Abstract:
The French regulatory framework has seen many changes over the last few years. Recently, the law of June 13th 2006 on Transparency and Security in Nuclear Field set a new base for the control of nuclear facilities including research reactors. However research reactors in France tend to be of different types and present different hazards. Even if methods of control become more and more similar in France to those of power reactors, the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) works to allow the necessary flexibility in the ever changing research reactor field while ensuring a high level of safety. Adopting the internal authorizations for operations of minor safety significance, under certain conditions, is one example of this approach.
Another challenge in the coming years for ASN is to monitor the ageing of the French research reactors. This includes periodic safety reviews for each facility every ten years. But ASN has also to regulate the new research reactor projects such as Jules Horowitz Reactor, International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, which are about to be built, and the technical choices made for the next 4th generation prototype which should be operational in 2020.