State Objectives and Performance Contract - IRSN (COP)

This contract of objectives defines the Institute's strategic areas of progress, identifies the main operational challenges it faces and aims to optimise its governance and efficiency.

François de Rugy, Minister of State, Minister for the Ecological Transition and Solidarity, Florence Parly, Minister for the Armed Forces, Agnès Buzyn, Minister for Solidarity and Health, Frédérique Vidal, Minister for Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Christelle Dubos, Secretary of State to the Minister for Solidarity and Health, Marie-France Bellin, Chairwoman of the IRSN Board of Directors, and Jean-Christophe Niel, the Institute's Director General, signed the fourth five-year contract between IRSN and its supervisory ministries. 

The contract defines the Institute's commitments to the State by proposing four strategic areas for progress:

• Providing the public authorities to whom IRSN provides technical support with efficient expertise and know-how to prevent nuclear and radiological risks;
• Implement the scientific strategy and conduct high-level research that encourages the emergence of national, European and international partnerships to meet the challenges of expertise;
• Contribute to transparency and dialogue in the field of safety and radiation protection;
• Adapting IRSN's support to the authorities and government departments to deal with the changing nature of nuclear or radiological crisis situations.

These priorities are broken down into operational objectives in the Institute's areas of expertise, which are nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation, radiation protection of people and the environment, crisis management and post-accident aspects. Drawing on the results of its research work, carried out within the framework of European and international programmes, IRSN's expertise is called upon to play a key role in the management of major national issues such as :

• the examination of the application to commission the EPR reactor in Flamanville ;
• the continued operation of nuclear facilities
• periodic reviews of nuclear facilities;
• implementation of the 5th National Radioactive Materials and Waste Management Plan;
• Strengthening security measures for nuclear facilities and transport, including information systems security;
• improving the performance of the radiation protection system, in particular by increasing knowledge of exposure to ionising radiation in humans and the environment, including in the field of medical applications;
• developing doctrines and improving national radiological or nuclear crisis management organisations.
   

This expertise, as well as the results of research work, will be widely shared with stakeholders as part of the Institute's drive for transparency and openness to society.

This contract also sets out IRSN's governance and management in line with the modernisation policies of the State and its operators, particularly through efforts to control expenditure and the deployment of a socially and environmentally responsible human resources, financial and asset management policy.

Each of the objectives is illustrated by indicators or milestones that will be monitored and presented annually to the supervisory ministries.

This contract thus defines the political and strategic framework within which the Institute, a public expert in radiological and nuclear risks, will develop its action to continue to advance nuclear safety and security as well as radiation protection in France and throughout the world.