ASNR meets with its Finnish partners
From 11 to 13 February 2026, a delegation from the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASNR), led by President Pierre-Marie Abadie with Olivier Dubois (Commissioner), Vincent Lagneau (Scientific Director), Patrice Giordano (Director of Safety Research), Cyril Pinel (International Director) and Fanny Pigot (Project Manager in the International Department), travelled to Finland to discuss key nuclear safety and radiation protection issues with its partners and to strengthen existing technical and institutional cooperation.
The mission began with a bilateral meeting at the headquarters of STUK, the Finnish safety authority. This annual steering committee meeting provided an opportunity to review topics of shared interest (EPR, A/SMR, waste management, regulatory effectiveness, etc.) and the prospects for medium- and long-term cooperation between the two authorities. It was also an opportunity to visit STUK's laboratories and offices. These discussions resulted in a joint report highlighting the convergence of views on several important topics between the two organisations (more information).
The ASNR delegation then travelled to Olkiluoto for a day-long visit to Onkalo, Finland's deep geological repository for radioactive waste. This was an opportunity to discuss the progress of the project and learn more about Posiva's experience (site selection, licensing, site construction, etc.). The visit was also an opportunity to strengthen cooperation with STUK in light of the project review of Cigéo, the deep geological disposal facility for radioactive waste to be built in France by ANDRA.
In the evening, a meeting was organised at the French Embassy in Helsinki, allowing for more informal discussions with our partners and representatives of the nuclear industry in Finland.
On the last day, a meeting dedicated to research was held at the headquarters of VTT, the Finnish technical safety organisation (TSO) and research organisation, which, like ASNR, is a member of the ETSON network. This meeting provided an opportunity to discuss topics of mutual interest (A/SMR, LTO, fuel safety) and to renew the ODOBA cooperation agreement (more information), a research project led by ASNR focusing on the characterisation and understanding of the evolution of concrete pathologies in civil engineering structures. A tour of VTT's laboratories was also organised.
Finally, the mission concluded at STUK's premises with an update on Finnish regulatory activities, followed by two presentations, one on the STUK International Group and the other on the ASNR Academy. In conclusion, STUK and ASNR agreed on the next steps to be taken to further our collaboration.
This mission to Finland helped strengthen the ties of cooperation between ASNR and its Finnish partners, both in terms of research and regulatory aspects. The discussions confirmed the shared interest in close cooperation on common challenges in nuclear safety and radiation protection, in a constantly changing international context.