Although the dumping of radioactive wastes AT sea (from ships, aircraft and other man-made structures at sea) is prohibited by the London and OSPAR Conventions, routine discharges of radioactive wastes into the marine environment from the nuclear repro cessing facilities at La Hague (France), Sellafield (NW England) and Dounreay (Northern Scotland) continue, despite strong evidence of environmental damage.

However, the French and UK governments are starting to recognise that such discharges cannot go on forever. At a recent meeting of the OSPAR Commission, both countries agreed for the first time to consider phasing out radioactive discharges, and the F rench Environment Minister announced (on 16 September 1997) that she was asking the operators at La Hague to work on a "Zero Liquid Discharge scenario." As a result, there is a possibility that what is by far the greatest source of routine radioactive po llution in Western Europe, will be severely restricted or even eliminated.

The Environment Ministers of the member states met in 1998 in Lisbon.

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