Radiation Safety Licenses in EUDI Wallet - QEAA, Directive 2013/59/Euratom, PuB-EAA

Radiation protection operator licenses are issued as Qualified Electronic Attestations of Attributes (QEAA) in EUDI Wallets, enabling secure verification of professional qualifications for workers with occupational exposure to ionising radiation under Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom.

Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom: Professional Qualification Framework

Member States had until February 6, 2018, to transpose the Directive into national legislation. The Directive consolidated and repealed five previous directives: 89/618/Euratom, 90/641/Euratom, 96/29/Euratom, 97/43/Euratom and 2003/122/Euratom.

Professional Qualifications for Radiation Protection

The Directive includes specific requirements for professional qualifications and training for workers with occupational exposure to ionising radiation:

Prior evaluation: Assessment of radiation risks before workers begin exposure-related activities.

Optimisation of radiation protection: Ensuring doses are kept as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA principle).

Classification of exposed workers: Categorisation based on expected dose levels for targeted protective measures.

Control measures and monitoring: Systematic tracking of exposure levels and verification of protective equipment effectiveness.

Medical surveillance: Regular health monitoring to detect early signs of radiation-related health effects.

Education and training: Mandatory instruction in radiation physics, biological effects, protective measures, and emergency procedures.

Qualified Electronic Attestations of Attributes (QEAA)

Radiation safety licenses are issued as Qualified Electronic Attestations of Attributes (QEAA), digital documents that confirm the accuracy of specific professional qualifications with a high level of assurance.

Three Types of Attestations in eIDAS 2.0

The eIDAS 2.0 framework includes three types of attestations:

1. Qualified EAA (QEAA): QEAA consistently offers a high level of assurance, making it suitable for radiation safety licenses where verification integrity is critical for worker safety and regulatory compliance.

2. Non-Qualified EAA: Non-qualified EAAs are issued by non-qualified Trust Service Providers and do not guarantee the same level of legal assurance.

3. Public EAA (PuB-EAA): Public EAAs are issued on behalf of public sector bodies when data originates from official registries, and are particularly relevant for verifying attributes such as professional qualifications. National radiation protection authorities would use PuB-EAA for licenses originating from official regulatory databases.

Professional Sectors Requiring Radiation Safety Licenses

Medical Imaging and Healthcare

Professionals operating diagnostic X-ray equipment, CT scanners, fluoroscopy systems, and interventional radiology suites require radiation protection licenses. The Directive requires Member States, the radiology community (including medical physics experts) and the industry to adapt their regulations, procedures and equipment to high standards of radiation safety.

Nuclear Power and Research Facilities

Workers in nuclear power plants, research reactors, and nuclear fuel cycle facilities handling fissionable materials or working in radiation-controlled areas require complete licensing demonstrating training in nuclear safety, emergency procedures, and contamination control.

Industrial Radiography

Non-destructive testing (NDT) technicians using industrial X-ray or gamma-ray sources for welding inspection, pipeline integrity testing, and structural analysis require licenses verifying field radiography training, source security procedures, and radiation survey techniques.

Scientific Research

Researchers using radioactive isotopes in universities, pharmaceutical development, materials science, and biomedical research require licenses demonstrating laboratory radiation safety protocols, contamination monitoring, and radioactive waste disposal procedures.

Verified Attributes in Radiation Safety Credentials

Radiation protection licenses issued as QEAA or PuB-EAA in EUDI Wallets contain verified attributes confirming regulatory compliance:

Safety training completion: Certificates from accredited radiation protection courses covering ionising radiation physics, biological effects, dose limits, protective equipment, emergency procedures, and regulatory requirements.

Medical surveillance status: Confirmation of current health monitoring program enrollment with radiation medicine physician oversight, ensuring early detection of radiation-related health effects.

Dosimetry compliance: Active personal dosimetry badge assignment and dose record maintenance, demonstrating ongoing exposure monitoring and ALARA compliance.

Equipment-specific qualifications: Authorisation for specific radiation source types (X-ray generators, sealed sources, unsealed radioisotopes, accelerators) based on demonstrated competency.

License validity period and renewal status: Clear indication of license expiration date and confirmation of continuing education requirements for renewal.

Verification Workflow Before Permitting Radiation Work

Facilities verify radiation protection licenses in EUDI Wallets before permitting workers to enter controlled areas or operate ionising radiation equipment:

Step 1: Worker presents credential: Employee requests access to radiation-controlled area or equipment, presenting radiation protection license from EUDI Wallet.

Step 2: Facility verifies QEAA/PuB-EAA: Radiation safety officer uses relying party verification system to cryptographically confirm license authenticity, checking qualified trust service provider signature or public sector registry origin.

Step 3: Attribute validation: System confirms safety training currency, medical surveillance enrollment, dosimetry compliance, and equipment-specific qualifications match work assignment requirements.

Step 4: License validity check: Verification system confirms license has not expired and worker has completed required continuing education for renewal.

Step 5: Access granted or denied: Based on complete verification, facility grants access to controlled areas or authorises equipment operation, maintaining audit trail for regulatory inspection.

Cross-Border Recognition Under Directive 2013/59/Euratom

EUDI Wallet implementation enables smooth cross-border recognition of radiation protection qualifications across Member States that have transposed Directive 2013/59/Euratom into national legislation.

A radiation protection officer licensed in Germany can work temporarily at a Belgian nuclear facility or French hospital, presenting credentials from their German EUDI Wallet for Belgian or French regulatory verification. The QEAA or PuB-EAA format ensures high-assurance verification despite different national licensing authorities.

National Authority Issuance via Official Registries

National radiation protection authorities (such as nuclear safety agencies, health ministries, or occupational safety regulators) issue radiation safety licenses as Public EAA (PuB-EAA) from official registries:

Providers of electronic attestations of attributes shall provide European Digital Identity Wallet users with the possibility to request, obtain, store and manage the electronic attestation of attributes. Licensed radiation protection workers request credentials directly from national authorities, who issue PuB-EAA digitally to EUDI Wallets after verifying registry data.

Implementation Timeline Throughout 2028

Following the December 2026 EUDI Wallet rollout and December 2027 mandatory private sector acceptance, radiation safety authorities implement digital license issuance throughout 2028, building on established Directive 2013/59/Euratom compliance infrastructure.

With Qualified EAA (QEAA) consistently offering high assurance for professional qualifications, Public EAA (PuB-EAA) enabling national authority issuance from official registries, Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom establishing professional qualification requirements (training, medical surveillance, dosimetry, classification of exposed workers), verified attributes confirming safety training completion and regulatory compliance, verification workflow ensuring facilities validate licenses before permitting radiation work, cross-border recognition enabling smooth worker mobility across Member States, and implementation using existing national radiation protection infrastructure transposed from the Directive by February 2018, radiation safety licenses demonstrate how EUDI Wallet professional credentials enhance worker safety and regulatory compliance for occupational exposures to ionising radiation.

The combination of high-assurance attestation types (QEAA for critical safety verification), public sector registry integration (PuB-EAA from national authorities), complete attribute verification (training, medical surveillance, dosimetry compliance, equipment qualifications), strong EU regulatory framework (Directive 2013/59/Euratom), and multi-sector applicability (medical imaging, nuclear facilities, industrial radiography, scientific research) positions radiation protection licenses as a model use case for professional credentials in the EUDI Wallet ecosystem — demonstrating how digital identity infrastructure supports both worker safety and regulatory oversight for hazardous occupational exposures.