Import and export of radioactive waste and spent fuel

For licences based on the standard document prescribed in Article 17 of Council Directive 2006/117/Euratom, a valid licence issued in accordance with the Radiation Protection Act and the Act on Nuclear Activities is usually required.

Applications under the Radiation Protection Act or Nuclear Activities Act

Applications for a licence to import or export radioactive waste and spent fuel to or from Sweden under the Radiation Protection Act (SFS 2018:396) or the Act on Nuclear Activities (1984:3) should be sent to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority’s registrar at registrator@ssm.se, or posted to:

The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority
171 16 Stockholm

Among other information, applications for a licence under the Radiation Protection Act or the Act on Nuclear Activities need to include the following:

• Company name, address, company registration number, contact person, email address and telephone number.
• Type of application: shipment between Member States, import into or export out of the EU, transit through the EU, or a combination of these.
• Country of destination and country of origin.
• Type of waste and the type of operation from which it originates.
• Net weight of the waste.
• The purpose of transit, import or export.
• Planned further waste management: return to country of origin or final disposal.
• Anticipated period of time during which the waste will be in Sweden or the other country.
• A waste return guarantee is required for imports from countries outside the EU.
• When exporting foreign waste from Sweden, the application must include information on how and when the waste first arrived in Sweden (reference, order or registry number).
• When exporting waste from Sweden that originates from activities conducted in Sweden, the exporter must give an assurance that the waste can be returned if it is not processed according to plan.
• An assurance of adequate financial, administrative and human resources pursuant to Section 11 of Chapter 3 of the Radiation Protection Act.
• A radiation risk assessment of the operation in question.

Application according to the standard document prescribed by Council Directive 2006/117/Euratom

Applications for a licence to import or export radioactive waste and spent fuel to or from Sweden must be submitted using the standard document prescribed in Council Directive 2006/117/Euratom and sent to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority’s registrar at registrator@ssm.se, or posted to:

The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority
171 16 Stockholm

The standard document divides shipments into four types: shipment between Member States (MM), import into the EU (IM), export out of the EU (ME), and transit through the EU (TT). The standard document has separate forms for radioactive waste and spent fuel. The applicant completes document A for radioactive waste or document B for spent fuel.

To apply for a licence, in addition to completing the standard document prescribed in Article 17 of Council Directive 2006/117/Euratom, the applicant also needs to supply the following information:

• Reference to a valid licence issued under the Radiation Protection Act or Nuclear Activities Act, or the reference number of the application for such a licence. Alternatively, justification for exempting the waste in question from the licence requirement in the Radiation Protection Act or Act on Nuclear Activities.
• The purpose of import, export or transit.
• Planned further waste management, i.e., whether it will be returned to the country of origin or stored.
• When exporting foreign waste from Sweden, information on how and when the waste first arrived in Sweden (reference, order or registry number).
• When exporting waste originating from a Swedish operation, how long the waste will be in the other country and planned further waste management (return to country of origin or storage).
• When importing waste from a third country, a waste return guarantee.

Application forms can be obtained from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority on request. Contact the authority’s registrar at registrator@ssm.se.

When importing waste into Sweden from another EU Member State, the consignor completes and submits the standard document to the relevant authority in that country. No application is required from the consignee in Sweden.

For assistance in completing the standard document, please refer to Commission Decision of 5 March 2008 establishing the standard document for the supervision and control of shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel referred to in Council Directive 2006/117/Euratom (2008/312/Euratom). Please note that the latest version of the standard document must be used.

The formal responsibility and authority to apply for and hold a licence to import, export or otherwise transport radioactive waste and/or spent fuel rests with the legal holder of the waste. However, it is possible for the holder to apply through a representative, as long as the application clearly states that it is the holder who is applying for a licence. This procedure requires power of attorney showing that the representative is authorised to apply for a licence on behalf of the holder.

Application under to the Nuclear Activities Act or Radiation Protection Act

The anticipated processing time for applications under the Radiation Protection Act (2018:396) or Act on Nuclear Activities (SFS 1984:3) is usually between one and six months, depending on the scope and complexity of the case. It may take longer if the application is wrongly completed or requires supplementation. If the licensee is unable to complete the operation within the licence’s period of validity, an application for an extension must be submitted no later than 6 months before the licence expires.

Application using the standard document prescribed in Council Directive 2006/117/Euratom

Applications for authorisation using the standard document prescribed in Council Directive 2006/117/Euratom are subject to specific deadlines that public authorities must abide by. If the application is correctly completed, a decision usually takes between 90 and 120 days. The process is sometimes quicker. Processing may take longer if the application is wrongly completed or requires supplementation.

A decision concerning a licence for the import or export of radioactive waste under the Radiation Protection Act (SFS 2018:396) may be appealed to the Administrative Court in Stockholm. A decision concerning a licence to import or export radioactive waste or spent fuel under the Act on Nuclear Activities (SFS 1984:3) may be appealed to the Government. The decision includes instructions on how to lodge an appeal.

The application fee for a licence for transboundary shipments is SEK 43,000 pursuant to Ordinance (2008:463) on certain fees to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority.

Transboundary shipments are regulated in both EU law and supplementary Swedish legislation, through:

Pursuant to point 1 of Section 2 of Chapter 9 of the Swedish Radiation Protection Act (2018:396), anyone conducting unlicenced activities with ionising radiation through importing or exporting radioactive material shall be sentenced to a fine or imprisonment for up to two years.

Pursuant to points 1 and 3 of Section 25 of the Swedish Act on Nuclear Activities (SFS 1984:3), anyone conducting unlicensed nuclear activities, or who breaches the terms of their licence, shall be sentenced to a fine or imprisonment for up to two years. Pursuant to Section 25 a of the same act, if the offence is considered gross, the sentence is imprisonment for between six months and four years. When considering whether the offence is gross, particular consideration is to be given to whether the activity, substance or material is of an especially hazardous nature or the offence is otherwise of an especially serious nature.