Radioactive waste management falls within the general scope of law 75-633 of 15 July 1975 and its implementation decrees, concerning waste disposal and the recovery of materials. The basic principles of this law are the prevention of waste production, the responsibility of the waste producers, the traceability of this waste and the need to inform the general public.

- Production of radioactive waste in basic nuclear installations

Management of radioactive waste from basic nuclear installations is structured within a strict regulatory framework, defined by a ministerial order of 31 December 1999 stipulating the general technical regulations intended to prevent and limit the detrimental effects and external hazards resulting from the operation of basic nuclear installations. This order requires drafting of a study specifying how the waste produced in basic nuclear installations is to be managed. One part of this study is submitted for approval to the Director General for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection.

- Production of radioactive waste in other activities using radioactive substances

The provisions mentioned in the decree of 4 April 2002 concerning the general protection of persons against ionising radiation have been incorporated into the public health code. Article R.1333-12 of this code states that management of waste contaminated by radioactive substances originating in any activity comprising a risk of exposure to ionising radiation must be reviewed and approved by the public authorities, in conditions and according to technical rules which have yet to be defined.

Circular 2001/323 of 9 July 2001 sets the technical aspects to be taken into account when ensuring good management of radioactive waste, mainly in health institutions, but also in biomedical research laboratories. This circular requires that each institution draw up an individual on-site management plan for radioactive waste, based on the following main principles: sorting of the waste as early as possible in the process, separate storage areas according to the type of waste, disposal of the waste through identified channels.

Since July 2003, presentation of the institution's waste management plan has been a pre-requisite to renewal of the radioelement possession licences.

- Radioactive waste generated by clean-up of polluted sites

When clean-up of a polluted site is justified in terms of protection against ionising radiation, the waste resulting from the work must be correctly characterised in order to determine which disposal channels are necessary. The ANDRA in general takes part in these rehabilitation operations and conducts these investigations directly.

- Waste management channel supervision

Supervision of the waste management channels requires on the one hand traceability of radioactive waste treatment and disposal operations, and on the other detection of the presence of radioactive waste upstream of any treatment in installations not authorised to receive them.

As regards waste traceability, whether the waste is radioactive or not, decree 2005-635 of 30 May 2005 concerning the monitoring of waste treatment channels aims to ensure improved supervision and monitoring of the waste throughout the processing and disposal channel. It requires the creation of traceability systems (registers, periodic declaration to the Administration and waste trace sheets).

With regard to waste treatment or disposal installations not authorised to receive radioactive waste, the action taken by the authorities led to radioactivity detection systems being installed at the entrances to the sites (landfills, foundries, incineration plants, etc.). These systems constitute an extra line of defence in the supervision of radioactive waste management channels.