What do we know? where do we go from here? implications for ICRP developments

This first Nea forum is ' in collaboration with ICRP' and we wanted views from participants regarding our initiative on radiological protection of the environment. The members of the main Commission of ICRP who have attended this forum have been delighted with the outcome. ICRP has a range of options for its future activity with regard to radiological protection of the environment, starting with withdrawing altogether from the subject, through maintaining our current assertion, to fully developing a new policy. The emerging consensus from this meeting would suggest that the key elements of a system would involve a clear set of objectives and principles, an agreed set of quantities and units, a reference set of dose models for a defined number of reference fauna and flora, basic knowledge of radiation effects, a means of demonstrating compliance, regular views and revisions as new knowledge develops. (N.C.)