BRUSSELS - European Union member states do not have to inform the EU executive Commission about the decommissioning of military installations, the bloc's highest court ruled on Tuesday.
The European Court of Justice dismissed a case the Commission had brought against Britain for failing to provide a plan for the disposal of radioactive waste from the decommissioning of a nuclear reactor known as "Jason".
Britain argued the EU rules only applied to waste coming from nuclear plants operating for civil and commercial uses and it was therefore not obliged to provide the data, which the Commission argued was required under a treaty known as Euratom.
The court, however, agreed with Britain that such installations were exempt because of national defence interests.
"Activities falling within the military sphere are outside the scope of that treaty," it wrote.
The Jason reactor was used for training and research for the propulsion of Britain's Royal Navy submarines. It was operated from 1962 to 1996.
A top adviser to the court said in December that Britain was wrong to withhold the information from the Commission but also said EU states should have the right to keep back information they consider crucial to their defence interests.
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
