03/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - Council conclusions on radiation protection. The Council of the European Union stresses the importance of the “justification principle” before using ionising radiation for the purposes of medical imaging. The principle requires that the benefit derived from the examination must outweigh the potential harmful effects of exposure to ionising radiation. In a series of conclusions adopted on Wednesday 3 December, the member states express concern that a significant proportion of radiological medical imaging in the EU might be unnecessary. They call, inter alia, on the member states to define the roles and responsibilities of all health practitioners involved in the justification process. These conclusions devolve from Directive 2013/59/Euratom (laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation), which makes provision for upgrading of equipment before 6 February 2018. (SPj)