The government announces four projects for the controversial reform of the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN)

The Ministry of Energy Transition confirmed on Thursday that an amendment will be proposed "in the coming days" as part of the examination in the National Assembly of the bill for the administrative acceleration of nuclear power, which must be put to the vote. deputies between 13 and 15 March.

Four working groups will work on the transfer of the missions of the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety within the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN); the working conditions of staff and the attractiveness of professions; expected regulatory changes; budgetary and financial matters.

These projects will be carried out for three months by the leaders of the two organizations in consultation with staff, parliamentarians, Anccli (the federation of local information commissions, installed around each power station in France), detailed the cabinet of Agnes Pannier-Runacher.

The government announced on February 8 its intention to abolish the IRSN, indicating that it was a question of “fluidifying the examination process”.

According to the ministry, this reform must "consecrate the independence and transparency of the French nuclear safety system", "strengthen the skills and power of action of the ASN", and "increase the attractiveness of the safety professions nuclear".

The ministry expects from the leaders of the three organizations that oversee nuclear power in France (ASN, IRSN and the Atomic Energy Commission or CEA) a detailed report on the implementation of the reform "by June", in particular " from a regulatory and financial perspective.

According to the project, IRSN experts, technicians and scientists - some 1.725 ​​people in total - would join "en bloc as much as possible" ASN, nicknamed the nuclear policeman because it takes the decision to authorize or shutting down power plants, based in particular on IRSN's technical expertise.

The implementation of the reform will take one year to fifteen months, underlined the cabinet which, alerted by the unions, considers that expertise and strategic management should remain "separate".

Opposed to the reform, they accuse the government of wanting to "remove in 40 days an organization which took 40 years to build" and which guarantees the credibility of the French nuclear system, by separating expertise and decision-making.

Even if the ministry assures that the "publicity of expert opinions will be preserved", employees fear that the independence of the organization will decrease, and above all that the transparency of the opinions of IRSN experts published in a manner independent, at a time when the State and EDF want to launch a new nuclear program and extend the aging power stations beyond 50 or 60 years.

The ministry admitted on Thursday that it "did not know how to answer" the question of whether IRSN's opinions would be published before or after ASN's decisions. "The subject will have to be very precisely posed," said a manager.

After a first strike - extremely rare - on February 20, the IRSN inter-union announced a new notice for February 28.