The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) is teaming with the IAEA to host a workshop on a new peer review service designed to strengthen the nuclear regulatory infrastructure for regulated facilities and activities. The workshop is set for 22-23 March in Paris and is open to governmental and regulatory authorities in IAEA Member States.
The workshop specifically focuses on lessons learned from the IAEA´s Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission of 24 experts to France in November 2006. It´s being conducted by the French Nuclear Safety Authority in cooperation with the IAEA Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. IRRS is a new IAEA peer review service that brings together international experts in nuclear and radiation safety regulatory areas. It combines previously separate missions to provide a more integrated, flexible and modular assessment of regulatory activities.
"We´re pleased to be working with national authorities in France and other countries that are principally responsible for nuclear safety," said Mr. Tomihiro Taniguchi, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. "Our mutual aim is to achieve and maintain high standards at the global level, and our safety review services, like IRRS, are good examples of what can be done. Such expert review teams have been providing guidance and advice on best practices and IAEA safety standards for many years."
The Paris workshop in March seeks to inform participating governmental and regulatory authorities about the IRRS, and to review lessons learned to date and identify ways in which the service can be improved, including the establishment of a network of experts from nuclear regulatory authorities.
For more information about the workshop and the IRRS, see Story Resources.