IRRS follow-up mission to France - October 2017

10 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY At the request of the Government of France, an international team of senior safety experts met representatives of the Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire (ASN), the Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) and the Ministère de la Transition Écologique et Solidaire (MTES) from 2 to 9 October 2017 to conduct the IRRS follow-up mission. The peer review took place at the headquarters of ASN in Montrouge. The purpose of the IRRS follow-up mission was to review the measures undertaken following the recommendations and suggestions of the 2014 IRRS Mission. The IRRS team consisted of seven senior regulatory experts from seven IAEA Member States and three IAEA staff members. The review compared the regulatory framework for safety in France against IAEA safety standards as the international benchmark for safety. The mission was also used to exchange information and experience between the IRRS team members and their counterparts from France in the areas covered by the IRRS mission. The IRRS team carried out a review of the measures undertaken following the recommendations and suggestions of the 2014 IRRS mission which assessed the following areas: responsibilities and functions of the government; the global nuclear safety regime; responsibilities and functions of the regulatory body; the management system of the regulatory body; the activities of the regulatory body, including authorization, review and assessment, inspection, enforcement, and the development and content of regulations and guides; emergency preparedness and response; safe transport of radioactive material; radioactive waste management and decommissioning; control of medical exposures; control of radioactive discharges and materials for clearance; environmental monitoring; occupational radiation protection; and the interface between nuclear safety and security. The mission included interviews and discussions with ASN, IRSN and MTES staff. The IRRS team was provided with advance reference material and comprehensive documentation including the status of the recommendations and suggestions set out in the initial IRRS mission report. The IRRS team concluded that the recommendations and suggestions from the 2014 IRRS mission have been taken into account systematically based on a comprehensive action plan. Significant progress has been made in all areas and many improvements have been implemented. During this follow-up mission, the IRRS team determined that 14 out of 16 recommendations and 26 out of 30 suggestions, made by the 2014 IRRS mission, have been effectively addressed and therefore could be considered closed or closed on the basis of progress made and confidence in the effective completion. One new suggestion was identified. The recommendations and suggestions which remain open pertain predominately to the ASN efforts to secure sufficient human and financial resources; and complete regulatory guidance documents. Based on the findings of the review, the IRRS team made the following general observations: • The Government and ASN have made considerable effort in revising the legal and regulatory framework to address the findings from the 2014 IRRS mission and further enhance its alignment with the IAEA Safety Standards. This includes new provisions about inspection and enforcement powers for ASN. ASN continues to finalise the development of new regulations, guides and procedures. • ASN has made substantial progress in implementing a graded approach into its activities, especially for the authorization and inspection of radiation sources and facilities.