ASN Report 2018

2.7  ̶  European Community Urgent Radiological Information Exchange system (ECURIE) The European Community Urgent Radiological Information Exchange system (ECURIE) is one of the rapid action systems set up by the European Commission, which has an information exchange network for receiving and triggering an alert and thus for rapidly circulating information within the European Union in the event of a radioactive emergency or major nuclear accident. This system was set up in 1987 by a decision of the Council of the European Union dated 14 December 1987 more specifically in the wake of the Chernobyl accident in 1986. This decision came into force on 21 March 1988 and was ratified by all the Member States of the European Union and a certain number of third-party countries, such as Switzerland and accession candidate countries such as Turkey. 2.8  ̶  The European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA) WENRA continues to develop a joint approach to nuclear safety and its regulation, more notably within the European Union. WENRA created two working groups with the role of harmonising safety approaches in the fields of: ∙ ∙ nuclear power reactors (Reactor Harmonisation Working Group – RHWG); ∙ ∙ radioactive waste, spent fuel disposal and decommissioning (Working Group Radioactive Waste and Decommissioning – WGWD). In each of these fields, the groups defined the reference levels for each technical topic, based on the IAEA’s most recent standards and on the most stringent approaches adopted within the European Union. In 2018, two plenary sessions of WENRA were held, in April in Ghent and in November in Schaffhouse (Switzerland). These meetings produced the following major contributions: ∙ ∙ the adoption of a recommendation on carbon segregation for large equipment items; ∙ ∙ continuation of safety improvement work; ∙ ∙ the adoption of a report on the security-safety interfaces, the conclusions of which should be integrated into the reference levels; ∙ ∙ the development of reference levels for research reactors; ∙ ∙ the initiation of work on WENRA strategy for the coming years, taking account of projections regarding the world’s civil nuclear landscape. 2.9  ̶  The Western Association of the Heads of the European Radiological Protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) The Association of the Heads of the European Radiological Protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) was created in 2007 at the initiative of ASN in order to organise close consultation between the heads of the European Authorities with competence for radiation protection. In now comprises 56 Authorities, 32 of which come from European countries. Six expert groups are currently working on the following topics: ∙ ∙ practices and sources in the industrial and research fields; ∙ ∙ medical applications of ionising radiation; ∙ ∙ preparation and management of emergency situations; ∙ ∙ veterinary applications; ∙ ∙ sources of naturally occurring radiation; ∙ ∙ education and training. ASN has been the technical secretary for this association since it was created and takes part in all the working groups. Moreover, ASN has chaired the working group on medical applications since 2018. In 2017, HERCA finalised its action plan which included the publication of several positions concerning the transposition and implementation of the requirements of the BSS Directive. These positions were published on the HERCA website (herca.org ) . In the field of preparedness for and response to emergency situations, HERCA monitors the implementation of the HERCA-WENRA approach by the member countries. It should be recalled that this approach, approved in 2014, aims to coordinate population protection measures with those measures decided on by the country in which the accident occurred, in order to create a coherent response in the countries affected by the accident. HERCA is continuing its work to facilitate the effective implementation of this approach. The 22nd meeting of the HERCA Board in Paris On 30 and 31 October 2018, the HERCA Board met in the ASN premises in Montrouge. This meeting brought together 45 people from 25 European countries, along with the European Commission in the capacity of observer. Based on more than ten years of activity, HERCA decided to work on the benefits gained by its member countries and on new activities and working methods, the first results of which were presented in Montrouge. This exercise was also an opportunity to identify the challenges faced by HERCA, such as the long-term commitment of the leaders and experts of the member authorities and the definition of ambitious programmes of work involving all of its members. WENRA meeting – 25-26 April 2018 – Ghent (Belgium) 188  ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2018 06 – INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS