In 1959 Articles 31 and 32 in the chapter on health and safety of the Euratom Treaty set the legal parameters applicable to date for the protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation, which affects numerous aspects of life. Recently, Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom of 5 December 2013 laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation, which entered into force in 2014, significantly expanded the already broad scope of European radiation protection legislation by including, for instance, regulations on the protection against natural radiation sources (e.g. soil-based radon). The directive also sets out detailed requirements for emergency response plans and calls for closer cooperation among member states to secure uniform emergency response measures. The health and safety chapter of the Euratom Treaty will continue to be a basic reference for effective radiation protection across the EU.
Directive 2009/71/Euratom and the amended Directive 2014/87/Euratom, which are based on /derived from Articles 31 and 32 of the Euratom Treaty, establish the legal framework for a uniform safety level of nuclear facilities throughout the EU.
In 2011 the Council of the European Union adopted Council Directive 2011/70/Euratom establishing a Community framework for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste, again based on the Euratom Treaty and in particular based on the pertinent Articles mentioned above. The directive is aimed at establishing, where needed and expanding where in place, a uniform EU-wide framework for the responsible and safe disposal of spent fuel rods and radioactive waste. It is the task of the member states to take suitable steps nationally to guarantee a high level of safety in nuclear waste management. This includes in particular the drawing up of national disposal programmes which set out how countries intend to implement their national strategies for responsible and safe disposal of radioactive waste.
Pursuant to Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, every member state is obliged to supply the European Commission with general details relating to any plan for the disposal of radioactive waste. The European Commission then delivers its opinion after consulting with the group of experts referred to in Article 31 of the Euratom Treaty.