The chapters of most direct interest to ERDO are Chapter 6, on The Multinational Repository Concept, and Chapter 7, on Cooperative Approaches Involving Spent Nuclear Fuel Take-back and Take-away. Much of the interesting and relevant material is relegated to a series of nine Annexes, at a combined seventy pages in length. Nevertheless, the material on multinational repositories contains details which remain novel and highly relevant in the context of our mission at ERDO, and Chapter 6 deserves to be investigated further:
6 The Multinational Repository Concept
6.1. Roles Of Multinational Cooperation in MNR Development
6.2. Key Characteristics of the MNR Concept
6.3. Drivers and Benefits Associated with the Development of a Multinational Disposal Service
6.3.1. Overview of drivers and incentives for cooperating in MNR development
6.3.2. Previous discussions on incentives
6.3.3. Potential benefits for a provider of an MNR service
6.4. Impediments to Realisation of an MNR and Potential Mitigation Measures
6.4.1. The importance of a policy framework
6.4.2. Securing an enduring commitment to develop an MNR
6.4.3. Constructing an open and interactive political and public engagement programme
6.4.4. Legal considerations
6.4.5. Agreeing a costing, financing, and pricing structure
6.4.6. Assurance of a viable market for the disposal service
6.4.7. Developing a repository siting strategy
6.4.8. Building a competent and balanced team
6.4.9. Cooperation with international organizations, national disposal programmes and peer groups
6.5. Summary of Drivers and Impediments
Among the Annexes, several are worthy of greater attention, and warrant consideration from stakeholders with an interest in multinational solutions for radioactive waste management: Annex I gives a comprehensive, 6-page history of the development of multinational cooperation concepts – from the first proposals in the 1940s through to the present day; Annex IX takes a detailed look at legal issues; Annex VI presents a comprehensive discussion of complex stakeholder issues involved in attempts to implement multinational projects; and Annex VIII contains hitherto unpublished material assessing the commercial market that could be open for multinational services, should they be on offer.
Despite the long delay in its publication, this report appears at a useful time, given the resurgence of interest in multinational cooperation, as illustrated by recent news we discuss in detail elsewhere: the emergence of a Forum on Joint Approaches to Radioactive Waste Management (FoJARM) in response to a request from the European Parliament.