The Official Journal of the European Union 2.7.2009 has published the Council Directive 2009/71/EURATOM of 25 June 2009 establishing a Community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations.

The Council adopted on 25 June 2009, the Nuclear Safety Directive to achieve a common legal framework and a nuclear safety culture in Europe. In adopting this legislation, the Union becomes the first major player in providing the major binding international standards for nuclear safety, besides enhancing the independence and resources of the regulatory authorities.

The objectives of the Directive are:

• To establish a Community framework in order to maintain and promote the continuous improvement of nuclear safety and its regulation.
• To ensure that Member States shall provide for appropriate national arrangements for a high level of nuclear safety to protect workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionizing radiations from nuclear installations.

Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 22 July 2011.

National responsibility of Member States for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations is the fundamental principle on which nuclear safety regulation has been developed at the international level, as endorsed by the Convention on Nuclear Safety. That principle of national responsibility, as well as the principle of prime responsibility of the licence holder for the nuclear safety of a nuclear installation under the supervision of its national competent regulatory authority, should be enhanced and the role and independence of the competent regulatory authorities should be reinforced by this Directive.

The EU is the first major regional nuclear actor to provide a binding legal framework on nuclear safety to common international standards, namely the Safety Fundamentals established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the obligations resulting from the Convention on Nuclear Safety. Europe could thus become a real model for the rest of the world in a context of renewed interest in nuclear energy.