KÄRNAVFALLSHANTERING – NATIONELL ELLER INTERNATIONELL KOMPETENS- Kärnkraftens och demokratins betydelse för den allmänna opinionen

Abstract

This bachelor thesis examines the national public opinion on nuclear waste management and if this management ought to be a national responsiblity or a shared EU responsibility. The study includes all EU-countries in the year of 2008, with the aim of understanding what this public opinion is and what may be the driving factors for why it is. Previous research show that the European Commission puts great stock in public opinion on this topic, that nuclear power has a big effect on other nuclear related issues and that the public in former communist member states lack faith in national institutions and lawmakers regarding nuclear waste management. By testing hypotheses based on this previous research, the results of this study finds that nuclear power does not affect public opinion on whether or not nuclear waste management should be a national or international responsibility and that the public in former communist member states are more inclined to support national waste management, despite the lack of trust in there own national institutions.