Technical basis for off-site emergency planning in France

Past experiences from nuclear accidents have clearly shown the importance of being prepared to manage these situations from public information to implementation of protective actions. This paper summarises the criteria used as a basis for off-site emergency planning and preparedness in France. The emergency response organisation, the general organisational scheme of actions, criteria for countermeasures and the emergency planning zones are briefly described. The establishment of emergency plans requires the definition of a technical basis, in particular the choice of reference source terms. The reference source terms used in France are described and the perspectives of evolution explained. The final section briefly presents the status of Level 2 PSA in France and the link with emergency planning.