INEX 2000 Exercise Evaluation Report

The Nuclear Energy Agency employs an extensive programme to assist NEA Member countries in their effort to enhance effectiveness and efficiency in nuclear emergency preparedness and management, nationally and internationally. With the initiation of the first international nuclear emergency exercise INEX 1, performed in 1993, the international community could for the first time test approaches and policies in place to manage a nuclear or radiological emergency. INEX 1 with its related workshops led to a wealth of lessons learned and to an improvement in nuclear emergency
management. The INEX 2 exercise series, initiated by the NEA and performed between 1996 and 1999, established for the first time an international nuclear emergency “exercise culture” leading to a clear improvement of the international aspects of nuclear emergency preparedness and management. The most prominent outcome of INEX 2 and a major step forward in nuclear emergency management was the development of a new communication and information exchange strategy, which is described in the NEA report on Monitoring and Data Management Strategies for Nuclear Emergencies (OECD/NEA, Paris, 2000). Concepts and ideas in this publication have partly been implemented by NEA member countries and by international organisations.

These evolved communication and information strategies suggest the use of web technology to communicate information and to transfer data in case of a nuclear or radiological emergency. These concepts distinguish between the alert or notification, which must be a wake-up instrument and
therefore be pushed to responding organisations, and any additional data and support information which is made available and can be pulled from the sources if needed.