Legal obligation

Informing the public in the event of a radiological emergency is an obligation that stems from the Council Directive of 27 November 1989 on informing the general public about health protection measures to be applied and steps to be taken in the event of a radiological emergency (89/618/EURATOM). 

This European directive was transposed into Luxembourgish legislation by the Grand-ducal Regulation of 11 August 1996 (Mém. A - 64 of 2 September 1996, p. 1980) which stipulates that 'the government shall ensure that the population liable to be affected in the event of a radiological emergency is informed of the health protection measures to be applied, as well as the steps they should take in the event of a radiological emergency'. 

This information concerns: 

• the basic concepts of radioactivity and its effects on the human body and on the environment;
• the different radiological emergencies considered and their consequences for the population and the environment;
• the emergency measures planned to alert, protect and rescue the population in the event of an emergency;
• information on the right steps for the population to take in the event of a radiological emergency.