Public information and transparency

The 13 June 2006 Act on Transparency and Security in the nuclear field, which created ASN, has increased transparency and the right to information on nuclear matters.

In accordance with the spirit of the law, ASN in 2009 intensified its own actions aimed at the general public, the media and its professional and institutional audiences.

The launch of the ASN Newsletter, the overhaul of the www.asn.fr website, the changes to Contrôle magazine, the conferences and symposia aimed at the professionals, the iodine tablets distribution campaign and the development of press and institutional relations are among the actions which contributed to increased transparency and which met the expectations of the various audiences.

In 2010, ASN will continue to enhance transparency and information on the subjects under its responsibility, together with the other players and stakeholders.

On its website, ASN will in 2010 be publishing all the follow-up letters to the inspections of small-scale nuclear facilities, along with the most important decisions and the IRSN opinions.

ASN will propose organising national and international debates on general subjects concerning nuclear safety and radiation protection, but also on society's approach to risk in general.

It will contribute to developing debate and discussion with the populations concerned by nuclear installation projects, by an activity using ionising radiations or by a radiological risk. It will hold local meetings and debates, in partnership with local organisations. In this context, the environment will be one of the focal points in 2010 through various actions: publications, press conferences, professional symposia, debate with the public and the stakeholders.
ASN aims to involve the public more closely in its decision-making process and to explain its decisions. It will thus promote public consultations via its website.

Developing exchanges with the institutions and stakeholders will also be one of the focal points of its public information actions.

As part of its active international policy, ASN will also be developing its work with the media, especially at a European and international level.
As ASN's aim is to make Europe an area with common nuclear safety and radiation protection policies and practices at the highest level, it will be preparing a European conference on nuclear safety and radiation protection.

In 2010, ASN will also continue to work towards implementation of the requirements of the TSN Act concerning licensee transparency and procedures concerning nuclear activities.

It will in particular contribute to the nuclear activities aspect of implementing the reform of the public consultation procedures stipulated by the national environmental protection Act ("Grenelle 2" Act) which should be finally adopted in the first quarter of 2010.

This in particular entails the reform of the public inquiry process and, at the proposal of ASN, making a public consultation procedure systematic for all projects liable to lead to a significant increase in the water intake or environmental discharges by a BNI.

ASN will be looking for practical measures to facilitate implementation of the new requirements concerning access to the information in the possession of the licensees and to the safety analysis report. In this respect, for 2010, it hopes in particular to see the completion of the work undertaken by HCTISN on reconciling transparency with the level of secrecy protected by law.

ASN will aim to complete the project to extend to the transport sector the right of access to information in the possession of those in charge of nuclear activities.

Based on the results of the discussions that took place in 2009, it will at the beginning of 2010 publish a new version of its drafting guide for the annual public information reports required from BNI licensees.

Finally, ASN will continue to support CLI activities. It will encourage the Conseils généraux concerned to complete the process to bring the CLIs into line with the new legal system created by the TSN Act. With ANCCLI and in conjunction with the licensees, it will aim to draft rules of good practice to make it easier for the CLIs to perform their duties. It will reiterate its proposals to the Government with a view to ensuring that the CLIs are given the resources they need.