2010, there were no events that posed a serious radiological threat to the population in Slovenia. There were also no particularities in relation to the services of radiation practices and operators of radiation facilities.
The Krško NPP operated without shutdowns and production was interrupted only for the annual outage. In 2010, the power plant produced 5.7 TWh in total and achieved 89.9% availability. The nuclear power plant had no major problems during the September floods, when the Sava river otherwise seriously threatened settlements in Posavje.