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After the Chernobyl accident, a National Emergency Plan of protective measures for radiological emergencies has been set up in Italy to cope with nuclear risks which require actions at national level. Since the Italian nuclear power plants are, at present, not operational, the most relevant nuclear risk source identified in the National Emergency Plan is related to an accident occurring in a nuclear power plant near the Italian borders. However, risks related to severe accidents to other nuclear facilities present in Italy, such as provisional radioactive waste deposits or research centers are not taken into account in the Plan. In this paper the hypothetical radiological impact of a severe external event in a spent fuel storage pool has been evaluated, as this event appears to be one of those with the most severe consequences.

The radiological impact of Chernobyl accident on the Italian population has been reassessed on the basis of the activity average values, measured in environmental and food matrices since 1986. The evaluation has been made taking into account the new risk estimates by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Moreover, in order to compare the calculated doses with data from Whole Body Counter and to check models describing the time trend of radioactive contamination, the activity levels systematically measured in the Emilia Romagna district (Northern Italy) were considered. The dose assessment has been compared with the European one made by UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation).

Several measures were adopted by European countries in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident. In this paper these measures are reviewed and the European Communities initiatives for food marketing and exports are analyzed, together with the reference levels for radioactive concentration in the main food matrices chosen in different European countries in the very few days after the accident. A particular attention has been devoted to the emergency management in Italy, outlining exhaustively the laws enforced at the time of the accident and explaining how the reference levels for food contamination were chosen. Finally, a tentative balance about emergency management in Italy is struck and some questions are raised about the commitments undertaken or to be undertaken by international institutions.