IAEA considers that ASN has reinforced the framework of its regulation and oversight of nuclear safety and radiation protection.

From 1^st to 9^th October 2017, ASN received an IAEA delegation responsible for follow-up to the Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) international audit mission carried out in 2014, concerning all of the activities regulated by ASN. The IAEA report on this mission, published by ASN in 2015, issued 46 recommendations and suggestions for which application and implementation was to be checked by the delegation present over the past few days.

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With 40 recommendations and suggestions applied (or applied “subject to completion of the currently ongoing measures”), the IAEA delegation, chaired by Bill Dean (NRC – American Nuclear Regulatory Commission), concluded that France had significantly reinforced the framework of its regulation and oversight of nuclear safety and radiation protection. IAEA did however point out that ASN needed to demonstrate vigilance with regard to the question of human resources, in the light of the safety issues facing nuclear facilities in France.

At the closing session of this follow-up mission, Mr. Rzentkowski, Director of the Division of Nuclear Installation Safety at IAEA, highlighted the fact that ASN is “an efficient nuclear safety and radiation protection regulatory body as proven by the conclusions of the mission”. He also recalled that France is so far the first country to have completed two full IRRS cycles, after the respective missions of 2009 and 2014.

ASN considers that the IRRS missions make a significant contribution to the international safety and radiation protection system. ASN is thus closely involved in hosting missions in France and in participating in missions in other countries.