Implementation of the 1990 recommendations of ICRP in the countries of the European community

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has published new Recommendations in ICRP Publication 60. These 1990 Recommendations provide a System of Radiological Protection that takes account of the most recent information on the effects on health of exposure to ionising radiation and trends in the setting of safety standards. Within the European Community the Recommendations fo the ICRP are implemented through a Euratom Directive which is binding on member states, a draft of which has been accepted by the Article 31 Group and must eventually be ratified by the Council of Ministers. It is expected that the new directive will broadly endorse the principles of protection given in the 1990 Recommendations together with the dose limits for both workers and members of the public. There are likely to be some modifications to the 1990 Recommendations that are mainly related to their practical application. As it will be some time before the directive is incorporated into national regulations, a number of member states have taken independent initiatives. The development of dose constraints for occupational, medical and public exposure is being seen by national organisations in many countries as a significant new approach to improving standards of radiation protection.