As part of ongoing international collaboration for response to nuclear emergencies, on 22–23 May 2001, an extensive international nuclear emergency exercise will be performed based on a French national exercise at the Gravelines nuclear power plant located in the north of France, near the Belgian border. The Gravelines site has six pressurized water reactors, each providing 910 MW (megawatts) of electrical power.
This exercise will involve a simulated incident at a fictitious unit on this site with the possibility of an environmental impact. Participants may have to decide on measures to protect the public based on actual weather conditions at the time of the exercise.
The exercise is jointly sponsored and co-ordinated by five international organizations: the European Commission (EC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The 54 countries participating world-wide will follow their own actual national emergency response plans and procedures, using their own emergency response centres, and will share information and co-ordinate response activities.
The main objectives of the exercise are to test existing national and international procedures and arrangements for responding to a nuclear emergency, co-ordinate the release of information, and assess the effectiveness of advisory and decision-making mechanisms.
WHO maintains a network of National Public Health Advisors (NPHA) in its Member States who, in the event of a nuclear accident, will act as focal points for WHO. The objectives of WHO, in addition to the above, will be to test the procedures to evaluate the public health threats of the accident and enter into dialogue with the relevant NPHAs in Member States whose populations may be at risk from the fallout. The Network of WHO collaborating centres on Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance (REMPAN) may be also involved in the exercise, if necessary.
Following the exercise, each participating organization will undertake an evaluation in order to improve emergency preparedness.