Action 50601 - Radioactivity Environmental Monitoring (REM)

Did you know that the IES hosts the data center for environmental radioactivity measurements in the EU?

The REM action was started shortly after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident (26 April 1986) to support the European Commission in its responsibilities in providing qualified information to the European Parliament and the Member States on the levels of radioactive contamination of the various compartments of the environment (air, water, soil). This role of the EC is laid down in EC legislation (in particular in the Euratom Treaty and the Council decision 87/600 on the Community arrangements).

Hence the main line of REM’s activities concerns the improvement of procedures for the collection, evaluation and harmonisation of environmental radioactivity concentrations and the modelling of the migration of radioactivity in the environment for routine and emergency conditions, as well as making this information available to the general public.. In this way REM ensures the availability of tools for the inter-communication and access of users from Member States and other European countries to this information. Specific attention is given to further integrate the new Member States with the existing information exchange systems and to assist Candidate Countries in fulfilling these obligations in view of their membership of the EU. Underpinning research consists of the development and intercomparison of real-time atmospheric dispersion models, development and implementation of advanced statistical tools, radioecological assessment and the continued development of decision support systems.

 

Specific objectives of the Action

• Routine monitoring through the management of the Radioactivity Environmental Monitoring databank, as information centre for the levels of radioactivity in the EU Member States and beyond.

• Assistance to the relevant European Commission services and Member State contact points in keeping its radiological emergency information exchange systems (ECURIE, EURDEP, ENSEMBLE) operational and providing technical support.

• Implementation of a common procedure to match EU and other international requirements (e.g. IAEA).

• Improvement and extension of the existing emergency information exchange networks as well as the underlying network architecture, including Candidate Countries.

• Performing periodic modeling exercises on long-range atmospheric dispersion, including atmospheric dispersion at regional scale.

 

A major part of REM’s workprogramme is dedicated to the maintenance and development of international information exchange systems support decision making in case of a large nuclear accident with transboundary release to the atmosphere. Over the past few years the operationality of the exchange systems for notification (ECURIE), monitoring data (EURDEP) and atmospheric model evaluation (ENSEMBLE) has been further improved.

Currently 30 countries have joined the EURDEP network, continuously exchanging radiological monitoring data in almost real-time for some 4100 stations making the network applicable for emergency management. The major line of the ENSEMBLE modeling system development which has been completed is the coupling of ENSEMBLE with the EURDEP database. Currently the ECURIE alert notification is being automated to the ENSEMBLE modeling groups. Activities are also being conducted in the field of local and mesoscale atmospheric dispersion for emergency and routine conditions.

Together with the IAEA and DG TREN, the JRC develops a common data format for exchanging information during radiological accidents, allowing EU Member States to fulfill their legal obligations to both the IAEA and the EC through a single procedure.

 

Contact info

Marc De Cort

Tel: (+39) 0332 785095   E-mail: marc.de-cort(at)jrc.it

 

Main Customers

- DG Transport and Energy

- DG Information Society and Media

- DG External Relations

- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

- Competent Authorities of the EU Member States and Candidate Countries

 

EU Legislation and Documents supported by this Action

- Euratom Treaty

- Commission Recommendation of 8 June 2000 on the application of Article 36 of the Euratom Treaty concerning the monitoring of the levels of radioactivity in the environment for the purpose of assessing the exposure of the population as a whole - 2000/473/Euratom

- Council Directive of 13 May 1996 laying down basic safety standards for the health protection of the general public and workers against the dangers of ionizing radiation - 96/29/Euratom

- Council Decision on Community arrangements for the early exchange of information in the event of a radiological emergency - 87/600/Euratom

- Council Regulation laying down maximum permitted levels of radioactive contamination of foodstuffs and of feeding stuffs following a nuclear accident or any other case of radiological emergency - 87/3954/Euratom

- Commission Recommendation on the protection and information of the public with regards to exposure resulting from the continued radioactive caesium contamination of certain wild food products as a consequence of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station - 2003/120/EC

- Commission Recommendation of 21 February 1990 on the protection of the public against indoor exposure to radon - 90/143/EURATOM

 

Relevant links

REM database

ECURIE– Early Notification System

ENSEMBLE– Long-range atmospheric dispersion intercomparison

EURDEP– On-line monitoring system

Geostatistics and Spatial Statistics

European Forum on Radon Mapping