Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, Answers to Questions Posted by the Contracting Parties on the Argentina First National Report

REFLECTIONS ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE LOCAL ACTORS ON THE NATIONAL NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

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).

The Korean government has maintained a consistent national policy for stable energy supply by fostering nuclear power industries under the circumstances that energy resources are scare in the country. Korea has one of the most dynamic nuclear power programs in the world. For a couple of decades, Korea has deployed very dynamic nuclear power program. The first nuclear power plant (NPP), Kori #1, started its commercial operation in April 1978. As of September 2002, there are 17 units of nuclear power plants in operation and 3 units under construction_.

There are no nuclear power stations and no nuclear fuel cycle activities in Ireland. There are 2.5 tonnes of natural uranium in storage on the campus of a university, which was previously incorporated in a sub-critical assembly. This material is stored in the building in which it was previously used. Other than in relation to these uranium sources, the application of the Convention is limited to radioactive waste arising from the medical, industrial and research applications of radioisotopes.

The United States of America ratified the “Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management” (Joint Convention) on April 9, 2003. The Joint Convention establishes an international peer review process among Contracting Parties and provides incentives for nations to take appropriate steps to bring their nuclear activities into compliance with general safety standards and practices. This first Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties under the Joint Convention is scheduled to take place in November 2003 in Vienna, Austria.

The present document constitutes the First National Report of Spain, drawn up in order to meet the requirements of Article 32 of the Joint Convention on the safety of spent fuel management and on the safety of radioactive waste management, adopted in Vienna on 5th September 1997. This Convention, which was signed by Spain on 30th June 1998 and ratified on 11th May 1999, entered into force on 18th June 2001.