Pursuant to the provisions of its Bilateral Agreement, the decommissioning and disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel is a shared obligation of the contracting parties, the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Slovenia, and must be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Joint Convention.
The decommissioning of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant will proceed based on the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme, which describes decommissioning scenarios. The management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel generated by the operation and decommissioning will be carried out in accordance with the RW and SNF Disposal Programme. The Decommissioning Programme also involves the management of all radioactive and other waste generated during the decommissioning until its removal from the Krško NPP site and includes an assessment of required funding as well as implementation deadlines. The RW and SNF Disposal Programme includes, but is not limited to: a proposal for potential RW and SNF division and takeover, disposal eligibility criteria, and an assessment of required funding and deadlines.
Pursuant to the Bilateral Agreement, the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme and the RW and SNF Disposal Programme shall be jointly audited by appointed expert organisations. The Programme has been endorsed by the Intergovernmental Commission headed by the Ministers of Economy of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Slovenia and introduced into the legislative procedure for adoption in both countries, in the manner prescribed under the Bilateral Agreement.
In May 2003, the Croatian Government made a decision appointing the Special Waste Agency (APO d.o.o.) from Zagreb as the expert organisation for the development of joint programmes for Krško Nuclear Power Plant decommissioning and radioactive waste and spent fuel disposal.
The first joint revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning and RW and SNF Disposal Programme, as a single document, was completed in 2004 by the Project Team composed of representatives of APO d.o.o. and Slovenia’s expert organisation, the Radioactive Waste Agency (Agencija za radioaktivne otpatke - ARAO d.o.o.) from Ljubljana.
According to the Bilateral Agreement, the Programme(s) must be revised every five years to allow for a more detailed and reliable planning of activities immediately prior to their implementation as well as to adjust the deposits into national funds, if required.
The Second Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning and RW and SNF Disposal Programme was contracted and carried out by the Project Team composed of Croatian and Slovenian expert organisations in 2011 (as a single document). This was, however, not referred to the adoption procedure in line with the Bilateral Agreement.
In 2012, pursuant to a decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the Fund undertook to prepare and implement expert activities as part of Croatia’s participation in the upcoming revisions of the Programme.
In 2015, the Intergovernmental Commission, which is responsible for implementing the Bilateral Agreement, made the decision to initiate the Third Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme and the Krško NPP RW and SNF Disposal Programme. The drafting started in late 2017, after confirming the terms of reference. The revisions of both programmes were completed in 2019, after the Intergovernmental Commission deemed a joint solution for the disposal of LILW is not impossible. The third revision was finally confirmed at the 14th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission , in July 2020, following a preliminary confirmation procedure in Croatia and Slovenia.
Through equitable cooperation with the relevant Slovenian expert organisation, the Fund is dedicated to investigating and improving effective economic, environmental and human health-related solutions in future revisions of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme and the RW and SNF Disposal Programme. The Programme revision process involves not only developing expert projects but also negotiating with the Slovenian side on the viability of planned solutions.
In the course of this process, the Fund is also responsible for representing and advocating legitimate Croatian interests in specific chosen solutions. To this end, the Fund will act under guidance of the Disposal of Radioactive Waste, Disused Sources and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Strategy and the National Programme for the Implementation of the Strategy as well as produce required expert studies and analyses to contribute to the optimal decision-making outcomes.
The first Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme with a cost estimate was developed by the German company NIS Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH (NIS) in 1996 (the so-called Preliminary Decommissioning Plan, or PDP), prior to the Bilateral Agreement. Following the mutual ratification of the Agreement, the Intergovernmental Commission was formed as the sole body responsible for implementing the Agreement. In 2003, it made the decision to merge the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme and the RW and SNF Disposal Program, provided for in Article 10 of the Bilateral Agreement, into a single document, entitled “Krško NPP Decommissioning and LILW and SNF Disposal Programme” (abbreviated title: the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme). The primary purpose of this document was to estimate the total costs of Krško NPP decommissioning and RW and SNF disposal in order to adjust the annual liabilities of the Slovenian co-owner of the Krško NPP against those of the Slovenian Fund for financing the decommissioning of the Krško NPP and disposal of RW and SNF, as well as define the obligations of the Croatian co-owner against the corresponding Fund in Croatia, which was yet to be launched.
Expert organisations – within the meaning of Article 10 of the Bilateral Agreement, defined as APO d.o.o. (Special Waste Agency LLC) from Zagreb and ARAO, Agencija za radioaktivne odpatke d.o.o (Radioactive Waste Agency LLC) from Ljubljana – appointed their experts to the Project Team, which was then endorsed at an Intergovernmental Commission meeting. Experts from the Krško NPP and various expert organisations form Croatia and Slovenia also took part in drafting the Programme, as did a number of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as part of technical support. This first joint Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme was largely a rewriting of the Preliminary Decommissioning Plan by NIS GmbH. As a result, but largely due to the Bilateral Agreement provision requiring a programme revision at least once every five years, the first joint Programme is also known as the 1st Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme.
The final version of 1st Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme was completed in the first half of 2004 and submitted to Electricite de France (EDF) for review. After receiving a positive opinion, the 1st Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme was endorsed by the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and then voted on and approved by the Croatian Parliament on 8 December 2004 (Official Gazette “Narodne novine” no. 175/04), in accordance with the Bilateral Agreement Ratification Act. The First Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning and LILW and SNF Disposal Programme was ratified at the 7th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission.
Based on the scheduled shutdown of the Krško NPP in 2023, the First Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning and RW and SNF Disposal Programme listed several scenarios for dealing with LILW and SNF. These implied the construction of 3 joint LILW and SNF facilities: an LILW repository, SNF repository (provided that SNF could not be exported) and SNF dry storage. The Programme avoided pinpointing any facilities in either country and instead opted for vague phrasing (in the territory of the Republic of Croatia or in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia), since its primary purpose was financial – to provide an assessment of future liabilities for both parties. Out of several scenarios, the Project Team recommended the SID-45 scenario (the strategy involving rapid decommissioning and LILW disposal and SNF disposal or export), which anticipated building an LILW repository by 2018, which would then operate until 2037 and close down in 2042. The decommissioning would start immediately after the shutdown of Krško NPP in 2023 and end by 2036. Both versions of the SID-45 scenario anticipated the launch of an SNF dry storage in 2023, with a 45-year operational run. The annual funding estimates to cover the costs of Krško NPP decommissioning and LILW and SNF disposal beyond 2023 amounted to €28.5 million deposited in both funds, respectively. Ever since, HEP d.d. has been making regular deposits of €EUR 14.25 million annually; initially, the deposits were made into the state budget, and then into the newly founded Croatian Fund for financing the decommissioning of the Krško NPP (into which the budget deposits were also transferred). The Slovenian side adjusted (reduced) its payments against the funds it had already deposited in the Slovenian Fund.
The preparation of the 2nd Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning and LILW and SNF Disposal Programme started in August 2008. It was made by the same expert organisations that produced the 1st Revision, based on the Terms of Reference (PDF – Annex 23. TOR for DP Rev. 2 29-8-08) adopted by the Intergovernmental Commission. In the Second Revision of the Programme 5 potential scenarios were selected and analysed, starting with the reference scenario SID-45 from the 1st Revision. However, it also considered some new facts:
- extending the lifespan of the Krško NPP until 2043 was seen as an equal alternative to a 2023 closedown;
- the option to divide and dispose of LILW separately, in national repositories, was on an equal footing with the joint disposal option;
- the location of the joint LILW repository was not defined, but the procedures and costs were modeled based on the Slovenian repository project;
- in the LILW division scenario, the Slovenian repository would be modeled based on the Slovenian project, and Croatia would opt for a cassette-type repository that had been considered fifteen years prior for a potential site (Republic of Croatia Spatial Planning Programme, Official Gazette “Narodne novine” no. 50/99);
- the export option for SNF disposal was not considered; the analysis included only dry storage and disposal, on undefined joint sites.
The Project Team did not come up with a reference scenario for the second revision, arguing that such a selection was a matter of political decision-making and negotiations outside its scope of competence. However, due to delays in fundraising, the Team proposed to immediately increase the rate of annual deposits made into the national funds for both parties to the amounts provided for in the S2 scenario. This scenario anticipates that the lifespan of the Krško NPP would be extended until 2043 and LILW and SNF disposed of jointly in common facilities. Compared to the reference scenario in the 1st Revision, the SNF storage and disposal start date was pushed back 20 years due to the lifespan extension. The start date for LILW disposal, however, remained the same.
The final version of the Second Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme was completed in June 2010 and signed by all required signatories (Project Team members and directors of the expert organisations, APO d.o.o. and ARAO d.o.o.). The document was subsequently named “1st Version of the Text”, since it had been agreed it was still to be examined by the Expert Council (the body that acts as a mediator between the Project Team and the Intergovernmental Commission during the drafting of the Program, among its other roles), which could propose potential amendments.
The Expert Council requested certain changes to the Programme so the Project Team drafted a new version of the document, entitled “The Second Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme, 2nd Version of the Text”. The Expert Council and the Intergovernmental Commission did not examine this document so it was not referred for independent peer review or formal adoption in line with the Agreement.
The overall outcome of the 2nd Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme was a presentation and analysis of the most likely options from the selected scenarios and an estimate of related costs and funding options.
The Decision to draft the Third Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme (hereinafter referred to as DEP Rev. 3) and the Krško NPP Radioactive Waste (RW) and Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Disposal Program (hereinafter referred to as DIP Rev. 3) was made at the 10th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) in July 2015. The drafting of supporting technical studies and the DIP Rev. 3 and DEP Rev. 3 started after the 11th IGC Meeting in November 2017 confirmed the terms of reference. The Implementation Coordination Committee for Third Revision monitoring was formed at the same IGC meeting, tasked with reporting to the competent ministers and drafting a proposal of a potential joint solution for the disposal of low and intermediate level radioactive waste (LILW) from the Krško NPP. Both Programme Revisions were in English and have been made available for public access at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development website.
Conclusions drawn at the 10th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission that are important for the continuation of the project and the drafting of the DIP Rev. 3 and DEP Rev. 3:
- confirmed the extension of the Krško NPP’s operational lifespan from 40 to 60 years (until 2043),
- confirmed the on-site SNF dry storage project, construction and operation of which represent an operational cost for the power plant,
- on-site SNF dry storage until the end of the Krško NPP operational lifespan is part of the joint solution for SNF disposal, pursuant to Article 10, Paragraph 7 of the Bilateral Agreement,
- due to new circumstances related to the long-term operation of the Krško NPP, suspended all activities related to the drafting of the Second Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning and LILW and SNF Disposal Programme,
- tasked expert organisations with preparing, within 3 months, a Terms of Reference proposal for the drafting of DIP Rev. 3 and a Terms of Reference proposal for the drafting of DEP Rev. 3,
- maintained the current deposit rates for Croatian and Slovenian funds for decommissioning until the end of DEP Rev. 3 and DIP Rev. 3.
DIP Rev. 3 with a preliminary estimate of nominal costs was made by expert organisations – the Fund for Financing the Decommissioning of the Krško NPP and ARAO. In November 2017, an agreement was made that the estimate would only take into account the scenario in which the Croatian half of the LILW is managed in the Republic of Croatia (in accordance with the Radioactive Waste, Disused Sources and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Strategy and the National Programme for the Implementation of the RW, DS and SNF Management Strategy – Programme for the period until 2025 with a view until 2060), while the Slovenian half would be disposed in the Republic of Slovenia (in accordance with the Resolution on the National Programme for Managing RW and SNF 2016 – 2025). For the disposal of SNF, the Programme provides a joint (unique) scenario with an on-site dry storage at the Krško NPP site and a deep geological repository of SNF. For the purpose of drafting the DIP Rev. 3, the following expert supporting studies were commissioned during 2018: “The Analysis of the Potential Division and Takeover of Krško NPP Operational and Decommissioning Radioactive Wastes”, “Revised Reference Scenario for Geological Disposal Facility in Hard Rock with Cost Estimation for its Implementation”, “A Revision of the RW Disposal Concept in Croatia”, “Setting a Discount Rate for Determining the Cash Flow and Yield for a Long-Term Investment of the Fund”.
Based on the decision of the Intergovernmental Commission that Krško NPP shall prepare DEP Rev. 3 in cooperation with ARAO and the Fund for Financing the Decommissioning of the Krško NPP, the Krško NPP contracted Siempelkamp NIS Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH to draft DEP Rev. 3 and all required supporting studies. To this end, a revision of the professional foundation of the Preliminary Decommissioning Plan made in 2010 was carried out (PDP Rev. 5), and a discounting model and a preliminary decommissioning cost estimate were made. DIP Rev. 3 and the supporting studies and documents drafted for its purpose contain inputs for drafting the DIP Rev. 3.
The documents of DEP Rev. 3 and DIP Rev. 3 have been adopted by the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Parliament and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, after a translated review (the review was performed by IAEA within technical assistance projects (CRO9012 i SLO9019)) and the presentation of the results at the 13th Meeting of the ICG in September 2019. At that meeting it was decided that there is no joint solution regarding the disposal of the Krško NPP’s LILW, and thus each state shall continue to develop and implement their own solutions for the management of their halves of the Krško NPP LILW. At the 14th ICG Meeting in July 2020, DEP Rev. 3 and DIP Rev. 3 were confirmed by the Intergovernmental Committee.
After the confirmation of the DIP Rev. 3 and DIP Rev. 3 and the calculations of nominal and discount costs for the implementation of both programmes, the final assessment of annuity, i.e. the proposal for the modification of the current Ordinance on fee amounts, deadlines and method of payment for the decommissioning of the Krško NPP and the management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel from the Krško NPP (Official Gazette “Narodne novine”, no. 155/08.), shall be made.
The course of adoption of the Third Revision as well as conclusions from the Intergovernmental Commission sessions material to the drafting and approval of the Third Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme and the Krško NPP RW and SNF Disposal Programme are described below.
Intergovernmental Commission
Međudržavno povjerenstvo osnovano je sukladno čl. 18. Bilateral Agreement za praćenje provedbe Ugovora i obavljanje drugih zadataka u skladu s Međudržavnim ugovorom i ključno je tijelo za reguliranje odnosa između stranaka. Čine ga izaslanstva Republike Hrvatske i Republike Slovenije. Svako izaslanstvo ima predsjednika i četiri člana. Članove hrvatskog izaslanstva imenuje Vlada Republike Hrvatske.
Međudržavno povjerenstvo (MDP) potvrđuje Program odlaganja radioaktivnog otpada i istrošenoga nuklearnog goriva iz NE Krško i Program razgradnje NE Krško, kao i sve njihove revizije, te prati rad NE Krško i prikupljanje sredstava u nacionalnim fondovima za potrebe razgradnje NE Krško i zbrinjavanja RAO-a i ING-a iz NE Krško, te rješava otvorena pitanja vezana uz međudržavne odnose.
MDP se sastaje na sjednicama koje se organiziraju u pravilu jednom godišnje, a po potrebi i češće. Na sjednicama se vode zapisnici s odlukama Međudržavnog povjerenstva. Zajedničke zapisnike na hrvatskom i na slovenskom jeziku potpisuju predsjednici hrvatske i slovenske delegacije.
1. sjednica MDP-a održana je 10. lipnja 2003. godine u prostorijama NE Krško. U skladu s odlukama 1. sjednice, NEK d.o.o. i stručne organizacije zaduženi su za izradu projektnih zadataka i nacrta aktivnosti potrebnih za izradu programa razgradnje NEK i programa odlaganja RAO-a i ING-a.
Na 2. sjednici MDP-a, koja je održana 2. srpnja 2003. godine u NE Krško, prihvaćen je Projektni zadatak za izradu programa razgradnje (PR) NEK i odlaganja nisko i srednje radioaktivnog otpada (NSRAO-a) i istrošenoga nuklearnog goriva (ING-a).
Na 3. sjednici MDP-a, koja je održana 3. rujna 2003. godine u NE Krško, potvrđeno je da izrada Programa razgradnje NEK i odlaganja NSRAO-a i ING-a teče prema dogovorenom Vremenskom planu. Dogovorena je organizacija rada, pripremljena interna dokumentacija i osnovan Stručni savjet za praćenje poslova pripreme Programa.
4. sjednica MDP-a održana je 2. listopada 2003. godine u NE Krško. Prezentiran je napredak u provedbi aktivnosti na izradi Programa razgradnje NEK i odlaganja NSRAO-a i ING-a, novi inputi za potrebe izrade scenarija razgradnje i odlaganja, a imenovani su i novi članovi Stručnog savjeta. Glavna tema sjednice bila su tumačenja odredbi Priloga 3 Međudržavnog ugovora i rješavanje spora o naknadi za neisporučenu energiju HEP-u.
Na 5. sjednici, održanoj 1. travnja 2004. godine u NE Krško, MDP upoznat je s izrađenim Programom razgradnje i odlaganja NSRAO-a i ING-a, te je zadužio NEK da osigura nezavisnu međunarodnu recenziju tog Programa.
Na 6. sjednici održanoj 23. lipnja 2004. godine u NE Krško, MDP je upoznat s međunarodnom recenzijom Programa razgradnje i odlaganja NSRAO-a i ING-a iz NE Krško i utvrdio da potvrđuje postavke i zaključke Programa. Odlučeno je da se konačni tekst Programa predstavi javnosti i uputi u službenu proceduru usvajanja u obje zemlje. Paralelno, zatraženo je i stručno mišljenje Međunarodne agencije za atomsku energiju (IAEA) na izrađeni Program.
Na 7. sjednici, održanoj 4. ožujka 2005. godine u NE Krško, MDP je potvrdio konačni tekst Prve revizije Programa razgradnje i odlaganja NSRAO-a i ING-a iz NE Krško iz lipnja 2004. godine.
Potvrđivanje 1. revizije Programa razgradnje i odlaganja NSRAO-a i ING-a iz NE Krško omogućilo je pokretanje formalnih aktivnosti za uspostavu hrvatskog Fonda za financiranje razgradnje i zbrinjavanje radioaktivnog otpada i istrošenoga nuklearnog goriva iz NE Krško, sukladno obvezama iz članka 11. Međudržavnog ugovora.
Na 8. sjednici, održanoj 3. rujna 2008. godine potvrđen je Projektni zadatak za izradu druge revizije Programa razgradnje i odlaganja NSRAO-a i ING-a iz NE Krško, te su potvrđeni članovi Stručnog savjeta koji će pratiti izradu druge revizije. Stručnim organizacijama APO i ARAO je naloženo da drugu reviziju provedu do rujna sljedeće godine. Troškovi izrade druge revizije pokriveni su iz nacionalnih fondova u jednakim omjerima.
Na 9. sjednici, održanoj 19. svibnja 2010. godine u NE Krško, Međudržavno povjerenstvo je upoznato sa statusom izrade druge revizije Programa razgradnje i odlaganja NSRAO-a i ING-a iz NE Krško, te prihvatilo predložene izmjene Projektnog zadatka koje su uključivale produljenje roka i dodatna sredstva za potrebe rada stručnih organizacija na drugoj reviziji i izmjenu rubnih uvjeta. Međudržavno povjerenstvo je naložilo stručnim organizacijama da uz odobrenje Stručnog savjeta pripreme projektni zadatak za recenziju druge revizije Programa.
In July 2015, the 10th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) was held with a discussion on the operation of the Krško NPP, radioactive waste management in Croatia and Slovenia, the continuation of the joint Krško NPP Decommissioning and RW and SNF Disposal Programme and the collection of the necessary resources in national funds. The most important conclusions from the IGC session relevant to the revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning and RW and SNF Disposal Programme were:
- confirmed the extension of the Krško NPP operational lifespan from 40 to 60 years (until 2043);
- in order to ensure a permanent nuclear safety of the Krško NPP, confirmed the SNF dry storage project at the plant site, to be built and run at the operating cost of the power plant;
- on-site SNF dry storage until the end of the Krško NPP operational lifespan is part of the joint solution for SNF disposal, pursuant to Article 10, Paragraph 7 of the Bilateral Agreement;
- due to new circumstances related to the long-term operation of the Krško NPP, suspended all activities related to the drafting of the Second Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning and LILW and SNF Disposal Programme;
- tasked expert organisations with drafting terms of reference for the third revision of the Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposal Programme (hereinafter: DIP Rev. 3) and drafting terms of reference for the Third revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme (hereinafter: DEP Rev. 3);
- maintained the current deposit rates for Croatian and Slovenian funds for decommissioning until the end of DEP Rev. 3 and DIP Rev. 3.
The 11th IGC Meeting was held in November 2017. It accepted the terms of reference for the Third Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme and the Third Revision of the RW and SNF Disposal Programme (PDF - ToR for the Third Revision of RW and SF_Disposal Program - Rev.O Potpisan). On a technical level, the terms or reference were prepared by expert organisations (ARAO and the Fund) in cooperation with the Krško NPP.
As requested by the Intergovernmental Commission, the Third Revision of the RW and SNF Disposal Programme was prepared by expert organisations in cooperation with the Krško NPP, while the Third Revision of the Decommissioning Programme was made by the Krško NPP in cooperation with ARAO and the Fund. The developers of both these programmes shall send them to IGC for approval. At the same session, the IGC appointed the Coordination Committee (CC) to monitor the implementation of the Third Revisions of the Programmes. The chairpersons of the Croatian and Slovenian section of the CO are required to report to their competent ministers on the progress regarding the preparation of the programmes. The Intergovernmental Commission supports both signatory countries in their efforts to build a legal LILW repository, in good faith and in accordance with the guidelines of the Bilateral Agreement that define RW disposal as a shared obligation and in line with other international obligations. After considering the proposed Investment Programme for the LILW repository project at Vrbina, the Croatian side decided that the Slovenian offer to include a joint LILW repository at Vrbina into the project, as it was presented in the Investment Programme for the Vrbina LILW repository, Rev. C, was not acceptable to the Croatian side.
The Intergovernmental Commission tasked the Coordination Committee with preparing a potential joint proposal for LILW disposal and report to the IGC.
In January 2019, the 12th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) was held and the following was presented: the Krško NPP work report (since the 11th IGC Meeting), preliminary results of the Third Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme and the Third Revision of the RW and SNF Disposal Programme, options and conditions for a joint LILW disposal solution as well as the balances of collected resources of the Croatian and Slovenian funds.
The IGC instructed Coordination Committee (CC) members and expert organisations to further optimize costs and complete the preparation of the Third Revision of the RW and SNF Disposal Programme and the Third Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme by May 2019.
In order to explore the joint LILW disposal option, the IGC instructed the CC to continue to work on a solution (with detailed terms and conditions) for the implementation of the joint LILW repository project. In September 2019, the CC was tasked with writing a report on the possibility of a joint LILW repository to the chairpersons of the Croatian and Slovenian delegations at the IGC.
The IGC called on ARAO and the Fund to hire legal experts to study and report to the CC, by the end of May 2019, their findings on any legal acts that need to be amended or adopted to ensure the best possible legal basis for implementing the joint LILW repository project in both countries.
The CC was tasked with appointing a technical group, composed of Slovenian and Croatian representatives and representatives of the Krško NPP, to prepare a report by the end of May 2019 on whether existing technical solutions for radioactive waste disposal may be harmonized with the expectations of the contracting parties.
It was agreed that the Slovenian side would convene the next IGC session by the end of September 2019.
At the 13th session of 30 September 2019, the documentation and results of the Third Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme and the Krško NPP Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposal Programme were presented. The Members of the Intergovernmental Committee acknowledged and referred the Third Revision of the Programmes for further prior confirmation procedure in both signatory countries.
In the Republic of Croatia, the Third Revision documentation must go through public consultation, followed by the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia on its referring to the Croatian Parliament, which finally makes a prior approval, which is a prerequisite for its adoption on the next session of the IGC.
One of the topics of the session was also the report of the Coordination Committee on the possibility of finding a mutual solution to the low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal. The Intergovernmental Commission concluded, based on the report of the Coordination Committee, that a mutual solution was not possible. However, the possibility for further discussion and consultation regarding this issue was left open, which would allow a safe solution for the entire LILW from both countries until the next IGC session.
Until the next session of the Intergovernmental Committee, both parties should procure the consent to adopt the Third Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme and the Krško NPP Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposal Programme.
In July 2020, the 14th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee (ICG) was held, at which the Third Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme and the Krško NPP Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposal Programme was confirmed.
ICG dissolved the Coordination Committee (CC), which it had appointed by the Decision AD of March 2, at its 11th Meeting, since all the tasks entrusted to the CC were completed.
At the meeting, the report of the Krško NPP Board regarding the operations of the NPP was presented, the Croatian and the Slovenian sides presented the results of the Third Revision of both programmes, after which a report of the Slovenian and Croatian fund on the state of funds collected in funds dedicated to the financing of the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant and the disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel from the Krško NPP.
ICG tasked expert organisations (Krško NPP, ARAO and the Fund for Financing the Decommissioning of the Krško NPP) to begin preparing the Fourth Revision of the Krško NPP Decommissioning Programme and the Krško NPP Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposal Programme and the terms of reference for drafting the Fourth Revision.
It was agreed on that the next meeting, to be convened by the Slovenian side, shall be held in the first half of 2021.
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