ASN Report 2020

The health crisis which affected all countries meant that ASN was unable to maintain the same pace of bilateral meetings with its counterparts as in previous years, in particular during the first half of 2020. A number of bilateral meetings were subsequently held by means of appropriate remote formats. This type of meeting, as well as intensified exchanges of information by email, enabled ASN to maintain a relatively satisfactory level of contact with its counterparts, drawing to a large extent on the dynamics that existed beforehand. Experience feedback from safety management owing to the health situation was a systematic topic of exchanges with the ASN counterparts throughout the year. The other principal topics of the exchanges were the fourth periodic safety reviews of the reactors and subjects concerning decommissioning and radioactive waste management. 5.1  Bilateral cooperation between ASN and its foreign counterparts GERMANY The Franco-German Commission (DFK) was created as an inter- governmental body and involves several competent authorities at both national and Prefect levels. With regard to ASN, it involves both the head office departments and the Strasbourg regional division. In addition to the Commission’s plenary meetings, two working groups meet regularly, one to address the safety of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) in border areas, the other the management of emergency situations. In 2020, the Commission and its working groups held remote a meeting on 15 and 16 December . The scaled-down plenary meeting of the Commission was an opportunity to present the changes to the situation in each of the two countries and to schedule the meetings for 2021. A Franco-German workshop on the subject of the fourth periodic safety review of the French NPPs was also held (see box). BELGIUM ASN cooperates on all subjects within its field of competence with its counterpart the Belgian Agence Fédérale de Contrôle Nucléaire (AFCN). This leads to cooperation both nationally and locally, with certain of the ASN regional divisions. The Franco-Belgian steering committee was unable to meet in 2020. The AFCN and the Lille regional division held two inspections in France on the organisation of occupational radiation protection in industrial radiography, in Outreau, and on interventional radiology in an emergency cardiology ward of a clinic in Amiens. CANADA A video-conference between the Chairs of the Canadian (CCSN) and French (ASN) nuclear safety authorities was held on 6 November 2020 . During the call, the subjects of small modular reactor projects, gender equality and the project for personnel secondments between the two Authorities were discussed. CHINA In 2020 , exchanges with the Chinese nuclear safety regulator (NNSA) mainly concerned preparations for the renewal of the cooperation agreement and for the exchanges planned for 2021, notably the bilateral meeting and cross-inspections concerning the regulation and oversight of NPPs in operation. SPAIN On 26 November 2020 , a remote bilateral meeting was organised between ASN and the Spanish nuclear safety regulator (CSN). The main topics discussed were the conditions for improving the preparedness and precautionary culture among the population, the public’s perception of the role of the authorities in an emergency situation, the role of expert appraisal and analysis in the decision- making process and societal acceptance of protection measures. Organisational changes at the safety regulators and oversight methods were also discussed. UNITED STATES In February 2020 , ASN welcomed the Commissioner of the American nuclear safety regulator (NRC), David A. Wright, to Montrouge for an interview with a member of the Commission and a visit to the CEA Saclay site facilities on the subject of decommissioning, the retrieval of legacy waste and research into accident-tolerant nuclear fuel. The 11th bilateral meeting between ASN and the NRC was held on 2 December 2020 , via video-conference. During this meeting, the discussions notably concerned the respective national and regulatory current issues, decommissioning projects and issues, new nuclear reactor projects (EPR-2), NRC’s experience of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) authorisation and personnel secondments ASN organises a Franco-German workshop on the subject of the 4th periodic safety reviews of the Nuclear Power Plants A workshop on the subject of the fourth periodic safety reviews of the French Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) was held over two half-days on 7 and 11 December 2020, by the Franco-German Commission’s working group on reactor safety. This workshop was opened up to a wide range of participants, notably from among the German expert commissions. 35 participants from the BMU (Federal Ministry for the Environment and Nuclear Safety), the RSK (German expert commission for reactors), the GRS (BMU technical support organisation), the authorities of the Land Bade‑Württemberg, the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Reactor Safety (IRSN) and ASN took part in this workshop, which was held online owing to the health crisis. ASN’s objective was to share information and good practices associated with the periodic safety review procedure, notably with regard to public involvement, as well as the approaches to certain technical aspects of the reviews, such as management of ageing or reinforced protection against natural hazards. For the German participants, the workshop was an opportunity to find out about the situation in France, the progress and technical content of the periodic safety reviews of the 900 Megawatts electric reactors, learn the relevant lessons and anticipate questions from the German public. The workshop’s first half-day was devoted to the ASN and the IRSN presentation of the various topics associated with the periodic safety reviews: process, legal and transboundary aspects, public involvement, technical aspects. The questions collected on the German side were then addressed in detail during the second half-day. The workshop was particularly well received by the German participants, who underlined the interest, transparency and quality of the exchanges. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2020 203 06 – INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 06