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Chairman's Summing Up of the Fifth CEG Meeting's Major Decisions and Recommendations

(Windermere, 11 - 13 November 1997)

The 5^th CEG meeting took place in Windermere, UK on 11-13 November 1997 and was attended by 42 participants from 9 countries, 1 international organization and the EC. The meeting considered four major topical issues, namely:

status of the CEG paper "Radioactive waste and spent fuel management in the North-West region of the RF"
status of co-operation projects and obstacles
detailed technical review of waste management situation at and around "Mayak"
organizational and financial matters

Status of the CEG paper Radioactive waste and spent fuel management in the North-West region of the RF"

The CEG expressed its satisfaction that this important document was submitted by the IAEA Secretariat for the information of the Board of Governors and expressed its hope that this presentation and its distribution to the IAEA Member states and relevant financial organizations will result in further enhancing the co-operation and its financial support.

Status of co-operation projects and obstacles

The CEG members/observers from Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, UK, USA, EU and ISTC presented information on the status of their co-operation with the RF and/or on some selected projects. They also discussed the problems hampering more effective co-operation (like taxation, insurance and liability issues).

The representative of the BNFL-KVAERNER-SGN-SKB Group reported on the further steps undertaken by the Group to practically realize its plans for co-operation in the field of spent nuclear fuel storage, presented at the previous CEG meetings.

Detailed technical review of waste management situation at and around "Mayak"

Russian specialists from PO "Mayak" presented detailed technical information on overall waste management situation at and around "Mayak" and particularly the situation with the spent fuel storage.

The CEG countries/organizations co-operating or planing to co-operate with "Mayak" described the status of their projects, plans and problems encountered.

The discussion followed clearly demonstrated the seriousness of waste management situation at and around "Mayak", which together with the North-West region should be considered as a high priority region in the Russian Federation. Being the end link of the technological spent fuel management chain, "Mayak" problems are closely connected with those of the North-West region, discussed at the previous meeting and summarized in the CEG paper presented to the IAEA Board of Governors.

The CEG recommended to all CEG member countries/organizations to pay special attention to co-operative solution of major problems at and around "Mayak", including environmental, spent fuel and waste management problems. The CEG welcomes the initiatives taken by the BNFL-KVAERNER-SGN-SKB Group and anticipates early conclusion of negotiations and the beginning of practical co-operation as well as favorable consideration of new projects submitted by the "Mayak" representatives;

Organizational and financial matters

The CEG

noted with appreciation continuation of the IAEA support of the CEG activities in 1998-1999 under the existing organizational and financial conditions;
approved the CEG Secretariat’s Financial Report, expressing its expectation that the remaining two not yet contributing CEG members will consider voluntary joining the others in financing the CEG Secretariat operation;
decided to continue the "Status and Progress reporting" exercise;
asked those CEG members/observers who had not yet been (re)nominated for the next two year term to inform their relevant authorities on the necessity to (re)nominate their members of the CEG (referring to the approved extension of the CEG activity reflected in the 4^th CEG meeting’s Chairman’s Summing Up, the CEG Terms of Reference and the decision of the IAEA Director General to continue the IAEA support of the CEG activities in 1998-1999 under the existing organizational and financial conditions);
unanimously elected Mr. Charles Newstead (USA) as the CEG Chairman and Mr. Victor Gubanov (RF) as Vice-Chairman for the next two-year term (1998-1999);
considered a proposal made by the US member called "CEG support for Russian International Long-Term Planning for Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management", supported it in principle and for its practical implementation decided to establish a temporary Working Group (WG) which will prepare its suggestions to the next CEG meeting (the place of the WG meeting and its Agenda will be agreed upon and prepared by representatives of Norway, USA and RF by correspondence);
agreed that an ad hoc meeting will be organized at the beginning of the next year by representatives of France, Norway, Sweden, RF and USA to discuss the nuclear liability and taxation problems in the RF;
accepted with gratitude the invitations made

by the USA representative to host the next 6^th CEG meeting and agreed to hold it for 3 days on 27-29 April 1998;

by the RF representative to host the 7^th CEG meeting and agreed to hold it in November 1998 at or not far away from "Mayak".