International versus national regulations: concerns and trends.

The existence of a traceable relationship between national regulatory standards and international recommendations is important especially when the national regulations have to be justified and explained to the public and their representatives. Guidance on various types of radiological levels in environmental media related to public exposure has been provided by the relevant international organizations, constituting a basis for the development of national regulations. However, international standards need to be clear and based on solid technical criteria. In their preparation, consideration should be given to the implications for different countries, and the differences that exist between them, for example, in social, economic and climatic aspects.