ASN Report 2017

21 ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2017 The specific legal framework for radiation protection and nuclear activities is based on the international norms, standards or recommendations drawn up by various organisations, in particular the International Commission for Radiological Protection, a non-governmental organisation, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Standard Organisation (ISO). At a European level, under the EURATOM Treaty, various Directives concern nuclear safety and radiation protection, in particular Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom of 5th December 2013 setting the basic standards for health protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation and Council Directive 2009/71/Euratom of 25th June 2009 setting a community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations, modified by Directive 2014/87/Euratom of 8th July 2014. Council Directive 2011/70/Euratom of 19th July 2011 also establishes a European Community framework for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste. At the national level, the Public Health Code defines general population protection rules (dose limits for the public, etc.) and creates a system of oversight for nuclear activities. The Environment Code sets rules applicable to the large nuclear installations and to the management of radioactive wastes. Other texts are more specialised, such as the Labour Code, which deals with radiation protection of workers, or the Defence Code, which contains provisions regarding defence-related nuclear activities or the prevention of malicious acts. This legal framework has been the subject of profound overhauls in recent years, notably owing to the transposition into national law of the European directives adopted under the EURATOM Treaty. The activities or situations regulated by ASN include a number of different categories presented below, along with the relevant regulations. Small-scale nuclear activities: this category covers the many fields that use ionising radiation, including medicine (imaging, radiotherapy, nuclear medicine), human biology, research, industry and certain veterinarian, forensic or foodstuff conservation applications. The Public Health Code, modified at the beginning of 2018 to ensure the transposition of Directive 2013/59/ Euratom, creates a new system of procedures for the manufacture, possession, distribution - including import and export - and utilisation of radionuclides. The existing simple notification systemwill thus be extended to activities which in the past required licensing and, for other activities the licensing system will be simplified with the implementation of a new system of registration. This new system will be gradually implemented as of 1st July 2018. The Public Health Code changes made at the beginning of 2018 were accompanied by new provisions concerning protection against malicious acts for the most dangerous radioactive sources, the implementation of the justification principle, the implementation of the optimisation principle with the introduction of reference levels for exposure to naturally occurring radiation, for the management of nuclear or radiological emergency situations and for the management of sites and soils contaminated by radioactive substances. The general rules applicable to small- scale nuclear facilities are the subject of ASN regulations. In 2017, the minimum technicaldesignrulesapplicabletopremises in which electrical devices generating X-rays are used were updated (ASN resolution 2017-DC-0591 of 13th June 2017) and new radiation protection continuous training arrangements for health professionals were defined (ASN resolution 2017-DC-0585 of 14th March 2017). The Labour Code was also profoundly overhauled at the beginning of 2018, with reinforcement of the occupational risk assessment approach, possible out- sourcing of the function of adviser to certified organisations and a gradual reduction in the dose limit for the lens of the eye (the exposure limit for the lens of the eye is reduced from 150 mSv/ year to 20 mSv/year, with a transitional period running from 1st January 2018 to 31st December  2022 during which the exposure limit value is set at 100 mSv over five years, without exceeding 50 mSv/year). Exposure of individuals to radon: human protection is based primarily on the obligation of monitoring in geographical areas where the concentration of naturally occurring radon can be high. This monitoring is mandatory in certain premises open to the public and in 03 Regulations Significant events and outlook