European Repository Development Organisation

European Repository Development Organisation
Name	European Repository Development Organisation
Abbreviation	ERDO
Type	International consortium
Headquarters	Brussels, Belgium
Founded	2014
Region served	Europe
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Dr. Marianne De Vries

Contents

European Repository Development Organisation

The European Repository Development Organisation is a Brussels-based consortium that coordinates planning for long-term radioactive waste management repositories across the European Union, collaborating with national agencies such as Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (United Kingdom), ANDRA (France), and Posiva (Finland). It engages with regulatory bodies like European Commission, European Atomic Energy Community, and International Atomic Energy Agency while interacting with stakeholder groups including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth Europe, and municipal partners such as the City of Olkiluoto and the Municipality of Bure.

Overview

The organisation functions as a platform connecting repository developers like SKB (Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB), Nagra (Switzerland), and Enresa (Spain) with research institutions such as Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire. It hosts working groups that include representatives from regulatory authorities like Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire, Federal Office for Nuclear Safety (Austria), and Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz while liaising with funding bodies including the European Investment Bank and research programmes such as Horizon 2020. The organisation engages with civil society actors including Friends of the Earth Europe, Greenpeace, and local municipalities exemplified by Bure (Meuse) and Olkiluoto (island).

ERDO was founded in 2014 following dialogues at forums such as the European Nuclear Energy Forum and meetings convened by the European Commission and International Atomic Energy Agency. Its inception drew on precedents like the CoRWM deliberations in the United Kingdom and the repository siting processes in Sweden and Finland. Founding partners included national agencies such as Nagra, SKB (Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB), Andra, and academic centres like Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), with initial funding from programmes including Euratom and Horizon 2020 pilot grants. Early conferences referenced landmark decisions such as the Aarhus Convention consultations and reviewed international case studies like the Yucca Mountain debate and the Chernobyl disaster legacy.

ERDO’s stated mission aligns with guidance from bodies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, European Commission, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Nuclear Energy Agency. Objectives include harmonising technical standards exemplified by those from ISO, advancing research similar to projects at SCK CEN and CEA, promoting public engagement practices derived from Aarhus Convention principles, and supporting member states working on repositories like Czech Republic and Slovakia. The organisation aims to facilitate knowledge transfer between experienced developers such as Posiva and emerging programmes like Lithuania and Bulgaria while aligning with treaty obligations under instruments comparable to the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management.

ERDO is governed by a council composed of representatives from national agencies including Nagra, Enresa, SKB (Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB), and research institutions such as Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The executive office in Brussels reports to an advisory board with members from the European Commission, IAEA, and the Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD). Technical committees involve institutions like SCK CEN, CEA, VTT, and KTH, while stakeholder forums include civil society groups such as Greenpeace and local authorities like Bure (Meuse). Governance documents reference practices from international examples such as Nuclear Waste Management Organization (Canada) and are subject to oversight interactions with regulators like Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire and Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz.

ERDO organises research projects in collaboration with universities including University of Oxford, TU Delft, and École des Mines de Paris, and operates pilot programmes mirroring initiatives at Posiva and SKB (Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB). It runs training workshops with participation from bodies like IAEA, European Commission, and OECD Nuclear Energy Agency; publishes technical guidance drawing upon work from Nagra, Andra, and Enresa; conducts stakeholder engagement trials in communities similar to Olkiluoto, Bure (Meuse), and Forsmark; and supports research networks involving Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, SCK CEN, CEA, and VTT. ERDO’s thematic networks have addressed topics seen in projects at Horizon 2020, including repository geology studies from Swiss Seismological Service and engineered barrier system research at Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire.

Funding sources include contributions from national agencies such as Nagra, Enresa, and SKB (Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB), grants from European Commission programmes like Horizon 2020 and Euratom, and loans or support instruments available from the European Investment Bank. Partnerships extend to international organisations including the International Atomic Energy Agency, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, and bilateral links with agencies such as US Department of Energy programmes, research centres like SCK CEN, and universities including KTH and TU Delft. ERDO has memoranda of understanding with entities exemplified by Posiva and Andra and collaborates with civil society actors such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth Europe, and municipal associations like CEMR.

ERDO has faced criticism from NGOs including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth Europe over perceived biases toward established developers like SKB (Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB) and Nagra and over transparency compared with processes in cases like Yucca Mountain and municipal opposition seen in Bure (Meuse). Some national parliaments, for example in Germany and Austria, have questioned the allocation of Euratom funds to cross-border initiatives. Academic critiques from scholars at University of Manchester, Uppsala University, and KU Leuven have argued for broader inclusion of social science research used in deliberations such as CoRWM reviews. Disputes over siting processes have echoed debates from Sweden and Finland and prompted scrutiny by regulatory bodies including Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire and the European Commission.

Category:International nuclear organizations