The command and control centres of the national authorities are usually set up to respond to every kind of emergency situation and therefore their technical capabilities are not specifically designed for responding to nuclear emergencies. These centres are equipped with powerful and versatile com­munication devices, and are directly connected with other centres to respond to national crises at the highest level. The mission of these centres is to provide the political support, strategic coordination, public information management and international contacts needed to manage the emergency. In the case of activation of a nuclear emergency plan, representatives from different ministerial organizations are convened to this centre to facilitate a response that involves several government functions such as civil protec­tion, public security, health, environmental protection, industrial policy, finance and international relations. A key role of these centres is the coor­dination among public authorities at local, regional and national level, which could be a crucial element to ensuring a proper use of available resources for the implementation of emergency measures.