The competent authority for radiation protection in Spain

The Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) is the sole competent body in Spain for matters relating to nuclear safety and radiation protection. Its mission is to protect workers, the public, and the environment from the harmful effects of ionising radiation, ensuring that nuclear and radioactive facilities are operated safely by their licence holders, and establishing preventive and corrective measures in the event of radiological emergencies, whatever their cause.

The functions of the CSN are:

• To assess the safety and radiation protection of nuclear and radioactive facilities and to inspect their operation.
• To assess and inspect any activity involving the handling, processing, storage or transport of nuclear and radioactive substances or, in general, the risk of exposure to ionising radiation.
• To monitor and control radiation levels inside and outside facilities (in the air, water, soil, food, etc.), assessing the radiological impact on people and the environment.

The CSN comprises five board members, appointed from a list of individuals with recognised technical expertise and independent judgement. It also has a Technical Directorate for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection, made up of approximately 400 specialists.

Two CSN inspectors are stationed at each of Spain’s nuclear power stations, with complete freedom of movement within the facilities and access to all existing documentation. Every day of the year, without interruption, the CSN verifies that the eight nuclear reactors in operation in Spain are operating in accordance with mandatory safety requirements and current national and international regulations.

In Spain, the fundamental regulation applicable to radiation protection is the ‘Regulation on Health Protection against Risks arising from Exposure to Ionising Radiation’