ASN Report 2017

26 ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2017 its regulation and oversight activities and the corresponding actions it takes, and disseminates its resolutions and position statements, with explanations whenever necessary. ASN encourages the involvement of civil society in the drafting of its resolutions: for example, it consults the stakeholders and the public regarding draft resolutions and ensures that the principles of nuclear safety and radiation protection are understood by as many people as possible: it produces explanatory documents and aims to make the most technical issues accessible to the general public. It also publishes notices, guides and reports aimed at professionals and an informed audience. Significant events In 2017, ASN continued the information and iodine distribution campaign in the vicinity of the BNIs, systematically issuing reminders to the facilities open to the public which were behind schedule. To improve information of the public, a new version of the ASN website was created, simplifying access to information and to published documents (more than 87 information notices and press releases in 2017), and meeting new browsing requirements (maps, enriched content). After this overhaul, the number of visitors to the site increased by 40%. The ASN news feeds on the social networks put across the main position statements and were followed by more than 8,000 subscribers on Twitter, more than 4,500 on LinkedIn and nearly 3,000 on Facebook. The bi-monthly ASN newsletter, which summarises topical events, was distributed to more than 4,000 subscribers. The exhibition produced by ASN and IRSN visited about sixty different locations during the course of 2017 (the travelling exhibition is the responsibility of both IRSN and ASN). ASN gave about twenty local and national press conferences and its spokespersons were on hand to reply to more than 600 press queries in 2017. In2017, ASNwas given about tenhearings by Parliament concerning its activities and in November presented its report to the OPECST on the State of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2016 (previous edition of this present document). ASN regularly consulted the public on its draft resolutions. Three consultations concerned draft regulations and three other draft guides. ASN contributed to the smooth running of the 35 CLIs, that also play an important role in transparency and information on nuclear safety. It ensured that they were correctly informed about matters relating to nuclear facilities and brought the CLI representatives together for a national conference in November. Throughout the year, representatives of the ASN regional divisions were available for CLI meetings. ASN created or updated and then published and distributed six guides for the attention of a professional audience (can be consulted on www.asn.fr ). Two new numbers of the “La Sécurité du patient” (patient safety) bulletin, co-signed by several learned societies, were sent out to the 180 radiotherapy centres in France. ASN organised several professional seminars for physicians or for those in possession of radioactive sources. ASN prepared itself for crisis communications about ten times in 2017, by means of “simulated media pressure” during emergency exercises. Outlook In 2018, ASN will be reinforcing its general public information measures, aiming to make the technical subjects presented more accessible. It will continue its actions to promote the transparency of information on nuclear matters. It will notably improve the conditions in which the public can be consulted on draft opinions and regulatory texts. It will assist with implementing steps to inform the populations located within the PPI zones around nuclear facilities, which have been extended out from 10 to 20 kilometres. It will ensure that the local populations in these PPI zones are actually kept regularly informed. In 2018, ASN will develop public information about its roles, its fields of work and its regulation and oversight activities. It will hold discussions with elected officials and stakeholders and will remain at their disposal to shed light on any question concerning nuclear safety and radiation protection. ASN will continue to support the activities of the CLIs – more particularly in their public information role – and will maintain a high-quality dialogue with them. Significant events and outlook