Speakers
Description
The Specialized Command for Nuclear Security (CoSSeN), is an organisation created by the French Government in 2016. Supervised by the Interior and Energy ministries and composed of Gendarmerie and Police officers as well as civil servants, it aims to enhance the response of state security forces regarding physical protection of civilian nuclear facilities and transports.
One of the main tasks of the CoSSeN is to control and monitor individuals accessing to nuclear facilities.
As a young institution in the nuclear security field, the CoSSeN helps to prevent and detect internal threats in the French nuclear civil sector, by centralizing, harmonising and coordinating the response of state security forces regarding the protection of civil nuclear facilities and activities.
For this end and to ensure an effective control of the individual access to nuclear facilities and protect our installations from any malicious acts, the CoSSeN has started to use ACCReD in 2017. This operating system allows, from nine Police and Gendarmerie databases, to check if an individual who requires an access to one of the civilian nuclear sites is known or unknown from the security forces and presents a risk because of his vulnerabilities. This system ensures a better control because all criminal records can be taken into account and it allows to give a relevant advice to the operator. It also allows the access to a dedicated program concerning those who have ties with Islamic radicalisation. For example, an access to a nuclear site can be refused to those who hold a criminal record for offenses such as consummation/dealing of drugs, violence, extortion, robberies or even those with the manslaughter charge.
In all the process, the CoSSeN only delivers a recommendation which allows the operator to make an informed decision and choose if the individual can or cannot access to the site. This decision can be contested by the person concerned to the Minister in charge of Energy within two months.
Thanks to ACCReD and the work of investigators and analysts, the CoSSeN has handled more than 536 000 investigations and approximately 5200 thumbs down. In a current year, the CoSSeN should carry out more than 400 000 investigations. This access control system applies to employees of major French nuclear groups (EDF, CEA, ORANO…), as well as numerous subcontracted workers. In addition to the knowledge and follow-up of nuclear workers, our organisation provides a better understanding of companies who are working with the major French nuclear groups.
This operating system and more broadly the administrative investigation process are essentials to protect the internal security and public safety, and of course hard regulated by the law to not contradict individual liberties and rights.
| State | France |
|---|
