[en] NEEDS (from the French for nuclear, energy, environment, waste, and society) is what the French National Center for Scientific Research - CNRS - calls a challenge. This long-term, multi- and interdisciplinary program aims to put humans and society at the center of scientific research. It responds to a societal concern and seeks to foster the emergence of new specialist fields. IRSN is a stakeholder in the program, contributing its vision and expertise, and enhancing its own knowledge to maintain the highest standards in all its activities. (author)

[en] Like every year, this report presents and comments the results of an opinion survey on risks, and more particularly on risks related to nuclear and radiological activities. The first part addresses the current concerns of French people (main concerns in the present society, with respect to the environment, and risks related to industrial installations). The second part addresses the opinion on expertise (the role and image of experts, diffusion and sharing of scientific expertise, and the perception of pluralistic structures). The third part examines the reaction of people in front of 34 different hazardous situations (risks to which people feel being exposed, confidence people have in authorities to protect them, confidence in information on hazards, hierarchy of the 34 situations according to three different aspects, and relationship with installation acceptability). The fourth part addresses the nuclear domain: expectations related to the control of the nuclear risk, benefits and drawbacks of nuclear energy, fear of a severe accident, attention given by French people to nuclear energy, expertise and credibility of interveners in the nuclear sector

[en] IRSN is the nation's public service expert in nuclear and radiation risks, and its activities cover all the related scientific and technical issues in France and in the international arena. Its work therefore concerns a wide range of complementary fields, including environmental monitoring, radiological emergency response, radiation protection and human health in normal and accident situations, prevention of major accidents, and safety and security relating to nuclear reactors, plants, laboratories, transportation, and waste. It also carries out assessments in the nuclear defense field. In addition, IRSN contributes to government policy in nuclear safety, the protection of human health and the environment against ionizing radiation, and measures aimed at safeguarding nuclear materials, facilities and transportation operations against the risk of malicious acts. Within this context, it interacts with all the organizations concerned including public authorities, in particular nuclear safety and security authorities, local authorities, businesses, research organizations, and stakeholder associations. This document is IRSN's annual and financial report for 2017. Content: 1 - Foreword; 2 - Governance: Organization Chart, Senior Management Committee, Executive Committee; 3 - Key figures 2017; 4 - Strategic challenges; 5 - Assessing nuclear facilities in operation; 6 - Enhancing the safety of future nuclear facilities: safety assessments of defense-related activities and facilities; 7 - Contributing to safety and non-proliferation; 8 - Identifying and assessing incidents; 9 - Developing research and sharing knowledge; 10 - Enhancing international cooperation; 11 - Acting to protect the environment; 12 - Playing an active role in public health; 13 - Preparing for emergencies and post-accident management; 14 - Informing society of the risks; 15 - Modernizing and improving efficiency; 16 - Governing bodies; 17 - Glossary and legal information

[en] After some introductory texts proposed by several IRSN head managers, and a brief presentation of some key data illustrating the activity, the annual report presents the main strategic orientations, notably in the field of knowledge management, and of information and communication. After some images illustrating the past year, activities are presented. They first deal with safety: safety of civil nuclear facilities, from decommissioning old reactors to designing those of the future, reactor ageing, severe accidents, fuel, criticality and neutronics, fire and containment, safety and radiation protection of defence-related facilities and activities, geological disposal of radioactive wastes. They secondly deal with security and non-proliferation (nuclear security, nuclear non-proliferation, chemical weapon ban), thirdly with radiation protection for human and environment health (environment monitoring, radionuclide transfer in the environment, radon and polluted sites, human exposure, radiation protection in the workplace, effects of chronic exposures, protection in health care), and fourthly with emergency and post-accident situations (emergency and post-accident preparedness and response). The next part of the activity report addresses issues related to efficiency: improved economic and financial management, property, computer security, quality and corporate social responsibility, human resources, organisation chart. The financial report proposes a management report, financial statements with an appendix to annual accounts, and an auditor's report

[en] IRSN, a public entity with industrial and commercial activities, is placed under the joint authority of the Ministries of Defense, Environment, Industry, Research, and Health. It is the nation's public service expert in nuclear and radiation risks, and its activities cover all the related scientific and technical issues. Its areas of specialization include the environment and radiological emergency response, human radiation protection in both a medical and professional capacity, and in both normal and post-accident situations, the prevention of major accidents, nuclear reactor safety, as well as safety in nuclear plants and laboratories, transport and waste treatment, and nuclear defense and security expertise. IRSN interacts with all parties concerned by these risks (public authorities, in particular nuclear safety and security authorities, local authorities, companies, research organizations, stakeholders' associations, etc.) to contribute to public policy issues relating to nuclear safety, human and environmental protection against ionizing radiation, and the protection of nuclear materials, facilities, and transport against the risk of malicious acts. This document is the 2013 issue of IRSN's activity report. Content: 1 - Organization, key figures; 2 - Strategy: Progress and main activities in 2013, Transparency and communications policy, Promoting a safety and radiation protection culture; 3 - Activities: Safety (Safety of existing facilities, Studies and researches, About defense, Conducting assessments of future facilities); Nuclear security and non-proliferation (Nuclear security activities, International non-proliferation controls); Radiation protection - environment and human health (Environmental and population exposure, Radiation protection in the workplace, Effects of chronic exposure, Protection in health care); Emergency and post-accident situations efficiency; 4 - Efficiency: Health, safety, environmental, protection and quality, Human resources, Organization chart and Executive committee, Board of directors, Steering committee for the nuclear defense expertise division - CODEND composition, Scientific council, Ethics commission composition, Nuclear safety and radiation protection research policy committee - COR; 5 - Glossary; 6 - Financial report: management report, financial statements, appendix to the annual accounts

[en] Illustrated by many graphs and tables, this report comments and discusses the evolution of opinion surveys performed in France on the perception of nuclear risks through thirty annual IRSN opinion surveys. It appears that the opinion on nuclear is rather steady, and that French people have a rather rational perception of risk hierarchy. The first part outlines that unemployment is the main concern for French people, and that environmental concerns depend on current events. The second part analyses the perception of the nuclear risk with respect to other societal concerns and to other risks, and discusses the evolution of opinion from a quantitative to a qualitative sensitivity. The third part addresses the representations people have of nuclear activities and how they challenge the reality: perception of nuclear plants and of radioactive wastes, fear of a serious accident. The last part deals with issues related to responsibilities, abilities and governance: how actors of nuclear risk management are perceived, and expectations in terms of transparency and opinion plurality

[en] This annual report for the French nuclear safety and radiation protection Institute (IRSN) addresses its organizational aspects (highlights, figures illustrating the activity, organizational chart, councils and committees), proposes a summary of activities and presentation of the strategy (transparency and communication policy, promotion of a safety and radiation protection culture). The main part addresses the activities regarding safety, nuclear security and non-proliferation, radiation protection of the environment and in terms of human health, and emergency and post-accidental situations. The last part addresses issues of efficiency (property, health, safety, environmental protection and quality, and human resources). A financial report is also proposed and contains a management report, financial statements, and an appendix to annual accounts

[en] Like every year, this report presents and comments the results of an opinion survey on risks, and more particularly on risks related to nuclear and radiological activities. The first part addresses the current concerns of French people (main concerns in the present society, with respect to the environment, and risks related to industrial installations). The second part addresses the opinion on expertise (the role and image of experts, diffusion and sharing of scientific expertise, and who should control a hazardous installation). The third part examines the reaction of people in front of 34 different hazardous situations (risks to which people feel being exposed, confidence people have in authorities to protect them, confidence in information on hazards, hierarchy of the 34 situations according to three different aspects, and relationship with installation acceptability). The fourth part addresses the nuclear domain: expectations related to the control of the nuclear risk, fear of a severe accident, benefits and drawbacks of nuclear energy, expertise and credibility of interveners in the nuclear sector. The fifth part addresses the presence of radon in dwellings (awareness of the risk, measures related to the control of radon in dwellings)

[en] Whereas the return on experience from EDF nuclear plants revealed (already during the 70's) a risk of stress corrosion cracking for some nickel-based alloys in different components, and as this risk can put the integrity of components of main primary circuits into question again, this document reports the reviewing of the EDF file concerning this issue and therefore updating previous documents in order to take this issue into account. It indicates and comments elements and methods introduced in this update: international and national returns on experience, update of knowledge related to materials (cracking kinetics, case of the 690 alloy and associated alloying metals), evolution of the method of assessment of the risk of stress corrosion cracking, implementation of non destructive tests for several controls, and maintenance strategy for vessel bottom penetrations. ASN opinions, and opinions and recommendations of a group of experts about these different aspects are gathered in attached documents

[en] Like every year, this report presents and comments the results of an opinion survey on risks, and more particularly on risks related to nuclear and radiological activities. The first part addresses the current concerns of French people (main concerns in the present society, with respect to the environment, and risks related to industrial installations). The second part addresses the opinion on expertise (the role and image of experts, diffusion and sharing of scientific expertise, and the perception of pluralistic structures). The third part examines the reaction of people in front of 34 different hazardous situations (risks to which people feel being exposed, confidence people have in authorities to protect them, confidence in information on hazards, hierarchy of the 34 situations according to three different aspects, and relationship with installation acceptability). The fourth part addresses the nuclear domain: expectations related to the control of the nuclear risk, fear of a severe accident, benefits and drawbacks of nuclear energy, expertise and credibility of interveners in the nuclear sector, fear of serious nuclear accidents, perception of the two main nuclear accidents: Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011)