The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

The IRRS missions

At the request of ASN, an “Integrated Regulatory Review Service” (IRRS) international peer review mission took place from 16^th to 28^th November 2014. , This audit looked into all the activities regulated and monitored by ASN. It was held in accordance with the European directive on nuclear security, which requires a peer review mission to be organised every 10 years.

The IRRS mission, coordinated by the IAEA, was headed by Mr. Mark Satorius, the Executive Director for Operations of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and by Dr. Ann McGarry, Director of radiation protection at the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It was carried out by 29 experts from the nuclear safety and radiation protection regulatory bodies of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cuba, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan, Morocco, Norway, Pakistan, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States and the IAEA itself.

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IAEA IRRS mission 2014

The French nuclear safety and radiation protection oversight system evaluated by IAEA

The reviewers examined the strengths and weaknesses of the French nuclear safety and radiation protection oversight system with regard to IAEA standards. They met with staff from ASN in Paris and in the regions, as well as from the relevant Government departments. Mr. Satorius and Dr. Mc Garry also held a meeting with the member of Parliament Jean-Yves Le Déaut, the Chairman of the OPECST (Parliament Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technologic Issues). By taking part in a number of inspections on nuclear installations, the reviewers were also able to evaluate the field checks carried out by ASN.

The conclusions of the mission were presented to ASN on 28^th November 2014 and were the subject of an IAEA press release.

The previous IRRS missions

The previous “full scope” mission was held from 5^th to 17^th November 2006. This mission was carried out by sixteen experts from nuclear safety regulators from 16 different countries. A corresponding follow-up mission took place in 2009.

ASN considers that IRRS missions make a significant contribution to the international nuclear safety and radiation protection system. Then, ASN headquaters officers are regularly involved in IRRS missions that are organized in other countries. ASN Commissioner Philippe Jamet and Director General Jean-Christophe Niel thus led IRRS missions in Finland and Switzerland respectively. Commissioner Margot Tirmarche will conduct the IRRS mission in Ireland scheduled for 2015.

The OSART missions

For the standards that concern the nuclear licensees, the OSART (Operational Safety Review Team) missions mobilise a team of experts from the nuclear safety authorities of third countries who audit a nuclear facility. The objective of the missions is to perform an in-depth and critical examination of the operational safety of the nuclear power plants. All the French nuclear power plants have now undergone an OSART mission.  

In addition to OSART missions, Corporate OSART missions are also achieved in central services. Launched in 2013, such missions are organized to review the overall management of a licensee (EDF in France) that affects all the operational safety aspects of the nuclear power plants.

The reports (in English) of the OSART missions carried out in France are accessible below:

The TRANSAS missions

In 2002, France asked the IAEA to assess its organisation of the transport of radioactive materials and application of the international regulations. The subsequent TranSAS (Transport Safety Appraisal Service) mission ran from 29th March to 8th April 2004. The team that carried out the mission comprised fourteen experts from nine different countries (Germany, Canada, Egypt, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand and Panama) and included two experts and one technical writer from the IAEA.

The mission's assessment report indicated three broad categories:

1. recommendations on the areas in which ASN must bring improvements pursuant to the international regulations;
2. suggestions concerning the areas in which ASN could improve its effectiveness;
3. good practices which can serve as models for other competent authorities in the transport of radioactive materials.

The report contains three recommendations, sixteen suggestions and twelve good practices. It concludes that the international regulations are applied in accordance with IAEA requirements and that improvements can be made, particularly with regard to the updating of the guides and procedures, and that it has formal proof that all the requirements are effectively satisfied.

The good practices noted by the TranSAS mission concern maritime transport and emergency situation preparedness in particular.

A follow-up mission carried out in November 2006 found that the actions relative to all the recommendations and suggestions had either been completed or were well under way.