Decreto n.º 12/2009 — Aprova, para adesão, a Convenção Conjunta sobre a Segurança da Gestão do Combustível Usado e a Segurança da Gestão dos…

de 21 de Abril

Atendendo a que se pretende contribuir para o alcance e a manutenção de um elevado nível de segurança, de índole mundial, na gestão do combustível usado e dos resíduos radioactivos, através do reforço de medidas nacionais e da promoção da cooperação ao nível internacional;

Reconhecendo que a Convenção Conjunta sobre a Segurança da Gestão do Combustível Usado e a Segurança da Gestão dos Resíduos Radioactivos, adoptada pela Conferência Geral da Agência Internacional de Energia Atómica, em Viena, em 5 de Setembro de 1997, tem por objectivo o estabelecimento e manutenção de todas as defesas possíveis que se julgam eficazes contra os potenciais riscos para os indivíduos, a sociedade e o ambiente, da exposição a radiações ionizantes:

Assim:

Nos termos da alínea c) do n.º 1 do artigo 197.º da Constituição, o Governo aprova, para adesão, a Convenção Conjunta sobre a Segurança da Gestão do Combustível Usado e a Segurança da Gestão dos Resíduos Radioactivos, adoptada pela Conferência Geral da Agência Internacional de Energia Atómica, em Viena, em 5 de Setembro de 1997, cujo texto, na versão autenticada na língua inglesa, assim como a respectiva tradução para língua portuguesa, se publica em anexo.

Visto e aprovado em Conselho de Ministros de 5 de Fevereiro de 2009. - José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa - Luís Filipe Marques Amado - Emanuel Augusto dos Santos - Humberto Delgado Ubach Chaves Rosa - Manuel Frederico Tojal de Valsassina Heitor.

Assinado em 13 de Março de 2009.

Publique-se.

O Presidente da República, Aníbal Cavaco Silva.

Referendado em 19 de Março de 2009.

O Primeiro-Ministro, José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa.

JOINT CONVENTION ON THE SAFETY OF SPENT FUEL MANAGEMENT AND ON THE SAFETY OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

Preamble

The Contracting Parties:

ii) Recognizing that the same safety objectives apply both to spent fuel and radioactive waste management;

iii) Reaffirming the importance to the international community of ensuring that sound practices are planned and implemented for the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management;

iv) Recognizing the importance of informing the public on issues regarding the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management;

vi) Reaffirming that the ultimate responsibility for ensuring the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management rests with the State;

vii) Recognizing that the definition of a fuel cycle policy rests with the State, some States considering spent fuel as a valuable resource that may be reprocessed, others electing to dispose of it;

viii) Recognizing that spent fuel and radioactive waste excluded from the present Convention because they are within military or defence programmes should be managed in accordance with the objectives stated in this Convention;

ix) Affirming the importance of international co-operation in enhancing the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, and through this incentive Convention;

xi) Convinced that radioactive waste should, as far as is compatible with the safety of the management of such material, be disposed of in the State in which it was generated, whilst recognizing that, in certain circumstances, safe and efficient management of spent fuel and radioactive waste might be fostered through agreements among Contracting Parties to use facilities in one of them for the benefit of the other Parties, particularly where waste originates from joint projects;

xii) Recognizing that any State has the right to ban import into its territory of foreign spent fuel and radioactive waste;

xiii) Keeping in mind the Convention on Nuclear Safety (1994), the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident (1986), the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency (1986), the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (1980), the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter as amended (1994) and other relevant international instruments;

xiv) Keeping in mind the principles contained in the interagency «International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources» (1996), in the IAEA Safety Fundamentals entitled «The Principles of Radioactive Waste Management» (1995), and in the existing international standards relating to the safety of the transport of radioactive materials;

xv) Recalling chapter 22 of Agenda 21 by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro adopted in 1992, which reaffirms the paramount importance of the safe and environmentally sound management of radioactive waste;

xvi) Recognizing the desirability of strengthening the international control system applying specifically to radioactive materials as referred to in article 1(3) of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal (1989);

have agreed as follows:

CHAPTER 1

Objectives, definitions and scope of application

Article 1

Objectives

The objectives of this Convention are:

ii) To ensure that during all stages of spent fuel and radioactive waste management there are effective defenses against potential hazards so that individuals, society and the environment are protected from harmful effects of ionizing radiation, now and in the future, in such a way that the needs and aspirations of the present generation are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs and aspirations;

iii) To prevent accidents with radiological consequences and to mitigate their consequences should they occur during any stage of spent fuel or radioactive waste management.

Article 2

Definitions

For the purposes of this Convention:

Article 3

Scope of application

1 - This Convention shall apply to the safety of spent fuel management when the spent fuel results from the operation of civilian nuclear reactors. Spent fuel held at reprocessing facilities as part of a reprocessing activity is not covered in the scope of this Convention unless the Contracting Party declares reprocessing to be part of spent fuel management.

2 - This Convention shall also apply to the safety of radioactive waste management when the radioactive waste results from civilian applications. However, this Convention shall not apply to waste that contains only naturally occurring radioactive materials and that does not originate from the nuclear fuel cycle, unless it constitutes a disused sealed source or it is declared as radioactive waste for the purposes of this Convention by the Contracting Party.

3 - This Convention shall not apply to the safety of management of spent fuel or radioactive waste within military or defence programmes, unless declared as spent fuel or radioactive waste for the purposes of this Convention by the Contracting Party. However, this Convention shall apply to the safety of management of spent fuel and radioactive waste from military or defence programmes if and when such materials are transferred permanently to and managed within exclusively civilian programmes.

4 - This Convention shall also apply to discharges as provided for in articles 4, 7, 11, 14, 24 and 26.

CHAPTER 2

Safety of spent fuel management

Article 4

General safety requirements

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that at all stages of spent fuel management, individuals, society and the environment are adequately protected against radiological hazards.

In so doing, each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to:

ii) Ensure that the generation of radioactive waste associated with spent fuel management is kept to the minimum practicable, consistent with the type of fuel cycle policy adopted;

iii) Take into account interdependencies among the different steps in spent fuel management;

iv) Provide for effective protection of individuals, society and the environment, by applying at the national level suitable protective methods as approved by the regulatory body, in the framework of its national legislation which has due regard to internationally endorsed criteria and standards;

vi) Strive to avoid actions that impose reasonably predictable impacts on future generations greater than those permitted for the current generation;

vii) Aim to avoid imposing undue burdens on future generations.

Article 5

Existing facilities

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to review the safety of any spent fuel management facility existing at the time the Convention enters into force for that Contracting Party and to ensure that, if necessary, all reasonably practicable improvements are made to upgrade the safety of such a facility.

Article 6

Siting of proposed facilities

1 - Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that procedures are established and implemented for a proposed spent fuel management facility:

ii) To evaluate the likely safety impact of such a facility on individuals, society and the environment;

iii) To make information on the safety of such a facility available to members of the public;

iv) To consult Contracting Parties in the vicinity of such a facility, insofar as they are likely to be affected by that facility, and provide them, upon their request, with general data relating to the facility to enable them to evaluate the likely safety impact of the facility upon their territory.

2 - In so doing, each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that such facilities shall not have unacceptable effects on other Contracting Parties by being sited in accordance with the general safety requirements of article 4.

Article 7

Design and construction of facilities

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:

ii) At the design stage, conceptual plans and, as necessary, technical provisions for the decommissioning of a spent fuel management facility are taken into account;

iii) The technologies incorporated in the design and construction of a spent fuel management facility are supported by experience, testing or analysis.

Article 8

Assessment of safety of facilities

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:

ii) Before the operation of a spent fuel management facility, updated and detailed versions of the safety assessment and of the environmental assessment shall be prepared when deemed necessary to complement the assessments referred to in paragraph i).

Article 9

Operation of facilities

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:

ii) Operational limits and conditions derived from tests, operational experience and the assessments, as specified in article 8, are defined and revised as necessary;

iii) Operation, maintenance, monitoring, inspection and testing of a spent fuel management facility are conducted in accordance with established procedures;

iv) Engineering and technical support in all safety-related fields are available throughout the operating lifetime of a spent fuel management facility;

vi) Programmes to collect and analyse relevant operating experience are established and that the results are acted upon, where appropriate;

vii) Decommissioning plans for a spent fuel management facility are prepared and updated, as necessary, using information obtained during the operating lifetime of that facility, and are reviewed by the regulatory body.

Article 10

Disposal of spent fuel

If, pursuant to its own legislative and regulatory framework, a Contracting Party has designated spent fuel for disposal, the disposal of such spent fuel shall be in accordance with the obligations of chapter 3 relating to the disposal of radioactive waste.

CHAPTER 3

Safety of radioactive waste management

Article 11

General safety requirements

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that at all stages of radioactive waste management individuals, society and the environment are adequately protected against radiological and other hazards.

In so doing, each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to:

ii) Ensure that the generation of radioactive waste is kept to the minimum practicable;

iii) Take into account interdependencies among the different steps in radioactive waste management;

iv) Provide for effective protection of individuals, society and the environment, by applying at the national level suitable protective methods as approved by the regulatory body, in the framework of its national legislation which has due regard to internationally endorsed criteria and standards;

vi) Strive to avoid actions that impose reasonably predictable impacts on future generations greater than those permitted for the current generation;

vii) Aim to avoid imposing undue burdens on future generations.

Article 12

Existing facilities and past practices

Each Contracting Party shall in due course take the appropriate steps to review:

ii) The results of past practices in order to determine whether any intervention is needed for reasons of radiation protection bearing in mind that the reduction in detriment resulting from the reduction in dose should be sufficient to justify the harm and the costs, including the social costs, of the intervention.

Article 13

Siting of proposed facilities

1 - Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that procedures are established and implemented for a proposed radioactive waste management facility:

ii) To evaluate the likely safety impact of such a facility on individuals, society and the environment, taking into account possible evolution of the site conditions of disposal facilities after closure;

iii) To make information on the safety of such a facility available to members of the public;

iv) To consult Contracting Parties in the vicinity of such a facility, insofar as they are likely to be affected by that facility, and provide them, upon their request, with general data relating to the facility to enable them to evaluate the likely safety impact of the facility upon their territory.

2 - In so doing, each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that such facilities shall not have unacceptable effects on other Contracting Parties by being sited in accordance with the general safety requirements of article 11.

Article 14

Design and construction of facilities

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:

ii) At the design stage, conceptual plans and, as necessary, technical provisions for the decommissioning of a radioactive waste management facility other than a disposal facility are taken into account;

iii) At the design stage, technical provisions for the closure of a disposal facility are prepared;

iv) The technologies incorporated in the design and construction of a radioactive waste management facility are supported by experience, testing or analysis.

Article 15

Assessment of safety of facilities

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:

ii) In addition, before construction of a disposal facility, a systematic safety assessment and an environmental assessment for the period following closure shall be carried out and the results evaluated against the criteria established by the regulatory body;

iii) Before the operation of a radioactive waste management facility, updated and detailed versions of the safety assessment and of the environmental assessment shall be prepared when deemed necessary to complement the assessments referred to in paragraph i).

Article 16

Operation of facilities

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:

ii) Operational limits and conditions, derived from tests, operational experience and the assessments as specified in article 15 are defined and revised as necessary;

iii) Operation, maintenance, monitoring, inspection and testing of a radioactive waste management facility are conducted in accordance with established procedures. For a disposal facility the results thus obtained shall be used to verify and to review the validity of assumptions made and to update the assessments as specified in article 15 for the period after closure;

iv) Engineering and technical support in all safety-related fields are available throughout the operating lifetime of a radioactive waste management facility;

vi) Incidents significant to safety are reported in a timely manner by the holder of the licence to the regulatory body;

vii) Programmes to collect and analyse relevant operating experience are established and that the results are acted upon, where appropriate;

viii) Decommissioning plans for a radioactive waste management facility other than a disposal facility are prepared and updated, as necessary, using information obtained during the operating lifetime of that facility, and are reviewed by the regulatory body;

ix) Plans for the closure of a disposal facility are prepared and updated, as necessary, using information obtained during the operating lifetime of that facility and are reviewed by the regulatory body.

Article 17

Institutional measures after closure

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that after closure of a disposal facility:

ii) Active or passive institutional controls such as monitoring or access restrictions are carried out, if required; and

iii) If, during any period of active institutional control, an unplanned release of radioactive materials into the environment is detected, intervention measures are implemented, if necessary.

CHAPTER 4

General safety provisions

Article 18

Implementing measures

Each Contracting Party shall take, within the framework of its national law, the legislative, regulatory and administrative measures and other steps necessary for implementing its obligations under this Convention.

Article 19

Legislative and regulatory framework

1 - Each Contracting Party shall establish and maintain a legislative and regulatory framework to govern the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management.

2 - This legislative and regulatory framework shall provide for:

ii) A system of licensing of spent fuel and radioactive waste management activities;

iii) A system of prohibition of the operation of a spent fuel or radioactive waste management facility without a licence;

iv) A system of appropriate institutional control, regulatory inspection and documentation and reporting;

vi) A clear allocation of responsibilities of the bodies involved in the different steps of spent fuel and of radioactive waste management.

3 - When considering whether to regulate radioactive materials as radioactive waste, Contracting Parties shall take due account of the objectives of this Convention.

Article 20

Regulatory body

1 - Each Contracting Party shall establish or designate a regulatory body entrusted with the implementation of the legislative and regulatory framework referred to in article 19, and provided with adequate authority, competence and financial and human resources to fulfill its assigned responsibilities.

2 - Each Contracting Party, in accordance with its legislative and regulatory framework, shall take the appropriate steps to ensure the effective independence of the regulatory functions from other functions where organizations are involved in both spent fuel or radioactive waste management and in their regulation.

Article 21

Responsibility of the licence holder

1 - Each Contracting Party shall ensure that prime responsibility for the safety of spent fuel or radioactive waste management rests with the holder of the relevant licence and shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that each such licence holder meets its responsibility.

2 - If there is no such licence holder or other responsible party, the responsibility rests with the Contracting Party which has jurisdiction over the spent fuel or over the radioactive waste.

Article 22

Human and financial resources

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:

ii) Adequate financial resources are available to support the safety of facilities for spent fuel and radioactive waste management during their operating lifetime and for decommissioning;

iii) Financial provision is made which will enable the appropriate institutional controls and monitoring arrangements to be continued for the period deemed necessary following the closure of a disposal facility.

Article 23

Quality assurance

Each Contracting Party shall take the necessary steps to ensure that appropriate quality assurance programmes concerning the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management are established and implemented.

Article 24

Operational radiation protection

1 - Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that during the operating lifetime of a spent fuel or radioactive waste management facility:

ii) No individual shall be exposed, in normal situations, to radiation doses which exceed national prescriptions for dose limitation which have due regard to internationally endorsed standards on radiation protection; and

iii) Measures are taken to prevent unplanned and uncontrolled releases of radioactive materials into the environment.

2 - Each Contracting Party shall take appropriate steps to ensure that discharges shall be limited:

ii) So that no individual shall be exposed, in normal situations, to radiation doses which exceed national prescriptions for dose limitation which have due regard to internationally endorsed standards on radiation protection.

3 - Each Contracting Party shall take appropriate steps to ensure that during the operating lifetime of a regulated nuclear facility, in the event that an unplanned or uncontrolled release of radioactive materials into the environment occurs, appropriate corrective measures are implemented to control the release and mitigate its effects.

Article 25

Emergency preparedness

1 - Each Contracting Party shall ensure that before and during operation of a spent fuel or radioactive waste management facility there are appropriate on-site and, if necessary, off-site emergency plans. Such emergency plans should be tested at an appropriate frequency.

2 - Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps for the preparation and testing of emergency plans for its territory insofar as it is likely to be affected in the event of a radiological emergency at a spent fuel or radioactive waste management facility in the vicinity of its territory.

Article 26

Decommissioning

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure the safety of decommissioning of a nuclear facility. Such steps shall ensure that:

ii) The provisions of article 24 with respect to operational radiation protection, discharges and unplanned and uncontrolled releases are applied;

iii) The provisions of article 25 with respect to emergency preparedness are applied; and

iv) Records of information important to decommissioning are kept.

CHAPTER 5

Miscellaneous provisions

Article 27

Transboundary movement

1 - Each Contracting Party involved in transboundary movement shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that such movement is undertaken in a manner consistent with the provisions of this Convention and relevant binding international instruments.

In so doing:

ii) Transboundary movement through States of transit shall be subject to those international obligations which are relevant to the particular modes of transport utilized;

iii) A Contracting Party which is a State of destination shall consent to a transboundary movement only if it has the administrative and technical capacity, as well as the regulatory structure, needed to manage the spent fuel or the radioactive waste in a manner consistent with this Convention;

iv) A Contracting Party which is a State of origin shall authorize a transboundary movement only if it can satisfy itself in accordance with the consent of the State of destination that the requirements of subparagraph iii) are met prior to transboundary movement;

2 - A Contracting Party shall not licence the shipment of its spent fuel or radioactive waste to a destination south of latitude 60 degrees South for storage or disposal.

3 - Nothing in this Convention prejudices or affects:

ii) Rights of a Contracting Party to which radioactive waste is exported for processing to return, or provide for the return of, the radioactive waste and other products after treatment to the State of origin;

iii) The right of a Contracting Party to export its spent fuel for reprocessing;

iv) Rights of a Contracting Party to which spent fuel is exported for reprocessing to return, or provide for the return of, radioactive waste and other products resulting from reprocessing operations to the State of origin.

Article 28

Disused sealed sources

1 - Each Contracting Party shall, in the framework of its national law, take the appropriate steps to ensure that the possession, remanufacturing or disposal of disused sealed sources takes place in a safe manner.

2 - A Contracting Party shall allow for reentry into its territory of disused sealed sources if, in the framework of its national law, it has accepted that they be returned to a manufacturer qualified to receive and possess the disused sealed sources.

CHAPTER 6

Meetings of the Contracting Parties

Article 29

Preparatory meeting

1 - A preparatory meeting of the Contracting Parties shall be held not later than six months after the date of entry into force of this Convention.

2 - At this meeting, the Contracting Parties shall:

ii) Prepare and adopt by consensus Rules of Procedure and Financial Rules;

iii) Establish in particular and in accordance with the Rules of Procedure:

3 - Any State or regional organization of an integration or other nature which ratifies, accepts, approves, accedes to or confirms this Convention and for which the Convention is not yet in force, may attend the preparatory meeting as if it were a Party to this Convention.

Article 30

Review meetings

1 - The Contracting Parties shall hold meetings for the purpose of reviewing the reports submitted pursuant to article 32.

2 - At each review meeting the Contracting Parties:

ii) May review the arrangements established pursuant to paragraph 2 of article 29, and adopt revisions by consensus unless otherwise provided for in the Rules of Procedure. They may also amend the Rules of Procedure and Financial Rules by consensus.

3 - At each review meeting each Contracting Party shall have a reasonable opportunity to discuss the reports submitted by other Contracting Parties and to seek clarification of such reports.

Article 31

Extraordinary meetings

An extraordinary meeting of the Contracting Parties shall be held:

ii) At the written request of a Contracting Party, within six months of this request having been communicated to the Contracting Parties and notification having been received by the secretariat referred to in article 37 that the request has been supported by a majority of the Contracting Parties.

Article 32

Reporting

1 - In accordance with the provisions of article 30, each Contracting Party shall submit a national report to each review meeting of Contracting Parties. This report shall address the measures taken to implement each of the obligations of the Convention. For each Contracting Party the report shall also address its:

ii) Spent fuel management practices;

iii) Radioactive waste management policy;

iv) Radioactive waste management practices;

2 - This report shall also include:

ii) An inventory of spent fuel that is subject to this Convention and that is being held in storage and of that which has been disposed of. This inventory shall contain a description of the material and, if available, give information on its mass and its total activity;

iii) A list of the radioactive waste management facilities subject to this Convention, their location, main purpose and essential features;

iv) An inventory of radioactive waste that is subject to this Convention that:

Article 33

Attendance

1 - Each Contracting Party shall attend meetings of the Contracting Parties and be represented at such meetings by one delegate, and by such alternates, experts and advisers as it deems necessary.

2 - The Contracting Parties may invite, by consensus, any intergovernmental organization which is competent in respect of matters governed by this Convention to attend, as an observer, any meeting, or specific sessions thereof. Observers shall be required to accept in writing, and in advance, the provisions of article 36.

Article 34

Summary reports

The Contracting Parties shall adopt, by consensus, and make available to the public a document addressing issues discussed and conclusions reached during meetings of the Contracting Parties.

Article 35

Languages

1 - The languages of meetings of the Contracting Parties shall be arabic, chinese, english, french, russian and spanish unless otherwise provided in the Rules of Procedure.

2 - Reports submitted pursuant to article 32 shall be prepared in the national language of the submitting Contracting Party or in a single designated language to be agreed in the Rules of Procedure. Should the report be submitted in a national language other than the designated language, a translation of the report into the designated language shall be provided by the Contracting Party.

3 - Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2, the secretariat, if compensated, will assume the translation of reports submitted in any other language of the meeting into the designated language.

Article 36

Confidentiality

1 - The provisions of this Convention shall not affect the rights and obligations of the Contracting Parties under their laws to protect information from disclosure. For the purposes of this article, «information» includes, inter alia, information relating to national security or to the physical protection of nuclear materials, information protected by intellectual property rights or by industrial or commercial confidentiality, and personal data.

2 - When, in the context of this Convention, a Contracting Party provides information identified by it as protected as described in paragraph 1, such information shall be used only for the purposes for which it has been provided and its confidentiality shall be respected.

3 - With respect to information relating to spent fuel or radioactive waste falling within the scope of this Convention by virtue of paragraph 3 of article 3, the provisions of this Convention shall not affect the exclusive discretion of the Contracting Party concerned to decide:

ii) Whether to provide information referred to in sub-paragraph i) above in the context of the Convention; and

iii) What conditions of confidentiality are attached to such information if it is provided in the context of this Convention.

4 - The content of the debates during the reviewing of the national reports at each review meeting held pursuant to article 30 shall be confidential.

Article 37

Secretariat

1 - The International Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as «the Agency») shall provide the secretariat for the meetings of the Contracting Parties.

2 - The secretariat shall:

ii) Transmit to the Contracting Parties information received or prepared in accordance with the provisions of this Convention.

The costs incurred by the Agency in carrying out the functions referred to in sub-paragraphs i) and ii) above shall be borne by the Agency as part of its regular budget.

3 - The Contracting Parties may, by consensus, request the Agency to provide other services in support of meetings of the Contracting Parties. The Agency may provide such services if they can be undertaken within its programme and regular budget. Should this not be possible, the Agency may provide such services if voluntary funding is provided from another source.

CHAPTER 7

Final clauses and other provisions

Article 38

Resolution of disagreements

In the event of a disagreement between two or more Contracting Parties concerning the interpretation or application of this Convention, the Contracting Parties shall consult within the framework of a meeting of the Contracting Parties with a view to resolving the disagreement. In the event that the consultations prove unproductive, recourse can be made to the mediation, conciliation and arbitration mechanisms provided for in international law, including the rules and practices prevailing within the IAEA.

Article 39

Signature, ratification, acceptance, approval, accession

1 - This Convention shall be open for signature by all States at the Headquarters of the Agency in Vienna from 29 September 1997 until its entry into force.

2 - This Convention is subject to ratification, acceptance or approval by the signatory States.

3 - After its entry into force, this Convention shall be open for accession by all States.

4 - i) This Convention shall be open for signature subject to confirmation, or accession by regional organizations of an integration or other nature, provided that any such organization is constituted by sovereign States and has competence in respect of the negotiation, conclusion and application of international agreements in matters covered by this Convention.

ii) In matters within their competence, such organizations shall, on their own behalf, exercise the rights and fulfil the responsibilities which this Convention attributes to States Parties.

iii) When becoming party to this Convention, such an organization shall communicate to the Depositary referred to in article 43, a declaration indicating which States are members thereof, which articles of this Convention apply to it, and the extent of its competence in the field covered by those articles.

iv) Such an organization shall not hold any vote additional to those of its Member States.

5 - Instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval, accession or confirmation shall be deposited with the Depositary.

Article 40

Entry into force

1 - This Convention shall enter into force on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit with the Depositary of the twenty-fifth instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval, including the instruments of fifteen States each having an operational nuclear power plant.

2 - For each State or regional organization of an integration or other nature which ratifies, accepts, approves, accedes to or confirms this Convention after the date of deposit of the last instrument required to satisfy the conditions set forth in paragraph 1, this Convention shall enter into force on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit with the Depositary of the appropriate instrument by such a State or organization.

Article 41

Amendments to the Convention

1 - Any Contracting Party may propose an amendment to this Convention. Proposed amendments shall be considered at a review meeting or at an extraordinary meeting.

2 - The text of any proposed amendment and the reasons for it shall be provided to the Depositary who shall communicate the proposal to the Contracting Parties at least ninety days before the meeting for which it is submitted for consideration. Any comments received on such a proposal shall be circulated by the Depositary to the Contracting Parties.

3 - The Contracting Parties shall decide after consideration of the proposed amendment whether to adopt it by consensus, or, in the absence of consensus, to submit it to a Diplomatic Conference. A decision to submit a proposed amendment to a Diplomatic Conference shall require a two-thirds majority vote of the Contracting Parties present and voting at the meeting, provided that at least one half of the Contracting Parties are present at the time of voting.

4 - The Diplomatic Conference to consider and adopt amendments to this Convention shall be convened by the Depositary and held no later than one year after the appropriate decision taken in accordance with paragraph 3 of this article. The Diplomatic Conference shall make every effort to ensure amendments are adopted by consensus. Should this not be possible, amendments shall be adopted with a two-thirds majority of all Contracting Parties.

5 - Amendments to this Convention adopted pursuant to paragraphs 3 and 4 above shall be subject to ratification, acceptance, approval, or confirmation by the Contracting Parties and shall enter into force for those Contracting Parties which have ratified, accepted, approved or confirmed them on the ninetieth day after the receipt by the Depositary of the relevant instruments of at least two thirds of the Contracting Parties.

For a Contracting Party which subsequently ratifies, accepts, approves or confirms the said amendments, the amendments will enter into force on the ninetieth day after that Contracting Party has deposited its relevant instrument.

Article 42

Denunciation

1 - Any Contracting Party may denounce this Convention by written notification to the Depositary.

2 - Denunciation shall take effect one year following the date of the receipt of the notification by the Depositary, or on such later date as may be specified in the notification.

Article 43

Depositary

1 - The Director General of the Agency shall be the Depositary of this Convention.

2 - The Depositary shall inform the Contracting Parties of:

ii) The date on which the Convention enters into force, in accordance with article 40;

iii) The notifications of denunciation of the Convention and the date thereof, made in accordance with article 42;

iv) The proposed amendments to this Convention submitted by Contracting Parties, the amendments adopted by the relevant Diplomatic Conference or by the meeting of the Contracting Parties, and the date of entry into force of the said amendments, in accordance with article 41.

Article 44

Authentic texts

The original of this Convention of which the arabic, chinese, english, french, russian and spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Depositary, who shall send certified copies thereof to the Contracting Parties.

In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorized to that effect, have signed this Convention.

Done at Vienna on the fifth day of September, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven.

CONVENÇÃO CONJUNTA SOBRE A SEGURANÇA DA GESTÃO DO COMBUSTÍVEL USADO E A SEGURANÇA DA GESTÃO DOS RESÍDUOS RADIOACTIVOS

Preâmbulo

As Partes Contratantes:

ii) Reconhecendo que se aplicam os mesmos objectivos de segurança à gestão do combustível usado e à gestão dos resíduos radioactivos;

iii) Reafirmando a importância para a comunidade internacional de garantir o planeamento e a aplicação de boas práticas para a segurança da gestão do combustível usado e dos resíduos radioactivos;

iv) Reconhecendo a importância de informar o público sobre as questões relativas à segurança da gestão do combustível usado e dos resíduos radioactivos;

vi) Reafirmando que a responsabilidade final de garantir a segurança da gestão do combustível usado e dos resíduos radioactivos incumbe ao Estado;

vii) Reconhecendo que a definição de uma política de ciclo do combustível nuclear incumbe ao Estado e que alguns Estados consideram o combustível usado como sendo um valioso recurso que pode ser reprocessado, enquanto outros optam pelo seu armazenamento definitivo;

viii) Reconhecendo que o combustível usado e os resíduos radioactivos excluídos do âmbito da presente Convenção por fazerem parte de programas militares ou de defesa devem ser geridos de acordo com os objectivos enunciados nesta Convenção;

ix) Afirmando a importância da cooperação internacional para melhorar a segurança da gestão do combustível usado e dos resíduos radioactivos através de mecanismos bilaterais e multilaterais, e através desta Convenção que possui carácter de incentivo;

xi) Convencidos de que os resíduos radioactivos devem, na medida em que tal seja compatível com a segurança da gestão desse material, ser eliminados no Estado em que foram produzidos, embora reconhecendo que, em determinadas circunstâncias, a gestão segura e eficiente do combustível usado e dos resíduos radioactivos pode ser promovida mediante acordos entre as Partes Contratantes para a utilização das instalações em uma delas em benefício das restantes Partes, em particular quando os resíduos derivem de projectos conjuntos;

xii) Reconhecendo que todo o Estado tem direito de proibir a importação para o seu território de combustível usado e de resíduos radioactivos provenientes de outros países;

xiii) Tendo presente a Convenção sobre Segurança Nuclear (1994), a Convenção sobre a Notificação Rápida de Acidentes Nucleares (1986), a Convenção sobre Assistência em Caso de Acidente Nuclear ou Emergência Radiológica (1986), a Convenção sobre a Protecção Física de Materiais Nucleares (1980), a Convenção sobre a Prevenção da Poluição Marinha devido à Descarga de Resíduos e Outras Substâncias, alterada (1994), e outros instrumentos internacionais pertinentes;

xiv) Tendo presentes os princípios enunciados no documento interagências «International Basic Safety Standards for Protection Against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (Normas de Segurança de Base Internacionais para a Protecção contra as Radiações Ionizantes e para a Segurança das Fontes de Radiação» (1996), os princípios fundamentais de segurança da AIEA intitulados «The Principles of Radioactive Waste Management» (1995), e as normas internacionais em vigor nos domínios da segurança do transporte de materiais radioactivos;

xv) Recordando o capítulo 22 da Agenda 21 da Conferência das Nações Unidas para o Ambiente e o Desenvolvimentos no Rio de Janeiro, adoptada em 1992, que reafirma a importância primordial de uma gestão de resíduos radioactivos segura e respeitadora do ambiente;

xvi) Reconhecendo a conveniência de reforçar o sistema internacional de controlo aplicável especificamente aos materiais radioactivos, conforme mencionado no n.º 3 do artigo 1.º da Convenção sobre o Controlo de Movimentos Transfronteiriços de Resíduos Perigosos e Seu Armazenamento Definitivo (1989);

acordaram no seguinte:

CAPÍTULO 1 — Objectivos, definições e âmbito de aplicação

Artigo 1.º — Objectivos

Os objectivos da Convenção são:

Artigo 2.º — Definições

Para os efeitos da presente Convenção, entende-se por:

Artigo 3.º — Âmbito de aplicação

1 - A presente Convenção aplica-se à segurança da gestão do combustível usado quando este resulta do funcionamento de reactores nucleares civis. O combustível usado que se encontre em instalações de reprocessamento como parte de uma actividade de reprocessamento não está abrangido pela presente Convenção, a não ser que a Parte Contratante declare que o reprocessamento faz parte da gestão do combustível usado.

2 - A presente Convenção aplica-se, também, à segurança da gestão dos resíduos radioactivos quando estes resultam de aplicações civis. No entanto, a presente Convenção não se aplica a resíduos que contenham apenas materiais radioactivos presentes na natureza e que não sejam provenientes do ciclo do combustível nuclear, excepto quando constituam uma fonte selada fora de uso ou que sejam declarados, pela Parte Contratante, como resíduos radioactivos para efeitos da presente Convenção.

3 - A Convenção não se aplica à segurança da gestão do combustível usado ou dos resíduos radioactivos que façam parte de programas militares ou de defesa, excepto quando estes sejam declarados, pela Parte Contratante, como combustível usado ou resíduos radioactivos para efeitos da presente Convenção. No entanto, a Convenção poderá aplicar-se à segurança da gestão do combustível usado e dos resíduos radioactivos provenientes de programas militares ou de defesa se e quando esses materiais forem transferidos permanentemente para programas civis e forem geridos exclusivamente no âmbito de tais programas.

4 - A presente Convenção aplica-se, também, às descargas nos termos previstos nos artigos 4.º, 7.º, 11.º, 14.º, 24.º e 26.º

CAPÍTULO 2 — Segurança da gestão do combustível usado

Artigo 4.º — Requisitos gerais de segurança

Cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para garantir, em todas as fases de gestão do combustível usado, uma adequada protecção das pessoas, da sociedade e do ambiente contra os riscos radiológicos.

Para tal, cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para:

ii) Garantir que a geração de resíduos radioactivos associada à gestão do combustível usado seja mantida ao nível mais baixo possível, de acordo com a política adoptada para o ciclo do combustível;

iii) Ter em conta as inter-relações entre as diferentes fases da gestão do combustível usado;

iv) Permitir uma protecção eficaz das pessoas, da sociedade e do ambiente, aplicando métodos adequados de protecção, a nível nacional, aprovados pelo organismo regulador, no quadro da sua legislação nacional, tendo em devida conta os critérios e normas adoptados a nível internacional;

vi) Procurar evitar acções que impliquem um impacte razoavelmente previsível para as gerações futuras superior ao permitido para a geração actual;

vii) Envidar esforços no sentido de evitar impor encargos desnecessários às gerações futuras.

Artigo 5.º — Instalações existentes

Cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para reexaminar a segurança de qualquer instalação de gestão do combustível usado existente no momento em que a Convenção entra em vigor para essa mesma Parte e garantir que, se necessário, são efectuados todos os melhoramentos razoavelmente praticáveis para reforçar a segurança dessa instalação.

Artigo 6.º — Localização das instalações projectadas

1 - Cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para garantir que sejam estabelecidos e aplicados, para uma instalação projectada de gestão do combustível usado, os procedimentos destinados a:

ii) Avaliar o impacte provável dessa instalação sobre a segurança das pessoas, da sociedade e do ambiente;

iii) Colocar à disposição do público informação sobre a segurança da instalação;

iv) Consultar as Partes Contratantes que se encontrem mais próximas da instalação, na medida em que possam ser afectadas pela mesma, e fornecer-lhes, a seu pedido, os dados gerais relativos à instalação, para que possam avaliar o impacte provável da instalação para a segurança do seu território.

2 - Para tal, cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para garantir que essas instalações não tenham efeitos inaceitáveis sobre as outras Partes Contratantes, mediante uma localização conforme com os requisitos gerais de segurança do artigo 4.º

Artigo 7.º — Concepção e construção das instalações

Cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para garantir que:

ii) Na fase de concepção seja tomado em consideração o planeamento prévio e, se necessário, as disposições técnicas relativas à desclassificação de uma instalação de gestão do combustível usado;

iii) As tecnologias incorporadas na concepção e construção de uma instalação de gestão do combustível usado sejam apoiadas pela experiência, ensaios ou análises.

Artigo 8.º — Avaliação da segurança das instalações

Cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para garantir que:

ii) Antes do funcionamento de uma instalação de gestão do combustível usado, sejam preparadas versões actualizadas e circunstanciadas da avaliação de segurança e da avaliação de impacte ambiental, se tal for considerado necessário para complementar as avaliações mencionadas na alínea i).

Artigo 9.º — Funcionamento das instalações

Cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para garantir que:

ii) Sejam definidos, e se necessário revistos, os limites operacionais e as condições derivadas dos ensaios, da experiência de funcionamento e das avaliações, tal como especificadas no artigo 8.º;

iii) O funcionamento, a manutenção, a monitorização, a inspecção e o ensaio de uma instalação de gestão do combustível usado sejam efectuados de acordo com os procedimentos estabelecidos;

iv) Estejam disponíveis os serviços de engenharia e apoio técnico necessários em todas os domínios relacionados com a segurança ao longo da vida útil de uma instalação de gestão do combustível usado;

vi) Sejam estabelecidos programas de recolha e análise da experiência obtida com o funcionamento e que os seus resultados dêem origem a acções concretas, quando adequado;

vii) Sejam preparados e, se necessário, actualizados planos de desclassificação de uma instalação de gestão do combustível usado, utilizando as informações obtidas durante a vida útil dessa instalação, e que esses planos sejam revistos pelo organismo regulador.

Artigo 10.º — Armazenamento definitivo do combustível usado

Se, de acordo com o respectivo quadro legislativo e regulamentar, uma Parte Contratante decidir pelo armazenamento definitivo do combustível usado, esse armazenamento será feito de acordo com as obrigações previstas no capítulo 3, no que respeita ao armazenamento definitivo de resíduos radioactivos.

CAPÍTULO 3 — Segurança da gestão de resíduos radioactivos

Artigo 11.º — Requisitos gerais de segurança

Cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para garantir, em todas as fases da gestão dos resíduos radioactivos, uma adequada protecção das pessoas, da sociedade e do ambiente contra os riscos radiológicos e de outra natureza. Para tal, cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para:

ii) Garantir que a produção de resíduos radioactivos seja mantida ao nível mais baixo possível;

iii) Ter em conta as inter-relações entre as diferentes fases da gestão dos resíduos radioactivos;

iv) Permitir uma protecção eficaz das pessoas, da sociedade e do ambiente, aplicando métodos adequados de protecção a nível nacional, aprovados pela autoridade reguladora, no quadro da sua legislação nacional, tendo em devida conta os critérios e normas adoptados a nível internacional;

vi) Procurar evitar acções que impliquem um impacte razoavelmente previsível para as gerações futuras superior ao permitido para a geração actual;

vii) Envidar esforços no sentido de evitar impor encargos desnecessários às gerações futuras.

Artigo 12.º — Instalações existentes e práticas anteriores

Cada Parte Contratante adoptará, oportunamente, as medidas adequadas para rever:

ii) Os resultados das práticas anteriores, a fim de se determinar se é necessário algum tipo de intervenção por razões de protecção radiológica, tendo em conta que a redução do detrimento resultante da redução da dose deve ser suficiente para justificar os efeitos negativos e custos, incluindo os custos sociais, da intervenção.

Artigo 13.º — Localização das instalações em projecto

1 - Cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para garantir que sejam estabelecidos e aplicados, para uma instalação em projecto de gestão de resíduos radioactivos, os procedimentos destinados a:

ii) Avaliar o impacte provável dessa instalação sobre a segurança das pessoas, da sociedade e do ambiente, tendo em conta a possível evolução das condições do local das instalações de armazenamento definitivo após o encerramento;

iii) Colocar à disposição do público informação sobre a segurança da instalação;

iv) Consultar as Partes Contratantes que se encontrem mais próximas da instalação, na medida em que possam ser afectadas pela mesma, e fornecer-lhes, a seu pedido, os dados gerais relativos à instalação, para que possam avaliar o impacte provável da instalação para a segurança do seu território.

2 - Para tal, cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para garantir que essas instalações não tenham efeitos inaceitáveis sobre as outras Partes Contratantes, mediante uma localização conforme com os requisitos gerais de segurança do artigo 11.º

Artigo 14.º — Concepção e construção das instalações

Cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para garantir que:

ii) Na fase de concepção seja tomados em consideração o planeamento prévio e, se necessário, as disposições técnicas relativas à desclassificação de uma instalação de gestão resíduos radioactivos que não seja uma instalação de armazenamento definitivo;

iii) Na fase de concepção sejam preparadas disposições técnicas relativas ao encerramento de uma instalação de armazenamento definitivo dos resíduos radioactivos;

iv) As tecnologias incorporadas na concepção e construção de uma instalação de gestão de resíduos radioactivos sejam apoiadas pela experiência, ensaios ou análises.

Artigo 15.º — Avaliação da segurança das instalações

Cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para garantir que:

ii) Além disso, antes da construção de uma instalação de armazenamento definitivo, sejam efectuadas uma avaliação sistemática de segurança e uma avaliação de impacte ambiental para o período posterior ao encerramento e que os resultados sejam avaliados tendo em conta os critérios estabelecidos pela autoridade reguladora;

iii) Antes do funcionamento de uma instalação de gestão de resíduos radioactivos, sejam preparadas versões actualizadas e circunstanciadas da avaliação de segurança e da avaliação de impacte ambiental, se tal for considerado necessário para complementar as avaliações mencionadas na alínea i).

Artigo 16.º — Funcionamento das instalações

Cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para garantir que:

ii) Se necessário, sejam definidos e revistos os limites operacionais e as condições derivadas dos ensaios, da experiência de funcionamento e das avaliações, tal como especificadas no artigo 15.º;

iii) O funcionamento, manutenção, monitorização, inspecção e ensaio de uma instalação de gestão de resíduos radioactivos sejam efectuados de acordo com os procedimentos estabelecidos. Para as instalações de armazenamento definitivo, os resultados assim obtidos serão utilizados para verificar e examinar a validade das hipóteses formuladas e para actualizar as avaliações, tal como se prevê no artigo 15.º, para o período posterior ao encerramento;

iv) Estejam disponíveis os serviços de engenharia e apoio técnico necessários em todos os domínios relacionados com a segurança ao longo da via útil de uma instalação de gestão de resíduos radioactivos;

vi) Os incidentes com significado para a segurança sejam rapidamente comunicados pelo titular da respectiva licença à autoridade reguladora;

vii) Sejam estabelecidos programas de colheita e análise da experiência obtida com o funcionamento e que os seus resultados dêem origem a acções concretas, quando adequado;

viii) Sejam preparados e, se necessário, actualizados planos de desclassificação de uma instalação de gestão de resíduos radioactivos, que não seja uma instalação de armazenamento definitivo, utilizando as informações obtidas durante a vida útil dessa instalação, e que esses planos sejam revistos pelo organismo regulador;

ix) Sejam preparados e, se necessário, actualizados planos para o encerramento de uma instalação de armazenamento definitivo, utilizando as informações obtidas durante a vida útil dessa instalação, e que esses planos sejam revistos pelo organismo regulador.

Artigo 17.º — Medidas institucionais após o encerramento

Cada Parte Contratante adoptará as medidas adequadas para garantir que após o encerramento de uma instalação de armazenamento definitivo:

ii) Sejam efectuados, se necessário, controlos institucionais, activos ou passivos, como a monitorização ou as restrições do acesso;

iii) Se durante qualquer período de controlo institucional activo for detectada uma libertação não planeada de materiais radioactivos no ambiente, sejam aplicadas, se necessário, medidas de intervenção.

CAPÍTULO 4 — Disposições gerais de segurança

Artigo 18.º — Medidas de implementação

Cada Parte Contratante adoptará, no âmbito da sua legislação nacional, as disposições legislativas, regulamentares e administrativas, e quaisquer outras medidas necessárias ao cumprimento das obrigações impostas pela presente Convenção.

Artigo 19.º — Quadro legislativo e regulamentar

1 - Cada Parte Contratante estabelecerá e manterá um quadro legislativo e regulamentar pelo qual se regerá a segurança da gestão do combustível usado e dos resíduos radioactivos.

2 - Esse quadro legislativo e regulamentar deverá prever:

ii) Um sistema de concessão de licenças para as actividades de gestão do combustível usado e de gestão dos resíduos radioactivos;

iii) Um sistema de proibição do funcionamento de instalações de gestão de combustível usado ou de resíduos radioactivos que não tenham a correspondente licença;

iv) Um sistema regulamentar adequado de controlo institucional, inspecção regulamentar, documentação e apresentação de relatórios;

vi) Uma clara repartição das responsabilidades dos organismos que intervêm nas diversas fases da gestão do combustível usado e dos resíduos radioactivos.

3 - Ao considerar se os materiais radioactivos devem ou não ser regulamentados como resíduos radioactivos, as Partes Contratantes terão em devida conta os objectivos da presente Convenção.

Artigo 20.º — Autoridade reguladora

1 - Cada Parte Contratante estabelecerá ou designará um organismo regulador responsável pela aplicação do quadro legislativo e regulamentar referido no artigo 19.º, e dotado da necessária autoridade, competência e recursos financeiros e humanos para o desempenho das responsabilidades que lhe são confiadas.

2 - Cada Parte Contratante, em conformidade com o respectivo quadro legislativo e regulamentar, adoptará as medidas adequadas para garantir uma efectiva independência das funções reguladoras em relação a outras funções, tanto a nível da gestão do combustível usado ou de resíduos radioactivos como da sua regulamentação.