UK response to the forthcoming European Commission (EC) proposal to recast the Basic Safety Standards (96/29) (and other Euratom) Directives

EC Basic Safety Standards for radiological protection are set out in a series of Directives under the 1957 Euratom Treaty and in a Commission Recommendation (90/143). The EC, lead by DG Transport & Energy (DG TREN), is seeking to “Recast” these Directives and one recommendation into a single consolidated Directive. Under the terms of the Euratom Treaty (1957) the EC is bound to ask the ‘Article 31’ (A31) Group of Experts for expert ‘Opinion’ to guide its decisions. This work is under way, and the A31 Group of Experts expects to provide its ‘Opinion’ to the EC by the end of 2009.

The impetus for the ‘recast’ has a number of streams:

• The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) approved new recommendations in April 2007 that revise their Publication 60 (which provides the basis for the current BSS). These recommendations have been published and can be found via the ICRP website^[1].
• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have their own Basic Safety Standards, co-sponsored by 5 other international organisations, which are currently under review. A copy of the latest draft document and the comments submitted by Committee members (IAEA Safety Standards Committees) can be viewed on the IAEA website^[2].
• The reworking of the Directives by the European Commission. 
• The European Atomic Energy Community intends to co-sponsor the IAEA BSS review with the aim of ensuring harmonisation between the IAEA and Euratom BSS documents so that they are fully consistent.

Next steps

Many departments have an interest in the  EC’s forthcoming proposal including HSE, BIS, DH, MOD, DECC, DEFRA, DfT, EA, and the Devolved Administrations.. HSE has convened internal, and cross government, groups of officials that bring together policy, operational and technical expertise to coordinate the UK response.

HSE and cross government colleagues are also keen to engage UK stakeholders to ensure that a breadth of interested parties’ views inform the development of the UK impact assessment, influencing strategy and, in due course, the UK negotiating position.  

Over the summer officials will continue work, which has started with groups of stakeholders, to examine the issues that have been emerging from the BSS Recast process, determine the sectors affected by the issues, and the likely impacts. The groups will also be looking at ideas for improvements that might inform the Recast process.

The contributions from these groups will be analysed, and thereafter, form the evidence base for the BSS Impact Assessment. The groups will also assist officials in extending the reach of the UK influencing activities.

Expert colleagues will continue to contribute to the development of Basic Safety Standards at  both the international level through the development of a revised IAEA Basic Safety Standards; and the EC level through meetings of the EC’s Article 31 group of experts^[3].  Links to web pages of key organisations mentioned above are set out below, as is a link to HSE’s own ‘radiation’ pages.

Links

1. ICRP website
2. Latest draft document and the comments submitted by Committee members (IAEA Safety Standards Committees)
3. Article 31 - Group of experts
4. Legal base for ionising radiation regulations

Contact details of HSE officials taking this work forward are set out below.

Kate Haire (0151 951 3792) Kobina Lokko (0151 951 3116)
Radiation Policy,
Cross-Cutting Interventions Directorate,
Health & Safety Executive,
5S.G.07 Redgrave Court,
Merton Road,
Bootle,
Merseyside,
L20 7HS.

ecbasicsafetystandard@hse.gsi.gov.uk