Expertise on nuclear safety should be the subject of a “separate entity” within the possible single safety authority desired by the government, recommends the Commission on Ethics and Alerts in Public Health and Safety. environment (CNDASPE).
This recommendation is based “on the strong requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency” (IAEA, a UN organization), underlines this independent Commission, in a letter to the deputies responsible for examining a contested bill on nuclear safety reform.
The government wishes to merge the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), watchdog of power plants, and the Institute of Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), the expert on the subject, in order to “streamline decisions” to better revive the atom civil.
This reform is contested in particular by experts and representatives of IRSN employees, who fear a loss of independence and transparency.
The IAEA underlines “the importance of ensuring the independence of these bodies responsible for providing scientific and technical expertise in support of the authorities responsible for management and regulation”, notes the CNDASPE in its letter to parliamentarians dated February 21 and made public on Monday.
If an integrated organization merging the ASN and the IRSN were adopted, there would need to be “a functional directorate responsible for expertise and research distinct from the other directorates, and for this distinction to be based on a solid legal status”, believes the Commission, created by law in 2013.
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