European Commission action aimed at constructing a European regulatory framework

The challenge of a low-carbon economy provides a new incentive for the development of renewable energies as well as of nuclear energy. The latter calls for a high level of safety and security. The EU has a role in providing a legal framework for this purpose as well as ensuring that these standards are respected internationally. For over 50 years the EURATOM Treaty has offered the legal basis for a wide range of initiatives supporting this policy. The EU has competences under chapter 3, 'Health and Safety', for the establishment of basic safety standards for the protection against ionizing radiation. These have extended beyond the scope of nuclear energy and now include medical exposures as well as natural radiation sources. The latest revision of the BSS-Directive, to be proposed in 2011, was an opportunity for the consolidation of all Community legislation. A ruling of the Court of Justice in 1999 paved the way for the establishment of standards on the safety of nuclear installations. A common vision on this matter was achieved through the creation of a body of European Safety Regulators (ENSREG) and the adoption of a specific Safety Directive in 2009. This new Directive translates internationally agreed safety standards into legally binding EU legislation and strengthens the position of national Regulators. (author)