ASN Report 2020

The health crisis, the importance of robust operation at ASN When the f irst lockdown was announced, little time was left for preparation, but it was essential that ASN guarantee the continuity of its activities, so that other problems in the short or long term did not further compound the health crisis. The nuclear power plants continued to operate, so their regulation and over- sight therefore had to continue. In the medical f ield, numerous hospital centres required urgent adapta- tions of their licenses so that they could utilise equip- ment (mainly scanners) to diagnose patients suffering from Covid-19. Finally, the examination and preparation of decisions concerning important subjects had to be continued, as any delay would have led to a blockage in the longer-term. This was possible because the digital transformation plan, launched in 2017, was already well advanced (ASN already had resources that were essential for remote-working on a large scale). It was also because the ASN personnel demonstrated exceptional com- mitment and continued to carry out their duties to the best of their abilities, despite sometimes diff icult remote-working conditions. Finally, this is because they form a closely-knit entity. I wish to pay tribute to them, simply by citing two examples, because it is thanks to them that the draft generic position statement on the continued opera- tion of the 900MWe reactors could be submitted for consultation, on-time, and that several opinions were published regarding the National Radioactive Mate- rials and Waste Management Plan. It is thanks to them that on-site inspections were able to resume rapidly. In total, over the year, nearly 2,600 man-days will have been spent conducting field inspections. To my mind, this commitment and these results are the fruit of a robust common culture and a collectively shared vision of the issues, of a management method that promotes accountability, combining stringency and goodwill, and a permanent and always construc- tive social dialogue. The field of activity which suffered the most from the crisis was naturally that of international relations. Howe- ver, certain activities were able to continue remotely: with ASN as Chair, the WENRA association thus reached a newmilestone in publishing “reference levels”, that is harmonised safety requirements for research reactors, an area not hitherto covered by its work. The WENRA also proposed a subject which was selected for the next European level topical peer review: this concerns mana- gement of fire risks, an important subject and one that concerns all nuclear facilities. The ASN personnel demonstrated exceptional commitment, and continued to carry out their duties to the best of their abilities, despite sometimes difficult remote-working conditions. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2020 9 EDITORIAL BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL