PROPOSED REFORM OF THE ORGANIZATION
of nuclear safety and
radiation protection governance

February 3

Meeting of the Nuclear Policy Council announcing that “IRSN’s technical skills will be brought together with those of ASN, taking care to include the synergies, with the CEA and the Nuclear Safety Officer for Defense-Related Facilities and Activities (DSND).”

February 8

Mission letter from the Minister of Energy Transition to the Chairman of ASN, the Director General of IRSN and the General Administrator of CEA, for them to propose the initial measures to implement these organizational changes.

February 16

Public hearing of Jean-Christophe Niel, Director General of IRSN, by the French Parliamentary Office for Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Options (OPECST) on the topic “Opportunities and challenges of the new safety organization in France”, accompanied by Karine Herviou, IRSN’s Deputy Director General in charge of the Nuclear Safety of Installations and Systems Division, and in the presence of Pierre Henriet, Deputy, and Gérard Longuet, Senator, rapporteurs, and representatives from ASN, CEA, EDF, ORANO, CNRS and Anccli.

March 8

Public hearing of the Director General of IRSN by the French Senate’s Commission for Economic Affairs.

March 21

Audition of Jean-Christophe Niel by Senator Jean-François Rapin, Chair of the French Senate’s Committee for European Affairs, Special Rapporteur on the appropriations of the “Research” mission, as part of a budgetary control on IRSN.

May 9 and 16

Adoption in the National Assembly and then in the Senate of the so-called “nuclear acceleration” law without the provisions relating to the merger of ASN and IRSN.

June 14

Hearing of Jean-Christophe Niel by the rapporteurs of the study conducted by the French Parliamentary Office for Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Options (OPECST), Jean-Luc Fugit, Deputy of Rhône, and Stéphane Piednoir, Senator of Maine-et-Loire, on the consequences of a possible reorganization of ASN and IRSN.

June 22

Vote on French law no. 2023–491 of June 22, 2023 on the acceleration of procedures related to the construction of new nuclear facilities near existing nuclear sites and the operation of existing facilities, taken in joint committee.

June 28

Visit to IRSN by the rapporteurs of the study conducted by the French Parliamentary Office for Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Options (OPECST), Jean-Luc Fugit, Deputy of Rhône, and Stéphane Piednoir, Senator of Maine-et-Loire, further to OPECST’s hearing of the Director General of IRSN on June 14.

July 11

OPECST’s report on “the consequences of a possible reorganization of ASN and IRSN in the scientific, technological, nuclear safety and radiation protection areas”.

July 19

Meeting of the Nuclear Policy Council (NPC), which confirmed the government’s desire to move forward in the direction of the creation of “a major independent authority for safety and radiation protection”, and instructed the Minister of Energy Transition to initiate consultations with the stakeholders and parliamentarians with a view to preparing a bill by the autumn.

September to December

Establishment of working groups with the stakeholders concerned to propose broad lines of future missions as well as organizational and operating principles with:

• CEA for activities related to passive dosimetry;
• the Ministry of the Armed Forces and the CEA for all activities relating to Defense and Security appraisal;
• the ASN for the future “Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority”.

November

Mandatory and optional consultations of various bodies by the government concerning the “bill on the organization of nuclear safety and radiation protection governance to address the challenge of the revival of the nuclear sector”.

November

Opinion of the National Association of Local Information Committees and Commissions (Anccli).

November 14

Opinion of the Higher Energy Council.

November 22

Opinion of the National Council for Higher Education and Research.

November 29

Opinion of the National Council for Ecological Transition (CNTE).

December 3

Opinion of the High Committee for transparency and information on nuclear safety (HCTISN).

December 4

Meeting for discussions between the Minister of Energy Transition and IRSN and ASN staff on the bill to reform the organization of nuclear safety and radiation protection governance in the framework of the revival of the nuclear sector.

December 14

Opinion of the Council of State.

December 20

Presentation of the bill by the Minister for Energy Transition in the Council of Ministers.

December 20

Submission of the bill to the Senate, first reading and appointment of the rapporteur for the bill.