AREVA’s commitment
Dialogue, a source of performance improvement
Establishing
stakeholder relationships based on trust: a major strategic axis for the group.
Main objectives
developping and maintaining relations of trust with the group's immediate environment and in particular with its external stakeholders
extending its discussions, actions and developments vis-à-vis external concerns and expectations
improving AREVA’s community involvement from a sustainable development point of view
Dialog and consensus building are two essential keys to a better mutual understanding between AREVA and its external stakeholders. Indeed, the company considers these discussions as a way of gauging the concerns of the general public and takes them into consideration in its improvement plans. In turn, these formal or informal opportunities for discussion also enable the group to keep its stakeholders informed of its strategy and activities.
Some carried out actions
Two formal and regular initiatives, overseen by the group, will be deployed to support this commitment:
Stakeholder session on a corporate front
This approach gives the group the opportunity to pay special attention to its overall environment: AREVA’s Executive Vice Presidents and a panel of stakeholder representatives meet and hold closed-door discussions for two-half day sessions, to discuss sustainable development and the company's corporate responsibility strategy.
The group has committed to the process in the longterm, with meetings held every eighteen months.
At the request of AREVA, a facilitator supports the group with the process, which is based on ethical and operational rules. Among these rules, the confidentiality clause, requested by a majority of stakeholders, applies both to the identity of the participants and the entire content of what is discussed.
The main thrusts of the sessions are communicated to the group's Executive Committee and the various group departments.
At the same time, a public summary, put together by the facilitator, is available on the group's website.
Consult the "Stakeholders Sessions" summary reports:
Session 3 - October 8 & 9, 2008
Session 2 - July 10, 2007
Session 3 - July 11, 2005
Local mapping exercises of external stakeholders
The development since 2003 of initiatives to structure AREVA's relationships with external stakeholders was identified as a strong point by Innovest, a non-financial rating agency. This approach consists of identifying, through interviews conducted by a third party, the main challenges (environmental, economic and social, and societal) existing between the stakeholders and a particular site.
The exercise brings the internal and external perceptions of the issues facing a site face to face, to assess the quality of relations with external stakeholders with a view to improving community involvement.
By the end of 2008, 33 such exercises have been carried out in six different countries - France, Germany, UK, US, Canada, and India. Site managers draw up action plans to continue or develop actions considered more appropriate, in line with the issues involved and the expectations of stakeholders.
Other relations in France and across the world between AREVA and its stakeholders
Obviously, other occasions or discussion structures encourage dialogue. Here are some examples:
| CLI (local information commissions) (France) |
 CLI (local information commissions) (France):
Group representatives are involved in regulatory CLIs, introduced on sites with one or more BNIs, The aim is to minimize the risks relating to these installations by improving the dissemination of information to local people and stakeholders. During these regular meetings, the main results of environmental monitoring and information on risks relating to the facilities in question are commented on. The CLI brings together elected representatives, environmental protection associations, trade unions, employees, medical professionals, and qualified people.
For example, the managers of the Tricastin site took part in three CIGEET meetings including an extraordinary meeting on July 18 following incidents which occurred on Socatri facilities.
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| Public enquiries (France) |
Public enquiries (France):
In application of the public enquiry regulatory process, information files on projects relating to the group’s industrial activities (particularly development projects) are made available to the public, who can learn about the project, ask questions and give their opinion.
For example, in 2008, a public enquiry as carried out by the public authorities was part of a request to permanently shut down and dismantle BNI 80 (HAO) on the La Hague site. The public asked more than 60 questions, which the site managers answered.
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| Multiparty expertise groups (France) |
Multiparty expertise groups (France):
This is a type of technical discussion which allows scientific experts from various backgrounds (institutional, industrial, associative, French, or foreign) to raise an issue that may be seen differently by the various participants, in order to give an opinion to the national public authorities, local information commissions or any other local body concerned. AREVA representatives take part in these expertise groups when they concern one of the group’s activities.
For example, a multiparty expertise group on uranium mining sites in the Limousin region was set up in 2005, at the initiative of AREVA, to analyze the technical information provided by AREVA on mining sites in the Haute-Vienne department and give administrations and the operator clearer information on options available for the long-term management and monitoring of facilities.
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| Health watchdogs (international) |
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| Involvement in national (and international) forums on topics related to group activities |
Involvement in national (and international) forums on topics related to group activities:
The group regularly participates in forums involving various business, institutional and associative stakeholders, relating to energy topics (such as those organized by the ENEF* , WEC** , WNA*** …), climate change (e.g.: WBCSD****, ICC***** …)...
* European Nuclear Energy Forum
** World Energy Council
*** World
Nuclear Association
**** World Business Council for Sustainable Devlopment
***** International Chamber of Commerce
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| National public debates |
National public debates:
In addition to 2 public debates organized in France in 2005 (1 on waste and the other on plans to build an Evolutionary Pressurized Reactor (EPR) at Flamanville), AREVA contributed to the "Energy Review", a publication launched in 2006 by the British government.
For example, in France, from September 2005 to January 2006, the group was also involved in the national public debate on the long-term management of radioactive waste organized by the public authorities. This public debate was the first to examine a social issue rather than an industrial project. Although it is not directly responsible for research on the long-term management of radioactive waste and despite the fact that it owns very little long lived waste, AREVA was highly involved in the debate and in particular helped determine technological solutions for managing and packaging radioactive waste. The group was also a stakeholder in the process.
A second debate was held in France in 2005 on EDF’s plans to build an EPR™ nuclear reactor at Flamanville. The debate was considered necessary not only because of the economic, social and environmental scope of the project but also because it was the first-of-a-kind of a new generation of reactors. The debate also moved along the issues on access to information relating to safety and security. The law on transparency and nuclear safety took this into account.
AREVA also contributed to the "Energy Review", a publication launched in 2006 by the British government. The group strove to demonstrate that nuclear energy, together with renewables in the context of an optimal energy efficiency, can help provide the United Kingdom with necessary solutions to meet its energy supply and environmental challenges.
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200 million pellets per year
27 improvements to modernize fuel fabrication lines
Bertrand Barré
