CELEX: 51987PC0028
Language: en
Date: 1987-01-23
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) extending Regulation (EEC) No 1707/86 on the conditions governing imports of agricultural products originating in third countries following the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station (submitted to the Council by the Commission)#COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL on a permanent system for establishing limits for the radioactive contamination of drinking water and agricultural products in the case of a nuclear accident

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (87) 028
Vol. 1987/0012
 ---pagebreak--- Disclaimer
Conformément au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983,
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit
règlement.
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Economic
Community and the European Atomic Energy Community (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243,
27.9.2003, p. 1), this file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom 1.
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI. L 43 vom 15.2.1983,
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. September 2003
(ABI. L 243 vom 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.
 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                                               C0MC87) 28 final
                                                                               B r u s s e l s , 23 J a n u a r y 1987
                                                     P r op osa l for a
                                           C O UN CIL R E G U L A T I O N (EEC)
   e x t e n d i n g R e g u l a t i o n (EEC) No 1 7 07 /86 on the c o n d i t i o n s governing
                      im p o r t s of a g r i c u l t u r a l pr o d u c t s o r i g i n a t i n g
                    in th i r d c o u n t r i e s f o l l owi ng the a c c i d e n t at the
                                     Ch e r n o b y l n u cl ear po we r s t a t i o n
                        ( s u b m i t t e d to the Council by the C o m m i s s i o n )
                    C O M M U N I C A T I O N FROM THE C O M M I S S I O N TO T H E COUNCIL
                on a p e r m a n e n t s y s t e m for e s t a b l i s h i n g limits f o r th e
                     r a d i o a c t i v e c o n t a m i n a t i o n of d r i n k i n g w a t e r and
                              a g r i c u l t u r a l pr o d u c t s in the case of a
                                                    n u c l e a r a c ci den t
 C0M(87) 28 final
 ---pagebreak---                                             EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
 1.        A draft proposal for a g e n e r a l R e g u l a t i o n l a yi ng d o w n a p r o c e d u r e for
 f i xi ng the limits of r a d i o a c t i v i t y in a g r i c u l t u r a l p r o d u c t s f o l l o w i n g a
 n u c l e a r ac c i d e n t has b e e n s u b m i t t e d to the C o u n c i l f o r i n f o r m a t i o n .
2.         The limits for r a d i o a c t i v i t y in i m p o r t e d a g r i c u l t u r a l p r o d u c t s laid d o w n in
R e g u l a t i o n (EEC) No 1 7 0 7 / 3 6 have n o w b e e n in f o r c e for m o r e th an six m o n t h s and
 the C o m m i s s i o n has b e e n m o n i t o r i n g the i n f o r m a t i o n s u p p l i e d by M e m b e r St ates
on levels of ra d i o a c t i v i t y , both in i m p o r t e d fo o d s a n d in foods p r o d u c e d
 in si de the Community.                 The C o m m i s s i o n has c o n s i d e r e d the p o s s i b i l i t y of
a l l o w i n g cont rol s to lapse on 1 M a r c h 1987.                      A l t h o u g h it is a n t i c i p a t e d
that levels of r a d i o a c t i v i t y in a g r i c u l t u r a l p r o d u c t s in next y e a r ' s crop
will be well below those found in this y e a r ' s p r o d u c e , t r a d i t i o n a l trade
flaws wo ul d indicate that st or ed or p r e s e r v e d p r o d u c t s f r o m this y e a r ' s
cr op wo ul d cont inu e to be i m po rte d into the C o m m u n i t y f r o m ar ea s k n o w n to
be a f f e c t e d by the fa l l o u t from C h e r n o b y l , at least u n t i l the a u t u m n of
1937.
3.         The C o m m i s s i o n has c o n s u l t e d b o t h the A r t i c l e 31 C o m m i t t e e and an
i n d e p e n d e n t gr o u p of high level s c i e n t i s t s w h i c h it c o n s t i t u t e d to a d v i s e
it on r a d i a t i o n p r o t e c t i o n in the C o m m u n i t y .          In the c u r r e n t s t a t e of
k n o w l e d g e it w o u l d a p p e a r that the limits i m p o s e d in R e g u l a t i o n (EEC)
No 1 7 0 7 / 8 6 have a s u f f i c i e n t sa f e t y m a r g i n to e n s u r e an a d e q u a t e
p r o t e c t i o n of health.
4.        The p o s s i b i l i t y of im p o s i n g s t r i c t e r l i m i t s has a l s o b e e n
c o n s i d e r e d , but the C o m m i s s i o n t h i n k s that s u c h a c o u r s e w o u l d not be
j u s t i f i e d on g r ou nds of r a d i o l o g i c a l p r o t e c t i o n and c o u l d re sult in
e c o n o m i c d a m a g e to o p e r a t o r s in the s e c t o r , as w e l l as e m p l o y i n g m o r e
r e s o u r c e s in control w h i c h could be m o r e a d v a n t a g e o u s l y u s e d in r e d u c i n g
o t h e r risks.
 ---pagebreak--- 5.        The C o m m i s s i o n t h e r e f o r e c o n s i d e r s that the v a l i d i t y of
R e g u l a t i o n (EEC) No 1 7 0 7 / 8 6 s h o u l d be e x t e n d e d until 28 Fe b r u a r y 19 88 to
a l l o w for the d i s p o s a l of the s t o r e d or p r e s e r v e d p r o d u c e from the 1986
crop and to gi ve an a d d i t i o n a l p e r i o d in wh i c h c o n s i d e r a t i o n can be gi v e n
to m o n i t o r i n g re sults b e f o r e         the           c o n t r o l r e q u i r e m e n t s lapse.
 ---pagebreak---                                                  P r o p o s a l for a
                                         CO U N C I L R E G U L A T I O N (EEC)
                 e x t e ndi ng                                      R e g u l a t i o n (EEC) No 1 7 Û7 /86
              on the co nd itions g o v e r n i n g i m po rts of a g r i c u l t u r a l pr o d u c t s
              o r i g i n a t i n g in third coun tri es fo l l o w i n g the a c ci den t at the
                                       Chernobyl n u cl ear po we r s t a t i o n
THE CO U N C I L OF THE EURO PEA N C O M M U N I T I E S /
Ha v i n g regard to the Tr eaty e s t a b l i s h i n g the E u r o p e a n Econ omi c Co mmunity/
H a v i n g regard to the p r op osa l from the Co m m i s s i o n /
                                                                 1
W h e r e a s Council Regulation (EEC) No 1707/86 fixed maximum permitted levels of
 r a d i o a c t i v i t y for all ag r i c u l t u r a l p r o d u c t s o r i g i n a t i n g in third
c o u n t r i e s and inte nde d for human c o n s u m p t i o n , w i t h wh ic h imports of the
p r o d u c t s must comply and in c o n n e c t i o n with which checks are carr ied out
by the Me m b e r States;                wh e r e a s that R e g u l a t i o n was e x t e n d e d until
28 F e b r u a r y 1987 by 'Council Regulation (EEC) No 3020/862; -
W h e r e a s the m a x i m u m p e r m i t t e d levels of r a d i o a c t i v i t y laid do wn by that
Regulation,              have pr oved to be e f f e c t i v e as co mmon a r r a n g e m e n t s for
s a f e g u a r d i n g the health of co n s u m e r s / m a i n t a i n i n g trade wi th third
c o u n t r i e s / a s s u r i n g the u n i f i e d n a t u r e of the ma r k e t and p r e v e n t i n g
d e f l e c t i o n s of tr ad e f o l l owi ng the ac c i d e n t at C h e r n o b y l ;
W h e r e a s a g r i c u l t u r a l pr o d u c t s c o n t a m i n a t e d above the levels p e r m i t t e d
un d e r that            Regulation        may still be o f f e r e d for import into the
C o m m u n i t y f o l l o w i n g the e x p i r y of R e g u l a t i o n (EEC) No 1.707 7 8 6 and w h e r e a s
such a p o s s i b i l i t y will exist until the stocks of p r o d u c t s h a r v e s t e d
d u r i n g the p e r i o d f o l l o w i n g the ac c i d e n t at C h e r n o b y l are d i s p o s e d of;
10J No L 146/ 3 1 . 5 . 1 9 8 6 / p. 88.
2 0J N o L 280, 1 . 1 0 .19 86 , p. 79·.
 ---pagebreak--- Et'I.CG 'bb 16:54          ERIJb E'GB KI115 Fh /
                                                      -  2   -
    Wher eas it is th e r e f o r e n e c e s s a r y to c o n t i n u e the p r es ent te mporary
    c o nt rol s on imported a g r i c u l t u r a l p r o d u c t s until th ey can be co n s i d e r e d
    as no longer required or until g e n e r a l p r o v i s i o n s are put into effect
    based on o b j e c t i v e cr it eri a,
   HAS AD O P T E D THIS REGULATION:
                                                    Article 1
   In Ar ticle 7 of R e g u l a t i o n (EEC) No 1 7 0 7 / 8 6                   · '28 Febr uar y 1987'
   is hereby replaced by '2 9 Fe b r u a r y 1988'..
                                                    Article 2
   This R e g u l a t i o n shall en t e r into fo rc e on             1 Ma rc h    1987.
   This R e g u l a t i o n shall be b i n d i n g in its e n t i r e t y and d i r e c t l y a p p l i c a b l e
   in all M e m b e r States,
 ---pagebreak---   rtc. 04 'yG 15: Ul            CCE LUX Kl 167 E'G5E 352-43014511
              COMMISSION
                 OF THE
 EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
             Directorate-Genarale
Employment, Social Affairs and Education
        Health and Safety
              Directorate
                 V/E/1
                                   COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL
                               ON A PERMANENT SYSTEM FOR ESTABLISHING LIMITS FOR THE
                   RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION OF DRINKING WATER AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
                                               IN THE CASE OF A NUCLEAR ACCIDENT
    ‘•■'t'r.en! Kv'             nr,.,.  i·;.,».!.-,- i  ,,■v  q,
                                                               ., r       .13011 T/'-.y· i.ij 3*33/3446
 ---pagebreak--- [•EC.CM              CCE LUX KI1S7 DG5E 352-43014511
                                                          -  1
       1,       BACKGROUND
       1.1       At Its meeting of 12 May,                  1986,    following   the Chernobyl    reactor
                 accident,     the Council requested the Commission to prepare as soon as
                possible proposals for supplementing the Euratom Basic Safety
                Standards for the health protection of the public and workers against
                the dangers of ionizing radiation^. These proposals are to be based on
                the    relevant    provisions         of    the   Euratom  Treaty   and prepared    on a
                scientific basis for the protection of health and the preservation of
                the unity of the Community Internal market.                            In its Outline
                Communication to the Council of 13 J u n e 2 , the Commission noted that it
                had already initiated preparation of a proposal for limits on the
                contamination of agricultural products. The Communication of 20 August
                on the application of Chapter III of the Euratom Treaty,                     "Health and
                Safety" ,       noted    that        the    Commission    intended   to  formulate    its
               proposals      in the     form of        a draft     Council Regulation;      the present
               Communication concerns a draft of such a regulation.
      1.2      The    current    Sasic     Safety        Standards    do  not  stipulate    dose   Limits
               applicable in cases of accidental exposure. Under the terms of Article
               45   of    the    present       Standards        the   individual   Member    States   are
               responsible for deciding intervention levels to be used as criteria
               for the initiation of countermeasur es with respect to population
               groups liable to receive doses in excess of those limits laid down for
               controllable exposure.
      1.3      following the release of radioactive materials to atmosphere in the
               course of the Chernobyl reactor accident on 26 April,                       1986,    large
               areas of the Community were subject to radioactive d e p o s i t i o n over the
               next few weeks;         this led to the direct and indirect c o n tamination of
                                                                                                          whicr
               agricultural p r o ducts and urgent consid e r a t i o n of the i n t ervention levels,.
        Council Directive 8 0 / 8 3 6 / E u r a t o m (O.J. 246 of 17.9.80) as amended by Council
        Directive 84/467/ E u r a t o m (O.J. L 265 of 5.10.84)
        C0MC86) 327 final
        C0M(86) 434 final
     3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- .04 '6b 15:02    C Œ LU); I..I167 DG5E 352-43014511
                                               -  2 -
             should be applied in the marketing of such produce. Had each Member
            State acted independently,           considerable trade conflict could have
             resulted since Article 36 of the EEC Treaty allows Member States to
            derogate on health grounds all requirements for the free access of
             Imports.
   1 .A      Accordingly on 6th May, after consultation with Member States, the
             Commission issued Recommendation 86/156/EEC providing intervention
             levels in the form of radioactive contamination              limits for certain
             agricultural products; these limits were designed to deat with the
             immediate hazard which arose from a particular type of radioactive
             material referred to as iodine-131.           This hazard being of relatively
             short duration,       attention was     then turned to the      long term    risks
             associated with the presence of other radioactive materials.
   1.5       Following inconclusive discussions with Member States,             urgent advice
            was sought from the Group of Experts appointed by the Scientific and
             Technical Committee to advise the Commission in drawing up the Euratom
            Basic Safety Standards under the terms of Article 31 of the Euratom
            Treaty. On 23rd May this Group recommended a provisional limit of 1000
            becquerels       (Bq)    for   caesium-134     and   caesium-137    combined    per
            kilogramme of foodstuffs and a working party was set up to consider
            the whole question of limits applicable to radioactive contamination
            of   foodstuffs      following   an   accident.     The   provisional   limit   was
            specific to the Chernobyl case,           in that it took into account the fact
            that all forms of radioactive materials other than those of caesium
            were,    following the natural decay of 1od1ne-131,           of little relative
            Importance in terms of the risk to health via foodstuffs.
   1.6      In its Regulation 1707/86' ,        adopted under the terms of the EEC Treaty
            on 3Dth May,        the Council laid down limits which were in fact lower
            than that recommended by the experts.            In so doing. 1t took account of
            factors outside the competence of the Article 31 Group such as the
            limits already imposed by third countries;             thus the USA,    Sweden and
     O.J. L 1 18/28 of 7.5.86
     O.J. L146/88 of 31.5.86
  3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- DEC.04             CCE LUX KlIS? DG5E 352-43014511
                                                      - 3 -
               Canada had all adopted Limits at or around 370 Bq/kg in respect of
               imports o i / % l C  o & s a. 1 Accordingly, a limit of 370 Bq/kg was applied
               by the Regulation to milk, milk products and infant foodstuffs and of
               600 Bq/kg to all other foodstuffs* w hile the Regulation per se applied
               only to imports into the Community"^ it was agreed that no lower Limits
               would be applied by any Member State as regards intra-Community trade.
               The Regulation was valid until 30th September,                               1986,      and the
               Commission was invited to present forthwith detailed and comprehensive
               proposals, based on the Euratom Treaty and in particular Article 31
               thereof,     which would seek to establish a permanent system of
               limitation on foodstuffs contamination following an accident and which
               would complement the Basic Safety Standards.
      1.7      The Commission, therefore requested the Article 31 Group to accelerate
               its work   in this area and on 3rd September the Group produced its
               recommendations         in the form of a report giving the scientific basis
               for a permanent limitation system as d e s c ribed in Chapter ill below.
     1.8      However,     the       system     recommended   does       not      invoLve fixed permanent
               limits but instead provides for ad hoc limits to be laid down in the
              light of the circumstances resulting from any particular accident*                             as
              such   it   requires         the   creation   of a decision making procedure to
              establish such         limits as a matter of urgency following an accident.
              This approach         is entirely in line with that proposed previously in
              relation    to      other      aspects    of   radiation           protection      in    accident
              situations, in particular, in a report                  p r o d u c e d by the G r o u p covering
              dose    criteria         for    introducing     evacuation,              sheltering      and  the
             distribution of iodine tablets as a p r o p h y l a c t i c following a reactor
              accident.     Moreover,          the same approach has been recommended by the
       Pending establishment of this regulation, imports from certain third
       countries had been temporarily s u s p e n d e d under Council Regulation 1388/86
       (O.J. L127/1 of 13.5.86)
       "Radiological P r o t e c t i o n Criteria for C o n t r o l l i n g Doses to the Public in the
        Event of Accidental ReLeases of R a d i o a c t i v e Materi a l " , Doc. V/5290/EN,F,
        July 1982.
    3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- L'L1..kM' -ob    :U4   ü.E LIE ! KI1S7 DG5E 352-43014511
                                                    - 4 -
                   International Commission for Radiological Protection^ for application
                  on a wider basis,       specifically including the control of contaminated
                  foodstuffs.
        1.9       In May the Commission had already decided to appoint an ad hoc group
                  of independent high Level scientists to advise it on the implications
                  of the Chernobyl accident for future Commission work in the field of
                  radiological protection in general.
        1.10      An extension of the Regulation 1707/86^ was therefore proposed on the
                  basis that :
                           - the Article 31      Group   report  confirmed  that   the original
                              recommendation of 1000 Bq/kg for caesium-134 and caesium-137
                              was indeed conservative on health grounds;
                           - it would not be appropriate to let all controls lapse;
                           - that Regulation was not causing undue trade difficulties.
       1.11      Council adopted Regulation 3020/86 on 30th S e p t ember3 extending        the
                 validity of Regulation 1707/86 to 28th February 1987.           Moreover,  the
                 Commission undertook to forward proposals for a permanent system no
                 later than the end of November 1986.         These proposals are the subject
                 of the present communication.
       2.       THE NATURE OF RADIOACTIVITY AND NUCLEAR RADIATION
       2.1      To appreciate the scientific problems which have to be resolved              in
                 establishing      any  system  for   the   control  of  exposure    to nuclear
                 radiation it is necessary to have some understanding of the nature of
                 radioactivity and nuclear radiation.
          ICRP Publication 40, Annals of the ICRP, Vol. 14/2, 1984
         O.J. L 146/88 of 31.5.86
         O.J. L280/79 of 1.10.86
     3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- .0-1 '86 15:05    C Œ LUX Kl 167 DG5E 352-43014511
                                                   - 5 -
    2.2      Exposure to nuclear radiation implies the deposition of energy in body
             tissues resulting from the absorption,                    in whole or in part,         of
             radiation impinging on the body. It is known that at relatively high
             exposures this deposition of energy can result in cellular damage
             giving rise in the long term to cancer, even although there may be no
             immediate evidence eof such              damage. Such radiation can arise from
            natural processes such as take place                   in the Sun and other stars or
             from    man-made    process     such     as   are    induced      in  nuclear reactors.
            Moreover,       there exists a category of materials known as radioactive
            materials,       which continuously emit nuclear radiation,               independent of
            any process in which they may or may not be involved. All chemical
            elements are known to have such radioactive                      forms which, although
            emitting radiation, continue to behave chemically and metabolically in
            the same way as their corresponding n on-radioacti ve,                   i.e.   ’'stable",
            forms.
   2.3      The emission of nuclear radiation by these materials is an inherent
            feature of the process referred to as radioactive decay, w h ereby the
            materials seek to revert to a stable form;                  as this process evolves so
            the radioactive content of the material reduces. The rate of reduction
            is   characteristic      of    the   p articular      form of     radioactive     material
            involved and is expressed in terms of the halflife,                   the time which is
            required for the radioactive content to be reduced by a factor of two
           and the intensity of radiation emitted to diminish accordingly.                         The
           half-life of the material may range from a m i n u t e ,fraction of a second
           to far in excess of millions of years d e p e n d i n g on the particular form
           involved.        Thus  in the terrestrial          e nvironment man      is continuously
           exposed       to   radiation     from     some     naturally      occuring     radioactive
           materials having a halflife so great that they have c o n t inued to exist
           ever since the Earth's f o r m ation as well as to radiation from outer
           space,       "cosmic   radiation",        from   the     Sun   and other     stars.    Some
           naturally occuring radioactive m a t e rials are even incorporated in the
           human      body    as  a   c o nsequence      of their       chemical    and    metabolic
           properties.
  2.4      The rate       of emission of radiation           by radioactive       materials at any
           particular time is m e a s u r e d in b e c q u e r e l s (Bq) and hence radioactive
           concentrations can be e x p r e s s e d as b e c q u e r e l s per kilogram (Bq/kg) of
 ---pagebreak--- DEC.04 '86 15:05  CCE LUX KI167 DG5E 352-43014511
                                              -  6  -
              the   material    1n  question.      Thus     a   natur a l l y   occuring  form    of
              radioactive potassium,     referred to as potassium-40, is present in our
              bodies at a level of some 70 Bq/kg of tissue;                   its half-life is in
              excess of one thousand million years and so the radiation which it
              emits does not in practice diminish in a human lifespan.
      2.5     Exposure to radiation is measured in sievert ($v) or subunits thereof;
              for present purposes it will be convenient to use the millesievert
              (mSv) which is one thousandth of a sievert. A v e r a g e d over the world we
              receive an exposure (or dose) of 2 mSv each year from natural
              radiation; of this about 1.3 mSv originates from naturally occuring
              radioactive    materials   such   as    p o tassium-40     incorporated    in human
              tissue. In particular locations exposure from natural radiation may be
              more than ten times the world average value;             by comparison,     even the
              most exposed members of the public            living close to a nuclear power
              station rarely receive an annual dose in excess of 0.02 mSv due to the
              operation of the station,
      2.6     It is important to note that the rate of e x p osure resulting from                any
              given amount of radioactive material e x p r essed in becquerel depends
              not only on the Intensity of the radiation but also on its precise
              nature which is itself dependent on the partic u l a r form of radioactive
              material involved.     Moreover, the total exposure over any given period
              of time will also depend on the rate at which the radiation reduces in
              intensity (i.e. the halflife) and on chemical and b iological processes
              which may Lead to the transfer of such material out of the system;
              these aspects are again characteristic of the partic u l a r radioactive
              material involved,     Hence there is no general r e lationship between the
              degree of    radioactivity as expressed in b e c q uerel and the exposure
              received as expressed in sievert.
      2.7     A basic premise of radiological p r o t e c t i o n is that, even although 1t
              is not possible to demonstrate any differ e n c e s in the Incidence of
              cancer corresponding to doses of the order of ml l l e s i e v e r t s ,         it is
              nevertheless assumed that the risk of cancer is in direct p roportion
              to the exposure incurred and that the effects at tow doses are m a sked
              by the incidence of cancer from other causes. This a s s u m p t i o n has been
              adopted with the intention of ensuring that any error will be on the
      3090/3/86 EN
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                                                       - 7 -
                 safe side and indeed there are reasons for supposing that the
                 relationship actually assumed, based on exposure to much higher doses
                 such as were e xperienced in Japan from atomic weapons, is in practice
                 appreciably conservative.            The limits     for controllable exposure laid
                down in the E u ratom Basic Safety Standards are designed to ensure that
                the risk of cancer,           even on this pessimistic basis,                    is negligibly
                small relative to a L L the other risks which we experience in everyday
                life.
     3.         THE RECOMMENDATIO NS OF THE ARTICLE 31 G R O U P OF EXPERTS
     3.1       The principle       involved       in  introducing      a flexible          exposure    control
               system for application in the aftermath of an accident 1s that the
               costs to society and the risks resulting from the introduction of any
               particular countermeasure should not exceed those associated with the
               radiation      exposure     averted.            For   each        form     of   countermeasure
               envisaged, therefore,               two emergency      reference          levels of    exposure
               (ERLs) are provi d e d for guidance:
                    “ a Lower level below which a c t i o n is extremely u n l ikely to be
                       justified on radiological p r o t e c t i o n grounds and
                    " an upper level at which action is almost certain to have been
                       attempted on radiological p r o t e c t i o n grounds.
              The actual       level at which the counte r m e a s u r e should be implemented
                                                                                    »
              will    lie between these two extremes,                 at a         level dependent on the
              particular circumstances resulting from the accident.
    3.2        The Article 31 G r o u p o f E x perts have noted that the actions needed to
             control      the    distri b u t i o n   and   i mportation          of    foodstuffs     in  the
             Community      are    complex       and   have    consi d e r a b l e    social    and  economic
             consequences.        For the first year following an accident they propose
             the ERLs recommended by the I n t ernational Commission for Radiological
             Protection for exposure to radiation from f o o s t u f f s 1,                   viz.    a lower
      ICRP P ublication 40, A nnals of the ICRP Vol. 14/2, 1984
  3090/ /«A -   :
                n
 ---pagebreak--- [•EC.04 '86 15:07  CCE LUX Kl 167 DG5E 352-43014511
                                                 - 8  -
               level of 5 mSv and an upper Level of 50 m S v 1 ,             For subsequent years
               they   recommended    levels of 1 mSv and 10 mSv              since the     levels of
               contamination will be lower and there will have been time to organize
               effective and economic means of control should these still be
               necessary.       The experts further note that the probability of an
               accident affecting large areas of the Community 1s low enough to allow
               each accident to be considered Independently.
       3.3     However,    for lesser accidents,         levels less than those proposed may
               weLl be appropriate to countermeasures of a much simpler nature than
               those necessary to control foodstuffs on the Community scale.
       3.4     Having    established    exposure    criteria      it   is   necessary     to   derive
               corresponding     foodstuffs    contamination       levels   -   derived     emergency
               reference levels (DERLs).        This requires consideration of foodstuffs'
               consumption    rates   to   estimate     the   likely    intake    of   radioactivity
               resulting from any particular        level of contamination.           Moreover,     as
               stated previously,      the relationship between the intake and the dose
               consequently     incurred   depends    on    the   particular      radioactive     form
               involved.    Finally, the passage through the body of any such form will
               depend on    its   metabolic   behaviour and       this will     also vary between
               Individuals in general but in particular will vary with age.
       3.5     Accordingly the members of the Article 31 working party considered
               nineteen     separate     radioactive        forms     (also     referred      to     as
               "radionuclides") and three age groups - the one year old, the ten year
               old and the adult.        For each age group they assessed typical annual
               Intakes of five major dietary components,             viz.   dairy produce,       meat,
               fruit and vegetables,       cereals,     and drinking water.          Together these
               give    almost    300  different    combinations        for    each   of    which   the
               radioactive concentration (Bq/kg) corresponding to a given dose (mSv)
         Consideration of exposure restricted to individual organs,                eg.    irradiation
         of the thyroid gland by iodine-131,              may   lead    to other     criteria;      for
         simplicity such cases are not d i s c ussed in the present communication but are
         taken into account in the values proposed.
 ---pagebreak--- DEC.04 '86 15:08    CCE LUX Kl167 DG5E 352-43014511
                                                 - 9 -
              was calculated.        In order to produce a more manageable system the
               radionuclides were then grouped into three categories and the number
              of dietary components was also reduced to three by taking meat, fruit,
              vegetables and cereals into a single category termed "other major
              foodstuffs".        For each of the resulting nine combinations the
              contamination levels assigned to a given dose level correspond in
              general    to  the   lowest    levels   for     any nuclide     in the category   in
              question irrespective of the consumer's age group.
     3.6      The working party's report was endorsed by the Article 31 Group which
                                                                         . 1
              transmitted its recommendatio ns to the Commission .                   There are a
             number of points relevant to the G r oup's recommendations which should
             be noted.
             (a) As previously stated the lower reference levels recommended are
                   designed to ensure that exposure does not exceed 5 mSv in the
                   first year and 1 mSv in subsequent years.
             (b) It is assumed that         the effect       of applying a limit will be to
                   ensure that the average c o n t a m i n a t i o n Level over any compLete year
                   1n produce consumed will         not e x c e e d   10£ of that   limit.   This
                  assumption is based on :
                  - the significant reduction 1n contamination levels 1n the first
                     year due to e n v i ronmental p r o c e s s e s and the radioactive decay of
                     shorter lived nuclides;
                  - the fact     that not     all produce         consumed will   be contaminated
                     even initially to the limit adopted.
                 Moreover,     the 1055 value is judged sufficiently conservative to
                  render u n necessary consid e r a t i o n of the additive effects of the
                 three foodstuffs c ategories and the three nuclide categories.
      Doc. No.V/2950/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- DEC.04 '86 15:09   CCE LUX «1167 DG5E 358-43014511
                                                    -   10  -
               (c) There are as yet no internationally recognized data relevant to
                   the effects of age on metabolic patterns.                  The experts have used
                   the best data available.
               (d) Exceptionally/    the nuclide concentration               levels associated with
                   "dairy  produce"    are       based,       as   regards    the  nuclide   category
                   containing radionuclides of caesium,                 not on the    lowest nuclide
                   value but on c a e s i u m - 1 3 4 . This is justified on the basis of the
                   foodstuffs contamination patterns liable to result from reactor
                   accidents.
              (e) Where the value corresponding to the most hazardous nuclide is
                   used its application to all other nuclides in the same category
                   will obviously result in a lower dose than that estimated.
     3.7      In summary,   the Article 31 experts' have endorsed the internationally
              recommended    dose  criteria.               Their    calculation    of  corresponding
              foodstuffs contamination levels contains a number of conservative
              features which they believe justify certain simplifying assumptions.
              While in the short term significant improvements in the data used as a
              basis for the calculation             cannot be expected,         in the longer    term
              revision may be appropriate;               to this extent the recommendations are
              provisional.
     4.      ADVICE OF THE AD HOC GROUP OF INDEPENDENT HIGH LEVEL SCIENTISTS
     4.1     As stated in Para. 1.9, the Commission without prejudice to Article 31
              of the Euratom Treaty decided to set up an ad hoc "Committee of High
              Level   Independent   Scientists"            to   assess    the   scientific   evidence
             arising from current research in view of recent nuclear incidents,                    to
              consider the possible implications for the Basic Safety Standards and
             emergency    reference    levels         and to advise the Commission on future
             actions in radiological protection.
     4.2     The Basic Standards set,            inter alia,       limits for the exposure of the
             p opulation which are applicable to such sources of exposure as nuclear
              installations in normal operation.                 Following an accident,     when the
             source    is out   of control,            a system of emergency        reference levels
    3Û9Û/3/S6 EN
 ---pagebreak--- DEC.04 '86 15:09 CCE LUX KI167 DG5E 352-43014511
                                                    - 11 -
                (ERLs) has been recommended by the Article 31 Group of Experts which,
                in order to translate these levels into quantities that can easily be
               used in practice, calculated corres p o n d i n g derived emergency reference
               levels for radioactive c o n t amination of foodstuffs.
     4.3       Concerning the Basic Standards, the Ad hoc Group recommended that they
               should continue to be consistent with the ICRP recommendations.                            At
              present, the Basic Standards reflect the 1976 and 1980 recommendations
              of ICRP setting the annual .limit of e x p osure for members of the public
              to 5 mSv. However, in 1984, ICRP o b s e r v e d that an annual dose of 5 mSv
              should only be p e rmissible for some years and the annual dose averaged
              over a lifetime should not e xceed 1 mSv.                   This has not yet been taken
              up in the Basic Standards.               However,         compliance with the present
              Standards and current operational practice in nuclear power stations
              in the Community result in a dose to m e m b e r s of the public that is far
             below 1 mSv.    The C o m mission's Radiation Protection Research Programme
             contributed to the p r e p a r a t i o n of the above recommendations.
    4.4      For emergency reference levels of dose,                   ICRP has published upper and
             lower levels of 50 mSv and 5 mSv respectively for the dose received in
             the first year from conta m i n a t e d foodst u f f s and the Article 31 Group
             of Experts have agreed these values (see Para.                        3.2). The Ad hoc Group
            endorsed this approach noting that the o b j e c t i v e in choosing emergency
             reference levels should be to              limit     the      dose        to the  most  highly
            exposed group of Individuals.
                                                                             %
   4.5      For derived emergency        reference       levels in foodstuffs,                 no specific
            guidance is available from              international         organi z a t i o n s and various
            approaches can be envisaged.
   4.6     The Article 31 G r o u p a p plied a d o s l m e t r i c / m e t a b o l i c methodology.    The
           Ad hoc Group considered this approach                   reasonable but e mphasized the
           need to compare the results with those to be o b t a i n e d by other more
           comprehensive approaches, p a r t i c u l a r l y d y namic radioecological models,
           as these enable the evolution of f o o d s t u f f s c o n tamination to be taken
           into account.      The different types of approach are under development
           in the European Community research programme.
  3090/3/h" en
 ---pagebreak--- DEC.G4 '86 15:10   CCE LUX KI1S7 DG5IE 352-43014511
                                                  -  12
      4.7      The calculations of the Article 31 Group of Experts are based upon a
               number of assumptions on the extent of food contamination.                  Ih order
               to confirm    the validity      of these      assumptions,    the    Ad hoc    Group
               recommended detailed examination of particular situations,                 including
               food habits,     which might point to the existence of local problems.
              Should such exist,      it may be necessary to Introduce derived emergency
              reference     levels    1n   terms of        annual    intakes    of    particular
              radionuclides as well as activity             concentration s in     foodstuffs for
              controls in the locality concerned.
     4.8      The Ad hoc Group also considered at what point in time the foodstuffs
              contamination limits subsequent to an accident could be discontinued.
              It concluded that       this could occur when         the projected dose        after
              discontinuation     of the Community         regulations   to   the    most    highly
              exposed group of individuals,            has fallen substantially to something
              less than half of the lower emergency reference level,
     5,      THE SITUATION OUTMITH THE COMMUNITY
     5*1                                   w h e r e values have been adopted in              third
             countries,      they   were  in most cases lower than those in Council
                                   1
             Regulation 1707/36 , particularly in countries not directly affected.
             Only in a few cases were higher values applied and these are believed
             to have coincided with a more complete               assessment of the possible
             implications.      In several instances the Community values,             which were
             themselves influenced by limits previously adopted in third countries,
             subsequently     influenced   in their       turn  the values    applied     in other
             countries.
    6.      THE COMMISSIONS PROPOSALS
    6.1        The  Commission's     proposals      have   been   prepared   to    complement    the
            present Euratom Basic Safety Standards as requested by Council. The
            Commission is, therefore, consulting the Economic and Social Committee
            in accordance with the p rocedures set out in A r t icle 31 of the Euratom
      O.J, L 146/88 of 31.5.86
   3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak---                                               - 13 -
             Treaty.      The draft Council Regulation presented in Annex I to the
             present Communication is therefore provisional, pending completion of
             the consultation procedure.
   6.2      Article 1 of the draft regulation as a t t ached provides for application
             of the terms of the regulation to drinking water and to any
             agricultural product,       which may be p laced on the market or exported
             following    a   nuclear    accident   or   other   event   leading       to   their
            significant contamination.
    6.3      The Commission endorses the view of the Article 31 Group of Experts
            that    it   would   be    inappropriate    to   fix   rigid   limits        on  such
            contamination irrespective of the actual situation resulting from the
            accident or event 1n question.         ArtlcLes 2, 3 and 4 therefore provide
           a decision making mechanism whereby limits specific to that situation
           may be      set by Commission regulation after consultation with the
           Article     31 Group of Experts on radiological health aspects and
           subsequent      request    for   approval   by   the   Standing   Committee         for
           Foodstuffs already establ i s h e d by Council Decision 6 9 / 1 1 4 / E E C 1 . Should
           the opinion of that Committee differ from the Commission's proposals
           then the Council may Intervene under the standard procedures envisaged
           for Management Committees . This m e c h a n i s m may be set in motion by the
           Commission acting on Its own initiative or at the request of a Member
           State.
   6.4     Any such regulation may be revised under the terms of Article 5 in
          accordance with the same procedures.              In all cases its validity in
          time shall be limited and it shall take account of the Euratom Basic
          Safety Standards as laid down in E u r a t o m          Directives    8 0/8363      and
                  A
          84/467 or any amending legislation thereto.
    O.J. L 291 of 19.11.69
 2 O.J. C 70/6 of 25.3.86
3 O.J. L 246 of 17,9.80
4 O.J. L 265 of 5.10.84
3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- DEC.04 'B6 15:12    CCE LUX Kl167 DG5E 352-43014511
                                                   - 14 -
         • ·
       6.5    This mechanism will inevitably involve some delay,                               however minimal,
               before any Commission regulation can be adopted. For this reason,
               Article 2(1)<a) allows for the immediate adoption of a Commission
               regulation incorporating the p r e d e t e r m i n e d maximum permitted                          levels
               set out in Annex I to the draft for a limited period,                                      pending any
               specific limits imposed in accordance with the aforesaid procedures.
               The choice of predetermined Levels is discussed further below;
              however, it can be noted that the levels distinguish between major
              foodstuffs and minor foodstuffs, as d e fined in Annex II to the draft,
               in accordance with the advice of                   the Article 31 Group of Experts.
              Article 6 provides for revision of the values set out in Annex I.
     6.6      Article 7 covers compliance by Member States with any                                        Commission
              regulation adopted pursuant to the above provisions Insofar as this is
              not already provided for by Article 38 of the Euratom Treaty.                                    Article
              8 deals with the application of the Council regulation,                                        including
              revisions to Annex II.
     6.7      In selecting     the levels      to      be      set     out       in Annex      I to the draft
              regulation,     the    Commission will               take        the following          factors      Into
              account :
              ~ the derived reference levels for agricultural products contamination
                  proposed by the A r ticle 31 Group of Experts;
              - the need to set limits appropriate to as wide a range of potential
                 accidents as possible;
             - the need to bear in mind the wide range of dietary patterns within
                 the Community;
             - the fact     that,    as d e m o n s t r a t e d    f o l l o w i n g the C h e r n o b y l accident,
                 public concern about the dangers from                         radiation exposure             and the
                 consequent willingness to incur costs to minimize that danger have
                 resulted   in greater weight being                   attached to        this aspect of the
                principle that      all exposure            be m a i n t a i n e d at    a    level        as   low as
                 reasonably achievable.
   3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak---               - the need to err on the side of caution taking into account present
                limitations to scientific knowledge.
   6.8       The proposed draft Council regulation is wholely innovative; so far as
             is known there is no equivalent national scheme set out in law and
             there is certainly no such international scheme even although the
            principle     of    laying    down        i n tervention       levels   specific      to     the
            circumstances       resulting       from a p articular accident                   is widely
             recognized.     It has already been seen that the Community was itself
            influenced by limits e s t a b l i s h e d in other countries when Council
            Regulation    1707/86 was       adopted;           subsequently     the Community       limits
            influenced further countries in turn but the effect could have been
            greater if the Community levels had been determined in advance and
            could thus have gained wider i n t e r n a t i o n a l recognition.
  6.9      Since     Chernobyl     the    whole         question      of     radiological     foodstuffs
           standards     has   been on     the w o r l d       stage.     Such matters will be the
           subject of discus s i o n in the f o r t h c o m i n g months in other international
           fora such as WHO,         IAEA,     U N S C E A R and OECD/NEA.        In view of the wide
           constitutional      competence       and the          long-standing experience          of    the
           Commission in radiological p r o t e c t i o n matters,             it is in a p o s ition to
           chart    a   course    at    intern a t i o n a l     level.     In   adopting     the     draft
           regulation the Community w o u L d be able to offer it as a model to the
          other international organiz a t i o n s .
  5.10    The    Commission .is conscious of the fact that the regulation of
                           agricultural
          contaminated^products           only a d d r e s s e s an aspect of the problems that
          M e mber States may be faced with after a n u c l e a r accident. The present
          Directive     80/836/EURATOM       p l aces        the   responsibility      on    the   Member
          States for fixing i n t e r v e n t i o n levels for a range of actions to meet
          different situations.          Such a c t i o n s might include recommendations for
         sheltering, closure of schools, animal h u s b a n d r y and ad m i n i s t r a t i o n of
         iodine     tablets.     The   Commission           in 1982     issued guidelines        for the
         implementatio n of such m e a s u r e s and will be reviewing these in the
         light of the e x p e r i e n c e g a i n e d in t h e a f t e rmath of Chernobyl.             This
         proposal     should    be seen      as     constituting         one   element    of   emergency
         provisions w i t h i n the c o ntext of u n i f o r m safety standards.
3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- DEC.04 '86 15:18              CCE LUX Kl167 DG5E 352-43014511
        COMMISSION
             OF THE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
         Directorate-General
Employment, Scolpi Affairs and Education
                                                                           ANNEX I
                                                t
                                                          PROPOSAL
                                                         FOR A
                                     COUNCIL REGULATION (EURATOM)
                               LAYING DOWN MAXIMUM PERMITTED RADIOACTIVITY LEVELS
                                     FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND DRINKING WATER
 ---pagebreak--- t* .Ü4     bo iz?: ib     CLL LUX Kil' .;' Ubbt
                                                                  - 2 -
             THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
             Having regard to the             Treaty e s t a b l i s h i n g         the European Atomic                  Energy
             Community, and 1n particular Article 31 thereof,
            Having regard to the proposal                         from the         Commission,              drawn up after
            obtaining the opinion of a group of experts appointed by the Scientific
            and Technical Committee,
            Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,
      f_ Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,                                                 7
            Whereas Article 2(b) of the E u ratom Treaty requires that the Community
           shall establish         uniform          safety         standards         to protect              the     health   of
           workers and of the general public and ensure that they are applied,                                                as
           further set out in T i t l e T w o , c h apter III of the Treaty;
                                                                                                                        A
           Whereas,        on  2  February         1959,         the     Council adopted              D irectives.,
           laying       down basic    safety        s t a n d a r d s , t h e t e x t o f . w h i c h was r e p l a c e d by t h a t
          o f Counci l Directive     80/836/Euratom^,          as amended by Directive           84/467/Euratom"^,      and
          whereas Article 45 of           that       Directive requires Member States to stipulate
          intervention        levels   in the ev e n t o f             accidents;
          Whereas,        following the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power-station
         on 26 April 1986,           considerable quanti t i e s of radioactive materials were
         released         into   the    atmosphere,               contaminating         a g r i c u l t u r a l , p rod ucts in
          s e v e r a l European c o u n t r i e s              to levels signlficarit from the health
         point of view;
         Whereas          the Community adopted provisional measures,                                  and in particular
         Council         Regulation      (EEC)          No.       1707/86 ,           to     ensure          that      certain
         agricultural products are only introduced into the Community according
       10J No 11, 20.2.1959, p . 221/59
       2. ,
        OJ No. L246/1, 17.9.80
       30J No. L265/4, 5.10.84
      4
        0J No. L146/88, 31.5.86
    3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- ob io:c'D "CtE”LUX Kl 157' DG5E 352-43014511
                                        - 3 -
    to common arrangements which safeguard the health of the population
    while maintaining the unified nature of the market and preventing
    deflections of trade;
   Whereas    the need arises to set up a more permanent system allowing the
   Community,, in cases of nuclear accidents or other events leading to a
   significant radioactive contamination of agricultural products or
   drinking water,       to fix maximum permitted levels               of      radioactive
   contamination in order to protect the population;
   Whereas,    on  the basis    of current    data available        in the          field   of
   radiation protection, derived reference levels can be established and
   serve as a basis for the fixing of m a x i m u m permitted radioactivity
   levels which can be applied immediately in the case of such an accident
   or other event resulting 1n significant radioactive contamination of
   agricultural products or drinking water;
   Whereas the Commission will be informed of a nuclear accident                        or of
   unusually high levels of radioactivity a c c o r d i n g to the Council Decision
  on a Community system of rapid exchange of Information and whenever the
   action levels laid down in this Decision are reached in food,                     drinking
   water, air or surface waters, will take the n e c e ssary steps as e n v i saged
   in Article 2 (l) (a) o f this Regulation;
  Whereas,    however,    it is necessary in such            situations to take due
  account of the particular conditions applying               and,      therefore,          to
  establish a procedure allowing the rapid a d a p t a t i o n of m a x i m u m permitted
  levels appropriate to the circumstances of any particular nuclear
  accident or other event leading to a significant c o n tamination of agricultural
  products or drinking water;
  Whereas     the adoption of     a Regulation f ixing m a x i m u m p e r m i t t e d levels
  would also preserve the unity of the Common Market,             prevent d e f l e c t i o n s
  of trade within the Community       and preclude any national p r o h i b i t i o n s or
  restrictions within the meaning of Article 3 6 of the EEC Treaty;
 3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak---                                           ·"4 “
     Whereas,    in order to   facilitate      the       adoption of maximum permitted
     levels,  procedures should be provided for allowing on the one hand the
    consultation of the Group of Experts referred to in Article 31 of the
    Euratom Treaty and establishing, on the other hand, close cooperation
    between Member States and the Commis s i o n w i thin a management committee*
    Whereas     it  is desirable  that      this     management       committee should be
    available in cases of urgency and whereas the Standing Committee for
    Fooustuffs set up by Council Decision 69/414/EEC^                          would be the
    appropriate body;
    Whereas compliance with the m a x i m u m p e r m i t t e d levels will have to be the
    subject of appropriate checks;
   Whereas to ensure compliance       with             regulations the Commission may
   issue a Directive under Article 38 of the Treaty;
   Whereas,    in order to supplement,       clarify or adjust,           as necessary, the
   measures provided for by this Regulation,                a simplified procedure should
   be established/·
   HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
 50J No. L 291       19.11.69, p.9
3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- DEL.kM 'bb 15:il   CLE LUX Kl167 DG5E 352-43014511
                                           - 5 -
  ARTICLE 1
  (1) This Regulation lays down the procedure for d etermining the maximum
      permitted Levels of radioactive contamination of drinking water and of
      agricultural products                which           may               be p laced on
      the market or exported following a nuclear accident or any other event
      which has led to significant contamination of agricultural products or
      drinking water.
  (2) Agricultural products              are products fit for human or animal consumption
       either immediately or after processing.
  ARTICLE 2
  C1) In the case of        a nuclear     accident    or any other event within the
      meaning of Article 1,       the Commission/ at the request of a Member State or
      on its own initiative
      (a)   shall  immediately     adopt   a   Regulation     rendering   applicable   the
           maximum permitted levels laid down in Annex I, and/or
      (b) shaLl,     if    the   circumstances     so   require/     adopt   aRegulation
           adapting the maximum permitted levels d e f ined in Annex I to              the
           particular circumstances of the case in accordance with Articles 3
           and 4.
  (2)  In adopting    the    Regulation     referred    to    in   paragraph      1(b) the
      Commission    shall take    into account the basic         standards Laid down in
      accordance    with Articles 30       and 31    of the      Euratom Treaty and     in
      particular    shall apply    the principle that all exposures shall be kept
      as low as     reasonably achievable, taking economic and social              factors
      into account.
 3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak---    ARTICLE 3
   (1) The Regulation referred to in                 Article 2 (1)(b) shall be drawn up by
         the Commission after it has o b t ained the opinion of the Group of
         Experts referred to in Article 31 of the Euratom Treaty (herein­
         after called "the Group of Experts").
   (2) Woen seeking the opinion of the Group of Experts,                    the Commission may
        set a time limit within which such o p inion shall be given.                     No vote
        shall be taken. However, any m ember of the Group of Experts may demand
        that his or her views be set down in the minutes.
  ARTICLE 4
  (1) The Commission shall submit to the Standing Committee
        for           Foodstuffs               (hereinafter called           "the
       Committee,")     a draft of the           Regulation referred to        in    Article 2
        (1)(b)»
 (2) The Committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time
       limit which tt\e chairman may lay down accor d i n g to the urgency of the
       matter.      The o p i n i o n shall be deliv e r e d by the major i t y laid down in
       Article     118(2)      of      the   Euratom     Treaty.         The   votes    of   the
       representatives of           the Member     States w i t h i n the Committee shall be
       weighted in the m anner set out in that Article.                    The chairman shall
       not vote.
 (3) The     Commission       shall       adopt    the   Regulation      which    shall    apply
      immediately,      However, if the Regulation is not in accordance with the
      opinion of the Committee,              it shall forthwith be c o mmunicated by the
      Commission to the Council.                In that event the Commission may defer
      application of the Regulation which it has d e c i d e d upon for not more
      than 15 days from the date of such communication .
      The Council, a cting by a q u a l i f i e d m a j o rity,         may take a different
      decision within one month.
3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- DEL..U4 '86 15:22.   CCE LUX  Kl 167 DG5E 352-42014511
        ARTICLE 5
        Any Regulation as referred to in Article 2 shall be limited in time.                 it may
        be revised at the request of a Member State or on the initiative of the
        Commission in accordance with the p r o c edure laid down in Articles 3 and 4.
        ARTICLE 6
        (1) At the request of a Member              State or the     Commission,     the maximum
             permitted levels laid down in Annex I may be revised or supplemented,
             in accordance with       the   p r o c edure   laid down   in Article 31 of the
             Euratom Treaty.
       (2) In order to       ensure that the m a x i m u m permitted       levels laid down in
             Annex I take account of any new scientific data becoming available,
             the Commission shall, from time to time, seek the o p inion of the Group
            of Experts ■
       ARTICLE 7
                                                               I
       (1) Member     States    shall    ensure        that   agricultural    products    not     in
            compliance    with    the   maximum       permitted    levels   laid   down   in    any
            Regulation adopted in accordance with Article 2 shall not be p l a c e d on
            the market or exported.        For the purposes of applying this R egulation
           agricultural      products     imported        from   third    countries    shall     be
           considered to be placed on the market when they are introduced into
           the customs territory of the Community, other than under a customs
           transit procedure.
      (2) Each Member State shall provide the Commission with all information
           concerning the application of this. Regulation,              in particular cases of
           non-complianc e with the m a x imum permitted levels.                 The Commission
           shall communicate such,information to the other-Member States.
     3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- DEC.04 '86 15:23   CCE LUX KI167 DG5E 352-43014511
                                             - 8 -
       ARTICLE 8
                                      (
       The arrangements for applying this Regulation and any amendments to be
       made to the list of minor foodstuffs contained in Annex II '
      shall         be - . adopted in accordance with the procedure provided for
       in Article 4.
      ARTICLE 9
      This   Regulation   shall  enter  into   force on   ...     day  following its
      publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
     This Regulation shall be binding in its e n t i r e t y and directly applicable
     in all Member States.
    3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- •U4 '86 18:26.. CCE LUX KI167 DG5E 352-43014511
                                         - 9 -
                                                                        ANNEX I
                 MAXIMUM PERMITTED LEVELS FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
                              (Bq/kg or Bg/L consumption)
   Dairy           Drinking Water and     Other Foodstuffs   Agricultural Products
           1                          2
   produr?         Liquid foodstuffs      except minor       fit only for
                                           foodstuffs’^       animal nutrition
     Dairy produce is defined as milk falling w ithin headings No. 04.01 and
    No. 04.02 of Common Customs Tariff and those foodstuffs intended for the
    special feeding of infants during the first four to six months of life,
    which meet, in themselves, the nutritional requirements of this category
    of person and are put up for retail sale in packages which are clearly
    identified and labelled "food preparation for infants".
    Liquid foodstuffs as defined by Chapter 22 of the Common Customs Tariff
    Minor foodstuffs are those foodstuffs listed in Annex II. For these a
     level of c o n t amination ten tiroes that q uoted 1n this column may be
    allowed.
  3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- DEC.04 '86 15:£4   CCE LUX Kl167 DG5E 352-43014511
                                             - 10 -
                                                                                      ANNEX II
                                       MINOR FOODSTUFFS
        Common Customs                          Description
           Tariff
         Heading No.
       07.01                        Vegetables, fresh or chilled:
                                    0. Capers
       07.03                      V egetables p r o v i s i o n a l l y preserved in brine, in
                                  sulphur water or in other preservative solutions
                                  but    not   specially prepared                for  immediate
                                  consumption:
                                  B. Capers
      Ch. 09                      Coffee, tea, mate and spices
   3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak---                                        Appendix  I
Limit values to be fixed in conjunction with the Article
31 Regulation
A close examination of the methodology used by the
Article 31 Group of Experts as endorsed by the Ad hoc
Group of Independent High Level Scientists suggests the
following conclusions :
- the category "other major foodstuffs" includes meat,
  cereals, vetables and fruit. Commission services have
  recalculated the figures put forward by the Article 31
  Group taking into account the fact that the combination
  of these three groups of foodstuffs, which form the
  major part of the diet, implies a higher rate of total
  consumption and, therefore, an increased total intake
  of radioactive contamination, relative to that from any
  one of the componenet groups considered independently.
  The members of the Article 31 Working Group have
  confirmed the validity of these changes.
- dairy produce is considered separately due, in part, to
  the importance of any contamination with isotopes of
  iodine in the immediate aftermath of any accident. As
  concerns contamination with all other nuclides, notably
  caesium, the level for dairy produce is higher than for
  "all other foodstuffs" reflecting the relative
  contribution to the diet, as referred to in the
  previous paragraph and because its contamination value
  has been set independently of the others.
- prudence suggests that the levels to be fixed in
  Annex I of the Article 31 regulation  should be no
  higher than those recommended by the  Article 31 Group
  as corresponding to an exposure of 1 mSv;
- the matter of animal feedingstuffs is receiving further
  consideration prior to the inclusion of type specific
  values.
With the exception of animal feedingstuffs, the
scientific evidence currently available suggests the
levels set out in the attached table. These will be
subject to amendment as further analyses become available
and text for the proposed regulation will provide an
ongoing mechanism for this.
 ---pagebreak---      MAXIMUM PERMITTED. LEVELS FQR^'OODSTUFFS CBq/kg or Bg/l consuiaption)
                                            Dairy,^           D r i n k i n g Water ancj Other
                                        p r oduce             Liquid f o o d s t u f f s foodstuff*
                                                                                         except minor
                                                                                         foodstuffs'3
 Isotopes of iodine
 and strontium,                                500                           400               1000
 notably 1-131, Sr-90
 Alpha emitting .
 isotope* of plutonium
 and traniolutonium                             20                             10                  30
 elements, notably
 Pu-239, Am-241
 ALL other nuclides of
 half-life greater than                      4000                             700              2000
 10 days, notably
 Cs-134, Cs-13?
  Dairy produce is d e f i n e d a s milk f a l l i n g w i t h i n h e a ding* No. 04.01 and
  No. 04.02 of C ommon C u stoms Tariff and those foodst u f f * intended for the
  special feeding of infants d u r i n g the first four to six m onths of life,
  which meet, in themselves, the n u t r i t i o n a l r e q u i r e m e n t s of this category
  of person and are put up for retail sale in p a c k a g e s which ere clearly
  identified and labelled "food p r e p a r a t i o n for infants".
  L iquid foodstuffs as d e f i n e d by C h a p t e r 22 of the C o m m o n C u stoms Tariff
  Minor f o o d s t u f f s are t h o s e f o o d s t u f f s listed in Annex II to the draft regulatie·
   F o r these a level of c o n t a m i n a t i o n ten times that q uoted in this column may be
   allowed.
  W i t h i n each g r o u p of n u c l i d e s the v a l u e s r e l a t e to the total a c t i v i t y of
  all the n u c l i d e s in the group.
  All m a x i m u m p e r m i t t e d levels are i n d e p e n d e n t of each other.
3090/2/86 EN
 ---pagebreak---                 5:14        c':e  LUI' i:ll67 DG5E 352-4
                                                                                                                  *
                                                                                                Appendix II
                        MAXIMUM PERMITTED RADIOACTIVITY LEVELS IN FOODSTUFFS,
                               APPLIED OUTSIDE THE EC,          FOLLOWING AN ACCIDENT
              3090/3/86 EN
-.1 It..:' 'v'd-fii:;, h.,iei«i Ju Kiiihtieig, L4920 LC-XEMBUUUC I'e'.epl'one: 4301 5 Telex. COM EUR LU 3433/3446
 ---pagebreak--- Dl 'I.U4      1?:15    CCE LU;·: Kl 167 D65E 353-43014511
                                                                                                       4
                                               -  1 -
       1. GENERAL REFERENCE LEVELS
           1.1 International Levels
                Prior to the Chernobyl accident there were no known international
                levels for radioactive c o n t a m i n a t i o n of foodstuffs.
                The International Commission on Radiotogical Protection (I.C.R.P.)
                in  its 1984   P ublication     No AC gave guidance on dose reference levels.
                For  control   of foodstuffs it proposes for the first year a lower
               dose level o f S mSv and an upper level of 50 mSv irrespective of
               exposure by other pathways; below the lower level the introduction
               of countermeasures would not be warranted; above the upper level
               this introduction is almost certain. I.C.R.P. did not attempt to
               translate these into food c o n t a m i n a t i o n levels.
               It is only since Chernobyl that the following international
               organisations          WHO
                                      IAEA
                                      UNSCEAR
                                      NEA/OECD
               all declared their intention to d e v e l o p g u i d a n c e in this field.
          1.2 National levels
               Equally at national level there were no known regulations laying down
               either reference levels or limits for                foodstuffs c o n tamination except
               in the USA. (In at least one E.C, case (the ÜK) d e rived reference
               levels had been p u b l i s h e d but these had no s t a t u t a r y force.)
               In the U.S.A. the Food and Drug A d m i n i s t r a t i o n (FDA) had issued
              protective action g u i d e l i n e s in the Federal Register of 22/10/82.
              The basis was that p r o t e c t i v e a c t i o n s hould be taken w h e n e v e r the
              projected dose to the t h yroid reached 15 m S v or that to the whole
              body, bone m arrow or any critical organ 5 mSv.
              5090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- Ob  15:15   CCE LLt: 1,1167 DG5E 352-43014511
                                        -   2 -
LEVELS APPLIED AFTER THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT (all values in Bq/kg or Bq/1)
2 .1 International levels
        WHO
     The level of 2000 Bq/1 for lodine-131 in milk as previously derived by
     the UK NRPB was adopted as a recommended limit.
2.2 National Levels
2.2.1 EFTA COUNTRIES
       a)    AUSTRIA
           before 30/5/86
                     Cs-137      in milk                               74
                                in fruit + vegetables                 111
                                in babyfood                            11
           after 31/5/86
                     Cs-134 i- Cs-137 in cheese                       370
           after 3/6/86
                     Cs-134      + Ca-137       in pork and poultry   185
                                              in other meat (+ game)  555
           after 6/6/86
                     Cs-134      4 cs-137       in cheese and honey   592
                                              in white cheese         185
           after 18/9/86
                     C s -1 3 4  + C s -1 3 7   in nuts               592
        b) FINLAND
             before 30/5/86         1-131 in inilk                   2000
             after 30/5/86          Cs-137 in food                   1000
         c) NORWAY
             before 18/6/86        1-131                             1000
                                    Cs-134 +Cs-137                     300
             after     18/6/86 E.C.-levels
         d) SWEDEN
             since 16/5/1986 1-131                                   2000
                                    Cs-137                             300
        3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak--- DEC. CM ’bS 15:16     CCE LU.X KI167 DG5E 352-43014511
                e)   SW ITZERLAND
                     since 8/9/1966         E.C. levels
        2.2.2 OTHER COUNTRIES
              a) AUSTRALIA
                   Regulation of 2/7/86         Cs-134 + Cs-137 in imported food: 100
                    (If higher, the food is examined by the commonwealth Department
                   of Health prior to permission for import.)
              b) BRAZIL
                   Milk                                                370
              c) CANADA, 28/7/B6
                   1-131     in milk + drinking water                    10
                             in manufactured dairy products              40
                             in all other foods                          70
                   Cs-134    in milk + drinking water                    50
                             in manufactured dairy products            100
                             in all other foods                        300
                   Cs-137    idem as for Cs-134
             d) ISRAEL, 29/6/86
                  products imported from Western Europe
                  Cs-134 +    C s -1 3 7 : babyfood                  > 370
                                           other food                  600
                                                 Eastern Europe
                  all food        :        beta-gamma                  250
                                           alpha                         25
             e) KUWAIT, Regulation of 8/7/86, valid to 3lst Oct. 1986
                 Cs-137 equivalent           : water                      3.7
                                               milk                     18.5
                                               meat              i
                                               fruit + vegetable 5
                                                                   )    93
                                               grain products    j
                                               fodder                  279
                  "Equivalent" allows for all other gamma emitters and for
                 stronciun-90 to be taken into account on an equivalent dose basi’
              ■•non/t/Rr cjij
 ---pagebreak--- [01.04 '86 15:17 CCE LU;' 01167 DG5E 302-40014711
                                         - 4 -
               f) MALAYSIA
                                                   Cs-134       Cs-137  Cs-134 +
                     Food Category
                                                                        Cs-137
                  Milk, milk products and
                     mineral water                  120           60      180
                  Fruit and vegetables              216          100      324
                  Meat, meat products and
                     seafoods                       360          180      540
                  Cereals incl. flour               168           04      252
              q) PHILIPPINES
                  Limits imposed on Cs-137 alone*subsequently extended to Cs-134
                  and C s -137 combined·
                  Powdered whole orskimmed milk          22.2
                  Processed liquid milk                  14.8
                  Cheese                                 33.3
                  Wheat, barley                            5.6
                  Rice                                     7,5
                  Seafood                                27.8
                  Meat except lamb                         6
                  Lamb                                  450
                  Apples                                     It5
              From 1st October
              Milk . liquid                              15
                    . butter andcurds                    33
                    . powders, cream, infant formulae     22
              Preserved fruits including
              purées, jam6, raisins etc.                 8
              Vegetable products including
              purées, flakes, powders,
              starch and hydrolysates                    22
              Meat products including
              pastes, corned beef, ham,
              pork and sausages                            6
          * Separate limits were imposed on strontium-90
          3090/3/36 EN
 ---pagebreak--- ECl .04 '8b 15:17 CCE LUX KlibT DGSE 352-43014511
                                         - 5 -
                 h) SINGAPORE
                    "Zero" contamination limit on all foodstuffs. In effect this is
                    interpreted as meaning below the limit of detection which is cf
                    the order of 10 Bq/kg and may depend on the foodstuff concerned;
                    in practice a consignment as low os 7 Bq/kg has been rejected.
                 i) USA
                    Pood and Drug .Administration, May 1986
                    Monitoring levels for import of foodstuffs
                    1-131          in infant foods     55.5
                                   in other foods    296
                    Cs-134 + Cs-137    in all food   370
                    Dept, of  A griculture
                    <Food and Safety Inspection Service), June 1986
                    Cs-134 + Cs-137 in meat and poultry      2800
                    Since 1st November 1986                   370
                  3090/3/86 EN
 ---pagebreak---                                      Appendix III
COMMISSION O F THE EU R O PE AN COMMUNITIES
                                              M®
 ---pagebreak---             COMMISSION
                    OF THE                                                     ..Brussels.          . . 4..Sepfceraber.T98&·
 EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
        DIRECTORATE'OeNERAL
  FOR EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL AFFAIRS
             AND EDUCATION
                      V/E.
                                           DERIVED REFERENCE L EVELS AS A BASIS FOR
                               THE C O N T R O L O F FOODSTUFFS F O L L O W I N G A N U C L E A R A C C I D E N T
                                         A R E C OMMENDATIO N PROM THE GROUP OF EXPERTS
                                       SET UP u n d e T I r t T clT ^ i o f t h e e u r a t o m TREATY <*)
                     Basic policy
                               The radioLogical control of foodstuffs following an accidental reLease
                     radioactive material to the environment poses two very different sets of
                     problems. The first, and most urgent, concerns the use of food produced, an
                     s o m e t i m e s consumed, in the area near t h e a c c i d e n t . Decisions are needed wit
                     a d a y o r two of t h e r e l e a s e so t h a t the affected a r e ® can b e d e fined and
                     a l t e r n a t i v e food supplies provided. T h e second set of problems r e l a t e s to t
                     long-term w i d e s p r e a d d i s t r i b u t i o n of food from the local area and also from
                     U r g e r , more widely d i s p e r s e d areas where immediate control is not necessary
                     but where measu r a b l e conta m i n a t i o n exists. In the context of the Community,
                     the emphasis is on this second set of problems and on the movement of food
                     b e tween M ember States and between the C o m m unity and other countries.
                                                                                                  i
                               On the conve n t i o n a l and prudent assumption that any radiation dose to m
                     causes some increase in the risk of long-term consequences, the consumption .
                     food conta m i n a t e d at any level implies some risk.                       There is thus no way in
                     which decisions about the control of food can be taken solely on c o n s i d e r a t e
                     of risks to health. Although any d e c i s i o n by the competent authorities must
                     b a s e d on a balance b e tween the m a g n i t u d e of these risks and the costs in mor
                     resources, and social d isruption of any protec t i v e action, it is fundamental
                     to m a i ntain public confidence in the overall system of radiological protect!
                     under which the public is legitimately e x posed to radiation as a result of
                     the widesp r e a d beneficial uses of radiation and radioactive materials.
                     <*) a d o p t e d b y a m a j o r i t y of experts - Mr. Kayser (L), Mr. Felder (l )
                             and Mrs. Campos Venuti <I) dissenting.
PnvteløMl tamme:                                Telephone:                      Telex:                           Telegrtphie »meet:
Rue Pb IS tel 200                               Telepnorvo exchange: 235 1 111  COMSU 8 Z1877                    COM EUR Brussel!
B-1049 3 r u u t :*                             DifSCI Une Î35
 ---pagebreak---                                 - 2 -
       This confidence can be strengthened if the reaction to an accident is seer  1
       be appropriate.
       Reference levels (RL)
            It is not appropriate to set firm Limits in dealing with emergency
      situations because an emergency is rarely, if ever, susceptible to rigid
       limitation. It is, however, very useful to establish reference levels which
      are based upon and respect the principles of the Sasic Safety ;tandards and
      below which action is likely to be inappropriate and above which that
  '   intervention ought to be taken, or at least seriously considered. The
      reference level must be related to the severity and complexity at the
       intervention action - simple actions, with few social consequences, are
      appropriate at low levels of radiation exposure; complex actions require
      high levels of exposure before they can be justified, in this report, the
      Group of Experts has considered those actions needed to control the
      distribution and importation of foodstuffs in the Community. This type of
      action is complex and has considerable social and economic implications and
      needs a significant Level of exposure for justification. Simple action
       locally may well be appropriate at Lower levels of exposure.
            Several international organisations, including IAEA, WHO and XCRP, are
      re-considering the problem of recommending RLs of dose for deciding on
      action related to the distribution of food. It will be some time, probably
      several years, before the complex problems can be resolved.
            In principle, the selected RLs should relate to the lifetime dose
      likely to be accumulated from the continued consumption of food. The
      relationship between this lifetime dose and the continuing concentration in
      food is extremely complex and is the main reason why no early advice based
      on total accumated dose is likely to be forthcoming.
            Meanwhile, it is possible to establish interim values of reference
      levels of dose on the basis of the doses received in single years. It is
      on this basis that the present advice has been prepared by the Group of
|     Experts.
f   .
            The Group of Experts has concluded that the probability of an accident
      affecting large areas of the Community is low enough to allow each accident
      to be considered on its own.   The reference levels can thus be the same
 ---pagebreak---                                          -3-
  for all accidents. On that basis,, the Group of Experts recommends the
  adoption of two reference levels of dose as indicated in Reference 1 - a
   lower RL below which action is extremely unlikely to be justified on
  radiological protection grounds and an upper RL at which action is almost
  certain to have been attempted on radiological protection grounds« Between
  the two levels there is scope for judgement.
            For the first year after an accident, the Group of Experts recommends
  a lower RL for the committed effective dose equivalent to the age of
  70 years resulting from the consumption of foodstuffs of 5 mSv. The upper
 RL should be 50 mSv. For the special case of iodine isotopes which deliver
 almost all their dose to the thyroid, an additional lower RL of 50 mSv to
 the thyroid is recommended, with a corresponding upper RL of 500 mSv
  (Reference 2). In all cases, the figures relate to the committed dose
 resulting from intake of food over the year in question.                        For subsequent
 years, the levels of contamination will be lower and there will have been
 time to organise e f f e ctive and economic means of control should these still
 be necessary. The Group recommends a reduction in the two RLs for effective
 dose equivalent for subsequent years by a factor of 5. Because the relevant
 iodine isotopes all have short half-lives, no RLs for the thyroid are needed
 in these Later years.
 Derived Reference Levels (DRL>
          The practical control of foodstuffs m ust"depend on the measurement or
predic t i o n of the concentration of radioactive materials in the food; it
cannot be achieved by direct estima t i o n of the dose to the consumers. It is
therefore n e c e s s a r y to derive practical values of concentration from the
RLs of dose.              The values used in the v i c i n i t y of an accident for controlling
the s i t u ation in the first few weeks after an accident have been called
D e r i v e d E m e r g e n c y Reference Levels C D E R L ) . For the long-term control of the
trade in foodstuffs the term D e rived Reference Level (DRL> has been used
in this report. It Is not a limit and certainly not a "tolerance limit" or
a "tolerance level", nor should it be directly                    u s e d in regulations. It is
a guide for administrative action .for the competent authorities in the
process of optimisation.
 ---pagebreak---                                      -4-
         The estimation of DRLs in foodstuffs poses substantial problems
because the different routes by which different nuclides reach the food,
combined with the different distribution systems for different foodstuffs
and the differences in diet with age and location, lead to very complex
links between the activity in a single foodstuff and the total dose to an
individual resulting from the consumption of food. In principle, each
foodstuff should have a different DRL for each nuclide and a calculation
should be carried out on each occasion and for each location, depending on
the activity level in all the relevant foodstuffs for all the relevant
nuclides. This may well be possible in the immediate area of an accident
where the situation can be closely defined, but it is not feasible as a
basis for Community action.
          The Group of Experts has therefore establ i s h e d interim proposals for
the major components of diet for three classes of radionuclides. The
values are shown in Table 1. They have been e s t a b l i s h e d on the basis of
typical patterns of diet in the Community. The c o n tamination of foodstuffs
after an accident will vary with time and with location. It will be
impossible for an individual to consume food all of which is contaminated
at the DRL for a whole year. The Group judged that it would be sufficiently
 conservative to assume that an individual's intake would be equivalent to th.·
 consumption of 10% of the relevant d i e tary component, u n i f o r m l y contaminated
 to the full value of the DRL, for the whole of one year. This factor was
 i n c luded in the computations and provides the conservatism needed to make it
 unnece s s a r y to consider the separate foodstuffs jointly. They can be treated
 independently.
                                               #
           The tabulated values have thus been e s tablished on the basis that each
 food group and each group of nuclides can be t r eated quite separa t e l y from
 all the others - no allowance need be made for the e x i s tence of several
 contaminated foodstuffs or of nuclides in more than one group.
 M o n i t o r i n g and enforcement
           Before making any decisions on DRLs, the C o m m u n i t y will have to consider
 the basis on which Member States will measure the c o n t a m i n a t i o n of foodstuffi-
 and how the movement of food will be controlled.            A n y procedure w o u l d have
 ---pagebreak---                                - 5-
to be continued until it could reasonably be concluded that foodstuffs from
the whole Community and from other supplying countries could confidently
be predicted to be b e l o w the relevant D R L s . The lower the value of DRL
adopted, the longer would be the duration of these controls, the greater
their complexity, and the greater the cost to Member States and to individua
food producers.
 ---pagebreak---                                           TABLE 1
                           GENERAL DERIVED REFERENCE LEVELS <1)
          AS A BASIS FOR THE CONTROL OF FOODSTUFFS FOLLOWING AN ACCIDENT
                                          (Bq/kg)
Isotopes of iodine and strontium^
         Notably 1-131, Sr-90
            Dairy produce         Other major food stu ffs^              Drinking water
1st year         Later years     1st year     la te r years          1st year         Later years
       700            500         7 000              3 000                500             400
Alpha emitting Isotopes of plutonium and transplutonium elements^
         Notably Pu-239, Aa-241            ---------------      -------- ” ----------
           Dairy produce          Other major foodstuffs^                 Drinkingwater
       y e a r Later years       1st year      Later years           1st year          Later years
         80            20           400                  80                 60               10
All other nuclides of h a lf-1 1fa greater than 10 d a y s ^
         Notably Cs-134, Cs-13?                                7      ,
            Oalry produce        Other major food stu ffs^3*                Drinking water
1st year         Later years    1st'Tear      Later years             1st year          Later years
 20 000             4 000       30 000             5 000                3 000              700
NOTES
(1) All the ORLs are based on the lower                    discussed 1n the t e s t , namely, a
committed e ffe c tiv e dose equivalent of 5 mSv 1n the f ir s t year and 1 m$v in
la ter years and a committed dose equivalent to the thyroid of 50 ®$v in the
f i r s t year. Values based on the higher ERL would be 10 times greater.
(2) Within each group of nuclides the values r ela te to the total a c tiv ity of
a ll the nuclides 1n the group. Each group can then be treated as completely
Independent of the other groups.
 (3) The values relate to any major foodstuff, such as meat, vegetables, or
cereals, and have been calculated for the most restrictive foodstuff. The
contribution from other foodstuffs will not be sufficient to require any
further adjustment. For minor foodstuffs, eg. those with an annual consumption
of less than about lo kg, values of lo times those for major foodstuffs will
be appropriate, it is not to be expected that restrictions will be needed on
items such as spices and condiments.
 ---pagebreak--- References
1.  Commission o f t h e European C o m m u n ities .                   R ad iological p ro te c tio n
    criteria     fo r c o n tr o llin g doses to the p u b lic                in th e ev en t of a c c id e n t a l
    re le a se s of ra d io a c tiv e m a te ria l,         V / S 2 9 0 / 8 2 EN. CEC, L u x e m b o u r g , 1 9 8 2 .
2,  In tern atio n al  C o m m i s s i o n on R a d i o l o g i c a l P r o t e c t i o n . P u b l i c a t i o n 40.
   Protection of the Public in the Event ©f Major Radiation Accidents;
   Principles for Planning
   Annals of the ICHP, Voluas© 14 No. 2 1984.