57th meeting of the International Nuclear Regulators Association (INRA)
On 11 and 12 May 2026, the International Nuclear Regulators Association (INRA) held its 57th meeting in Madrid (Spain). The International Nuclear Regulators Association brings together the heads of nine nuclear safety authorities: ASNR (France), BMUKN (Germany), CSN (Spain), CCSN (Canada), NRA (Japan), NRC (United States), NSSC (South Korea), ONR (United Kingdom) et SSM (Sweden).
This meeting, chaired by Spain, provided an opportunity for INRA members to discuss current events in their respective countries, topics of common interest, and nuclear safety issues.
Pierre-Marie Abadie, President of ASNR, underlined that ASNR’s reorganization is ongoing, with the target structure expected by the end of 2026. He presented the regulatory progress of the project for the six EPR2 reactors at the Penly, Gravelines, and Bugey sites. The Flamanville EPR, which reached full power at the end of 2025, will undergo a long-term outage starting in September 2026. He recalled the periodic safety review process applied in France and the consideration concerning continued operation beyond the age of 60. Finally, he presented the status of the regulatory review of the various SMR projects in France, the progress of the Cigéo project, and the government’s decisions to continue reprocessing and the prospect of new spent fuel reprocessing facilities after 2040.
Discussions among members focused on several topics: interaction with other national authorities and administrations, strategies for engagement with new-to-nuclear stakeholders, and the development of maritime nuclear applications. These discussions highlighted shared visions, particularly regarding the adaptation of organizations and regulatory frameworks in a rapidly changing global context.
Members emphasized that, in light of evolving technologies, societal expectations, and available resources, safety authorities must transform themselves. This adaptation must be grounded in the fundamentals of nuclear safety: the goal is not to lower safety standards, but rather to become more efficient and more agile. In this context, issues of leadership, organizational efficiency, and prioritization of actions were identified as central. Members confirmed the need to continue close exchanges within INRA on regulatory developments, organizational changes, and emerging topics, particularly SMRs.
At the end of the meeting, the chairmanship of INRA was entrusted to Ho Nieh, Chairman of the U.S. NRC, for a period of one year.
INRA members then visited the ENSA site - a nuclear heavy components factory - in Santander on 12 May 2026 and the decommissioning site of the Santa Maria de Garoña power plant on 13 May 2026.
