NEA Mandates and Structures

Expert Group on International Recommendations (EGIR)

Mandate (Document reference):

• Group created during the 60^th Session of the CRPPH, March 2002, as recorded in document NEA/CRPPH(2003)2
• Updated name and Terms of Reference for the EGIR [NEA/CRPPH/EGIR(2010)1]
• CRPPH Annual Report: Accomplishments for 2009 and Plans for 2010 [NEA/CRPPH(2010)2/REV1]
• Agreements and          Commitments from the 68th CRPPH Meeting  [NEA/CRPPH(2010)6/REV1]
• Summary Record of the CRPPH Bureau Mid-Year Meeting [NEA/CRPPH(2012)9]
• Extension of the Mandate of the Expert Group on the Implications of Recommendations (EGIR), summary of agreements and commitments of the 76th session of the CRPPH [NEA/CRPPH(2018)1]
• Extension of the Mandate of the Expert Group on the Implications of Recommendations (EGIR) without changes, CRPPH-77 summary of agreements and commitments [NEA/CRPPH(2019)4]
• Summary Record, Agreements and Decisions of the 78^th Meeting of the Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health held virtually on 9-11 September 2020 [NEA/CRPPH(2020)5]
• Mandate of the Expert Group on the International Recommendations [NEA/CRPPH/EGIR(2021)1]
• Mandate of the Expert Group on International Recommendations (EGIR) [NEA/CRPPH/EGIR(2023)3]
• Summary Record, Agreements and Decisions of the 81st Meeting of the Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health, April 2023 [NEA/CRPPH(2023)6]
• Draft Summary Record, Agreements and Decisions of the 83^rd Meeting of the Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health, April 2025 [forthcoming]
• Mandate of the Expert Group on International Recommendations (EGIR) [NEA/CRPPH/EGIR(2025)1/FINAL]

Mandate (Document extract):

Extract from document NEA/CRPPH/EGIR(2025)1/FINAL

Background

The EGIR was established in 2002 by the Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) to assess draft general recommendations developed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and to provide feedback to the document drafters on policy and regulatory implications, with the aim of ensuring that the final recommendations reflect the views and concerns of the CRPPH.

This approach was regarded as highly effective and in 2008, the CRPPH agreed that the EGIR assessment process should also be applied to the revision of the new International Basic Safety Standards (BSS Rev. 1.0). This was the first “non-ICRP” document assessed using this approach, and again the results were highly valued by both the CRPPH and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is primarily responsible for drafting this internationally co-sponsored document.  Recognising these positive experiences, the CRPPH agreed at its 2009 meeting that the EGIR process is an effective and useful assessment tool that could, in principle, be used to assess draft documents from many different organisations. This would apply provided that the CRPPH has an interest in a particular document under development, and that the drafting organisation is willing to share draft materials for assessment.  As such, the CRPPH agreed that the EGIR should be considered a process “on standby”, to be activated on an ad-hoc basis for reviewing specific draft documents identified by the CRPPH.

During its 76th meeting, the CRPPH agreed to change the name of the expert group from “Expert Group on the Implications of Recommendations (EGIR)” to “Expert Group on International Recommendations (EGIR)”, to reflect the broader scope.

In 2021, ICRP initiated a process to review and revise the System of Radiological Protection, with the aim of updating the fundamental recommendations set out in ICRP Publication 103. The EGIR is serving as an advisor to the CRPPH on this review. The ICRP’s review and revision is expected to last several years (to ~2030). The EGIR extends its advisory role to the CRPPH by proactively monitoring the publication documents to be issued by international organisations that may have a significant impact on the radiological protection system and its application.

Scope

The Expert Group on International Recommendations (EGIR) aims to review and assess draft documents and recommendations developed by international organisations in the field of radiological protection. In addition to its core review function, the EGIR will take a proactive role in identifying and monitoring emerging topics that may impact the radiological protection system and have implications for its application at the national level. A key issue is to achieve an appropriate balance between clear and precise recommendations against the need for adaptability allowing for regional technical, social and economic priorities, and corresponding stakeholder needs.

To ensure that assessed documents are practical and effective, the EGIR will engage with policymakers, regulators, and other stakeholders to evaluate their applicability and regulatory implications. By providing well-supported and constructive modifications, the EGIR will help shape final recommendations, so they best serve the needs of national and international radiological protection policymakers, regulators and implementers.

Furthermore, the EGIR will maintain ongoing dialogue with key organisations, particularly the ICRP – but also at the national level, to anticipate upcoming work, enhance collaboration, and ensure timely and meaningful contributions to the evolution of radiological protection frameworks.

Working Methods 

The EGIR working methods shall be as follows: 

• The CRPPH will identify the document(s) to assess based on a forward-looking analysis of upcoming publications, recommendations or requests for NEA input from the authoring organisations. The Secretariat will liaise with the authoring organisation to obtain the draft document for CRPPH/EGIR assessment. The CRPPH may also consider publications and documents to review as recommended by the EGIR. The Secretariat will inform the CRPPH and other relevant NEA Standing Technical Committees, as appropriate, that an EGIR review of a specified draft document is to take place. If necessary, it will invite CRPPH members to nominate experts for the assessment process. The draft document assessment will develop both general comments on the document’s content, and specific comments on the document’s text. Proposed text changes, insertions or deletions will each be accompanied by an explanatory comment, providing the rationale for the suggested modification.
• Tasks to be added to the Programme of Work are first endorsed by CRPPH before being incorporated into EGIR’s activities.
• In standard cases, the Secretariat will seek prior approval from the CRPPH Bureau before launching an EGIR assessment. However, in cases where the timeline does not allow for prior formal approval, the EGIR evaluation may proceed in parallel, with the Bureau being informed of the intent to conduct the review. In such instances, the Bureau retains the authority to intervene or halt the process if necessary.
• The EGIR may convene meetings of experts to discuss the document review or conduct the review via written correspondence only. This decision will be made by the Secretariat based on the scale of the review or the need to discuss specific issues. Where applicable, the authoring organisation will be invited to nominate an invited expert to join EGIR meetings, principally to directly hear comments, but also to provide clarification on a draft text as needed.
• The CRPPH may decide that experts from other relevant organisations should also be invited to the EGIR meeting. These organisations may include international organisations, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) or the International Labour Organisation (ILO), industry groups, such as the World Nuclear Association (WNA), the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), and other relevant stakeholder organisations.
• The EGIR assessments will be submitted to the CRPPH for approval before being provided to the authoring organisation, usually under the written procedure. If time constraints due to consultation period limits and/or EGIR meeting organisational issues make the CRPPH review and approval of EGIR comments impractical, the CRPPH Bureau may approve the CRPPH/EGIR comments on behalf of the CRPPH, as appropriate. 
• The approved EGIR assessment will be provided to the authoring organisation, to the participants in the EGIR meeting, to the CRPPH members and to all relevant NEA Standing Technical Committees for information. Additionally, in its capacity as an advisory body to the CRPPH, the EGIR may recommend CRPPH activities on specific topics. These include the need for the creation of new working groups or for new activities to be carried out.
• The EGIR bureau consists of a Chair and a Vice-Chair. 

Membership

To ensure flexibility and expertise, EGIR will consist of a core group of experts, with the ability to expand participation when needed for specific tasks or document reviews. This will allow the group to maintain continuity while also drawing on additional expertise when necessary and support an understanding of regionally varying needs.

Interactions

The EGIR will report to and act as an advisor to the CRPPH. Based on the subject matter of the document under review, the EGIR will engage with other NEA Standing Technical Committees, High-Level Groups, other divisions/directorates of the OECD, and international organisations. Interactions with the authoring organisation will be a key part of the EGIR’s role.

Deliverables

The EGIR Programme of Work is determined through a forward-looking analysis of upcoming publications, with the CRPPH identifying the documents for review. During the current mandate period, the primary focus will be on the review of the ICRP fundamental recommendations and the assessment of documents issued by ICRP task groups to support the revision of the system.

For each document review, the deliverable of EGIR will be a report setting out the feedback from CRPPH/EGIR.