For EDF's nuclear power plants, 2005 was marked by important events which will help determine supervisory actions for 2006.

First of all, the launch of the national public debate concerning the "Flamanville 3" EPR reactor project, after which EDF would be able to submit a creation decree application. Prior to any submission of such an application, the ASN will in 2006 continue to review the detailed design studies for the EPR reactor, with reference to the safety options stance adopted by the Government in 2004. It will also continue to cooperate with foreign, nuclear safety authorities, in particular the finish one, in order to include international viewpoints in its safety assessment.

Reports on safety harmonisation drafted by WENRA, particularly for power reactors, will also be published. The heads of the nuclear safety authorities from Europe's leading nuclear countries have agreed, on this basis, to achieve a harmonised safety situation by 2010. In 2006, the ASN will continue to transcribe into France's regulatory or related texts, the "reference levels" produced by WENRA. The ASN considers this work to be a priority, as harmonisation of safety standards in Europe is one means of continuing to take safety forward in an environment marked by deregulation of the electricity markets and an increased focus on competitiveness (see chapter 7 and the significant events in 2005).

A final issue will be the partial sell-off of EDF in November 2005, after the change in status in 2005, and the opening up of the electricity market to competition, a move which started in 2000. EDF has initiated numerous cost reduction and competitiveness improvement programmes, which are submitted to the ASN supervision whenever they affect safety issues. Even if the ASN reckons that it is perfectly normal for a company to be concerned by its competitiveness, it nonetheless keeps a very close watch on the safety consequences of this search for improved competitiveness. At this stage, no negative effects have been recorded but the ASN is remaining vigilant as to how the licensee reflects its search for profitability in its long-term investment choices and as to the day to day actions of its staff.

The ASN in particular considers that the condition of the facilities is satisfactory and that EDF applies appropriate operating methods - maintenance programmes and operating rules - taking due account of the lessons to be learned from experience feedback. In the fields of radiation protection and environmental protection, the ASN notes that EDF has adapted to a context of stronger regulation and considers that in 2005, EDF's results have on the whole progressed. Supervision of activities entrusted to subcontractors, a point to which ASN had drawn EDF's attention at the end of 2004, is improving. However, the ASN expects still greater progress in the stringency of operation and maintenance, and in worksite operating conditions.

The particularity of France is that it operates standardised NPPs which meet nearly 80% of the national electricity demand. Although this situation leads to extremely efficient experience feedback between the reactors, it does demand that a particularly close watch be kept on the possible appearance of generic defects. The conformity reviews, the permanent search for anomalies by the EDF engineering departments, the tests and inspections carried out during the ten-yearly outages are all opportunities for obtaining good knowledge of the current level of safety of the facilities. The ASN observes that this positive approach continued in 2005, and led to conformity being restored within times compatible with safety significance. The work designed to prevent the risk of reactor building sump clogging was thus started and the ASN will monitor its continuation in 2006.

It is also important for EDF to continue to take steps to improve safety still further. Integration of the changes resulting from the 900 MWe reactors second periodic safety review continued in 2005 and will be completed in 2010. Furthermore, the second ten-yearly outages on the 1300 MWe reactors began in the spring and will continue until 2014. 2005 was also marked by review of the programme associated with the periodic safety review of the 900 MWe reactors with a view to their third ten-yearly outages, scheduled to run from 2009 to 2020.

Finally, with regard to power reactor supervision procedures, the ASN carried out inspections to verify the correct working of the "internal authorisations" system set up in 2005. This system enables EDF to carry out operations which do not compromise the safety demonstration, without first having to ask the ASN for authorisation. This system, which at present only covers a very limited scope, could be extended in 2006. This would shift the burden of responsibility more squarely onto EDF, thereby correcting a natural tendency to leave it up to the ASN to check the quality of the files, a task which should be the prime responsibility of the licensee. This also enables the ASN to concentrate its supervisory actions on those subjects with more important safety issues.

In his letter of 20 September 2006, which can be found on the www.asn.gouv.fr website, the Director General of the ASN drew the attention of EDF's Chairman to these various points.