National Programme

In accordance with Directive 2011/70/Euratom the Federal Environment Ministry set out Germany’s strategy for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste in its national programme. This programme was adopted by the German cabinet on 12 August 2015. The Federal Environment Ministry carried out agency and public participation on the programme before its adoption. The national programme is not legally binding, but has to be considered by all actors in the planning of waste management and administrative decisions.

The national programme consists of an overarching document giving a programmatic overview of German waste management policy and four appendices (Report for the Review Meeting of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, report on the implementation of Directive 2011/70/Euratom, Inventory of radioactive waste and Report on the cost and financing of the disposal of spent fuel and radioactive waste). The national programme was subject to potential revision in view of ongoing deliberations by the German parliament's Commission on the Storage of Highly Radioactive Materials.