Public health: protection of public and workers against ionizing radiation (rev. Direct. 80/836/Euratom)

1993/1026(CNS)
The Commission has amended its proposal in the light of the amendments proposed by the European Parliament at first reading. Most of the amendments seek to improve the text by enhancing protection. - The Commission has improved the definition of the words "accident", "intervention" and "practice". - The Commission has also enhanced protection for pregnant and breastfeeding women by taking account of Directive 92/85/EEC which deals specifically with them. - It has also improved cases of exposure subject to special authorisation by making provision for the Member States to take steps to ban authorisations for workers subject to this type of exposure. - It has made considerable improvements to requirements for control zones (depending on the type and extent of the radiological risk in these zones, radiological monitoring must be set up in the surrounding area). Requirements must be implemented in controlled or monitored zones by qualified experts. - Finally, as regards the principle whereby each Member State must take action to ensure that the general public is suitably protected, the Commission considers that this protection must be "the best possible".�