ASN Report 2020

it advises retains full responsibility for its oversight of the nuclear facilities. It pays particular attention to countries acquiring technologies of which it has experience in France. ASN considers that developing an appropriate safety infra­ structure requires a minimum of 15 years before a nuclear power reactor can begin to operate in good conditions. For these countries, the goal is to set up a legislative framework and an independent and competent safety regulator with the financial and human resources it needs to perform its duties and to develop skills in terms of safety, safety culture and oversight as well as in radiological emergency management. In 2020, ASN became involved in an INSC project on behalf of Turkey. 5.3  Personnel secondments between ASN and its foreign counterparts Understanding the working and practices of foreign nuclear safety and radiation protection regulators enables pertinent lessons to be learned for the working of ASN and the training of its personnel. One of the means used to achieve this is the secondment of personnel, generally for periods of 1 to 3 years. This immersion in the activities and working of the counterpart safety regulator is a unique means of assimilating subjects of common interest. Since 8 January 2018, an ASN staff member has been seconded to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a period of three years while an NRC staff member who had been working at the ASN Waste, Research Facilities and Fuel Cycle Facilities completed their secondment period in March 2020. Since 1st January 2019, an experienced ASN inspector has been on secondment to the British safety regulator (ONR). A secondment of this type is currently being considered with the Canadian safety regulator as of the end of 2021. 6. Outlook Owing to the global health crisis, 2020 was a disrupted year for ASN at the international level. It led to significant changes in the conditions for the preparation and performance of international exchanges. In a difficult context, ASN nonetheless succeeded in maintaining exchanges with its counterparts, even if remotely. In 2021, and subject to developments in the health situation, ASN will aim to maintain dynamic exchanges with countries in both Europe and Asia (Japan, China, South Korea) as well as with the North-American continent (United States and Canada). It will focus on identifying subjects it considers to be priorities for such exchanges, in order to share experience and good practices. Experience feedback from the health crisis will no doubt be the subject of in-depth exchanges. At the European level, ASN will continue to help finalise HERCA’s strategic review in order to optimise the way in which current radiation protection issues are addressed. Within WENRA and ENSREG, ASN will also contribute to the work to prepare for the second topical peer review, required by the Nuclear Safety Directive, which will deal with the management of fire hazards. For ASN, this action will be one of its international priorities. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2020 205 06 – INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 06