News releases

A week after its deliberation issued on March 14, 2011, the Commission of the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) has devoted its meeting on Monday, March 21, 2011 to the accident that occurred at Fukushima- and to initiate thinking about actions to be launched.

The ASN Commission renews its expression of sympathy to the Japanese people on the occasion of the national drama it undergoes. In particular, the ASN Commission praises the courageous efforts of people intervening on Fukushima nuclear power plants.

The nuclear crisis in Japan is still far from finished. The whole ASN staff remains mobilized. Its emergency centre is activated 24h/24h since Friday, March 11, 2011. The media and the public are regularly informed. ASN remains in direct contact with the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) and in permanent relationship with the Government, the Embassy of France in Japan, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). ASN also regularly consults its foreign counterparts.

On 15 March 2011, French Prime Minister, François Fillon, announced to the National Assembly that an audit was to be performed on the country's nuclear facilities.

Following a meeting of WENRA, the Western European Nuclear Regulators' Association, on 22 and 23 March 2011, the heads of nuclear regulatory authorities decided to set up a task force to provide an independent technical definition of a “stress test” and how it could be applied to European nuclear facilities. The purpose of this work is to see what improvements to nuclear safety can be made in light of the Fukushima accident. The findings will be passed on to ENSREG, the European Nuclear Safety Regulators' Group (ENSREG), which could draw on them to help it meet requests from the Council of the European Union and European Commission.

Seventy-nine significant radiation protection events, including four in brachytherapy, classified as level 1 on the ASN-SFRO scale, were reported between 1 July and 31 December 2010.

The French-Belgian Nuclear Safety Steering Committee held its annual meeting on 27 January 2011 in Brussels.

ASN rated at level 2 on INES scale an incident reported by EDF on February 16, 2011 concerning back-up diesel generators at Tricastin NPP.
The back-up diesel generators are used to supply safety systems of reactors in the event of loss of power by the national network. Each nuclear reactor is equipped with two back-up diesel generators. An additional back-up generator is available for all reactors on the same site. Each of these groups is sufficient to supply the systems necessary to ensure the safety of the reactor shutdown.

During the second half of 2010, ASN continued its inspection activities at the Flamanville 3 EPR construction site.

Jean-Jacques Dumont was designated by the President of the Republic. He took over from Marc Sanson, whose term of office ended on 12 November 2010.

On 1 December 2010, at the 6th meeting held in Paris of the association HERCA, which brings together the Heads of European Radiological protection Competent Authorities, HERCA has approved a Statement on the justification of full body-scanners using X-rays for security purposes.

On the occasion of the New Year, the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), through its president, Mr André-Claude Lacoste, presented his best wishes to the press on 11 January.

On 3 November 2010, the European Commission officially adopted a draft directive[1] on management of radioactive waste and spent fuel. It has now been submitted to the Council of Ministers of the European Union (EU) and the European Parliament, which will examine the terms of the proposal.

On 4 November 2010, ASN approved continuing operation of reactor 1 at the Tricastin Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) for an additional ten years after thirty years in service.
At the same time, ASN is requiring EDF to implement technical instructions setting new operating conditions for reactor 1 of the Tricastin NPP to gradually raise the safety level.
As part of its ongoing responsibilities, ASN will continue monitoring of the operation of reactor 1 of the Tricastin NPP.

At their meeting of 9th and 10th November 2010, the members of WENRA[1] made a statement concerning safety goals for new nuclear reactors.

On Monday 15th November 2010, ASN Chairman André-Claude Lacoste, on behalf of the French government , signed an agreement with the Swiss Federal Council and the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) concerning protection against ionising radiation and the safety of CERN’s facilities.

In order to take into account pressure vessel aging and possible changes in available knowledge and information, the demonstration of the serviceability of NPP pressure vessels is regularly updated by EDF and examined by the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN). In anticipation of the decisions to be taken regarding the continued operation of each 900 MWe reactor after the third ten-year inspection (VD3), EDF has submitted a justification documents for technical evaluation by the ASN with the technical support of the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN).