Beneficiary organisation details

European Commission (DG-IA-Phare Unit) for the benefit of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania an Slovak Republic.

Project Aims

The objective of the project was to assist EC in:

• Preparation of a new list of projects for Phare programme 1997-1999 and identification of the priority projects for the assistance;
• Organization and technical support of the EC meeting with Phare countries on the fuel cycle back-end, radioactive waste management and decommissioning of obsolete nuclear installations issues.

Project Results

The main activities of CASSIOPEE as contracted party were as follows:

• Preparation of the meeting - review the status of the currently on-going projects and projects which have to be tendered, participation in the discussion and selection of a new set of projects, related to the topic;
• Assisting the EC during the technical meeting;
• Follow up of the meeting - to consolidate a list of accepted projects and prepare their short descriptions and a plan of the future actions within the Phare programme, related to the topic.

The main project results are as follows:

• Summary of status of fifteen ongoing projects and projects ready to be launched in the area of spent fuel and radioactive waste management as well as decommissioning of obsolete nuclear installations was prepared in advance and discussed in detail during the meeting. Four projects have already been completed, five are in progress and the rest are in a status of preparation of contracts or call for tenders;
• Review of nineteen newly proposed projects, and some general subjects suggested by PHARE countries, was performed. Two general topics were highlighted as the most important issues for EC assistance: Setting up of the National Radioactive Waste Management Agencies and Preparations for decommissioning of nuclear facilities, with special emphasis to decommissioning planning;
• A list of selected new project proposals was prepared for further consideration. Seven project proposals were recommended from total of nineteen suggestions. Two of them are regional, five are country specific. In addition to that, a mission to Latvia was also approved, covered by the available budget. Non-supported projects were either too similar to already existing ones, or they could be regrouped in single more complex project;
• A priority list of selected new projects was prepared and approved. Besides a single mission to Latvia, the highest priority was assigned to two regional projects, the first one on decommissioning of WWER type reactors and the second one on evaluation of status and potential safety improvements of pool type research reactors. A short description sheet, including estimation of budget, was prepared for each considered project.

Project objectives were fully met and the project was completed in time and in accordance with the work plan.

Further Project Results

Further information on the project results can be sought from the beneficiary organization.