ASNR welcomes the British regulator ONR for bilateral discussions
“Science-based safety can contribute both to licensing process efficiency and industrial performance”, conclude Heads of the French and British Nuclear Regulators
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR https://www.onr.org.uk) and ASNR, the nuclear and radiation safety authorities in United Kingdom and France, met for bilateral discussions in Montrouge (France) on March 3, 2026. This was the first meeting since the integration of ASNR and continues the long history of successful cooperation between the two regulators.
During their discussions, the delegations of ONR and ASNR, respectively led by Chief Executive and Chief Nuclear Inspector Mike Finnerty and Chairman Pierre-Marie Abadie, have been able to exchange on technical topics linked to the EPR in operation in Flamanville and under construction in Hinkley Point, as well as those relating to management for the nuclear supply chain.
Given the numerous nuclear projects, involving different types of technologies, they highlighted the necessity in short term for Safety Authorities to share good practice, enhance supply chain regulatory oversight approaches and leverage our collective regulatory effort to focus on the areas of greatest risk.
Chief Executive Finnerty and Chairman Abadie shared views on strategic challenges for nuclear safety, today and in the future, for new builds, SMRs development, long-term operation of existing reactors and decommissioning. They acknowledged that the challenges Safety Authorities have to face with new build projects require a collective response from all stakeholders and public confidence in a context of lack of qualified personnel and need for new scientific knowledge.
In their discussion, Chairman Abadie and Chief Executive Finnerty further discussed challenges safety authorities face today, to improve regulatory effectiveness and efficiency, to consider innovation and better rely on objective based safety. They highlighted that replication process, both for industry and safety authorities, will be crucial for future nuclear program success.
They agreed that Safety Authorities could help reduce project risks and enhance safety by building trust and establishing early and continuous dialogue with industry and operators, stabilizing regulations and incorporating proportionate safety approaches at a very early stage in the design process, thereby contributing to industrial performance.
Moreover, concerning AI and innovation beyond, they stated that collaboration between safety authorities is essential to ensure safety, efficiency and public confidence. By pooling actions across both safety authorities, innovation and AI-driven safety assessment tools would be speeded up while strengthening risk management and regulatory oversight.
The renewed Memorandum of Understanding between ONR and ASNR, at a moment of significant change across the nuclear industry, ensures both teams can continue to exchange expertise and work closely together.
Finally, on March 4, 2026, the ONR/ASNR delegation visited ASNR’s premises in Le Vésinet to tour the Laboratory for the Treatment and Analysis of Environmental Samples in Post-Accident Situations (LATAC https://research-assessment.asnr.fr/latac-platform), as well as the Téléray Centre (https://teleray.asnr.fr) dedicated to radioactivity monitoring in the air across France.
