NORWAY On 19 September 2023, an ASN delegation met the Norwegian nuclear safety regulator (Direktoratet for strålevern og atomsikkerhet – DSA) in Oslo. During this meeting, the two delegations covered several technical subjects such as installations decommissioning, radioactive waste management, the radiation protection issues linked to the new techniques used in the medical sector, or preparedness for and response to emergency situations. This meeting was accompanied by a visit to the Kjeller research reactor currently being decommissioned. NETHERLANDS The first bilateral meeting between the Dutch nuclear safety regulator (Autoriteit Nucleaire Veiligheid en Stralingsbescherming – ANVS) and ASN was held in Montrouge on 10 November 2023. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss topical subjects in both countries, changes to French and Dutch policies and programmes, new reactor construction projects in France and the Netherlands and OEF from ASN’s Caen regional division regarding oversight of the Flamanville EPR reactor. The desire for cooperation between the two regulators led to the signing of an agreement on 26 September 2023, in the margins of the IAEA general conference in Vienna. A visit to the ASN Emergency Centre was also organised on 9 November 2023. CZECH REPUBLIC In the margins of the 67th general conference of the IAEA, the ASN Chairman Bernard Doroszczuk met his Czech counterpart Dana Drábová from the Czech nuclear safety regulator (Státní úřad pro jadernou bezpečnost – SUJB). During this interview they discussed topical matters in both countries and the international issues regarding nuclear safety and radiation protection, in particular at a time of renewal of the nuclear sector and growing interest for SMRs. On this occasion, ASN and the SUJB welcomed the tripartite assessment carried out with the Finnish nuclear safety regulator (Säteilyturvakeskus – STUK) of the Nuward SMR project safety options. The collaboration agreement between ASN and the SUJB was renewed for a period of five years, thus confirming their desire to reinforce their bilateral relations. UNITED KINGDOM The bilateral relations with the British Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) took on a new dynamic in 2023 with a bilateral meeting in London from 8 to 10 February. Against the backdrop of renewed interest in the nuclear sector in both countries, numerous subjects were covered, in particular new reactor projects, including SMRs and advanced reactors, and the consequences of global warming. This meeting also led to a visit to the EPR reactors construction site at Hinckley Point. Inspection practices during the construction phase of a nuclear installation were then discussed. The stress corrosion phenomenon was also a point of common interest, which subsequently led to the sharing of information between the specialist departments, as had been the case during the Sizewell reactor outage in March 2023. The cooperation agreement between ASN and the ONR was renewed in 2023 for a period of five years. SWEDEN A bilateral meeting with ASN’s Swedish counterpart (Strålsäkerhetsmyndigheten – SSM) was held in Stockholm from 31 May to 1 June 2023. Several subjects of common interest were covered, such as the reuse of very low level metallic radioactive waste, international SMR initiatives, OEF from oversight of decommissioning of nuclear installations and management of the risks related to exposure to radon. The ASN delegation went to the Oskarshamn site for discussions on high level and intermediate level, long-lived waste management, as well as on the future spent fuels encapsulation plant. A cycle of cross-inspections with the Swedish regulator was also restarted in 2023. In November, SSM inspectors accompanied ASN’s Orléans regional division for an inspection on the Chinon NPP on the subject of fire. The collaboration agreement between ASN and the SSM was renewed in 2023 for a period of five years, during the 67th general conference of the IAEA. SWITZERLAND The Franco-Swiss Commission (CFS) was created as an intergovernmental body and involves several national authorities competent at both national and local levels. This Commission met on 26 and 27 April 2023 at Cadarache in France. This meeting was an opportunity for the two delegations to visit the ITER fusion reactor construction site. With regard to ASN, the CFS involves both the head office departments and the ASN Lyon and Strasbourg regional divisions. 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. Visit by a Swedish delegation to the Chinon NPP – November 2023 202 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 • 06 • International relations
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