THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 31 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, submitted after obtaining the opinion of the group of persons appointed by the Scientific and Technical Committee,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament1,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee2,

Whereas Article 2 (b) of the Treaty requires the Community to establish uniform safety standards to protect the health of workers and of the general public;

Whereas, on 2 February 1959, the Council adopted Directives laying down basic standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionizing radiations3, which were last amended by Directive 80/836/Euratom4 and Directive 84/467/Euratom5;

Whereas Article 45 (5) of Directive 80/836/Euratom already requires that any accident involving exposure of the population be notified as a matter of urgency, when the circumstances so require, to neighbouring Member States and to the Commission;

Whereas Articles 35 and 36 of the Treaty already provide that Member States are to establish the facilities necessary to carry out continuous monitoring of the level of radioactivity in the air, water and soil and to communicate such information to the Commission so that it is kept informed of the levels of radioactivity to which the public is exposed;

Whereas Article 13 of Directive 80/836/Euratom requires Member States regularly to transmit to the Commission results of reviews and estimates referred to in that Article;

Whereas the accident at the nuclear power station at Chernobyl in the Soviet Union demonstrated that, in the event of a radiological emergency and in order to fulfil its tasks, the Commission needs to receive promptly all relevant information in an agreed format;

Whereas some bilateral arrangements have been agreed upon by Member States and whereas all Member States have signed the IAEA Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident;

Whereas these Community arrangements will ensure that all Member States are promptly informed in the event of a radiological emergency in order to provide that the uniform standards for protection of the population as is laid down in the Directives made pursuant to Title Two, Chapter III, of the Treaty are applied throughout the Community;

Whereas the establishment of Community arrangements for the early exchange of information does not affect the rights and obligations of Member States under bilateral and multilateral treaties or conventions;

Whereas, in furtherance of international cooperation, the Community will participate in the IAEA Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: