French Senate votes in favor of nuclear safety regulatory reforms

The French Senate voted Feb. 13 in favor of a controversial government proposal to abolish the existing two-tier nuclear safety regulatory framework by merging the largely decision-making Autorite de Surete Nucleaire and the technical and research body, l'Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire.

In their place a single body, the Autorite Independente de Surete Nucleaire et de Radioprotection, would be created and begin operating Jan. 1.

The center right-dominated, 348-seat Senate voted 224-98 for the main motion concerning the creation of the new safety body. A further vote of 222-97 approved changes in the French constitution required for the nomination by the French president of the head of the new ASNR.

The government has sought the merger of ASN and IRSN on the grounds that this will result in a smoother and more agile regulatory work flow as the country faces a surge in regulatory decisions.

These stem from plans to extend the operational lifespan of EDF's 56 reactors to beyond 60 years, decisions on building an underground spent fuel and waste repository, and plans to build new reactors.

The Senate passed several amendments to the government's bill, mainly aimed at safeguarding the division between decision-making and technical expertise activities of the new body, and to provide assurance that nuclear safety decisions would not be affected by ongoing research cooperation between the new regulatory body and private companies in the nuclear sector.

Amendments also sought to maintain the high current level of public openness about expert opinions on safety questions and final regulatory decisions.

None of the amendments sought by left-wing and environmental parties, overwhelmingly critical of the government bill, were passed. Opponents of the bill argued that the existing two-tier French regulatory system has worked well and that there are more risks involved in changing it than in maintaining it.

The French minister responsible for nuclear safety within the expanded Ministry for Economy, Finance, Industrial Sovereignty and Digitalization, Christophe Bechu, told the Senate following the vote that the government's original bill had been improved by the changes.

"For the relaunch of the nuclear sector, we cannot be bound by what was done as regards nuclear safety up till now," Bechi said.

The nuclear regulatory reorganization bill will now go to the lower house of parliament, the Assemblee Nationale, where the government does not have an overall majority. No date has yet been set for deliberations. An attempt by the government to reintroduce a similar proposal was defeated in the lower house March 15.