The Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency (IAEA, 1986) were adopted in 1986, as the most relevant legally binding instruments to establish a common framework of cooperation at international level on preparedness and response to nuclear and radiologi­cal emergencies. In parallel, some international and regional organizations, having responsibility for the use of nuclear energy, intensified their efforts for developing specific standards and recommendations to help their member states in improving and harmonizing national practices and regula­tions. Relevant examples of these initiatives are the publication of recom­mendations on interventions in the case of nuclear or radiological accidents by the ICRP; the regulation of trans-boundary movement of foodstuffs after a nuclear accident issued by the European Union (EU, 1987b) and the research projects on nuclear emergency promoted by the European Union Research Framework Programmes; the creation of the Working Party on Nuclear Emergency Matters by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency; and the impulse given by the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, to the international standards and recommendations on nuclear emergency matters.

The Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident applies in the event of any accident involving nuclear facilities or activities of a state party, or of persons or legal entities under its jurisdiction or control, in which a release of radioactive material has occurred that could be of radiological safety significance for another state. The state parties of this Convention are committed to forthwith notifying, directly or through the IAEA, those states which are or may be physically affected by a nuclear accident occur­ring in their territory. Every state party to this Convention is also committed to notifying the nature, the time and the exact location of the accident, as well as to providing, as soon as possible, available information to minimize the trans-boundary radiological consequences of the accident.

The state parties to the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency are committed to cooperat­ing between them and with the IAEA, to facilitate prompt assistance in the event of a nuclear accident or radiological emergency to minimize its con­sequences and to protect life, property and the environment from the effects of radioactive releases. According to this Convention, to facilitate such cooperation, state parties may agree on bilateral or multilateral arrange­ments for preventing or minimizing injury and damage which may result in the event of a nuclear accident or radiological emergency. The state parties can request the IAEA to use its best endeavours to promote, facilitate and support the cooperation between state parties.