Strengere Europese regels voor controle over vervoer en controle van radioactieve stoffen (en)

The European Commission welcomes the adoption by the (22 December Environment) Council of new legislation that will enhance controls of and prevent accidents involving radioactive sources. The purpose of the new Directive is to better protect the population and workers, by reducing the likelihood of their being accidentally exposed to ionising radiation as a result of a lack of control on radioactive sources, in particular when sources are no longer being used. The new Directive harmonises and sets out specific requirements to ensure that every single high activity radioactive source in Europe is always kept under control. Loyola de Palacio, Vice-President responsible for Energy and Transport said: "Radioactive sources must be controlled from cradle to grave, so that we can be sure that no "orphan source" will be accidentally found by our citizens. Traceability of radioactive sources is the keyword, as it will prevent sources from becoming lost and will also reduce the risk of radioactive sources being misused".

The newly adopted legislation, based on a Commission proposal from January 2003⁽¹⁾, will improve the overall traceability of high activity sealed radioactive sources.

Cleaning Europe of "orphan sources". The new Directive demands action at two different stages:

• at preventive level, by providing for detection systems where orphan sources are likely to appear and by organising campaigns for recovering orphan sources resulting from past activities; and

• at remedial level, by ensuring that responsibilities are clear and intervention procedures are laid down, including provisions on how to cover intervention costs.

Radioactive sources are used for many purposes in industry, medicine and research. When radioactive sources are used in the context of these activities, the risks are usually well known, and exposures resulting from an accidental or unintended manipulation are therefore rare.

However, radioactive sources are sometimes abandoned, lost, misplaced or removed without authorisation (so called "orphan sources"). Orphan sources represent a serious risk because they can be found by members of the public, who may not identify them as such and would not perceive the risks of injury. Discoveries of radioactive sources in scrap yards and in metal production facilities are recurrent events, and are also a risk for the relevant workers.

Source traceability: the keyword. Source traceability will be improved through different obligations at all levels. The compulsory prior authorization for any use of a high activity radioactive sealed source will be denied unless it is proved that measures (also financial provisions) necessary for the safe management of the source have been taken. Each source shall also be duly identified and marked, and records must be kept, to know at every precise moment who holds which source and where.

^{(1) ;COM (2003) 18, Proposal for a COUNCIL DIRECTIVE on the control of high activity sealed radioactive sources}