The 6th edition of the SNETP Project Portfolio Webinar, held on managing radioactive waste, showcased the progress of two pivotal European initiatives: EURAD 2 and HARPERS. Both projects are contributing to Europe comprehensive approach to radioactive waste management, addressing this complex challenge that will affect generations through coordinated research, harmonized practices, and strategic collaboration across member states.

Radioactive Waste Management: A Critical Component of Europe Nuclear Future

Managing radioactive waste represents one of the most complex challenges facing Europe nuclear sector, requiring not just advanced science and technology, but also robust regulatory frameworks and public trust. With different European countries maintaining varying approaches, waste volumes, and management strategies, coordinated European actions are essential to ensure safety, efficiency, and public acceptance. The European Waste Directive provides the regulatory foundation, while projects like EURAD 2 and HARPERS offer the practical pathway forward.

European Partnership on Radioactive Waste Management (EURAD 2)

EURAD 2 serves as Europe largest partnership in radioactive waste management, building upon the success of EURAD 1 and the PREDIS project. This ambitious five-year initiative, launched in October 2024, brings together 140 participating organizations from 21 European countries to address the EU’s 3.5 million cubic meters of radioactive waste.

Key objectives of EURAD 2 include:

  • Comprehensive Research Portfolio: Implementing 18 work packages covering all phases from inventory to operation, with plans for additional work packages in a second wave
  • Strategic Research Agenda: Developing a 10-year forward-looking agenda identifying joint activities of European added value
  • Knowledge Management: Dedicating 12% of the budget to knowledge capture, competence building, and technology transfer
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Supporting member states with varying levels of program advancement, with special focus on new member states and countries with small inventories
  • Civil Society Integration: Incorporating civil society representatives to enhance public engagement and acceptance

The partnership structure includes 51 beneficiaries mandated by national ministries, 69 affiliated entities (primarily universities and research centers), and 22 associated partners from Japan, Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, UK, and USA. With a €20 million grant for the first two years and co-financing at 60% from the European Commission, EURAD 2 represents the most comprehensive European effort in radioactive waste management research.

Harmonized Best Practices, Regulations and Standards (HARPERS)

HARPERS addresses the critical need for harmonized approaches across Europe diverse regulatory landscape. This three-year project, involving 30 partners from 14 countries, focuses on identifying and removing obstacles that prevent implementation of more common regulatory approaches in decommissioning and radioactive waste management.

Core activities in HARPERS include:

  • Cross-Border Services and Facilities: Developing frameworks for waste characterization, treatment, conditioning, and storage across national boundaries
  • Circular Economy Implementation: Promoting sustainable decommissioning through material recycling, clearance harmonization, and waste minimization strategies
  • Advanced Technologies Integration: Accelerating deployment of innovative decontamination techniques, robotics, AI-powered systems, and digital twins
  • Regulatory Framework Analysis: Evaluating harmonization potential and identifying regulatory barriers across technical, economic, environmental, and political dimensions

HARPERS employs a bottom-up stakeholder engagement approach, conducting extensive surveys, workshops, and one-on-one discussions to gather real-world insights. The project methodology includes SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) and TEECOM assessments (Technical, Economic, Environmental, Commercial, Operational, Political) to provide comprehensive business cases for regulatory change.

Looking Ahead: Strategic Priorities for European Waste Management

Both webinar presentations highlighted several critical priorities for advancing European radioactive waste management. The immediate focus centers on establishing harmonized definitions and standards where feasible, while developing clear regulatory approaches for emerging technologies like AI, robotics, and digital tools. Success requires strengthening cross-border cooperation and mutual recognition frameworks.

Long-term sustainability depends on robust investment in regulatory capacity, training infrastructure, and stakeholder engagement programs. The projects emphasize the need for European working groups to develop common guidelines, centralized knowledge databases, and standardized training certification programs to attract and develop the next generation of nuclear professionals.

Beyond technical solutions, both initiatives recognize that public trust and political will remain fundamental to progress. This includes transparent stakeholder engagement, clear communication of safety benefits, and demonstration of economic advantages through pilot harmonization projects.

The strategic directions emerging from these projects align with Europe broader energy and environmental goals:

  • Embedding waste management into circular economy principles from the design phase of nuclear facilities
  • Developing shared European infrastructure for specialized waste treatment and disposal services
  • Strengthening scientific collaboration through mobility programs and knowledge exchange
  • Building supportive regulatory pathways that balance safety, sustainability, and innovation

These initiatives demonstrate that Europe radioactive waste management future depends not only on technological advancement, but also on regulatory harmonization, international cooperation, and sustained stakeholder engagement. The collaborative approach exemplified by EURAD 2 and HARPERS provides a promising foundation for addressing one of the nuclear sector most enduring challenges while supporting Europe clean energy transition.

Join us for the next webinar, 11 July 2025, showcasing four cutting-edge projects focused on the fuel cycle: PATRICIA, TRANSPARANT, PUMMA & ENEN2plus. Register here.