LES ACTIVITÉS NUCLÉAIRES : RAYONNEMENTS IONISANTS ET RISQUES POUR LA SANTÉ ET L’ENVIRONNEMENT practices to be conducted on this issue. The conclusions of this assessment were presented in September 2019 to the working group tasked with monitoring the PNGMDR. ASN issued the abovementioned opinion 2020-AV-0369 on 1 December 2020 on the conclusions of the third-party review of bituminised waste management and the studies on the design changes of the Cigéo ILW-LL disposal vaults which highlight new technical elements since the publication of the opinion of 11 January 2018. ASN therefore considers that the producers must implement an ambitious programme to characterise bituminous waste packages, which is essential in order to demonstrate that some or all of the bituminous waste packages could be disposed of in the projected Cigéo facility with a high level of safety without prior treatment. ASN considers moreover that the bituminised waste packages whose safety once emplaced in the disposal facility could not be demonstrated must undergo further investigations. The CEA informed ASN of the launch in 2021 of a new study programme baptised “Babylon” (grouping Andra and the three major licensees, which explains it other name of “quadripartite programme”), aiming to inform reflections on the methods of managing bituminised waste by contributing elements from research and development work. ASN welcomed this approach, on which it made remarks in 2022, and keeps regular track of the progress of this programme which is expected to last five years. The PNGMDR 2022-2026 provides for the progress and results of this programme to be presented annually to the PNGMDR governance commissions. A progress report was also presented to the National Review Board (CNE2) in October 2025. From the Safety Options Dossier to the creation authorisation application The Cigéo project was declared of public utility by Decree 2022-993 of 7 July 2022, published in the Official Journal of the French Republic on 8 July. During this process, ASN answered questions from the inquiry commissioners concerning certain technical aspects of the Cigéo project. Furthermore, in accordance with the resolution of 21 February 2020 of the Minister responsible for energy and the ASN Chairman further to the public debate concerning the 5th PNGMDR which, through its “HAMAVL.6” action, will specify the conditions of reversibility of the facility, particularly regarding package retrievability, the decisionmaking milestones of the Cigéo project and the required method of governance in order to be able to review the choices made. The objectives and success criteria for the industrial pilot phase, the methods of informing the public between two successive updates of the operations master plan provided for in Article L. 542-10-1 of the Environment Code and the methods for involving the public in the decisive development steps of the Cigéo project shall also be defined. The review process for the Creation Authorisation Application filed in early 2023 Further to the filing of the Cigéo creation authorisation application on 16 January 2023, ASN initiated the DAC review process for this deep geological disposal facility, which is regulated by Section 4 of Chapter III of Title IX of Book V of the Environment Code and by Article L. 542-10-1 of the Environment Code, specific to this type of facility. Following an initial analysis of the contents of the file, ASN ruled that it was administratively acceptable in June 2023 and formally started the technical review process, for which it requested IRSN’s support. This process was marked by three meetings of the Advisory Committee of Experts for Waste, accompanied by experts from the Advisory Committee of Experts for Laboratories and Plants (GPU) and the Radiation Protection EWG. This process comprised three meetings of the GPD, accompanied by experts from the GPU and the Advisory Committee of Experts for Radiation Protection (GPRP). The review by the GPEs initially covered the knowledge and hypotheses used to design the facility and draw up its safety case, then the review of operational safety, and finally the assessment of long-term safety. The first meeting of the GPEs was held on 24 and 25 April 2024, the second on 10 and 11 December 2024, and the third on 25 and 26 June 2025. Following the conclusions of the expert assessments and the completion of its technical review task, ASNR provided, in accordance with the provisions of Article L. 542-10-1 of the Schematic diagram of the Cigéo repository showing the surface and underground facilities Ramps zone Package reception, inspection and preparation zone Shafts zone Works support zone Disposal zone HLW Double ramps Disposal zone ILW-LL – 420 m – 550 m – 700 m ASNR Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2025 367 13 12 11 10 09 08 01 05 02 06 03 07 04 A / Z
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