The nuclear safety reform promises new heated debates in the National Assembly, where the government hopes to restore a key article of its controversial ASN-IRSN merger project (AFP/OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE)
The government will have to wait until Tuesday to try to have the Assembly reinstate a key article of its controversial merger project between the ASN, the nuclear policeman, and the IRSN, the technical expert, which the deputies had deleted in committee.
“My dear colleagues, as there are a lot of votes, the vote will be tomorrow,” declared session president Valérie Rabault (PS) shortly after midnight, under strong protests from the presidential camp, confident in her chances of winning.
The hemicycle was about to arrive at a series of votes on around forty amendments and sub-amendments, which should lead to the reinstatement of the article or not.
“There were still requests to speak and we have to finish at midnight, or even ten past midnight, given that there is a session tomorrow morning,” Valérie Rabault told AFP (an oral question session without debate is scheduled for 9:00 a.m.).
“The chair of the session assured that we would get to the end this evening with a vote,” criticized Antoine Armand (Renaissance) as he left the chamber. “I think there will be sequels.”
Examination of the bill must resume on Tuesday from 9:30 p.m., at the end of a day marked by a debate on the support strategy for Ukraine.
– “More efficient” –
Monday evening, the government and its relative majority had defeated the recall of the troops, and overcome a first obstacle by largely rejecting a motion for rejection prior to the text, brought by Liot’s independents.
“We are proposing to bring together two entities that already work together. The only difference is that we will operate more efficiently,” insisted Industry Minister Roland Lescure.
Already adopted in the Senate, the text plans to create a new entity on January 1, 2025, the “Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority” (ASNR).
In the context of a vast atomic recovery plan, the executive wishes to put an end to the current dual system, by bringing together the Institute of Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), responsible for technical expertise, and the The Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), the watchdog of power plants.
The stated objective is to “fluidify” the sector and reduce delays in the expertise, authorization and control processes. “It is not a question of erasing the ASN or the IRSN but of unifying their know-how,” argued Anthony Brosse (Renaissance).
Without convincing the left-wing and Liot deputies. “Our dual organization works (and) expertise and research are highlighted all over the world,” insisted Benjamin Saint-Huile (Liot).
Anne Stambach-Terrenoir (LFI) denounced a “foretold fiasco”, arguing that the skills provided today by the IRSN would not go to the new structure, but to external entities, citing as an example certain skills in dosimetry.
“It’s not a merger, it’s a dismantling of the IRSN,” criticized Delphine Batho (ecologist).
– The opposing inter-union –
The examination of this bill is on the agenda of the Assembly until Wednesday, with a series of articles detailing the operation that this new safety authority should adopt.
This ASN/IRSN merger is a sea serpent for the government, which was opposed by a coalition of oppositions in March 2023 during the examination of a previous text to revive the sector.
The examination of the nuclear safety bill is on the Assembly’s agenda until Wednesday (AFP/JULIEN DE ROSA)
He experienced a new disappointment last week in committee at the Assembly, with the deletion by the deputies of this key article, but he benefited on Monday from the votes of LR and RN deputies, in addition to the Macronists, to reject the motion prior rejection.
Nicolas Dragon (RN) attacked the management of nuclear power under the previous five-year terms but considered that the merger “allows us to simplify the recovery”, while Emmanuel Maquet (LR) provided “cautious support”: “everything must be done to improve, accelerate”.
This reform, however, arouses the ire of the IRSN and ASN unions but also of environmental associations.
Its detractors warn in particular of the risk of disorganization of the system, loss of independence of experts and transparency with regard to the public.
“The future of the governance of nuclear and radiological risks is in your hands,” the IRSN inter-union warned on Monday in an open letter to deputies, urging them not to speak out for or against the relaunch of nuclear power, but rather on “the safety of nuclear installations and the protection of populations”.
© 2024 AFP
Did you like this article ? Share it with your friends using the buttons below.
