Glossary Advisory Committee of Experts (GPE): created and convened by ASNR, the GPEs issue an opinion, at ASNR’s request, on certain technical files with particularly high potential consequences prior to decisions being taken. The GPEs consist of experts appointed individually for their skills, and are open to civil society. Their members come from industrial and university backgrounds, associations, and from expert assessment and research bodies. Anccli: National Association of Local Information Committees and Commissions. Anccli comprises the 35 Local Information Committees (CLIs) in France. By ensuring regular monitoring and issuing clarifications and information that can be readily understood by the general public, Anccli helps give the CLIs the means to fulfil their public information duties. It is also heavily involved in the discussion and exchange bodies set up by its partners (HCTISN, ASNR, etc.). ASN: the French Nuclear Safety Authority Created by the law of 13 June 2006 on transparency and security in the nuclear field, ASN was the independent administrative authority responsible for overseeing civil nuclear activities in France. ASNR: the French Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection. Created by the law on the organisation of the governance of nuclear safety and radiation protection of 21 May 2024, ASNR is an independent administrative authority formed from the merger of ASN and IRSN. Since 1 January 2025, it has been responsible for overseeing civil nuclear activities in France on behalf of the French government. It also carries out research, expert assessment, training and public information tasks in the fields of nuclear safety and radiation protection. CLI: Local Information Committee. A CLI is set up for each nuclear power plant and brings together the licensee, ASNR, representatives of local authorities in the vicinity of the plant, local residents, government representatives and members of associations. The role of CLIs includes relaying information to local residents located close to these facilities about the activities of civil nuclear facilities and the monitoring of these facilities. Containment: leaktight concrete shell containing the reactor vessel, the primary system, the steam generators and the main elements important for safety in a pressurised water reactor. The containment of 1,300 MWe reactors has two walls: the inner pre-stressed concrete wall and the outer reinforced concrete wall. Corium: mass of molten fuels and nuclear reactor core structural elements mixed together, which could form in the event of a severe accident. EPR: European Pressurised Reactor (now renamed as “Evolutionary Power Reactor”). A new type of reactor incorporating numerous safety improvements, developed by Framatome and EDF. In France, one EPR reactor was commissioned in Flamanville (Manche) in May 2024. Hardened safety core: the concept of the “hardened safety core” is aimed at providing structures and equipment capable of withstanding extreme events and of performing key functions to ensure the safety of facilities and for on-site emergency management. HCTISN: High Committee for Transparency and Information on Nuclear Security Information, consultation and debating body concerning the risks linked to nuclear activities. Hydraulic test: required every 10 years by the regulations, the hydraulic test is an overall strength test which involves subjecting the system to pressure that is 20% higher than its design pressure. IRSN: French Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety. Until 31 December 2024, IRSN was the public expert body responsible for expert assessment and research into nuclear and radiological risks, and served the public authorities and the general public. ASNR, which has been operational since 1 January 2025, combines some of IRSN’s tasks with those of ASN. Licensee (nuclear): natural or legal person operating a Basic Nuclear Installation or having submitted a creation authorisation application with a view to operating such an installation. . Periodic safety review: in-depth examination of a nuclear reactor, scheduled to take place every ten years in accordance with the regulations, designed to ensure the conformity of the facilities, management of the ageing of the facility’s components (materials, equipment, systems, etc.) and to raise the level of safety. Periodic safety reviews may lead to major work in areas in which the regulatory requirements and technical requirements have changed significantly. Periodic safety review concluding report: report sent by the licensee to ASNR at the end of the ten-yearly outage inspection. In this report, the licensee issues a position statement on the compliance of its facility, and on the modifications intended to correct any identified deviations or to improve the safety of the facility. ASNR sends its analysis of the report to the Minister responsible for nuclear safety, and may impose additional requirements on the licensee. Public inquiry: participative procedure implemented and supervised by the French prefectures. A public inquiry enables the public, at a local level, to find out about a project that is likely to have consequences for the population and the environment, and to submit comments. For example, applications for authorisation to create or decommission a nuclear facility are subject to a public inquiry as are the conclusions of periodic safety reviews conducted after 35 years of operation of a nuclear reactor. Shutdown control rod: control rods, made of neutron-absorbing material, are inserted into the reactor core to regulate the number of neutrons present and therefore the nuclear reaction. Some control rods are always kept raised out of the core during power operation, and are only inserted to shut the reactor down. They are known as shutdown control rods. Ten-yearly outage: lengthy reactor outage (lasting around five months) during which the licensee carries out checks and modifications to improve the safety level. The ten-yearly outage is one step in the periodic safety review. 34 • Les cahiers de l’ASNR • July 2025
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