New standards in ICRP60 led to the revision of the 1980 European Basic Safety Standards Directive, which in turn has created the necessity to revise the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985. Proposals from the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) for revised regulations are currently out for public consultation in a formal Consultative Document. This article describes some of the background to the proposals in the Consultative Document, key influences on the revision process and the methods used to develop the proposal so that they are broadly acceptable to stakeholders. Some of the changes proposed are structural in nature, such as integration of the provision of the Outside Workers Regulations. Others are of a legal nature and include: new proposals for justification, prior authorisation and risk assessment; two options for the dose limitation system; and significant changes to the means of recognising the competence of the Radiation Protection Adviser. Following the current public consultation, final proposals need to be drawn up, approved by HSC and cleared through the European Commission under procedures required by the Euratom Treaty. If all goes according to plan, the revised regulations should be on the Statute Book about the middle of next year, with most provisions coming into force on 1 January 2000.
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