The decision to proceed to the third phase of the infringement process was due, according to a statement from the community executive, to the lack of information on the preparation of “a national action plan to address the long-term risks arising from exposure to radon, as required by directive [EU law]”.

The directive in question extends the application of safety rules to the full range of radiation sources and exposure categories: occupational, medical, public and environmental.

Worker protection

The regulations cover the protection of workers, in particular medical personnel, in workplaces with indoor radon and in activities of processing natural radioactive material, in particular radon in homes, and patients undergoing radiotherapy, for example.

The Basic Safety Standards directive should have been fully transposed into national legislation by February 6, 2018.

In November 2019, the European Commission sent a reasoned opinion to Portugal, inviting the country to notify it of all transposition measures of the aforementioned directive.

Since that date, Portugal has notified additional transposing measures, but has not fully transposed the rules.