In the field of radiation protection, the new regulations were practically completed in 2006 with the publication of the final orders to implement the Public Health Code and the Labour Code. At the same time, ASN undertook to update the regulatory part of these two Codes, to ensure the transposition of European directive 2003/122/Euratom of 22 December 2003 concerning the supervision of high-level sources, include ASN new prerogatives and make a number of clarifications and simplifications based on the supervisory experience acquired. These changes should be published at the end of the first quarter of 2007.

ASN will also continue to play an active role in the work to revise the basic radiation protection standards initiated by IAEA and by the European Commission, which is preparing an update of European directive 96/29/Euratom of 13 May 1996. These revisions will take account of the future recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) expected some time in 2007.

The nuclear safety and radiation protection regulations have been completely overhauled over the course of the past five years.

The Public Health Code and the Labour Code were modified between 2001 and 2006 in order to transpose the Euratom directives concerning radiation protection.

The law of 13 June 2006 concerning nuclear transparency and safety brought about an in-depth overhaul of the regulations concerning BNI safety. Pursuant to this law, a number of decrees are under preparation to determine the new system applicable to BNIs. These decrees will abrogate the decree of 11 December 1963 concerning nuclear installations and the decree of 4 May 1995 concerning BNI liquid and gaseous effluent discharges and water intake.

To supplement the implementation of the decrees and orders dealing with nuclear safety and radiation protection by the Ministers responsible for nuclear safety and radiation protection, technical regulatory decisions will be taken by ASN.

With regard to individual decisions, if the main authorisations concerning the life of a BNI (creation, final shutdown and decommissioning) remain within the remit of the Ministers responsible for nuclear safety, it is up to ASN to authorise BNI commissioning and define the requirements regarding its design, construction and operation pursuant to the decrees. It is in this respect that ASN defines the requirements concerning water intake into and liquid and gaseous discharge of materials from the installation, whether or not radioactive.