REGULATING
ASN contributes to drafting regulations, by giving the
Government its opinion on draft decrees and ministerial orders,
or by taking regulatory decisions of a technical nature.
AUTHORISING
ASN examines all individual authorisation applications for
nuclear facilities. It can grant all authorisations, with the
except ion of major author i sat ions for bas ic nuclear
installations, such as creation and decommissioning. ASN also
issues the licenses provided for in the Public Health Code
concerning small - scale nuclear activities and issues
authorisations or approvals for radioactive material transport
operations.
MONITORING
ASN is responsible for ensuring compliance with the rules and
requirements applicable to the facilities or activities within its
field of competence. Inspection is one of ASN's main means of
monitoring, although it also has appropriate powers of enforcement
and sanction.
INFORMING
Primarily through its website www.asn.fr and its Contrôle magazine,
ASN informs the public and the stakeholders (local information
committees, environmental protection associations, etc.)
of its activity and the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection
in France.
IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
ASN assists the Government and in particular sends the competent
Authorities its recommendations concerning the civil security
measures to be taken. It monitors the steps taken by the
licensee to make the facility safe. It informs the public of the
situation.
REGULATION AND MONITORING
OF DIVERSE ACTIVITIES AND FACILITIES
Nuclear power plants, management of radioactive waste, nuclear
fuel shipments, radioactive material packages, medical facilities,
research laboratories, industrial activities, and so on. ASN regulates
a wide variety of activities and facilities. This regulation covers:
- 58 nuclear reactors producing nearly 80% of the electricity
consumed in France, along with the EPR reactor currently
under construction;
- all French fuel cycle facilities, from fuel enrichment to reprocessing;
- several thousand facilities or activities which use sources of
ionising radiation for medical, industrial or research purposes;
- several hundred thousand shipments of radioactive materials
made annually nationwide.
THE HELP OF EXPERTS
When taking certain decisions, ASN calls on the expertise of
technical support bodies. This is primarily the case with the
Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN).
ASN also requests opinions and recommendations from scientific
and technical Advisory Committees of experts.
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