On 25 June 2009, the Council of the European Union adopted the Nuclear Safety Directive

The adoption of this directive constitutes an important step towards the creation of a legal framework for nuclear safety common to all Member States.

The directive establishes a legally binding EC-wide framework on nuclear safety.

It lays down fundamental obligations and general principles.

It strengthens the role of national regulatory authorities in safety monitoring and will guarantee a high level of transparency in matters concerning the safety of nuclear installations. It will thus help to harmonise safety requirements among all Member States and to establish a high level of safety in nuclear installations throughout the European Union.

The directive includes innovative provisions relating to cooperation between Safety Authorities (including the introduction of a peer review system), the training of staff who have operating responsibilities, the monitoring of nuclear installations and the provision of information to the public. It therefore strengthens cooperation among Member States.

The ASN strongly supports this directive, which provides a framework for the harmonisation work carried out by WENRA, a non-governmental organisation comprised of the heads of the nuclear safety authorities of 17 European countries with nuclear power plants, and opens the way for greater cooperation on nuclear safety within the European Union.