The Momentum of the European Directive on Nuclear Safety: From the Complexity of Nuclear Safety to Key Messages. Addressed to European citizens

This paper intends to present the key issues of the directive (council directive 2009/71/EURATOM establishing a Community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations, approved by the Permanent Representatives Committee (C.O.R.E.P.E.R. 2) on 24. June and by the Council of Ministers on 25. June in the environment Council. It was published on 2. July in the Official Journal, O.J. L 172:18 and is to be transposed by 22. July 2011): a summary of the institutional context, the international framework in the field of nuclear safety developed in fora such as the International Atomic energy Agency (IAEA), the basic principles of nuclear safety and the compromises that were necessary to finally reach the consensus on the text. The goal of the authors is to offer an objective and accurate analysis that could be used for the interpretation and better understanding of the directive. (N.C.)