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Nuclear: the French government intends to “complete” the ASN-IRSN merger

Despite opposition from many in the nuclear sector, the French government wants to continue its nuclear safety reform, which aims to merge the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) with the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN).

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The French government wishes to pursue its reform aiming at merging the two organizations in charge of nuclear safety despite theopposition of the staff, the parliamentarians and the specialists. Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Energy Transition, reaffirmed her intention to carry out this reform during a session in the Senate last Wednesday.

A bill to accelerate nuclear power was voted on Tuesday in the National Assembly, asking the government to provide an explanatory report on how to implement this reform. The Minister of Energy Transition indicated that she would ask the senators to specify the modalities by which the Senate wants to be associated with this reform, and that she would move forward with them to complete it.

The merger of the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) into the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) was approved by a “nuclear policy council” convened by Emmanuel Macron on February 3. The new entity would thus become “the second largest safety authority in the world in terms of human and financial resources, with reinforced scientific credibility”, according to Agnès Pannier-Runacher.

However, this reform project is opposed by many players in the nuclear sector who see it as a loss of independence, competence and the ability of experts to express themselves, especially at a time when France is preparing to launch a new reactor program.

The National Assembly rejected the first reading of this reform proposed by the government in the bill on the acceleration of nuclear power, voting to preserve the current “dual organization”. The bill was therefore voted on Tuesday without the reform.

Agnès Pannier-Runacher was answering a question from PS Senator Angèle Préville during the Senate session last Wednesday. The senators had already expressed their anger at seeing this amendment on the IRSN when they had already voted on this bill in January.

Despite this, the Minister of Energy Transition remains determined to carry out this reform, which should strengthen the scientific credibility and quality of services rendered in nuclear safety. It remains to be seen whether it will be able to convince parliamentarians.

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