Answer given by Vice-President Šefčovič on behalf of the Commission

8.4.2016

1. Under Article 41 of the Euratom Treaty, points of view on investment projects are delivered by the Commission. The Commission's point of view is not a formal authorisation of the project and is not legally binding. The Commission services have analysed all the elements of the investment project as communicated to it pursuant to Council Regulation (Euratom) No 2587/1999 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1209/2000. The assessment, as for all notifications received in the framework of the article 41 Euratom Treaty procedure, is carried out with the purpose of ensuring the compliance of the proposed investment project with the objectives and the full spectrum of provisions of the Euratom Treaty and of secondary legislation based on it, which includes requirements on radiation protection, safe management of radioactive waste, security of supply and safeguards. It is also without prejudice to any additional assessments to be carried out under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and to the obligations stemming from it, as well as from other secondary legislation[1].

2. The investor communicated the Retortillo project to the Commission on 15 January 2014. Based on a first assessment by the Commission services, a first set of questions were sent to the investor on 23 May 2014 that were answered on 3 July 2014. In order to discuss the replies that were received and to achieve further clarifications, a bilateral meeting with the investor took place on 23 September 2014, giving rise to an additional set of questions sent to the investor on 10 October 2014. The point of view was finally adopted on 21 May 2015.

• [1] See also reply to Parliamentary Question E-15514/2015.