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Norway
The annual bilateralmeetingbetween theNRPA (Norwegian
Radiation Protection Authority) and ASN was held in
November 2015 in Oslo, as part of the follow-up to the
cooperation agreement signed in December 2011.
Thismeetingwas an opportunity to review the cooperation
measures initiated in a number of fields. On the topic
of radon, ASN and the NRPA concluded that the two
workshops held in 2014 and 2015 had been extremely
fruitful.With regard to the security of radioactive sources,
the two regulators will continue their collaboration, in
particular under an international initiative which aims to
promote the search for alternatives to the use of high-level
sources. In the field of emergency management, ASN,
which received a Norwegian observer during a French
emergency exercise in October 2015, will be invited to
observe an exercise scheduled in Andreev Bay in May
2016. It was also agreed that NRPA inspectors will be
able to follow a research reactor inspection carried out
in France by ASN in 2016.
Netherlands
In 2015, the Netherlands decided to group all the
departments in charge of nuclear safety and radiation
protection currently spread around the variousministries
within a single independent regulator called the ANVS
(Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection).
ASNwill continue todevelop and strengthen its cooperation
with the ANVS in the future.
United Kingdom
Cooperation betweenASNand the British safety regulator
(ONR –Office for Nuclear Regulation) has been expanded
over the years. In September 2013, a newcooperation and
information exchange agreement was signed by ASN and
theONR. This agreement was supplemented in September
2014 by a cooperation protocol tomore precisely define
the nature of the cooperativework between the two entities
and to define a certain number of working groups for
improved oversight of the work performed jointly (see
chapter 12 point 2.10.3).
Sweden
Under the cooperation and information exchange
agreement signed by ASN and its Swedish counterpart,
the SSM
(Sträl SäkerhetsMyndigheten)
in September 2013,
a delegation from the ASN Orleans division went to
Sweden in June 2015 to take part in an inspection to
verify the licensee’s adoption of post-Fukushimameasures
on the Ringhals site.
Switzerland
ASN enjoys long-standing and regular relations with
its Swiss counterpart, the IFSN (Federal Nuclear
Safety Inspectorate) on a variety of subjects (safety of
nuclear facilities, radiation protection in the medical
field, preparedness for and management of emergency
situations, transport, etc.).
Working groups meet periodically to discuss subjects
related to transport and to preparedness for emergency
situations (experience feedback and exchanges of best
practices).
The 26th annual meeting of the Franco-Swiss nuclear
safety and radiation protection committee, co-chaired by
Pierre-FranckChevet andHansWanner, Director General
of the IFSN, took place from31st August to 1st September
2015 in Spiez, Switzerland. One notable decisionwas to
initiate exchanges on the reactor vessels problemon each
side of the border and to continue the discussions on the
regulation of geological disposal sites. The organisation
of personnel exchanges was also discussed.
The meeting was preceded by a visit to the NRBC
LaborSpiez centre which works closely with IAEA, in
particular on the topic of non-proliferation.
5.3 ASN bilateral assistance
In 2015, at their request, ASN had contacts with several
safety regulators in countries looking to find out about
the safety measures to be implemented (creation of a
nuclear safety regulatory and oversight infrastructure).
In line with its policy, ASN responds to these requests
as part of its bilateral actions with the safety regulator
of the country concerned, in addition to instruments
that are either European (EU Instrument for Nuclear
Safety Cooperation – INSC) or international (IAEA’s
Regulatory Cooperation Forum– RCF). The purpose of
this cooperation is to enable the beneficiary countries to
acquire the safety and transparency culture that is essential
for a national system of nuclear safety and radiation
protection oversight. Nuclear safety oversight must be
based on national competence and ASN consequently
only provides support for the establishment of an
adequate national framework and advises the national
safety regulator, whichmust retain full responsibility for
its oversight of the nuclear facilities. It pays particular
attention to countries acquiring technologies of which
it has experience in France.
ASN considers that developing an appropriate safety
infrastructure takes at least fifteen years before operation
of a nuclear power reactor can begin in good conditions.
For these countries, the goal is to set up a legislative
framework and an independent and competent safety
regulator with the financial and human resources it needs
to perform its duties and to develop capacity in terms
of safety, safety and regulatory culture and oversight of
radiological emergency management.
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CHAPTER 07:
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015