The ASNR outlines its new publication procedures for technical assessments

As part of its mission to inform the public, and in line with the principles of transparency reaffirmed by the law of May 21, 2024, the Autorité de sûreté nucléaire et de radioprotection (ASNR) is introducing new procedures for the publication of its technical assessments. This development is fully aligned with the new authority’s strategy to modernize and improve the readability of its decisions, just one month after its establishment.

Since its creation in January 2025 — the result of a merger between ASN (Nuclear Safety Authority) and IRSN (Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety) — the ASNR has pursued a mission that combines efficiency, technical expertise, and transparency. This commitment was confirmed on April 30 with the announcement of new publication procedures for its expert opinions, in accordance with Law No. 2024-450 of May 21, 2024.

To enhance public access to information and improve the clarity of its decisions, the ASNR will now publish both its regulatory decisions and the underlying technical assessments simultaneously on its website. This measure reflects a clear objective: to make the technical basis of each decision accessible to both experts and the general public.

For draft decisions subject to public consultation, the associated expert opinions will be published at the launch of the consultation, ensuring full transparency and access to the conditions that informed the proposed decision.

For more complex cases — such as periodic safety reviews of nuclear installations — where multiple expert opinions may be issued in sequence, the ASNR will adopt a phased and ongoing publication approach, releasing each opinion within a month of its completion. The same process will apply to expert assessments not directly tied to a regulatory decision.

A strategic tool to support ASNR’s key priorities

This procedural reform is an integral part of the strategic vision announced by Pierre-Marie Abadie, President of the ASNR, during his New Year address to the press in January 2025. Public information and transparency are seen as key levers to address the five major challenges identified by the new authority:

• Strengthening radiation protection, especially in the medical field, where French citizens are most frequently exposed in daily life.

• Extending the lifespan of the current nuclear fleet, with reactors potentially operating for up to 60 years or more.

• Monitoring new projects, such as EPR2 reactors, to ensure industrial quality and strict adherence to the “right first time” principle.

• Adapting to innovation, including SMRs (Small Modular Reactors) and AMRs (Advanced Modular Reactors), which require new regulatory and analytical frameworks.

• Ensuring the long-term viability of the fuel cycle facilities, with a particular focus on fuel storage and EDF’s strategic plans at the La Hague site. ■