3rd French national report on implementation of the obligations of the Convention on nuclear safety - Issued for the 2005 Peer review meeting - English version – Original report in French July 2004 Content Table of contents INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................5 1. General introduction.............................................................................................................................5 2. Main changes with respect to the 2nd French report.............................................................................7 2.1 Changes in nuclear safety supervision in 2002 .............................................................................7 2.2 Changes in the content of the third report with respect to the second report.................................7 2.3 Topical safety issues in France in 2004.........................................................................................7 3. Nuclear national policy and practices.................................................................................................12 3.1 General policy..............................................................................................................................12 3.2 Nuclear power plants...................................................................................................................12 3.3 Nuclear research reactors ...........................................................................................................13 3.4 Regulatory framework..................................................................................................................13 A. GENERAL PROVISIONS..................................................................................................................15 4. Article 4 : Implementing measures.....................................................................................................15 5. Article 5 : Reporting ...........................................................................................................................15 6. Article 6 : Existing nuclear installations ..............................................................................................15 6.1 Nuclear installation in France ......................................................................................................15 6.2 Safety assessments.....................................................................................................................15 6.3 Main safety improvements to nuclear power reactors..................................................................16 6.4 Main safety improvement for nuclear research reactors..............................................................20 B. LEGISLATION AND REGULATION.................................................................................................23 7. Article 7 : Legislative and regulatory framework.................................................................................23 7.1 Legislative and regulatory framework ..........................................................................................23 7.2 Basic Nuclear Installations regulations ........................................................................................25 7.3 Basic Nuclear Installation supervision .........................................................................................28 8. Article 8 : Regulatory body.................................................................................................................37 8.1 The Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) ............................................................................................37 8.2 The other supervision players......................................................................................................43 9. Article 9 : Responsibility of the licence holder....................................................................................46 C. GENERAL SAFETY CONSIDERATION...........................................................................................47 10. Article 10 : Priority to safety .............................................................................................................47 10.1 Regulatory requests...................................................................................................................47 10.2 Measures taken for power reactors ...........................................................................................47 10.3 Measures taken for research reactors .......................................................................................49 10.4 Analysis by the regulator ...........................................................................................................50 11. Article 11 : Financial and human resources .....................................................................................51 11.1 Regulatory request ....................................................................................................................51 11.2 Resources allocated to safety in nuclear power plants..............................................................51 11.3 Resources allocated to safety in research reactors ...................................................................52 11.4 Analysis by the regulator ...........................................................................................................53 12. Article 12 : Human factors................................................................................................................55 12.1 Regulatory requests...................................................................................................................55 12.2 Steps taken concerning human factors in EDF nuclear power plants........................................55 12.3 Steps taken concerning human factors in research reactors .....................................................57 12.4 Analysis by the regulator ...........................................................................................................58 France third report under the CNS - July 2004 - 3 Content 13. Article 13 : Quality assurance.......................................................................................................... 61 13.1 Regulatory requests.................................................................................................................. 61 13.2 EDF's quality assurance policy and programme ....................................................................... 61 13.3 Quality assurance policy and programme in research reactors ................................................ 63 13.4 Analysis by the regulator........................................................................................................... 65 14. Article 14 : Assessment and verification of safety ........................................................................... 67 14.1 Regulatory requests.................................................................................................................. 67 14.2 Safety reviews and verifications carried out at nuclear power plants ........................................ 69 14.3 Safety reviews and verifications carried out on research reactors ............................................ 72 14.4 Analysis by the regulator........................................................................................................... 73 15. Article 15 : Radiation protection ...................................................................................................... 75 15.1 Radiation protection regulation ................................................................................................. 75 15.2 Measures taken by EDF in the field of radiation protection....................................................... 80 15.3 Measure taken in the field of radiation protection for research reactors.................................... 83 15.4 Regulatory surveillance in the radiation protection field ............................................................ 85 15.5 Summary of regulatory monitoring and checks......................................................................... 86 16. Article 16 : Emergency preparedness ............................................................................................. 88 16.1 General emergency response provisions.................................................................................. 88 16.2 The role and organisation of the ASN....................................................................................... 91 16.3 The role and organisation of the operators ............................................................................... 94 16.4 Accident simulation drills......................................................................................................... 100 16.5 Lessons learned : development in nuclear emergency provisions.......................................... 101 D. SAFETY OF INSTALLATIONS...................................................................................................... 105 17. Article 17 : Siting ........................................................................................................................... 105 17.1 Regulatory request.................................................................................................................. 105 17.2 The situation during