ASN Report 2018

The Board of HERCA met twice in 2018. These two meetings reviewed ongoing and future activities by the Working Groups and approved the publication of documents, such as the information sheet for the protection of workers during outdoor imaging procedures in the veterinary field, or the country sheets detailing the national structures implemented in response to an emergency situation. The HERCA Board also adopted a position in the light of a ruthenium release incident in the autumn of 2017 and asked that, when abnormal releases are detected, the HERCA members rapidly share the results of measurements taken on their territory by means of the USIE (see point 4.3) or ECURIE tools. 2.10  ̶  Assistance programmes under the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC) In 1991, the European Commission launched the “nuclear safety” part of the TACIS (2) programme to address the concerns raised by the Chernobyl accident. From 1991 to 2006, more than €1.3 billion were committed to nuclear safety projects. Since 2007, the actions of the European Union with regard to assistance and cooperation in the field of nuclear safety have continued under the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC). Three priority areas for assistance to the countries of Eastern Europe had been defined under these programmes, in the field of nuclear safety: ∙ ∙ contribution to improving the operating safety of existing reactors; ∙ ∙ provision of funding for short-term improvements to the least safe reactors; ∙ ∙ improvement in the organisation of safety regulation, making a clear distinction between the responsibilities of the different entities concerned and reinforcing the role and competence of national nuclear regulatory bodies. Regulation 237/2014/Euratom of the European Parliament and the Council, dated 13 December 2013, revised the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation for the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020 with a budget envelope of €225.3 million, owing to European budget restrictions. 2. TACIS: Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States (European Union programme to provide aid to the countries of the former USSR). Moreover, regulation 236/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, dated 11 March 2014, laid out common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union’s instruments for financing external actions. The objectives of the new instrument include the goals of: ∙ ∙ supporting the promotion and implementation of stricter nuclear safety and radiation protection standards in nuclear facilities and of radiological practices in third-party countries; ∙ ∙ supporting the drafting and implementation of responsible strategies for ultimate disposal of spent fuel, for waste management, for decommissioning of facilities and for cleanout of former nuclear sites. These instruments are supplemented by other international technical assistance programmes, in accordance with resolutions adopted by the G8, or by the IAEA, to improve nuclear safety in third party countries, and which are funded by contributions from donor States and the European Union. The tangible assistance actually provided by ASN via the INSC mainly took the form of aid for the nuclear safety Authorities. Thus, in 2018, ASN took part in regulatory assistance projects on behalf of the safety regulators of China (second phase), Vietnam and Turkey. ASN wins a call for bids from the European Commission In a consortium with IRSN and GRS, its main partners, ASN won a call for bids in 2018 for the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC), headed by the European Commission and providing assistance to the Turkish regulator. This three-year programme comprises four tasks, concerning management of the project (leader ASN), specific technical tasks to reinforce the capabilities of the Turkish regulator (NDK) with regard to safety assessments, manufacturing and construction inspection capability (leader ASN) and improvements to the regulator’s management systems. 21st HERCA meeting – 17-18 May 2018 – Prague (Czech Republic) ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2018  189 06 – INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 06