2 // The European framework for ASN’s international relations European harmonisation of nuclear safety and radiation protection principles and standards has always been a priority for ASN. In this context, ASN participates actively in exchanges between the national nuclear safety and radiation protection authorities of the Member States. 2.1 The EURATOM Treaty and its working groups The Treaty instituting the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) was signed on 25 March 1957 and constitutes primary law in the field, allowing the harmonised development of provisions allowing a strict regime of oversight for nuclear safety and security and radiation protection. The European Union (UE) Court of Justice, considering that the fields of nuclear safety and radiation protection form an inseparable whole, recognised the principle of the existence of community competence in the field of safety, as in the field of management of radioactive waste and spent fuel. ASN experts participate in the work of the EURATOM Treaty committees and working groups: ∙ group of experts specified in Article 31 (Basic Radiation Protection Standards); ∙ group of experts specified in Article 35 (verification and monitoring of radioactivity in the environment); ∙ group of experts specified in Article 36 (information concerning the monitoring of radioactivity in the environment); ∙ group of experts specified in Article 37 (notifications relative to radioactive effluent discharges). The Article 31 group of experts met three times remotely in 2021: twice in June and once in November. It familiarised itself with the work of the European Commission, drew up its programme of work and issued an opinion on the report from the EU’s Joint Research Centre entitled “Technical assessment of nuclear energy with respect to the ‘do no significant harm’ criteria of Regulation (EU) 2020/852 (‘Taxonomy Regulation’)”. An “Advances/Innovations in individual dosimetry” scientific seminar was also organised in November 2021 to review innovations in the field of dosimetry. The Article 37 group of experts met twice remotely in 2021 (February and June) to deal with questions regarding the planned construction of two EPR reactors on the Sizewell site in the United Kingdom, and the extension of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Hungary. In addition, in accordance with Article 35 of the EURATOM Treaty, representatives from the European Commission went to the Orano site in Malvesi from 14 to 16 December 2021, for a verification visit on the steps taken by France to monitor environmental radioactivity around this nuclear site. 2.2 The European Euratom Directive on the Safety of Nuclear Facilities The Council 2009/71/Euratom Directive of 25 June 2009, revised in 2014 following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP, establishes a Community framework to ensure nuclear safety within the European Atomic Energy Community and to encourage the Member States to guarantee a high level of nuclear safety (see “Regulation” section on asn.fr). It notably makes provision for greater powers and independence for the national safety regulators, reinforces requirements regarding transparency, sets an ambitious safety objective for the entire UE (derived from the baseline safety requirements produced by WENRA), establishes an European peer review system for safety topics and requires periodic safety reviews every 10 years. It also reinforces provisions concerning education and training. This Directive and its amendment are transposed into French law. It should however be noted that European legislation does not yet enshrine in law the institutional independence of the safety regulators. 2.3 The European Euratom Directive on the Management of Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste On 19 July 2011, the Council of the EU adopted a Directive establishing a community framework for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste (Directive 2011/70/Euratom). The adoption of this Directive contributes to reinforcing safety within the EU, by making the Member States more accountable for the management of their spent fuels and their radioactive waste. ASN EUROPE MULTILATERAL PART EU, European Commission, Euratom ENSREG, WENRA, HERCA INTERNATIONAL MULTILATERAL PART IAEA, NEA, MDEP, INRA CONVENTIONS Nuclear Safety, Safety of Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste, Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident, Assistance BILATERAL PART Cooperation and information exchange, assistance, personnel secondment ASN ACTION ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2021 193 06 – INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 08 07 13 04 10 06 12 14 03 09 05 11 02 01 AP
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