ASNR's participation in the IAEA's RegCon 2026 international conference

ASNR participated in several sessions, shared its experience in various fields and exchanged views with a number of its counterparts on the current nuclear landscape and the challenges it presents.

Commissioner Stéphanie Guénot Bresson spoke on the regulator’s ability to adapt in a rapidly changing environment. She emphasised the need to base regulatory decisions on science and to guarantee the independence of safety authorities in a context where their judgement may be called into question. Discussions also focused on the regulation of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and on cooperation with industry to support new operators whilst promoting a safety culture.

Commissioner Géraldine Pina outlined the strategies put in place by ASNR and its Advisory Committee of Experts for Radiation Protection (GPRP) to support recent therapeutic innovations in nuclear medicine.

Luc Chanial, international adviser to the Executive Committee, outlined the preparatory phase of dialogue and assessment established by ASNR to evaluate the maturity of SMR projects prior to the regulatory phase. He also gave a presentation on the regulatory harmonisation of SMR concepts. 
Ben Mekki Ayadi, head of the Augmented Expertise Programme, outlined the safety challenges associated with the growing use of artificial intelligence by regulators and the nuclear industry.

Commissioner Jean-Luc Lachaume spoke in his capacity as President of HERCA, where he highlighted the organisation’s vital role in international cooperation, referring in particular to the partnerships established with FNRBA and FORO to strengthen the harmonisation, reliability and effectiveness of radiation protection systems.

ASNR President Pierre-Marie Abadie spoke during the conference’s closing panel discussion. He highlighted the challenges posed by the new nuclear landscape and the need for regulators to adapt, whilst strengthening technical dialogue with the industry. He stressed the importance of planning ahead for projects by establishing standards at an early stage and closely coordinating safety and industrial development. Finally, he reiterated that safety is a driver of industrial performance and announced that the next ENSREG conference, to be held in June 2026 in Brussels (Belgium) and which he will chair, will provide a further opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the current nuclear landscape.

RegCon 2026 brought together 350 high-level representatives (including 250 in person) from 99 IAEA member states, mainly from safety regulatory authorities around the world but also from certain technical support organisations (TSOs), as well as 11 scientific and industrial associations or organisations.