Expert Group on the Implications of ICRP Recommendations (EGIR)

Since the 1990 issuance by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) of its Publication 60, the system of radiological protection that it describes has been implemented through national legislation and international standards. Through this implementation, many areas have been identified where the system of radiological protection could evolve to better serve the needs of radiation protection regulators, practitioners and other interested parties. The ICRP is currently drafting new general recommendations, as well as specific recommendations for the radiological protection on the environment. The NEA has been providing its views on how the system of radiological protection should evolve, to better address these needs. The NEA has also contributed through a forum, organised in collaboration with the ICRP, on the radiological protection of the environment.

Following the NEA/ICRP Forum in February 2002, it was widely agreed that the radiological protection of the environment should be addressed in co-ordination with the radiological protection of humans. To this end, continuing along the lines of the EGRP work, the NEA is investigating the possible implications that would arise should these ICRP draft recommendations be implemented. The objective of this work is to inform policy makers of the regulatory and applicational implications that would result, when the ICRP recommendations for a system of radiological protection are published. This will help ensure that the final ICRP recommendations in this area will best serve the needs of national and international radiation protection policy makers, regulators and implementers. This group is formed jointly with the NEA's Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) so that a wide variety of views can be gathered and submitted to the ICRP for its consideration.

The EGIR has performed a thorough analysis of the draft ICRP recommendations, providing general and detailed comments on the wording, with the objective of providing constructive criticism to the ICRP. Each comment or proposed wording change has been accompanied by a rationale for the change.

The EGIR also arranged three NEA/ICRP workshops in Japan, the USA and the Czech Republic during 2006 to hold stakeholder discussions of the draft ICRP recommendations.

Related links

A Stakeholder Dialogue on the Implications of the ICRP Recommendations
Summary of the Three NEA/ICRP Conferencess

Possible Implications of Draft ICRP Recommendations (2003)

EGIR Terms of Reference

International Commission on Radiological Protection, ICRP (external link)

ICRP Draft Report Environmental Protection: The Concept and Use of Reference Animals and Plants (external link)

Last updated: 8 April 2008