Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE)

The Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) was established in 2014. It is responsible for carrying out the licensing and supervisory tasks of the Federation regarding the final disposal of radioactive waste, licensing of interim storage and the transport of radioactive substances. BASE advises and supports the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection regarding issues of disposal of radioactive waste and nuclear safety. It also conducts and coordinates research in these areas. BASE is the lead authority in the site selection procedure for a repository for high-level radioactive waste and it monitors implementation. BASE also organises public participation in the site selection procedure.

BASE's tasks are laid down in the Atomic Energy Act, the Repository Site Selection Act and the law establishing the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management.

The Federal Office for the Regulation of Nuclear Waste Management

• monitors implementation of the procedure to select a site for a repository for high-level radioactive waste. It is responsible for public participation in the procedure and for approval procedures for radioactive waste disposal under mining, water and nuclear energy legislation
• acts as supervisory authority under nuclear energy legislation for repositories for radioactive waste
• has the supervision of disposal sites for radioactive waste
• grants licenses under nuclear energy legislation for the interim storage and transport of nuclear fuels
• is responsible for government custody of nuclear fuel (including issuing orders pursuant to Section 5 (7) first sentence of the Atomic Energy Act)
• provides expertise on nuclear safety issues
• carries out and organises research in the above areas

The Repository Site Selection Act establishes a procedure for an unbiased, science-based and transparent selection of a site for the safe storage of high-level radioactive waste. In future, the site for a repository in Germany with the highest possible level of safety for one million years will be determined by federal law. The site selection procedure began in 2017 after the German Bundestag laid down the legal basis for the decision. BASE as the supervisory authority and BGE, the federal company for radioactive waste disposal, are tasked with carrying out the procedure.