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Radiation protection

On 29 September 2011, the European Commission adopted the

On 28 March 2012, the European Commission adopted the

On 27 June 2011, the European Commission adopted the

Forthcoming events

The overall objective of radiation protection is to protect the health of exposed workers and members of the public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation, resulting from practices using radiation or radioactive substances e.g. medical and industrial applications as well as the nuclear fuel cycle. In addition to natural radiation sources, artificial radioactivity is present in the environment, in particular as a result of effluents from nuclear installations, fallout from nuclear weapons testing and from nuclear accidents.

The following main areas are covered by the activities of the Radiation Protection Unit of the European Commission:

  • exposure of the public
  • occupational exposure
  • emergency preparedness and response
  • natural radiation
  • medical exposure
  • environmental monitoring and assessment
  • education, information and training

Non-ionising radiation resulting from, for example, microwave appliances, mobile phones and high tension electrical grids is the responsibility of DG SANCO (in general) and DG EMPL (occupational dose), also based in Luxembourg.

The main activities of the Radiation Protection Unit are:

  • To propose and to implement Community legislation in respect of radiation protection issues, and to coordinate this work through meetings of independent experts.
  • To check the legal and operational implementation of Community legislation.
  • To draw up Basic Safety Standards for the protection of workers and the general public.
  • To verify that Member States perform their statutary duties in respect of obligatory monitoring of environmental radioactivity.
  • To provide a system of rapid information exchange in case of radiological or nuclear accidents.
  • To ensure implementation of maximum permitted levels of radioactivity in foodstuffs laid down after the Chernobyl accident and the introduction of similar levels in case of a future accident.
  • To discuss radiation protection issues in meetings of independent experts.

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