1. Regulatory context: the new 2013/59/Euratom directive

The aim of this new Euratom directive (the old one was 96/29) was to update regulations and bring together various texts that were initially separate. For construction materials, the European directive incorporates an important part of the RP112 regulation: radiation protection principles concerning the natural radioactivity of construction materials. RP112 was originally a guide to radiation protection. It has now become a regulatory text and has been transposed into the legislation of the member states (see documentation section of the article).

The aim of this part of the directive is to prevent the risk of human exposure due to the presence of naturally occurring radionuclides in building materials. Exposure arises from two causes:

• gamma radiation emitted by radionuclides contained in materials ;

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