ASN Report 2018

This assistance project, which started in May 2016, is scheduled to last for three years. ASN is also involved in assistance to Vietnam via the RCF, the forum for exchanges between safety regulators, created under the aegis of the IAEA. In this context, a meeting was held on 27 and 28 June 2018 in Brussels, with a view to facilitating the sharing of experience between regulators and rationalising the assistance given to those countries looking to develop nuclear energy. Turkey In 2018 , ASN continued to coordinate the management of the first assistance programme to Turkey under the INSC, in order to develop the capabilities of the nuclear safety regulator, the TAEK, in the fields of probabilistic and deterministic safety assessments, inspections on construction and the manufacture of nuclear components and integrated safety management. This assistance project, which started in January 2018 , is scheduled to last for three years. It is important to note that a new Act was passed by Turkey on 9 July 2018 creating the new safety regulator, the NDK. The impact of these changes will be taken into account in the implementation of this project. 5.3  ̶  Staff exchanges between ASN and its foreign counterparts Better understanding how foreign nuclear safety and radiation protection regulators actually function is a way to learn pertinent lessons for the working of ASN itself and to enhance staff training. One of the means used to achieve this is to develop personnel exchanges, such as those carried out with the ONR (Office for Nuclear Regulation) and the NRC. Provision is made for several types of exchange: ∙ ∙ very short term actions (a few days) are a means of offering ASN’s counterparts a chance to take part in peer-observation of inspections and nuclear and radiological emergency exercises. For example, in 2018, about 20 peer-observations of inspections on the field of nuclear safety and radiation protection were organised with Germany, Belgium, including the in-depth inspection of the Gravelines NPP, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Turkey under the ongoing INSC European training project; ∙ ∙ short-term assignments (2 weeks to 6 months) aimed at studying a specific technical topic; ∙ ∙ long-duration exchanges (one to three years) for immersion in the activities and workings of the nuclear safety regulator receiving the seconded staff member. Whenever possible, this type of exchange should be reciprocal. Since 8 January 2018, an ASN staff member has been seconded to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a period of three years; the first year of the secondment took place at the Office of New Reactors (NRO). One of the main goals of this secondment is to promote exchanges between the NRC and ASN on subjects of common interest. Thus, in order to comply with the requests from certain departments at ASN, the ASN staff member seconded to the NRC drafted a memo on the subject of nuclear safety and another on the facilities for dry storage of spent nuclear fuel in the United States. Exchanges between ASN and the US NRC continued in 2018 on these subjects. More particularly, when the ASN senior inspector visited the United States for the NRC annual Regulatory Information Conference (RIC), from 13 to 15 March 2018, particular points of interest were identified with regard to American inspection and safety practices. In 2018, the process for secondment of an NRC staff member to ASN was also initiated. Moreover, in 2018, the exchange of personnel between ASN and the British safety regulator took the form of a mutual secondment of two inspectors. 6 —  Outlook ASN will devote efforts to creating an ambitious international framework in the field of doctrine and regulations, drawing on best practices. ASN will encourage and contribute to international reflection on major technical issues. Particular attention will be given to WENRA and its development, in order to reinforce actions with countries looking to implement new reactor designs. ASN will also take part in ensuring improved coordination between the European Commission, ENSREG, WENRA and the TSOs with regard to safety improvements under way as a result of the 2014 Directive. It will thus share the safety targets and modifications implemented for the continued operation of the reactors, more particularly VD4-900. At a time when certain countries are opting for safe containment of their shut down facilities, primarily for financial reasons, ASN will in its bilateral relations and in the international and European working groups, continue to promote the French approach, which is consistent with IAEA’s position and which involves complete dismantling as rapidly as possible. ASN will state how it intends to reinforce transparency, more particularly with regard to the public consultation processes, for the VD4, the PNGMDR or the Cigéo project. ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2018  199 06 – INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 06