Monitoring the safety and security of nuclear installations (I)
In this field the Office has a very specific role: it conducts an independent outside examination of the way in which the safety and security of nuclear installations are monitored, while in no way seeking to take the place of the operators or of the authorities responsible for drawing up and implementing the safety rules. In this way it exercises one of parliament’s essential functions - democratic oversight – in a better way than any "committee of wise men" or "high authority". By organising round table discussions and public hearings open to the press, such as that held on 19 May 1992 on the possible restart of Superphénix, it provides the public with all available information and thus contributes to its own objective of transparency, which is also a factor in safety. The recommendations made by the Office cover the organisation of the government departments responsible for monitoring, the actions the operators might take, and the improvement of public participation. Some of these have already been translated into fact, for example the raising of the safety authority to the rank of a Directorate. A draft parliamentary Bill has been prepared with a view to setting up local information and surveillance committees around civilian nuclear sites.
Short title:
Nuclear safety (I)
Start date:
1990-01
End date:
1990-12
Project leader:
Office Parlementaire d´Evaluation des Choix Scientifiques et Technologiques of the French Parliament (OPECST)
Country:
France