Indoor radon and NORM in building materials: Critical analysis of the current European regulation and road map for the next decade

Abstract

This position paper deals with the critical analysis of the existing European regulation of indoor radon and NORM in building materials. It represents an opinion of the initiative group of experts created during the Workshop of European NORM Association (ENA) held in Rome, 15–17 May 2024. The main conclusions and propositions of the experts have been also discussed at the round table during the IX Terrestrial Radioisotopes in Environment International Conference on Environmental Protection, 19–22 November 2024, Vonyarcvashegy, Hungary.

The current paper lists and discusses several missing points and challenges within the European regulatory system in the field of NORM in building materials and indoor radon, consisting of three interconnecting functional levels: Legislative, Normative, and Methodological. It also serves as a Road Map for the regulatory development in the next decade.

Our analysis identifies areas for improvement. While the normative guidance (mid-tier of the hierarchical regulatory pyramid) is robust, the legislative framework has gaps, and methodological support remains underdeveloped with several serious deficiencies. These issues significantly hinder the global implementation of GRPs. To address these gaps, new harmonized standards and guidelines are necessary. It is concluded that enhancing radon and NORM regulations can be achieved by developing and globally implementing several relevant European (international) standards and guidelines within rational ISO/IEC concepts. From a legal-philosophical perspective, these findings are intended as an invitation to dialogue, not merely a critique.