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Nuclear Issues 

Response from Directorate general for Energy and Transport to all correspondance concerning the completion of Units 3 and 4 of Mochovche nuclear power plant in Slovakia

Overview

European Nuclear Energy Forum

- Bratislava-Prague forum
2nd meeting
22 & 23 May 2008, Prague

Public consultations

Nuclear Safety

Eurobarometer, February 2007
 Europeans and nuclear safety

European Governance in nuclear issues

Radioactive Waste

Eurobarometer, June 2008
Radioactive waste

Press release

Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations

Radiation Protection

Transport of Radioactive Material

Nuclear Safeguards

EURATOM Supply Agency

Publications and Reports

Legislation

 

Radiation Protection

|Introduction

|Legislation

|Verification Issues

|Article 31 - Group of Experts

|Emergency Preparedness

|Conferences & Meetings

|Publications

|Studies

|Networking

|Scientific Seminars
MARTIR Project
Multimedia & Audio-visual
Radiation Protection Training
in Interventional Radiology.
Radiation Protection 119
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Verification Issues

Verifications under the terms of Article 35 of the Euratom Treaty

News

Information note on EURATOM radiation protection verification to Ascó, Spain, by the European Commission
Article 35

de de fr
"Each Member State shall establish the facilities necessary to carry out continuous monitoring of the level of radioactivity in the air, water and soil and to ensure compliance with the basic standards. The Commission shall have the right of access to such facilities; it may verify their operation and efficiency."

 

Taking into account previous bilateral protocols, a Commission Communication has been published in the Official Journal on 4 July 2006 with a view to define some practical arrangements for the conduct of Article 35 verification visits in Member States. These may be amended as needed.

OJ C-155 of 04/07/2006  (page 2)

Objectives

The primary objective of the Article 35 verifications is to establish the efficiency of the facilities installed for the measurement of environmental radioactivity and of radioactive discharges, and to establish the adequacy of the environmental monitoring programme. The efficiency and adequacy are assessed in relation to the overall approach developed at national level to ensure the protection of members of the public in compliance with the Basic Safety Standards (Council Directive 80/836/EURATOM, amended by Council Directive 84/467/Euratom, and replaced by Council Directive 96/29/EURATOM).

The Commission holds the view that the environment starts where the radioactive discharges pass out of operational control. The verifications, therefore, include the equipment for monitoring the gaseous and liquid discharges of plants.

Verifications are initiated:

  • where and when the Commission estimates it to be appropriate;

  • on request (invitation) of national authorities;

  • on request of the European Parliament;

  • on request of a Member State (to verify a neighbouring Member State).

Scope and conduct 

The general scope and conduct of verifications have been negotiated with individual Member States and the results of these negotiations are laid down in protocols.

Verifications may extend to all installations discharging radioactive substances into the environment such as:

  • nuclear fuel cycle installations (mainly power stations and reprocessing facilities);

  • radioactive isotope production facilities;

  • users of radioactive isotopes (i.e. hospitals);

  • industries discharging effluents containing enhanced levels of natural radioactivity (e.g. phosphate industry).

Verification activities cover all facilities and provisions for monitoring:

  • discharges of radionuclides into the environment;

  • environmental radioactivity around installations discharging radionuclides;

  • environmental radioactivity as part of a national network (regional, national level).

Environmental monitoring includes:

  • routine measurement of radioactivity in air, water, soil and biota;

  • provisions in case of radiological emergencies (alarms and data collection, but not emergency response planning).

More in detail, verification activities cover:

  • sampling procedures;

  • analytical procedures;

  • quality control and assurance programmes;

  • data management;

  • consistency of source data (operational records) with values reported under Articles 36 and 37 of the Euratom Treaty.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION
Application of Article 35 of the Euratom Treaty - Verification of the operation and efficiency of facilities for continuous monitoring of the level of radioactivity in the air, water and soil: Report, 1990-2007 (COM/2007/0847 final )

Reports

The following verification reports under the terms of Article 35 of the Euratom Treaty are made publicly available with consent of the competent authorities of the Member States concerned. Each report consists of two documents: the Technical Report and the Main Findings. The former contains all the relevant information collected during the preparation, conduct and debriefing of the verification activities. The latter contains the official conclusions of the verification team, based upon the Technical Report, and includes recommendations where deemed necessary.

 

last update: 29-10-2008