Radioactive waste storage in France: the debate is finally open! How to participate?

This debate therefore began on Monday, October 13, 2025, and will last approximately four months, until February 10, 2026 , in the form of meetings organized throughout France, both in person and remotely .

The floor is yours! Since October 13th and for the next four months, a public debate has been open regarding the “National Plan for the Management of Radioactive Materials and Waste”. What is it about? How can you participate?

While government and parliamentary dithering dominated the French press, a largely unreported public debate opened on Monday, October 13th, for a period of four months: the debate on the management of radioactive materials and waste . What will it entail? Can everyone truly participate? Here are all the details.

Meetings across France

This public debate , organised by the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP), is therefore part of the “National Plan for the Management of Radioactive Materials and Waste” (PNGMDR) , the 6th of its kind, for the period 2027-2031 . It is a roadmap setting out France’s strategy for managing, treating and storing the country’s radioactive materials and waste, regardless of their technical origin.

In concrete terms, the PNGMDR is updated every five years and “provides a comprehensive overview of all radioactive substances present in the territory”, lists “future needs in terms of storage, treatment and research, and specifies the operational actions to be implemented, according to the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP).

Since it is a legal obligation , the government tasked the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP) at the end of December 2024 with leading the public debate on this national plan. This debate therefore began on Monday, October 13, 2025, and will last approximately four months, until February 10, 2026 , in the form of meetings organized throughout France, both in person and remotely .

Events will be organized through local workshops, as well as online activities such as webinars and participatory platforms , with the aim of engaging and interesting younger generations . In partnership with the media outlet Usbek & Rica, a “Tribunal for Future Generations” will even be organized: it will offer “a mock, participatory trial to explore, in a lively way, the legacy left to future generations.”

No public meeting at Cigeo

The chair of the public debate, Julie Dumont, noted during the preparatory stages ” a lot of expectations on the ethical, economic and territorial issues surrounding the management of radioactive materials and waste”.

During the meetings, topics will include the impact of France’s energy policies on radioactive waste management (in the context of a nuclear revival), storage solutions for “low-level” but long-lived waste, the costs and financing of management options, and radioactive waste from the medical field .

The Cigeo project , which plans to bury highly dangerous radioactive waste 500 meters underground in Bure, in the Meuse region , and which is strongly opposed by environmental associations, will also be discussed but will not host a public meeting , due to the risk of “deadlock”, or even hostile demonstration, the CNDP specifies.

The conclusions of the public debate will then guide the development of the future PNGMDR , which will be implemented at the beginning of 2027. If you wish to participate in the debate: click here for all the practical information .