nuclear safety and radiation protection regulation, in order to bring together public expert assessment and research resources in these fields. Since then, these texts have been modified, notably by Article 186 of the TECV Act and Decree 2016-283 of 10 March 2016 relating to the IRSN. IRSN reports to the Ministers for the Environment, Defence, Energy, Research and Health respectively. Article L. 592-45 of the Environment Code specifies that IRSN is a State public industrial and commercial institution which carries out expert analysis and assessment and research missions in the field of nuclear safety – excluding any responsibility as nuclear licensee. IRSN contributes to information of the public and publishes the opinions requested by a public authority or ASN, in consultation with them. It organises the publicity of scientific data resulting from the research programmes run at its initiative, with the exception of those relating to defence matters. For the performance of its missions, ASN receives technical support from IRSN. As the ASN Chairman is a member of the IRSN Board, ASN contributes to setting the direction of IRSN’s strategic planning. IRSN conducts and implements research programmes in order to build its public expertise capacity on the very latest national and international scientific knowledge in the fields of nuclear and radiological risks. It is tasked with providing technical support for the public authorities with competence for safety, radiation protection and security, in both the civilian and defence sectors. IRSN also has certain public service responsibilities, in particular monitoring of the environment and of populations exposed to ionising radiation. IRSN manages national databases (national nuclear material accounting, national inventory of ionising radiation sources, file for monitoring worker exposure to ionising radiation, etc.), and thus contributes to information of the public concerning the risks linked to ionising radiation. IRSN workforce As at 31 December 2023, the IRSN total workforce stood at 1,783 staff; IRSN’s technical support for ASN mobilised 430 FTE personnel in 2023. IRSN budget The IRSN budget is presented in point 3. A five-year agreement defines the principles and procedures for the technical support provided to ASN by the Institute. It was renewed at the end of 2021 for the period 2022-2026. This agreement is clarified on a yearly basis by a protocol identifying the actions to be performed by IRSN to support ASN. TECV Act This 17 August 2015 Act clarifies the organisation of the system built around ASN and IRSN: ∙ It enshrines the existence and duties of IRSN within a new section 6 of the Environment Code entitled “The Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety” in Chapter 2 concerning “The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN)” of Title IX of Book V of the Environment Code. ∙ It recalls that ASN benefits from IRSN technical support, indicating that this support comprises expert analysis and assessment activities “supported by research”. ∙ It clarifies the relations between ASN and IRSN, indicating that ASN “guides IRSN’s strategic programming concerning this technical support” and that the ASN Chairman is a member of the Board of the Institute. ∙ Finally, it also makes provision for the principle of the publication of IRSN opinions. 2.5.2 Advisory Committees of Experts In preparing its resolutions, ASN relies on the opinions and recommendations of seven Advisory Committees of Experts (GPEs). A distinction is made between the expert assessment requested from IRSN (see point 2.5.1) and that requested from the GPEs. At ASN’s request, the GPEs issue an opinion on certain technical dossiers with particularly high potential consequences prior to decisions being taken. The GPEs consist of experts appointed individually for their competence and are open to civil society. Their members come from university and association backgrounds and from expert assessment and research organisations. They may also be licensees of nuclear facilities or come from other sectors (industrial, medical, etc.). Participation by foreign experts can help diversify the approach to problems and provide the benefit of experience acquired internationally. ASN renews the composition of the Advisory Committees every four years. In 2023, they were broken down according to their areas of expertise: ∙ the Advisory Committee of Experts for Decommissioning (GPDEM); ∙ the Advisory Committee of Experts for Nuclear Reactors (GPR); ∙ the Advisory Committee of Experts for Laboratories and Plants (GPU); ∙ the Advisory Committee of Experts for Waste (GPD); ∙ the Advisory Committee of Experts for Transport (GPT); ∙ the Advisory Committee of Experts for Nuclear Pressure Equipment (GPESPN); ∙ the Advisory Committee of Experts for radiation protection of workers, the public and the environment, for the medical and forensic, veterinary, industrial and research applications of ionising radiation, as well as for naturally occurring ionising radiation (radon, cosmic or telluric radiation), as well as for the radiation protection of patients (GPRP) created in January 2022. For most of the subjects covered, the GPEs examine the reports produced by IRSN, by an expert working group or by one of the ASN departments. The representatives of the ASN departments or external structures which carried out the expert assessment prior to a GPE meeting, present their conclusions to the group. Following each consultation, the GPE consulted can send the ASN Director General a written opinion, plus recommendations where necessary. The contents of the dossier are made available to the members of the GPEs so that they can reach an informed and independent conclusion. This independent perspective is of use for the decision-making process. In addition to being consulted on the dossiers submitted by a licensee, the Advisory Committees act as guarantor of nuclear safety and radiation protection doctrine and contribute to its development. They can be invited to take part in the debate on changes to regulations, or on a general nuclear safety or radiation protection topic. As an expert assessment body, the members of the Advisory Committees are required to abide by the provisions of the external expert assessment charter in Appendix 2 to the ASN internal regulations. Each GPE member produces a declaration of interest. Those of the members of the GPRP and its working group on the radiation protection of patients (GTRPP) are made public. Internal rules of procedure common to all the GPEs are in force and notably provide a framework for identifying and managing links and conflicts of interest. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 137 • 02 • The principles of nuclear safety and radiation protection and the regulation and oversight stakeholders 02 05 15 08 11 04 14 06 07 13 AP 03 10 09 12 01
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