Nuclear plant operators and national authorities must:
- develop and test emergency plans at local, national and international levels
- assign clear responsibilities for preparedness and response
- ensure resources are available to handle an emergency effectively.
To minimise harm, national authorities must prepare for:
- immediate action, such as evacuations or sheltering indoors
- long-term effects, such as cleaning up contamination.
International agreements ensure that all countries are ready and cooperation mechanisms are in place in an emergency.
The Commission has made the EU’s early warning and information and radiological data exchange systems available to EU countries:
• the European Community Urgent Radiological Information Exchange (ECURIE)
• the EUropean Radiological Data Exchange Platform (EURDEP) .
Beyond the immediate response
A nuclear emergency doesn’t just require quick action, it also requires long-term planning, including:
🔹 local and national plans – because contamination could spread beyond the facility
🔹 cross-border coordination – even countries without nuclear plants must be ready
🔹 tailored strategies – based on distance, population and geography