[en] The French nuclear safety authority (ASN) is commissioned to control nuclear safety in order to protect workers, the public and the environment from the risks implied by nuclear activities. This control consists in the verification that the plant operator complies to all his obligations concerning nuclear safety, this checking relies on on-site inspections, on the analysis of documents and information provided by the plant operator to justify his actions. This article presents how ASN carries out its control mission by reporting a series of interviews with inspectors from ASN. A British inspector and a Spanish inspector give their feeling about the French way of inspecting. (A.C.)