5.2 ASN assistance actions in a bilateral framework ASN may be required to respond to assistance requests via bilateral actions with the safety regulator of the country concerned, in addition to the instruments, both European (EINS) and international (RCF). The purpose of this cooperation is to enable the beneficiary countries to acquire the safety culture and transparency that is essential for a national system of nuclear safety and radiation protection oversight. Nuclear safety oversight must be based on national competence and ASN consequently only provides support for the establishment of an adequate national framework, ensuring that the national safety regulator it advises retains full responsibility for its oversight of the nuclear facilities. It pays particular attention to countries acquiring technologies of which it has experience in France. ASN considers that developing an appropriate safety infrastructure requires a minimum of fifteen years before a nuclear power reactor can begin to operate in good conditions. For these countries, the goal is to set up a legislative framework and an independent and competent safety regulator with the financial and human resources it needs to perform its duties and to develop skills in terms of safety, safety culture and oversight as well as in radiological emergency management. In 2022, ASN finalised its mission under the INSC project that it was coordinating on behalf of NDK, the Turkish nuclear safety authority. 5.3 Personnel secondments between ASN and its foreign counterparts Understanding the working and practices of foreign nuclear safety and radiation protection regulators enables pertinent lessons to be learned for the working of ASN and the training of its personnel to be enhanced. One of the means used to achieve this goal is personnel secondments, generally for a period of one to three years, but also for shorter periods through missions on specific subjects. This immersion in the activities and working of the counterpart safety regulator is a unique means of assimilating subjects of common interest. Between January 2018 and August 2021, an ASN staff member was thus seconded to the NRC for a period of three and a half years. Since 1 January 2019, an ASN senior inspector has been seconded to the British Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). In 2022, short missions were set up between ASN and the CNSC. A Canadian inspector was thus welcomed by several ASN entities (Paris and Nantes regional divisions, as well as the ionising radiation and health department – DIS – and the waste, research installations and fuel cycle department – DRC) for three months, to look at radiation protection in the medical field, while an ASN inspector completed a two-week mission at the CNSC on SMR authorisation processes. 6. Outlook In 2022, the more favourable health context than in the past two years enabled ASN to maintain regular exchanges with several of its counterparts, whether bilaterally or multilaterally. This momentum will be maintained in 2023 notably with the planned resumption of face to face meetings with the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland and Japan. In addition, new bilateral relations should appear with several other authorities, such as those of India, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Romania and Turkey, with whom agreements were recently signed or are being drawn up. Important international milestones should also be reached in 2023: in March, France will present its national report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety. In October, France will also publish its national report for the second thematic peer review concerning the protection of nuclear facilities against fire risks. In a nuclear context faced with new challenges, notably linked to the energy crisis, climate change, the war in Ukraine and the growing interest in new technologies and innovation, ASN will work to promote collective vigilance internationally with a view to maintaining a high level of safety, and to consider these challenges as opportunities to enhance safety even further. 204 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2022 • 06 • International relations 06
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