Collection: Protected food name scheme: UK applications being considered

Updated: Added links to current consultations and the technical notice on EU exit.

This list includes all the food products from the UK which are currently being considered under the EU protected food name scheme.

This scheme highlights regional and traditional foods whose authenticity and origin can be guaranteed.
Food or drink products which are designated under the scheme are given legal protection against imitation throughout the EU.

Food businesses can read more about how to register food or drink products and see a list of UK registered products under the scheme.

(Each of the following lists is in alphabetical order.)

Detailed guide: Our work with radioactive waste producers

Updated: Latest updates to the Executive Summaries has been added.

Working with waste producers

We work with organisations across the UK that produce radioactive waste to help ensure that the waste being produced now is suitable for geological disposal. This includes working with them on:

their plans for packaging higher-activity radioactive waste
the interim storage of radioactive waste packages prior to geological disposal facility

This involves:

reviewing the properties and performance of proposed packages, known as the Disposability Assessment process which can result in issuing Letters of Compliance (LoC) that signify compliance with our packaging standards and specifications providing guidance on a wide range of packaging issues
periodic review to ensure that manufactured waste packages remain disposable
providing training on RWM’s role as the public sector body for a geological disposal facility (GDF) and the support it provides to waste producers in the packaging of radioactive wastes through an e-learning course

We also work with waste producers to see if there are opportunities to improve the existing plans in the light of new technology or innovation.

We advise waste packaging organisations and nuclear site operators on:

their plans for packaging higher-activity radioactive waste
the interim storage of radioactive waste packages prior to dispatch to a geological disposal facility

This involves:

reviewing the properties and performance of proposed packages through the Letter of Compliance (LoC) disposability assessment process
providing guidance on a wide range of packaging issues
periodic review to ensure that manufactured waste packages remain disposable

We summarise interactions with waste packaging organisations annually.

Management of Higher Activity Wastes (HAW)

In line with RWM’s remit as the HAW programme integrator, we undertake work to deliver technical innovation in the management of HAW in the UK.

This work allows Site Licence Companies (SLCs) to implement near-term solutions that

progress site Lifetime Plans
reduce risk across the waste lifecycle
enable cost savings to both SLCs and the NDA

We work proactively with waste owners to realise opportunities for the optimisation of waste management solutions. The customer may be an individual SLC, a group of SLCs or the industry as a whole. The work undertaken under the HAW programme, together with the prioritised programme of disposability assessments, should aid SLCs with earlier packaging of wastes and has an overall objective of hazard reduction and lifecycle cost savings to the NDA estate and the UK taxpayer.

Who we’re working with:

The HAW programme team works with:

the NDA
the Site Licence Companies and
other UK radioactive waste producers

Our Letter of Compliance process

Our Letter of Compliance (LoC) disposability assessment process aims to help nuclear sites to carry out their clean-up and hazard reduction mission.

We check that higher activity wastes will be packaged in a passive and disposable form so that any wastes packaged today should be compliant with future transport and disposability requirements.

We work with sites to review and update our disposability assessments on a periodic basis.

We provide packaging standards and guidance based on our concepts and safety cases for transport and geological disposal of these wastes.

Our disposability assessments may identify the need for further information, research and technology development. Where proposed packages are found to be compliant with packaging standards and associated safety and environmental assessments, a Letter of Compliance (LoC) is issued. This indicates, to the best of our knowledge, it would be possible to dispose of the packaged waste in a geological disposal facility.

How it works

The LoC disposability assessment process is in line with regulatory guidance for higher activity wastes and requires site licensees to justify waste packaging proposals with a radioactive waste management case.

Our disposability assessment reports are an important input for radioactive waste management cases, although receipt of a LoC does not provide a safety justification for waste packaging because the relevant regulators still need to satisfy themselves that a packaging proposal is adequate.

The LoC disposability assessment process is generally applied in stages corresponding to the key development stages of the waste retrieval and packaging project:

pre-conceptual stage when the site is considering different options for retrievals and packaging
conceptual stage when the packager is looking to define a preferred conditioning and packaging option
Interim stage prior to placing “design and build” contracts
final stage when the plant is constructed and prior to commencement of waste packaging operations
periodic review to maintain the currency of the LoC and to ensure that it is up to date, typically performed on a 10 yearly cycle

A Waste Packaging Database provides detailed information to all SLCs (NDA and non-NDA) about:

existing packaging submissions and assessments conducted within the RWM disposability assessment process, and additionally the types of package used
previous disposability assessment (LoC) submissions for similar waste types or packaging processes or containers are a valuable source of information that could inform the development of future submissions
successful and significant unsuccessful packaging operations, and additionally the types of package.

The information within the database will assist the SLCs to prepare for future ILW processing.

Waste Packaging Database Version 2

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Executive summaries

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Specifications

We produce a hierarchy of packaging specifications to satisfy the needs of a wide range of stakeholders.

The highest level document in the hierarchy is the generic waste package specification (GWPS) which defines the requirements for all waste packages destined for geological disposal. The GWPS forms the basis for the definition of the standards and specifications for waste packages containing specific categories of waste, which are published as generic specifications.

For specific designs of waste package, which are manufactured using standardised designs of waste container, we produce waste package specifications (WPS) which form part of the waste package specification and guidance documentation (WPSGD).

Research and analysis: Reservoir safety post-incident annual reports

Updated: The post-incident reporting for UK reservoirs 2017, has been added to this page.

The Environment Agency has produced an annual report on reservoir incidents in the UK since 2007.
Owners and operators of statutory reservoirs in England must report incidents and submit a post-incident report form to the Environment Agency. Owners and operators of small raised reservoirs in England (those with a capacity of less than 25,000 cubic metres of water above ground level) continue to report incidents to the Environment Agency on a voluntary basis.

Form: Claim a facilitation fund grant and record progress: Countryside Stewardship

Updated: Form updated to make it editable.

See the Countryside Stewardship facilitation fund page for more information.

Detailed guide: Packaging of radioactive waste: specifications and guidance

Updated: WPS/999/01 document added

Packaging specifications

The RWM packaging specifications take the form of a structured hierarchy with each level having a specific purpose. The Generic Waste Package Specification (GWPS) defines the requirements for all waste packages destined for geological disposal, and provides the basis for the definition of the Generic Specifications, which define the standards and specifications for waste packages containing specific categories of waste. The Generic Specifications are used to specify the requirements for the waste packages that could be manufactured using standardised designs of waste container, these being referred to as the Waste Package Specifications (WPS)

Geological Disposal – Generic Waste Package Specification
(PDF, 1.9MB, 37 pages)

Please note that all the requirements from the document ‘Geological disposal – Generic Waste Package Specification’ have now been subsumed into the DSS Part B, verbatim. This document has therefore been superseded.

Collection: Protected food name scheme: UK applications being considered

Detailed guide: Our work with radioactive waste producers

Working with waste producers

Management of Higher Activity Wastes (HAW)

Who we’re working with:

Our Letter of Compliance process

How it works

Waste Packaging Database Version 2

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. Request an accessible format.

Executive summaries

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. Request an accessible format.

Specifications

Research and analysis: Reservoir safety post-incident annual reports

Form: Claim a facilitation fund grant and record progress: Countryside Stewardship

Detailed guide: Packaging of radioactive waste: specifications and guidance

Packaging specifications

Generic specifications for specific categories of waste

Waste package specifications

Other specifications

Wasteform specifications and guidance

Ancillary information and guidance

Waste package specifications guidance material

Miscellaneous guidance

Thematic guidance

Options guidance

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