1. ASN’s objectives regarding international relations The international arena is a strategic challenge to which ASN devotes particular attention and resources. ASN’s actions in this field aim for continuous improvement in safety, based on changing knowledge and sharing of practices, in particular in terms of regulation and oversight. This action also aims to ensure ambitious harmonisation of international requirements regarding nuclear safety and radiation protection. ASN’s objectives internationally are thus organised around four main points: ∙ to promote the creation of ambitious international baseline requirements; ∙ to make the French and European positions and regulations known to its counterparts; ∙ to encourage international work on the priority technical issues identified by ASN; ∙ to benefit from the best international practices to achieve progress in nuclear safety and radiation protection in France. To achieve these goals, ASN maintains close bilateral relations with numerous countries. It also takes part in numerous multilateral exchanges within bodies and organisations with different statuses, whether at European level with the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG), the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA) and the Heads of the European Radiological Protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) or at the international level, more particularly with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Through its bilateral relations, ASN has direct and fruitful exchanges with its counterparts on topical subjects or on particular points regarding regulations or oversight. These exchanges are an opportunity for ASN to share its experience and compare its positions and practices in order to progress. They also cast an outside light on position statements, technical questions or societal acceptability, thereby enriching the national debates and consolidating decisions and resolutions. They also enable ASN to be directly informed of the nuclear safety and radiation protection situation in other countries. In this respect, ASN’s relations with its counterparts in neighbouring countries are of particular interest. These exchanges are also essential in the management of emergency situations. For ASN, Europe is one of the priority areas for its international actions. ASN’s goal is to contribute to the sharing, harmonisation and improvement of nuclear safety and radiation protection. Within European associative or community circles, ASN’s aim is to share its vision of the priority safety issues, to compare its analyses and to conduct discussions on the practices of its counterparts, in order to help establish and maintain a high level of stringency in nuclear safety and radiation protection at the European level, which can be based on harmonised baseline requirements and doctrines established together. ASN is working to develop the sharing of good practices and radiation protection outside Europe. On this point, it aims to ensure that European doctrine, which promotes the highest levels of requirements, constitutes a benchmark worldwide, notably for countries adopting new reactor models and countries gaining access to nuclear energy for the first time. These international exchanges, which take place in a variety of circles, also enable ASN to benefit from international best practices and experience, thus helping to advance nuclear safety and radiation protection in France. ASN therefore works within three main cooperative frameworks. It aims to ensure that a constant and balanced presence is maintained within each one, considering that each one is specific and that the complementarity between them contributes to the target of harmonisation and continuous improvement of nuclear safety and radiation protection. Through a range of bilateral, European and multilateral cooperation frameworks, in which it participates, the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) aims to promote the adoption of ambitious international baseline requirements. Within these frameworks, ASN also ensures that the French positions and doctrines are made known and advantage is taken of international best practices to achieve progress in nuclear safety and radiation protection in France and worldwide. ASN also submits proposals to the Government regarding France’s positions in international negotiations within its field of competence, and represents France in the relevant international and community frameworks. 194 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2022 • 06 • International relations
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