The French nuclear safety authority, an independent administrative body

The Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) is officially responsible for controlling safety and radioactivity in France so as to protect wage-earners, patients, the public and the environment from nuclear-related risks. It draws on the work done by the Institute of Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), and provides information to the public on these questions. The Authority's goal is to ensure an effective, legitimate, impartial and creditable control recognized by the public and serving as an international reference mark. ASN is led by a board of 5 commissaries, has a staff of 420 employees most of them civil servants, has an annual budget of 50 million euros and relies on 11 regional departments