CHAPTER 1 OBJECTIVES, DEFINITIONS AND SCOPE OF APPLICATION

Article 1 Objectives
The objectives of this Directive are:
(a) to establish a Community framework in order to maintain and promote the continuous improvement of nuclear safety and its regulation;
(b) 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.

Article 2 Scope
1 This Directive shall apply to any civilian nuclear installation operating under a licence as defined in Article 3(4) at all stages covered by this licence.
2 This Directive does not prevent Member States from taking more stringent safety measures in the subject-matter covered by this Directive, in compliance with Community law.
3 This Directive supplements the basic standards referred to in Article 30 of the Treaty as regards the nuclear safety of nuclear installations and is without prejudice to Directive 96/29/Euratom.

Article 3 Definitions
For the purposes of this Directive the following definitions shall apply:
1. ‘nuclear installation’ means:
(a) an enrichment plant, nuclear fuel fabrication plant, nuclear power plant, reprocessing plant, research reactor facility, spent fuel storage facility; and
(b) storage facilities for radioactive waste that are on the same site and are directly related to nuclear installations listed under point (a);
2. ‘nuclear safety’ means the achievement of proper operating conditions, prevention of accidents and mitigation of accident consequences, resulting in protection of workers and the general public from dangers arising from ionizing radiations from nuclear installations;
3. ‘competent regulatory authority’ means an authority or a system of authorities designated in a Member State in the field of regulation of nuclear safety of nuclear installations as referred to in Article 5;
4. ‘licence’ means any legal document granted under the jurisdiction of a Member State to confer responsibility for the siting, design, construction, commissioning and operation or decommissioning of a nuclear installation;
5. ‘licence holder’ means a legal or natural person having overall responsibility for a nuclear installation as specified in a licence.