COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
COM (89) 25 final 
Brussels,20 April 1989 
COMMUMICATIO» FROM THB COMMISSIOM 
TO THE COUNCIL 
Community cooperation on protection and assistance in the case of a 
nuclear accident or radiological emergency 
(ImlS 
SUMMARY OF THE COMMUNICATION OF THE COItTRflTmi 
A Community initiative in the field of nuclear protection and assistance has 
to take into account both the networks of bilateral dooperation agreements 
between States and the international Convention. With regard to these 
factors, a Community initiative has to avoid any duplication of effort and 
bring added value, which takes full advantage of the bonds of solidarity 
existing between the Member States and the very advanced state of development 
of the nuclear field in the Community. 
In the light of the consultations it has held, the Commission wishes to 
promote Community cooperation on matters of prevention and nuclear assistance 
in respect of certain particular aspects, so as to fill out and add to the 
arrangements already made in other areas. 
In actual fact, the approach taken and the areas of cooperation that have been 
identified with the help of experts from the Member States bear some 
resemblance to those adopted in respect of conventional civil protection which 
led to the Council Resolution of June 1987. This will enable the Commission 
to systematize the cooperation mechanisms and to harmonize the Community 
arrangements for cooperation in the areas of civil protection and assistance 
in the case of a nuclear accident. 
In particular, it would like to : 
- hold periodical meetings on protection and assistance, between the members 
of a network of correspondents in the Member States; 
- work towards better utilization of the structures and resources available in 
the event of a nuclear accident or a radiological emergency; 
- set up an inventory of resources available for use in coutermeasures against 
nuclear accidents. 
The Commission requests the Council to lend its support to the proposed 
action. 
A*> 
- .1 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
TO THE COUNCIL 
Community cooperation on protection and assistance in the case of a 
nuclear accident or radiological emergency 
I. INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 
1. In its framework communication of 13 June 1986 (I) on the consequences 
of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the Commission declared its 
intention to lay a proposal before the Council on the implementation 
of a Community system for mutual assistance in emergencies. 
Since this was a complex field in which the national responsibility 
certainly outweigh that of the Community, the Commission intended 
to conduct a number of consultations beforehand. 
2. The Chernobyl accident also showed that it would be useful to set up 
a system of mutual assistance on the broadest international basis 
and, at the special session of the General Conference of the IAEA 
held in Vienna from 24 to 26 September 1986, an international 
Convention on assistance in the case of a nuclear accident or 
radiological emergency was adopted. It has so far been signed by 
74 States, including eleven Member States. 
(I) COM(86) 327-final, 13.6.1986 
A 
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3. The Commission has recommended that the Community accede to this 
international Convention. The formal proposal was laid before the 
Council in January 1987 (2). 
The arguments developed in favour of accession are connected with the 
existence of the Joint Research Center (JKC) and are based, in brief, on : 
- the advantage that the JRC might benefit if need be from the 
assistance provided for under the Convention; 
- the possibility that the JRC could contribute, by using its own 
resources, to an international assistance action set on foot 
pursuant to the Convention. 
This proposal similarly expresses the opinion that the broadest 
international cooperation is necessary on mutual nuclear assistance 
and also demonstrates the Commission's willingness to cooperate in 
the closest possible way with .the IAEA. 
The Council has discussed the proposal but has not yet made a 
decision on it. 
4. The consultations with the experts from the Member States that were 
announced by the Commission took place on 10/11 December 1986 and 23 
February 1987. The setting up of the international Convention on 
assistance was one of the basic factors to be taken into account. 
These consultations made it possible to single out a number of themes 
which would lend themselves to worthwhile Community cooperation and 
it was on the basis of these results that the Commission prepared 
this communication. 
5. Incidentally, it should be recalled that Community cooperation on 
conventional civil protection was set on foot following the resolution 
of the Council and the representatives of the Goverments of the 
Member States meeting in the Council, of 25 June 1987. The developments of this 
cooperation were emphasized in the resolution of the Council and the representatives of the 
Governments of the Member States meeting in the Council, of 13 February 1989. 
This cooperation covers very different fields but excludes a nuber of risks, one of 
which is the nuclear one. This line taken in this dossier and the areas of cooperation 
adopted may, however, indicate some useful lessons which could be drawn for protection 
and assistance in case of a nuclear accident. 
(2) COM(86) 760 final, 9.1.1987. 
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II. NATURE OF COMMUNITY COOPERATION 
6. A Community initiative in the field of nuclear protection and 
assistance has to take into account both the networks of bilateral 
cooperation agreements between States and the international 
Convention. With regard to these factors, a Community initiative has 
to avoid any duplication of effort and bring added value, which takes 
full advantage of the bonds of solidarity existing between the Member 
States and the very advanced state of development of the nuclear 
field in the Community. 
7. In comparison with the national and bilateral level, a Camurity cooperation should seek 
to take advantage of the economies of scale by putting existing structures ana resources 
to the best possible use and to promote the dissemination throughout the Member States 
of knowledge and practices which will help in protecting the public. 
8. The international Convention on •assistance itself provides that the 
States may conclude bilateral or multilateral arrangements in order 
ho make it easier to achieve its objectives. It thus makes it 
possible for international action to be supplemented by the actions 
taken at a regional level. 
9. The Commission's contribution must not, therefore, be in lieu of the 
existing networks, agreements and Convention but must be concentrated 
on certain aspects where it will bring added value. 
10. A Community initiative may also offer a benefit to the individual 
European citizen by demonstrating the pooling of resources intended 
for protecting the public. 
III. ELEMENTS OF COOPERATION 
11. The Chernobyl accident clearly showed that a nuclear accident can 
have consequences reaching far beyond national boundaries and might 
call on the resources ol several Member States acting in concert. 
It should therefore be made easier to provide rapid assistance in the 
case of a nuclear accident or radiological emergency so as to 
minimize its effects as far as possible and to protect life, property 
and the environment from the effects of radioactivity releases. 
Assistance may be in the form of providing experts, equipment and 
materials. It may cover medical treatment or the temporary 
evacuation of persons affected by the accident to the territory of 
another Member State. 
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Assistance is facilitated by the prior collection and exchange of 
information and data relevant to protection against nuclear 
accidents. In addition to the experts, equipment and materials, this 
will cover the methods, techniques and available research results 
relating to action taken in the event of nuclear accidents. 
12. The contacts with the experts from the Member States have singled out 
three areas where cooperation is possible: 
(a) setting up a network of correspondents with the task of 
exchanging information on preventive and crisis measures; 
(b) drawing up an inventory of equipment and specialized services; 
(c) defining several research themes connected with protection and 
assistance in the case of a nuclear accident. 
The experts have also stressed the importance of effective 
dissemination of information in disaster management. 
III.l. Setting up a network of correspondents 
13. The likely function of a network of correspondents would be to ensure 
good cooperation between the Member States' authorities responsible 
for protection against nuclear accidents with a view to promoting 
effective assistance in the case of a nuclear accident. The contacts 
and periodic meetings between correspondents would encourage them to 
keep each other informed and would provide the basis for an exchange 
of views between specialists on the activities of each Member State. 
They would make possible discussion and dissemination of the 
innovations and progress made by the Member States in finding the 
ways and means for taking action. 
14. More specifically, the members of the network of correspondents could 
carry out the following tasks: 
- communicating adequate information for completing the list of 
different agreements regulating cooperation between Member States 
in the event of a nuclear accident; an initial list was drawn up by 
a group of experts as part of a study on transfrontier planning of 
emergency assistance published by the Commission in 1986 (3); 
- identifying the human and material resources that can be made 
available for rendering assistance; 
(3) objectives and methods of transfrontier planning of emergency 
assistance in the countries of the Kuropean Community in the event of 
an accident in a nuclear installation. 
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- looking into the possibilities for: 
. economies of scale, particularly by using standard equipment 
wherever necessary if the financial size or technical importance 
of the investment justifies it; 
. incorporating a list of these resources in a database; 
- coordinating Community action with that of the IAEA; 
- encouraging informal meetings between experts on specific points; 
- promoting simulation exercises and encouraging observers from the 
different Member States to take part; 
- conducting joint .discussions and examining questions such as: 
. standardization of emergency equipment; 
. harmonization of technical language. 
- profiting from the lessons that are likely to be drawn in order to 
give more effective assistance. 
15. The members of the network of correspondents could meet once a year 
at the Commission's request. 
16. In the event of a nuclear accident in the Community or an accident in 
a non-member State which has repercussions in the Community, the role 
of the network of correspondents would be as follows: 
- setting up, after the accident, a rapid exchange of information on 
the scale of requirements and the corresponding assistance that 
each country can usefully provide; to do this, the correspondents 
would use the network of contact points set up within the framework 
of the Community system for information exchange in the case of an 
accident and within that of the international Conventions; 
- in the light of this information it would be able to: 
(a) set in motion the action required while avoiding duplication of 
effort; 
(b) initiate additional action where this would be useful, if 
necessary joint action between several Member States or between 
Member States and the Community; 
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-it would monitor the assistance being given throughout the 
different phases of the accident. 
III.2. Inventory of equipment and specialized services 
17. The consultations with the experts also showed the advantages of 
setting up a joint inventory of resources which the Member States can 
make available in response to nuclear accidents. This information 
list could be in the form of a register or a computer database. 
18. The Commission's departments have carried out a preliminary study of 
ways of classifying the equipment and the means of rendering 
assistance after a nuclear accident. This work could make it 
possible to propose a common format for an inventory and to make the 
national inventories easier for all to understand. 
The catalogue could include: 
- the equipment; 
- the materials which could be used after a nuclear accident; 
- the specialized services: fire-fighting, hospital, evacuation and 
rehousing services; 
- technical advisers; 
- specialized firms or organizations. 
Resources could be classified in accordance with the phase of the 
accident, the place and the purpose of the action taken. 
19. The inventory could be prepared by the Commission with the help of 
the members of the network of correspondents referred to in section 
III.l. above. 
Ill.3. Research themes 
20. Several research themes identified as being linked with nuclear 
protection and assistance have been put forward and discussed from 
the technical angle with the experts from the Member States consulted 
by the Commission. 
7 -
Many of them have now been adopted in the revised version of the 
radiation protection research programme and in the JRC's programme 
for 1988-91. These programmes pursue the twin aim of improving the 
standard of preparation and preventive measures against nuclear 
accidents and of being better able to evaluate their radiological 
consequences, while taking into consideration the situation that 
prevailed after the Chernobyl accident. 
The following are the research projects: 
- evaluation of the reliability and validity of models for the 
atmospheric transport of radioactive materials over Ion?, distances; 
databank ot environmental radioactivity levels; 
- evaluation of data for the transport of radionuclides into the food 
chain; 
- feasibility of epidemiological studies on the health of the 
population; 
- radiological aspects of the scenarios following a nuclear accident; 
- data for establishing derived reference levels in the case of an 
emergency; 
countermeasures in respect - improvement of practical 
and aquatic environment; 
- improvement of practical 
environment; 
- improvement of practical 
medicine; 
- measurement and surveillance in an accident situation; 
- methodologies for treating exposed persons. of the rural 
counter-measures in respect of the urban 
counter-measures in respect of preventive 
21. Without taking over the role of the bodies responsible for research, 
this discussion has been fruitful and in future it would be desirable 
for the various research programmes that are linked with nuclear 
protection and assistance activities to be put forward and discussed 
with the members of the network of correspondents referred to in 
section I.II.l. above. 
III.4. Information exchange 
17. The consultations conducted by the Commission have made clear how 
important it is to have good information disseminated widely at two 
levels: 
first, among those responsible for accident prevention in each Member 
State; 
second, among the populations concerned. 
- 8 
23. Certain measures have already been taken or proposed with a view to 
ensuring that the information supplied after a nuclear accident is 
consistent and unambiguous and properly distributed. 
(a) on the international level, the Convention on early notification 
of a nuclear accident provides for mutual supply of information 
between the States likely to be affected. 
(b) on the Community level, Council Decision 87/600/Kuratom of 14 
December 198/ lays down the arrangements for the early exchange 
of information between the Member States; as regards the 
information to be supplied, this Decision follows the 
international Convention and supplements it on certain points; in 
particular, it provides for mutual information on "the measures 
taken, or planned, to inform the public" (Article 3(h)). 
(c) in addition to these measures the Commission has drafted a 
proposal for a Directive on informing the public; this has to be 
undertaken by the national authorities in the following two 
contexts: 
- throughout the period of validity of the regulations permitting 
the initiation and organization of emergency measures, the 
population concerned must be given, in an appropriate manner, 
general information on radioactivity and the nature of the 
radiological emergencies considered possible and more detailed 
information on emergency health protection measures and 
evacuation plans; 
- in addition, in an actual radiological emergency the population 
affected must as soon as possible and repeatedly thereafter be 
supplied with information which, depending on the prevailing 
situation, covers radioactivity, the nature of the radiological 
emergency and its development, the emergency measures taken 
with regard to the public and the conduct to be adopted. 
24. Incidentally, the Commission is well aware of the importance, quality 
and content of the information and it dedicated the first meeting of 
the Standing Conference on Health and Safety in the Nuclear Age to 
this matter. This meeting proved useful in providing an opportunity 
for an exchange of ideas and experience between various groupings on 
the question of informing the public and the media o» health 
protection and nuclear safety. The Commission will continue to 
stimulate reflection at the next meeting of the Conference. 
- 9 -
IV. CONCLUSIONS 
25. In the light of the consultations it has held, the Commission wishes 
to promote Community cooperation on matters of prevention and nuclear 
assistance in respect of certain particular aspects, so as to fill 
out and add to the arrangements already made in other areas. 
In actual fact, the approach taken and the areas of cooperation that 
have been identified with the help of experts from the Member States 
bear some resemblance to those adopted in respect of conventional 
civil protection which led to the Council Resolution of June 1987. This 
will enable the Commission to systematize the cooperation mechanisms 
and to harmonize the Community arrangements for cooperation in the 
areas of civil defence and assistance in the case of a nuclear 
accident. 
26. In particular, it would like to: 
- hoJd periodical meetings on protection and assistance, between the 
members of a network of correspondents in the Member States; 
- work towards better utilization of the structures and resources 
available in the event of a nuclear accident or a radiological 
emergency; 
- set up an inventory of resources available for use in 
counter-measures against nuclear accidents. 
27. The Commission requests the Council to lend its support to the 
proposed action* 
FICHE D'IMPACT SUR LA COMPETITIVITE ET L'EMPLOI 
I. |Quelle est la justification principale de la mesure?! 
Renforcement de la coopération communautaire dans le domaine de la 
protection et de l'assistance en cas d'accident nucléaire. 
II. iCaractéristiques des entreprises concernées. En particulier; 
(a) Y_a-t-U_un_grand-nombre_de->PME? non 
i. éligibles aux aides régionales des Etats membres? LJ oui 
ii. éligibles au FEDER? D OUI fil non 
(F| non 
III. jQuelles sont les obligations imposées directement aux entreprises?! 
Rien 
IV. Quelles sont les obligations susceptibles d'être imposées indirectement 
aux entreprises via les autorités locales? • 
Rien 
V. JY a^t-il des mesures spéciales pour les PFIEtf; 
(2 no** 
| ! oui Lesquelles?: 
VI. |Quel est l'effet prévisible?! 
(a* sur ta compét i t i v i té des entrepri sesr 
nul 
Cb> sur l'emptoî: 
• nul 
VII, |Les partenaires sociaux ont-ils été consultés?! 
fi) non 
n oui Quels sont leurs avis: 
Ao 
FICHE FINANCIERE 
Ligne budgétaire concernée : 664 "RadloprotectIon" 
2. Montant des crédits Inscrits sur cette ligne pour l'exercice 
1989 : CE 2.000.000 ECU 
CP 2.000.000 ECU 
3. Montant de la dépense découlant des action objet de la 
communication : 
a) au titre de Tannée en cours :- 90.000 ECU 
b) au titre de Tannée 1990 : 90.000 ECU 
au titre de Tannée 1991 90.000 ECU 
au titre de Tannée 1992 90.000 ECU 
au titre de Tannée 1993 90.000 ECU 
La disponibllI té dépendra des crédits Inscrits au budget des 
exercices ultérieures. 
4. Incidence financière de Taction sur les crédits d'Intervention 
Les actions objet de la présente communication n'Impliquent pas 
la mise à disposition de moyens financiers ou en personnel 
supplémentaires. Elles sont flnanclées à 100 X par le budget 
communautaire. 
4.1. M s'agit d'une action à durée de cinq années, renouvelable. 
Les frais sont imputés à la ligne 664 "Radloprotection". 
4.1.1. Mode calcul 
Consultation d'autorités nationales, d'experts scientifiques 
et d'organisations Internationales (frais de déplacement et 
de séjour pour les réunions et les missions) 20.000 ECU 
Etudes dans le domaine de l'organisation des moyens de lutte 
contre les accidents nucléaires 50.000 ECU 
Frais de secrétariat 20.000 ECU 
90.000 ECU 
4.1.2. La répartition des dépenses sera Identique pour les années 
suivantes. 
5. Implications financières en ce qui concerne les dotations en per­
sonnel 
5.1. Personnel supplémentaire nécessaire : 
néant. L'action sera exécutée par le personnel existant. 
6. Financement des dépenses d'intervention 
6.1. financement possible par crédits Inscrits au chapitre concerné 
dans le budget en cours d'exécution. 
AA 
Commission of the European Communities ^._ 
COM(89) 25 final 
Communication from the 
COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL 
Community cooperation on protection and assistance in the case of a 
nuclear accident or radiological emergency 
20.4.1989 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
L - 2985 Luxembourg 
Series: DOCUMENTS 
1989 - 13 pp. — Format: 21.0 * 29.7 cm 
EN 
ISSN 0254-1475 
ISBN 92-77-48503-5 
Catalogue number: CB-CO-89-150-EN-C 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(89) 25 final 
DOCUMENTS 
Communication from the 
COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL 
Community cooperation on protection and 
assistance in the case of a nuclear accident or 
radiological emergency 
05 
Catalogue number: CB-CO-89-150-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-48503-5 20.4.1989 
€ 
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES