The law of 15 April 1994 on the protection of the population and the environment against the hazards arising from ionising radiation and on the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control describes the FANC‘s legal duties in the field of radiation protection, nuclear safety and radiological surveillance.
The FANC has been fully operational since 1 September 2001. On that date the Royal Decree of 20 July 2001 laying down the General Regulation for the protection of the public, workers and the environment against the hazards of ionising radiation came into force. This decree describes most of the rules and conditions governing the execution of the FANC’s assignments. This is the most important Belgian legal act related to the protection of the population and the environment against the danger of ionising radiation.
Its scope covers virtually all human activities and situations involving a risk resulting from exposure to ionising radiation, both for the general public and for workers and the environment.
These legal acts are supplemented by the laws of 2 April 2003 and 30 March 2011 concerning nuclear security and physical protection.
Moreover, powers in the field of safeguards were granted to the Agency in 2005. These various tasks and the rules and conditions governing their execution are set out in implementing decrees. The Royal Decree of 20 July 2001 (GRR-2001) is one of the essential basic texts relating to radiation protection and nuclear safety.