NORM waste: For the initial data collection cycles, Country Co-ordinators were advised that waste containing naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) was outside the scope of NEWMDB data collections. Starting with the 2004 data collection cycle, NORM waste is included within the NEWMDB's scope. CLICK HERE  for details (especially the note at the bottom of the table).

Foreign Waste: In previous data collections cycles, attempts were made to address the issue that some Member States have spent nuclear fuel or radioactive wastes that were generated in another country and shipped to them for processing (e.g. fuel for reprocessing, waste for treatment and/or conditioning).

In the first two NEWMDB data collection cycles, Country Co-ordinators were asked to include the inventories of foreign held wastes in their NEWMDB submissions. One Member State pointed out that the European Commission (EC) required its Members to report, if applicable, that some of their wastes were held in foreign facilities (the opposite of NEWMDB guidance). Therefore, in the 2003 data collection cycle, an attempt was made to conform to the EC guidance. Country Co-ordinators were asked to define foreign facilities and to report the inventories of their country's waste that was being held in those facilities. Some Country Co-ordinators reported that it was difficult, even contractually prohibited, to report on waste held abroad.

As of the 2004 data collection cycle, there was no resolution to the problems of reporting the inventories of either foreign held waste or waste held abroad. As such, POLICY QUESTIONS regarding foreign wastes were added to the General Information part of the NEWMDB.