The European ALARA Network

Download the 27^th issue in PDF format

Editorial – European ALARA Network: a practical pillar in the global organisation of radiation protection

By F. Vermeersch (EAN Chairperson – SCK-CEN Mol, Belgium), P. Croüail (EAN Vice-Chairperson – CEPN, France) and P. Shaw (EAN Secretary – HPA, UK)

In the UNSCEAR presentation at the IRPA conference in Helsinki, the European ALARA Network was mentioned as part of one of the pillars of the global organisation of radiation protection. Our organisation was mentioned together with ISOE, EURADOS and IRPA as a contributor to the dissemination of the practical implementation of the ALARA principle.

This means that the activities of our organisation are recognised at the international level, and that our approach of gathering experience in the field and redistributing this through our network workshops and newsletters is seen as an effective way to disseminate the practical application of ALARA. EAN is considered a valuable tool for the rapid exchange of information and reporting as well as for benchmarking, and  organisations such as IRPA and WHO expressed great interest in our activities.

However EAN needs to be alert and keep its focus on ALARA and the associated new challenges. In order to respond to future radiation protection needs we need to consider issues such as the increase in medical exposures, concerns about natural exposures, the ageing of existing installations and the development of new ones. For each of these we need to find the most effective way of disseminating information and stimulating the practical implementation of ALARA.