The original objectives of EAN were:

• To promote the wider and more uniform use of optimisation techniques in the various fields of occupational application in Europe
• To provide a focus and a mechanism for the exchange and dissemination of information from practical experience
• To propose topical issues of interest that should be subject of European meetings, workshops or research projects

These objectives have been progressively expanded. Similarly the scope of the Network, which was originally limited to improving occupational exposure in industry and research only, was expanded; first to include occupational exposure in medical and Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) areas, and then to other types of exposures. Finally in 2010, the objective has been simplified at the occasion of the renewal of the EAN Terms and Conditions:

• Promote a wider and more uniform implementation of the ALARA principle for the management of worker, public and patient exposures in all situations,
• Provide a focus and a mechanism for the exchange and dissemination of information from practical ALARA experiences,
• Identify and investigate topical issues of common interest to further improve the implementation of ALARA.