Stichting Laka

Publicatie Laka-bibliotheek:
Europeans and Radioactive Waste (opinion polls) (2002)

Auteur	Eurobarometer, INRA / EC DG Transport & Energy
	6-04-1-12-05.pdf
Datum	april 2002
Classificatie	6.04.1.12/05 (SAMENWERKINGSVERBANDEN - EEG/EC/EP/EU - OPINIEPEILINGEN)
Voorkant

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This Eurobarometer survey into public awareness and attitudes to radioactive waste
was conducted between 13th October and 19th November 2001 in all 15 EU Member
States with nearly 16,000 people interviewed.
Where appropriate, the results of this survey are compared with those of a similar
study conducted in the autumn of 1998 to see if there are any noteworthy changes in
levels of understanding and opinion in this field.
The percentages quoted usually refer to the whole sample polled rather that just those
who expressed an opinion. Where there is a high number of ‘don’t knows’ then the
results may also be quoted as a percentage of those who actually expressed an
opinion.

1. Level of information on radioactive waste
Respondents were asked to self-assess how well informed they were of the subject,
ranging from ‘very well informed’ to ‘not at all well informed’
There are differences between men and women, with men generally considering
themselves better informed, as do those with higher levels of education.
Similar trends are noted for respondents with a high level of media exposure.
When comparing individual countries, large variations from the average EU figures are
evident. For example, considering the category ‘not at all well informed’, there is a very
large variation between respondents in Belgium (48%), Portugal (47%) and Spain
(43%) compared with countries such as Denmark (10%), Sweden (12%) and Finland
(16%).
Comparing the 1998 survey with that conducted in 2001, there is minimal change in
the total figures for the EU 15.

2. Confidence in sources of information
The survey assessed what were considered to be trusted sources of information on
this topic both as regards the situation in the respondents’ home country as well as the
situation in other EU countries
Concerning the respondents’ home country, independent scientists (32.0%) and NGOs
(31.4%) are the most trusted sources across the EU 15 in the 2001 survey.
The least trusted sources are the nuclear industry itself (10.2%) and the EU (11.0%).
Within each country, Swedes are most trusting of NGOs (70.1%) and Portuguese least
trusting (19.1%).
Italians are least trusting of independent scientists (15.7%) and the Danes most
trusting (49.5%).
The EU and nuclear industry are broadly trusted to the same extent. For the EU, the
responses range from Finland (6.1%) to Sweden (19.9%). Sweden also shows by far
the greatest trust in the nuclear industry (36.2%), with Italy and Austria the least
(4.4%).
Looking back to a broadly comparable question in the 1998 survey, national
governments (45.2%) were the most trusted sources of information for EU 15 citizens,
closely followed by the media (42.5%). EU environment departments were trusted by
22.0% of the people polled. Political parties (10.8%) and ‘other sources’ (3.8%) were
the least trusted sources.
From the latest survey, national agencies responsible for radioactive waste
management are considered trustworthy in Sweden (59.5%) but much less so in Spain
(14.4%). However, these bodies may not be very well known in many countries, and in
others (e.g. Denmark, 45.5%) they are considered trustworthy even though no such
agency actually exists.
The 2001 survey then looked at those sources trusted by EU citizens regarding
information about radioactive waste in other EU countries.
As in the domestic case, Independent scientists (26.7%) and NGOs (25.7%) come out
best. The nuclear industry (7.8%) and National Governments (9.1%) are the least
trusted. However, trust in the EU has now jumped to 21%.
There may be an element of ‘who would you go to for information’ in the way people
responded to this question.

3. Basic knowledge about radioactive waste
When questioned as to whether nuclear power stations produce radioactive waste,
91% of all Europeans correctly believe that they do, with only 2% saying no and 6%
being unsure.
Standing out amongst the ‘don’t knows’ are Portugal (15%) and Greece (11%).
As the questions became more ‘technical’, the ‘don’t know’ group became more
significant.
For example, 69% of respondents are aware that hospitals produce nuclear waste.
However, many respondents across the EU are either unsure (16%) or believe they do
not (15%).
However, only 44% of those polled realise that the oil industry also produces
radioactive waste, with nearly one-third (30%) replying ‘don’t know’.
When respondents were asked whether the statement ‘all radioactive waste is very
dangerous’ was true, the percentage of people replying in the affirmative decreased
slightly from 79% to 75% over the period 1998-2001. Those who correctly answered
‘no’ increased from 10% to 14% over this period.
More than one third of respondents (37%) replied ‘don’t know’ when asked whether
radioactive waste is produced in smaller quantities than other types of hazardous
wastes. Some 45% of respondents correctly answered ‘yes’.
In the case of other questions that appeared in both the 1998 and 2001 surveys (‘do
hospitals produce radioactive waste?’ and ‘are there several types of radioactive
waste?’), there were no appreciable shifts in opinion.

4. Siting of disposal facilities for high-level radioactive waste
This question relates to whether each country should have its own facility, or 
whether regional shared sites should be developed.
Across the EU as a whole, 63% of all respondents endorse the concept that each
European country that produces the most hazardous category of waste should be
responsible for developing its own disposal site. However, this is a significant decrease
relative to the 75% in the 1998 survey who believed this was the best strategy.
Over this same period, there has been a corresponding increase in the acceptance of
the regional solution, with the EU 15 figures climbing from 12% to 18% (with a similar
increase in ‘don’t knows’). In Greece, Spain, France, Ireland and Portugal, support for
a regional solution has approximately doubled since the 1998 survey, again with a
similar leap in the number of ‘don’t knows’. In the Netherlands, the country most in
favour of the regional solution, supporters of the purely national strategy no longer had
an absolute majority.
Between 1998 and 2001, substantial increases in the number of ‘don’t knows’ are
noticed in Spain (14% to 24%) and Portuguese (12% to 26%). The highest number
was recorded in Ireland (34% cf 27% in 1998). Note that in general throughout the
survey there are considerably higher than average numbers of ‘don’t knows’ in Spain
and Portugal.

5. The impasse in the disposal of highly radioactive waste – people’s attitudes