Contenido principal
2025
HERCA advances in strategy redesign during the Board of Heads meeting in The Hague
The Association of the European Radiological Protection Competent Authorities meets with consensus on simplifying procedures to facilitate technological innovation
The association approved a report on Artificial Intelligence applications in medical radiation protection
A delegation from the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN), led by Commissioner Silvia Calzón, participated in the 36th meeting of the Board of the Heads of the European Radiological Protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) in The Hague. The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Netherlands Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS).
During the sessions, and within the framework of the review of the HERCA Strategy, the main future challenges and issues were addressed. Among these is rapid technological innovation (new technologies, the expansion of proton therapy, and the accelerated development of radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic and therapeutic use), which will require close collaboration among the association's members to achieve agile licensing processes through the simplification of regulatory procedures while maintaining the highest standards of safety and radiation protection.
The Board of Heads approved the report on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in radiation protection within the medical field. The document reviews the types of AI tools already present in hospitals, their clinical and technical applications, as well as the regulatory and safety challenges they pose. The Board of Heads underscored the report's conclusions, which indicate that the safe and effective integration of AI into clinical practice needs an update of regulatory procedures, proactive vigilance, and close cooperation among authorities, practitioners, and manufacturers.
During the meeting, the results of the working groups were presented, such as the positionon patient radiation protection, where HERCA recommends that competent authorities encourage the implementation of quality management systems and the verification of their effectiveness during specific inspections. Furthermore, the Working Group for industrial applications presented the results of a survey conducted among the association's regulatory authorities on the licensing process for entities that manufacture, sell, and provide technical assistance for X-ray generators. This information will serve as a basis for moving towards greater harmonisation in Europe regarding the regulation of the supply and design requirements for these generators.
The meeting was attended by other relevant international organisations in radiation protection in an observer capacity, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Commission, and the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA). Representatives from each organisation presented their respective activities, international cooperation projects, documents, publications of interest, and current ongoing projects.
About HERCA
HERCA was created in 2007 to exchange knowledge and experiences in order to facilitate practical and harmonized solutions to important regulatory issues in radiation protection. Although the regulatory framework in this matter within the European Union is subject to regulations developed by the European Commission, such as Regulations or Directives, the practical application of their requirements can be implemented in very different ways by each member state.
The Association is composed of representatives of 56 European competent authorities in Radiological Protection, belonging to 32 European countries (including the 27 EU Member States). To carry out its work, working subgroups are established covering the radiation protection of exposed workers, the security of radioactive sources, emergency response actions, activities related to radiation protection in the medical field (for both exposed workers and patients), activities related to radiation protection in industrial facilities, and radiation protection training.