Finally, ASN still attaches considerable importance to evaluation by its foreign peers. This is why:

• on the one hand, it regularly asks the IAEA for OSART missions (nuclear power plant operational safety review): by 2011, all EDF plants will have undergone an OSART review;
• on the other, and this is the first time that a safety authority from a major nuclear country has allowed this to happen, an IRRS audit was conducted in November 2006 by the IAEA to assess (see point 2.2) ASN nuclear safety and radiation protection reference framework and regulatory practices.

To conclude, ASN will continue to act as one of the leading safety authorities on the international stage, making sure that it shares its work with its peers and that nuclear safety and radiation protection principles are implemented worldwide. In order to consolidate its reference status, ASN will in particular continue its actions so that it can:

• fully assume its responsibilities in international radiation protection regulation;
• promote its organisation and practices for regulation of nuclear safety and radiation protection;
• submit to external assessment by its peers.

International relations are important activities for ASN and are an efficient way of taking nuclear safety and radiation protection forward both in France and abroad.

They enable ASN and its counterparts to become more familiar with and gain a clearer understanding of their reciprocal operation and the problems that they face. They also enable assistance to be given to countries that wish to develop or improve their nuclear safety and radiation protection authorities.

They are also the driving force behind the necessary harmonisation of safety and radiation protection principles and standards.

ASN’s goal in this field is to develop a common approach to nuclear safety, but without in any way compromising on the fundamental principle: nuclear safety must remain the number one priority. This is the purpose of the work by WENRA, whose public presentation of the results in February 2006 was a key step towards European harmonisation of national practices scheduled for 2010.

This is also the reason for ASN active participation in implementing the European Union’s nuclear action plan.

WENRA and INRA are also irreplaceable forums for free and informal discussions between nuclear safety authority heads, enabling progress to be achieved on subjects of interest to their members. In 2006, under the chairmanship of the Director General for nuclear safety and radiation protection, the work of the INRA gave a boost to the integration of nuclear safety and radiation protection.

The European International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) congress in Paris in May 2006 and participation in the organisation of the world nuclear medicine conference (October 2006, Seoul, South Korea) clearly reflect the importance ASN attaches to radiation protection.

ASN will further strengthen its international actions in the field of radiation protection, devoting particular attention to restructuring. Bilateral frameworks are few and far between and “multi-bilateral” frameworks (associations of radiation protection authority heads) still need to be created. This will lead ASN to expand the area of the existing arrangements or to sign new arrangements, depending on the organisation of the countries with which it wishes to develop cooperation, as radiation protection is not only an issue in States operating nuclear installations, but is relevant in all countries with modern medical, scientific or industrial activities.