ASN Report 2017

20 ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2017 Significant events and outlook Parliament defines the applicable legislative framework and monitors its implementation, more particularly via its specialist committees or the Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices (OPECST) to which ASN presents its report each year on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France. On the advice of ASN, the Government defines the general regulations for nuclear safety and radiation protection. Again on the advice of ASN, it also takes major individual decisions concerning BNIs (creation authorisation, etc.). It is responsible for civil protection in an emergency. In the current Government organisation, the Minister for Ecological and Solidarity- based Transition is responsible for nuclear safety and, together with the Minister for Solidarity and Health, for radiation protection. In each département , the Prefect – as the State’s representative – is responsible for population protection measures in the event of an accident. The Prefect is also involved during various procedures to oversee local coordination and provide the Ministers or ASN with an opinion. ASN is an independent administrative Authority. It is tasked with regulating nuclear activities and contributes to public information. It sends the Government proposals for regulatory texts and is consulted on the texts prepared by the Ministers. It clarifies the body of statutory texts by issuing regulations. It issues certain individual authorisations and proposes others to the Government. Nuclear activities are monitored and inspected by the ASN staff and by organisations duly authorised by ASN. If  non-compliance is detected, ASNmay adopt enforcement measures and apply sanctions. ASN contributes to France’s European and international actions within its areas of competence. Finally, it provides its assistance for management of radiological emergencies. On technical matters, ASN relies on the expertise provided by IRSN and by the Advisory Committees of Experts. ASN also convenes pluralistic working groups enabling all the stakeholders to contribute to drafting doctrines and action plans and monitor their implementation. ASN is also committed to the field of research, in order to identify areas requiring further investigation, to meet the medium to long term expert assistance requirements. It has set up a Scientific Committee. ASN is run by a Commission of five full-time, irrevocable Commissioners, nominated for a non-renewable 6-year mandate. The President of the Republic nominates the Chairman and two Commissioners. The President of the Senate and the President of the National Assembly each nominate one Commissioner. A Sanction Committee within ASN, established under the TECV Act, will be responsible for the application of administrative fines in the event of any breach of the regulations. ASN has head office departments and eleven regional divisions around the country. Its total workforce stands at 508 employees. In 2017, the ASN budget stood at €84.41 million. Moreover, about 400 IRSN staff work on providing ASN with technical support. In 2017, IRSN thus devoted €84.3 million to this work, equally funded by a subsidy from the State and revenue from a tax paid by the licensees of the large nuclear installations. In total, the State’s budget for transparency and the regulation of nuclear safety and radiation protection amounted to €179.27 million in 2017. Consultative bodies The organisation of nuclear security and transparency is also based on consultative bodies, in particular the High Committee for Transparency and Information on Nuclear Security (HCTISN), an information, consultation and debating body dealing with the risks linked to nuclear activities, the High Council for Public Health which contributes to the definition of multi- year public health objectives, evaluates the attainment of national public health targets and contributes to their annual monitoring, as well as the High Council for the Prevention of Technological Risks tasked with giving an opinion on some draft regulatory texts. For each BNI, consultation takes place within a Local Information Committee (CLI). Outlook ASNwill be implementing its new 2018- 2020 multi-year strategic plan, notably with reinforced implementation of a graded and efficient approach to its regulation and oversight, improved oversight of technical investigations and consolidation of its operations to enhance regulation and oversight. In a context of unprecedented safety challenges, the ASN opinion of 1st June 2017 recalled that for the next three- year plan for 2018-2020, it has requested 15 additional full-time equivalent staff.