Radioactive waste is generated in Switzerland. It originates from electricity generation, plus the use of radioactive materials in medicine, industry and research. According to Swiss nuclear energy legislation, this waste must be disposed of in a deep geological repository. Waste management is the responsibility of the waste producers. The federal government is responsible for the disposal of radioactive waste from medicine, industry and research, and the operators of nuclear power plants are responsible for the disposal of radioactive waste from electricity generation. The nuclear power plant operators, alongside the federal government, have established the National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (Nagra) for the management of this waste. Nagra develops the technical and scientific foundations for disposal, proposes site areas for a deep geological repository, conducts investigations to characterise the site areas and prepares the construction and operation of the facilities. As an independent regulatory authority, ENSI checks whether Nagra complies with the legal requirements while taking into account the international state of the art of science and technology.

In 2008, the Federal Council adopted the “Sectoral Plan for Deep Geological Repositories”. The sectoral plan defines the procedure for selecting sites for deep geological repositories to contain radioactive waste in Switzerland. Sectoral plans are a land planning tool and organise cooperation between the federal government and the cantons. They should enable a transparent and fair choice of site.