As part of the French Nuclear Safety Authority's (ASN) duty to inform, this report provides the reader with a picture of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2005. In this chapter, the ASN presents its actions and tools for public information and transparency.

Since 2003, the ASN has also used this chapter to present the tools and actions used in informing the public about nuclear safety and radiation protection by other stakeholders.
1 DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS BETWEEN THE NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY AND THE PUBLIC
  1.1 From public information to transparency

The decree of 13 March 1973, which created the Central Nuclear Installations Safety Department (SCSIN), responsible for supervising nuclear safety in France, also entrusted it with the role of "proposing and organising information of the public on safety-related issues”. The decree of 1 December 1993, which created the Nuclear Installation Safety Directorate (DSIN), reiterated this public information duty, in the same terms. The decree of 22 February 2002, which created the DGSNR (General Directorate for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection), expanded this public information duty to cover the field of radiation protection. The DGSNR is now tasked with "contributing to informing the public on subjects related to nuclear safety and radiation protection". Thus, each time an institutional change affected the way civil nuclear supervision was organised in France, the public information role of the ASN was confirmed.

In order to discharge these duties, the ASN uses specific information media and actions in an effort to provide the public with information that is easy to understand and accessible to the greatest number.

Modern technology allows increasingly fast circulation of information and the population is asking for increasingly precise information. For its part, the ASN aims constantly to improve how it reports on what it is doing. This naturally leads it to continue its commitment to transparency, while taking care to avoid saturating the information channels and to set up support, awareness and even training measures enabling the citizens and their representatives to gain easier access to information.

The ASN also informs the various opinion shapers. It contributes to regular information of the media, by organising thematic press conferences as well as encouraging the action of the Local Information Committees (CLIs). The Nuclear Safety Authority also handles the secretariat of the High Council for nuclear safety and information (CSSIN) and regularly presents its actions to it. The ASN maintains ongoing relations with elected representatives and environmental protection associations.

In addition, the ASN wishes to expand participation by the stakeholders (representatives of environmental protection associations, of industry or administrations, elected officials, and so on), in the drafting of regulatory texts of general scope. It also wishes to encourage information of the public about how these texts are drafted and enable it to give its opinion on their content. The draft National radioactive waste and reusable materials management plan (PNGDR-MV) is meant to meet this two-fold objective: it was prepared by a working group coordinated by the ASN and expanded to include various stakeholders and was placed on-line in the summer of 2005 so that opinions could be sent in to the ASN's website, www.asn.gouv.fr. All the comments received were also placed on-line, to nourish the debate on a major topical and social issue.

The image and profile of the ASN

In 2005, together with the TNS SOFRES poll institute, the ASN created a profile and image barometer. This barometer is designed to quantify the ASN's recognition level and the degree of satisfaction of the various audiences at whom its information actions are targeted. It will enable the ASN to adapt its information policy both locally and nationally.

The first wave of this opinion survey was conducted between September and October 2005 with a representative sample of the general public and a sample comprising essentially journalists, elected officials, association managers, administrative managers, CLI chairmen, health professionals and teachers, representing the better informed public.

This survey revealed that even if a large majority of individuals are aware of the existence of a nuclear supervision organisation, few could spontaneously mention the ASN or recognise its name (16% of respondents among the general public). This is reflected directly in how the ASN's roles are perceived by the general public, who were only able to identify supervision of nuclear installations (75% of those respondents who said they knew about the ASN).

The overall recognition of the ASN however rises to 61% among the better informed public, who are more aware of its regulatory function (30% as against 8% among the general public), but relatively unaware of its information function (13% as opposed to 4% of general public respondents who said they knew about the ASN).
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