Brussels - The European Commission intends to propose EU- wide rules on the disposal of nuclear waste by the end of 2010, an official said Thursday.
'Nuclear waste management is an important area which needs to be addressed by both industry and national governments (...) the role of the EU is to set a common framework for the establishment of national waste management programs,' said Marlene Holzner, spokeswoman for energy commissioner Gunther Oettinger, during a briefing in Brussels.
Nuclear energy remains a controversial subject in the EU, with some member states adopting the technology and others firmly rejecting it.
The EU executive was keen to stress that forthcoming proposals are not meant to infringe on national governments' right to choose their so-called energy mix.
She indicated that the EU executive wanted national governments to follow 'pioneering legal approaches and facilities for handling nuclear waste' adopted in Finland, Sweden and France.
'This is a common concern for all Europeans, whether they are in favour of nuclear energy or against it,' she stressed.
'The European Commission respects this national competence,' said Holzner.