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Viewing cable 06PARIS1642, FRANCE CREATES INDEPENDENT NUCLEAR SAFETY AGENCY

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06PARIS1642 2006-03-15 14:30 2011-08-24 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Paris
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001642 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ISN, EUR/WE, OES 
STATE PASS NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION: FAULKNER 
DOE FOR NNSA, DOE FOR INTERNATIONAL: PRICE, LAU 
DOE ALSO FOR DEPUTY U/S COUNTERTERRORISM: AOKI 
EPA FOR IA: MEDEARIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG TSPL TPHY KSCA FR KNUC
SUBJECT: FRANCE CREATES INDEPENDENT NUCLEAR SAFETY AGENCY 
 
//NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION// 
 
1.  France's Council of Ministers approved on February 22 
the creation of a new, "independent," body, the High 
Authority for Nuclear Safety (HANS), "responsible for the 
control of nuclear safety, radioprotection, and 
information."  This new administrative body will 
substitute for the existing Authority for Nuclear Safety 
(ASN) that reports to the Ministries of Industry, 
Research, and Ecology.  (According to the draft law 
creating HANS, Ministry of Industry security authorities 
will retain control over `security' of civilian nuclear 
sites.)  Although the bill is expected to become law in 
the coming weeks, no immediate changes within the existing 
nuclear safety entities ASN and the Directorate General 
for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (DGSNR) in the 
Ecology Ministry are foreseen.  End summary. 
 
------------------ 
Not a new idea. 
------------------ 
 
2.  In his 2006 New Year's address, President Chirac 
announced the creation of a new nuclear safety 
regulatory body.  The GOF subsequently postponed the 
parliamentary discussion of its Bill on Nuclear 
Transparency and Security until March 2006 in order to 
fold the creation of the new HANS into the bill. 
However, French legislation on nuclear transparency to 
include an independent nuclear safety authority is not 
a new idea: Ecology Minister and `Green Party' 
representative Dominique Voynet under the Jospin 
government in 1999 had proposed the concept.  At the 
time, the French Council of State rejected the text on 
the ground that it was not possible under French law 
to give regulatory and police responsibilities 
(matters within the sovereign purview of the 
government) to an independent body. Voynet presented a 
new version of her bill to address these concerns to 
Parliament in 2001 but it was not acted upon. 
 
-------------------------- 
"Expeditious procedure." 
-------------------------- 
 
3.  The Senate adopted the bill creating HANS on March 8 
(first reading) and it will be reviewed by the National 
Assembly before the end of March 2006.  As a government 
priority, there will be no second reading in Parliament. 
Instead, a commission of fourteen senators and deputies 
will meet in April or early May to jointly draft the final 
text of the law. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
"to reinforce the trust of the people." 
--------------------------------------- 
 
4.  In his New Year's announcement, President Chirac 
said the creation of the HANS aims at reinforcing the 
trust of the general public in the French nuclear 
energy control system.  This is part of the 
government's energy strategy to prepare for the "post- 
oil era," as well as a part of recent initiatives in 
the nuclear sector, including the decision to build a 
new European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) in Normandy; to 
site the ITER fusion reactor in France; and to develop 
a fourth generation reactor by 2020.  The new agency 
should also be read in the context of the presentation 
to Parliament before the end of 2006 of a new bill on 
highly radioactive waste storage.  In an effort to 
gain more public support to implement its nuclear 
strategy, the GOF seeks to reinforce public trust in 
the French nuclear safety/security control system. 
 
------------------------------------ 
Independent administrative authority 
------------------------------------ 
 
5.  The HANS will have the status of an independent 
administrative authority.  It will be responsible for 
the control of nuclear activities in civil nuclear 
plants and other research or industrial facilities 
dealing with radioactive sources; the control of 
transportation of radioactive materials; 
radioprotection; and providing information to the 
public.  It will issue technical regulations related 
to these activities and serve as an advisory body for 
the preparation of regulatory texts related to nuclear 
security. 
 
6.  The HANS will `de facto' replace the ASN, 
currently headed by Andre-Claude Lacoste, DGSNR, the 
Nuclear Facility Divisions of the Regional Departments 
of Industry, Research, and the Environment (DRIREs), 
and the Nuclear Safety and Radiological Protection 
Departments (DSNRs) that operate under the authority 
of the DRIREs. 
 
7.  The HANS will be headed by a board of five members 
appointed for six years: three members will be 
designated by the President of the Republic, one by 
the President of the National Assembly, and one by the 
President of the Senate. 
 
8.  The GOF has confirmed it will retain key missions 
related to nuclear security and will continue to 
define general regulations concerning nuclear 
activities, as well as authorize the creation of new 
basic, nuclear installations.  In case of serious 
risk, the government also reserves to itself the right 
to decide to suspend nuclear plant operation. 
 
 
9.  Comment: Heralded in the economic center right daily 
Les Echos as a "major innovation," the creation of the new 
regulatory body otherwise generated little media coverage 
and less public reaction.  (Similarly, recent public 
debates on nuclear waste and the building of the new EPR 
in Normandy have not attracted much public attention.) 
Little is known at this point concerning the level of 
independence the new structure will actually possess. 
Nonetheless, from the discussions we've had and what we've 
read, some commentators are unhappy with the prospect that 
ministerial control of safety in the nuclear sector will 
devolve upon an independent agency.  For them the transfer 
represents the potential for loss of control over nuclear 
safety, an area where they believe government ministries 
should continue to provide direct supervisory authority. 
We consider that even with the creation of an 
`independent' nuclear safety authority, the government - 
even through an `independent' agency - will continue to 
exercise firm control over the nuclear sector.  End 
comment. 
 
Stapleton