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 the primary source of law in the field. It allowed the harmonised development of provisions allowing a strict regime of oversight for nuclear safety and security and radiation protection. In 2002, in its jurisprudence C-29/99, the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU) recognised that the Euratom Community shared competences with the Member States in the field of nuclear safety, going beyond simply the fields of radiation protection and information about emergency situations. ASN experts participate in the work of the EURATOM Treaty committees and working groups in the following areas: ∙ Radiation Protection Basic Standards (Article 31); ∙ verification and monitoring of environmental radioactivity (Article 35); ∙ information concerning the monitoring of radioactivity in the environment (Article 36); ∙ notifications relative to radioactive effluent discharges (Article 37). The Article 31 group of experts met twice in June and November 2023. It was informed of and consulted on the work of the European Commission notably with regard to: ∙ the SAMIRA strategy (Strategic Agenda for Medical Ionising Radiation Applications) and in particular various projects: QuADRANT, with the publication of RP 198 (EC Radiation Protection Guide No. 198), EU-JUST-CT (clinical peer audit in the field of the medical justification of computed tomography procedures) and SIMPLERAD (study on the implementation of the Euratom and the EU legal bases with regard to the therapeutic uses of radiopharmaceuticals); ∙ the evaluation of national radon plans, with publication of EC Guide RP 199 “Review and evaluation of national radon action plans in EU Member States according to the requirements of Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom”; ∙ repeal of regulation 2021/1533 on product controls setting particular conditions for the import of foodstuffs and animal feedstuffs originating in or shipped from Japan, following the accident that struck the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP – Japan). This group also issued an opinion on taking account of the dose coefficients published by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for estimations of effective doses and dose equivalents. In addition, a scientific seminar was organised in November 2023 to review radiation protection issues concerning new external radiotherapy techniques. The proceedings of the 2022 “Safety and radiological protection considerations of nuclear fusion reactors” seminar were published. The group of experts of Article 37 of the EURATOM Treaty met in July 2023 to examine the radioactive waste geological repository project in Olkiluoto (Finland). In its opinion issued in December 2023, the European Commission considered that the operation of this repository would not be such as to lead to significant radioactive contamination of the waters, soil or air of another EU Member State. This was the first case of this type assessed by the European Commission, which will also be required to rule in the coming years on the impact of the Cigéo deep geological repository project. 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 all Member States (derived from the baseline safety requirements produced by WENRA), establishes a European peer review system for safety topics and requires periodic safety reviews every 10 years. It also reinforces provisions concerning education and training. ASN EUROPE MULTILATERAL PART EU, European Commission, Euratom, ENSREG, WENRA, HERCA CONVENTIONS Nuclear safety, Safety of Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste, Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident, Assistance INTERNATIONAL MULTILATERAL PART IAEA, NEA, INRA 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 2023 193 • 06 • International relations 06 05 15 08 11 04 14 07 13 AP 03 10 02 09 12 01
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