2007-01-12
The second round of public consultation on the draft next Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection met with overwhelming interest, and ICRP has received over 700 pages of written comments and suggestions, which are visible at http://www.icrp.org/consultation_view.asp. In addition, the process was augmented by several workshops and meetings organised by international and national bodies with an interest in radiological protection.
Based on this considerable and very helpful input from the stakeholders, ICRP has now prepared a substantially revised document, visible here, which is now being considered by the Main Commission of ICRP with the intention of taking a final decision concerning the Recommendation at its meeting 19-21 March 2007.
Thanks to the world-wide scientific exchange of ideas during a process of public and expert participation that began with a journal paper 8 years ago, in 1999, and has since involved numerous international and national meetings and two rounds of full-fledged public consultation on complete draft texts, the main principles are now fairly firmly established. A number of organisations that are using ICRP Recommendations as a basis for their decisions are now keen for ICRP to complete its process so that they can update their system of protection accordingly, and the remaining amendments to the draft Recommendations will be primarily of an editorial nature.
We are thus now past the stage of formal consultations. Nevertheless, editorial comments are of course welcome, and may be e-mailed to the Scientific Secretary of ICRP, preferably before the end of February. Any such messages received will be posted for information on this web site after the March 2007 meeting of ICRP.