Cattenom power plant;
The Joint Franco-Luxembourg Commission for Nuclear Safety held its seventeenth meeting on 4 April 2019 in Luxembourg.
On the Luxembourg side, the delegation was made up of representatives of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Radiation Protection Division (DRP) of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Interior and the Office of the High Commissioner for National Protection (HCPN ). On the French side, it was composed of representatives of the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Moselle prefecture, in the presence of EDF, the operator of the French nuclear power plant, Cattenom.
Firstly, the Luxembourg delegation expressed its concerns about the operation of the Cattenom nuclear power plant near its borders. Discussions between the delegations then focused on recent developments in the two countries in the fields of nuclear safety and radiation protection, the 2018 assessment of safety, radiation protection and environmental protection, as well as the outlook for the year 2019.
The two delegations went on to discuss the impact of the guidelines of the multiannual energy plan (MEP) in France on the operation of French nuclear power plants. In this context, Luxembourg reiterated its wish to be involved in public consultations, including those relating to periodic reviews of French reactors located at its border. ASN presented these public consultations, the periodic reviews of which are subject to the planned and ongoing work on the reactors concerned.
The delegations also reviewed the crisis management structures, including at the national level, and the means of communication in emergencies on both sides of the border. France presented the latest developments in Cattenom's Specific Response Plan (PPI), including the information campaign on reflexes to be given in the event of a nuclear alert and the distribution of iodine tablets. The two countries agreed to continue to work closely together during crisis exercises organised on nuclear power plants in the vicinity of Luxembourg to test cross-border coordination.
In 2019, the two countries will similarly collaborate in the framework of cross-participation in scheduled inspections in the field of medical radiation protection. Both confirmed their willingness to continue their exchanges on the various aspects of the Franco-Luxembourg dialogue in these fields.
The next Commission meeting is scheduled for 5 February 2020 in France.
