COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
C0M(93)112 final 
Brussels, 31 March 1993 
JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE 
1992 ANNUAL REPORT 
(Presented by the Commission) 
PREAMBLE 
Following 
Article 4 of the Council Decision of 29 April 1992, adopting specific research programmes to be 
implemented by the Joint Research Centre for the European Economic Community 
(92/273/EEC) during the period 1992-1994, 
Article 4 of the Council Decision of 29 April 1992, adopting specific research programmes to be 
implemented by the Joint Research Centre for the European Atomic Energy Community 
(92/274/Euratom) during the period 1992-1994, 
Article 5 of the Council Decision of 29 April 1992, adopting a supplementary research 
programme to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre for the European Atomic Energy 
Community (92/275/Euratom) during the period 1992-1995; 
it is foreseen that an annual report on the execution of the programme will be transmitted by the 
Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee. 
The enclosed document constitutes the first of these reports and concerns the year 1992. 
It is accompanied by the observations of the Board of Governors. 
2) 

3-
OBSERVAT10NS OFTHE BOARD OF GOVERNORS 
ON THE JRC ANNUAL REPORT 1992 
The Council Decisions 92/273/EEC, 92/274/Euratom, 92/275/Euratom of 29 April 1992 on the JRC 
Specific Research Programmes 1992-1994 for the EEC and the EAEC and the supplementary 
programme (HFR Reactor) 1992-1995 for the EAEC request that the Commission's Annual Report shall 
be accompanied by the observations of the Board of Governors. 
The Board notes that the Annual Report provides information on all categories of activities of the 
JRC, as stipulated in the Council Resolution 92/C 118/03 of 29 April 1992 concerning the activities to 
be undertaken by the JRC, and enables the addressees to appreciate the impact of the JRC in 1992. In 
the opinion of the Board, the Report is a well-prepared and usefully structured document. 
The Board appreciates the dynamic way in which the JRC has embarked on the new objectives set for 
the 1992-1994 period by the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission. This 
encompasses the specific research programmes, the increased scope and volume of scientific and 
technical support to other services of the Commission and the continuing work for third parties in a 
field where the competition is markedly increasing both in Europe and world-wide. 
Amongst the new programmes, the Board has great expectations for the Human Capital and Mobility 
Programme now that the modalities for its execution have been finalised. It will not only contribute 
to the training of young researchers, but also contribute to the JRC collaboration with national 
research laboratories and universities - an aspect of the JRC activities which has had strong attention 
by the Board during the year of report. 
The Board, being fully aware of the necessity for improved internal efficiency in the administrative 
and infrastructural activities, has noted the progress made by the JRC by the reorganisation made in 
these areas at the Ispra site and welcomed the plans towards an ECO-Centre at Ispra. This falls in line 
with the expectations the Board formulated when commenting on the Annual Report for 1991 and 
indeed on the proposal for the 1992-1994 activities of the JRC. 
Further evidence of the vitality of the JRC was found in the inauguration of the new scientific 
experimental installations during the year 1992, where the established national collaborations were 
an important aspect. 
Another necessary condition for the scientific vitality of the JRC, are the plans for early retirement of 
officials with a very long period of service and which the Board sincerely hopes will be approved by 
the Council in early 1993 to take effect by the middle of that year. 
Medium term and long term planning continue to be of high relevance for the work of the Board 
which, in 1992, has been engaged in the early planning of the JRC contribution to the 4th Framework 
Programme on Community activities in research and technological development where the Board 
notably has focused on the application of the subsidiarity principle for the JRC activities, as well as a 
stringent application of the customer/contractor principle and that in particular for the scientific and 
technical support to other services of the Commission. 
4-
The Board has followed with interest the evolution concerning co-operation with the EFTA countries 
and looks forward to the extension and to the factuality of this co-operation under appropriate 
schemes. 
The Board expresses its gratitude for the work performed during the year by the Director General, 
the Directors and indeed the entire staff, and it acknowledges their demonstrated will to embark on 
new orientations and changes from the past. 
In June 1992 there was a change over of the chairmanship of the Board, which wishes to convey its 
most sincere thanks to its first chairman, Sir John Kendrew, for his excellent guidance of the Board 
and his unfailing support of the JRC through a very crucial period in the history of the Centre. 
The Board finally expresses its gratitude to On. F.M. Pandolfi, the Vice President of the Commission 
responsible for the JRC for the interest he has taken in the work of the Board and for the fine mutual 
understanding it has enjoyed. 
Brussels, January 1993 
JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE 
1992 ANNUAL REPORT 
Report of the Commission 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
Page 
The Joint Research Centre 7 
1. JRC Life in 1992 8 
1.1 Specific Research Programmes 9 
1.2. JRC S/T Support to Community Policies 11 
1.3. JRC Work for Third Parties 13 
1.4 JRC Exploratory Research 15 
1.5. JRC Participation in EUREKA Projects 15 
16 JRC Co-operation with Other Laboratories and Organisations 16 
2 Activities of the JRC Institutes in 1992 17 
2.1. Central Bureau for Nuclear Measurements 17 
2.2. Institute for Transuranium Elements 19 
2.3. Institute for Advanced Materials 20 
2.4. Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics 22 
2.5. Institute for Safety Technology 24 
2.6. Environment Institute 26 
2.7. Institute for Remote Sensing Applications 28 
2.8. Institute for Prospective Technological Studies 30 
2.9. Publications and Eurocourses 32 
3. Human Resources "" 35 
3.1. Staff Policy 35 
3.2. Visiting Scientists, Seconded Experts and Scientific Fellows 36 
4. Finances 37 
Annex A: List of Tables and Figures 39 
Annex B: Glossary of Acronyms and Abbreviations 40 
7-
THE JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE 
The Joint Research Centre of the European Communities is a European scientific and technical 
research centre established by the Commission of the European Communities, with headquarters in 
Brussels; its four sites in Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands house eight different institutes, 
each with its own focus of expertise. 
These institutes are: 
CBNM The Central Bureau for Nuclear Measurements (Geel) 
ITU The Institute for Transuranium Elements (Karlsruhe) 
1AM The Institute for Advanced Materials (Petten & Ispra) 
1ST The Institute for Safety Technology (Ispra) 
ISEI The Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics (Ispra) 
El The Environment Institute (Ispra) 
IRSA The Institute for Remote Sensing Applications (Ispra) 
IPTS The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (Ispra) 
This Annual Report intends to give a general overview of JRC life in 1992. 
Furthermore, readers may find more details in the Annual Reports of the eight Institutes. Finally, as in 
the past, the JRC publishes numerous scientific reports, presents papers in conferences and in 
scientific journals, and organises workshops, seminars and conferences to disseminate its scientific 
achievements. 
These documents may be obtained from 
Public Relations and Publications 
CEC - Joint Research Centre 
I-21020 Ispra (VA) Italy 
Phone: + 39 332 78 91 80 
Fax: + 39 332 78 58 18 
8-
l.JRC LIFE IN 1992 
1992 has seen the confirmation of the rôle of the JRC in the Community R&D system through a 
Council Resolution adopted on 29 April 1992 on the activities to be undertaken by the JRC in the 
1992-1994 period, and the Council Decisions of the same date on the Specific Research Programmes 
1992-1994. These programmes contribute to the objectives of the 3rd Framework Programme 
through the lines of Industrial and Materials Technologies, Measurement and Testing, Environment, 
Nuclear Fission Safety, Controlled Nuclear Fusion and Human Capital and Mobility. The Council also 
decided a supplementary Euratom programme 1992-1995 for the HFR Reactor at Petten. 
The JRC has established its strength in executing projects of a multidisciplinary nature with the aim of 
meeting the needs of the Community as a whole, its Institutions and Member States. All eight 
Institutes continued their activities within the context of specific programmes, scientific and 
technological support to the Commission, contractual work for external third parties and exploratory 
research, operating under the objectives stipulated by the Council and the European Parliament for 
the JRC and the financial targets set out in the Budget for 1992 and the 1992-1994 period. 
The neutral and independent rôle of the JRC was underlined, research of pre-normative character 
was emphasised as was the true European nature of its scientific-technical activities. Much attention 
has been paid by the JRC Board of Governors to ensure proper response to the subsidiarity principle 
and to foster increasing significant collaboration with national research in the Member States. Plans 
were drawn up for a possible coming collaboration with the EFTA Countries. Europe-wide or 
international collaboration continued under schemes like EUREKA and EC agreements with several 
countries around the world. Notably the new orientation in the environmental research (global 
change) gave rise to extensive planning for new collaborations. 
During the year, several large installations were inaugurated such as the European Signature 
Laboratory on 21 April which will carry out spectral signature research, notably for research in the 
field of remote sensing applications. The Reaction Wall facility (European Laboratory for Structural 
Assessment - ELSA) was inaugurated on 16 October 1992 and aims at testing large and full scale 
models of structures. Also the Advanced Coating Centre at Petten established in collaboration with 
the Dutch Energy Research Foundation (ECN) became operational, and was inaugurated on 27 
November 1992. 
,- Work undertaken as scientific and technical support to the Commission has considerably increased in 
response to the requests for work from other Directorates General of the Commission and much 
attention has been paid to applying the customer/contractor principle in the execution of the work. 
Practically, more than 88% of all operations were covered during the year by an Inter-Directorate 
-j,\ ; General multi-annual contract, a Council Decision or a Commission Decision, and the remaining part 
executed in response to more punctual requests from Commission Directorates General. New 
initiatives included the European Centre for Validation of Alternative Testing Methods (alternative to 
y:y. I vivisection) and the European Chemicals Bureau both for the Directorate General for Environment, 
^ ; Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection and new work in the nuclear safeguards area for the Directorate 
^ I General for Energy. 
Contractual work for external third parties, continued to be of a high quality and the JRC has 
strengthened its marketing efforts, both at institute and central levels. 
The many exploratory research projects gave stimuli for possible new work orientations and added to 
the scientific vitality of the JRC. 
In order to underline the new orientation for the work it was decided at the end of 1992 to change 
the name of the JRC Institute based at Geel (B) to Institute for Reference Materials and 
Measurements, which will include the CBNM activities as foreseen in the EAEC Treaty. The new name 
will be used from end of December 1992 onwards. 
-9-
1.1 Specific Research Programmes 
The predominant task of the JRC is still its contribution to the implementation of the Framework 
Programme, which accounted for 65% of the JRC budget, in comparison with 70% in 1991 and 74% 
in 1990. It contributed to the objectives of the 3rd Framework Programme by the execution of the 
following specific programmes: 
• The Industrial and Materials Technologies encompassed research on Advanced Materials 
executed by the Institute for Advanced Materials (IAM), and on the Working Environment, executed 
by the Institute for Safety Technology (1ST), the Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics 
(ISEI) and by the Environment Institute (El). 
IAM concentrated its efforts on providing a scientific understanding of new advanced materials 
behaviour and new measurement capabilities. Research underpinning the understanding of high 
temperature materials behaviour in industrial environments has been directed towards more severe 
conditions (ultra high temperature, aggressive environments). The Advanced Coatings Centre has 
become operational at IAM-Petten as a joint venture with the Dutch ECN, and scientific efforts have 
concentrated on the improvement and characterisation of wear and corrosion resistant coating. 
The Institute for Advanced Materials catalysed European interest in developing inter-metallic 
materials for structural applications, within a concerted action under the BRITE/EURAM (Basic 
Research in Industrial Technologies for Europe/European Research on Advanced Materials) 
programme; IAM also co-ordinated the EUREKA-CEFIR project, which includes 22 Industrial Partners 
and 24 Research Institutes, and which aims at the development of a European production capability 
of ceramic fibres. IAM has also been very active in the promotion of a European Association for 
pre-normative research of engineering and constructional materials, under the guidelines of IRDAC 
(Industrial Research and Development Advisory Committee). 
In the field of the working environment the Environment Institute has been involved in the 
biomonitoring of trace metals in human tissue to identify and prevent possible causes of worker 
diseases arising from occupational exposure. The work on accident prevention and management at 
ISEI concentrated on the development of a cognitive model to study man-machine interaction and 
the analysis the various parameters affecting decision-making and thus the performance of man-
machine feedback loops. At 1ST, work focused on ventilation and pollutant transport modelling 
• The Measurement and Testing programme encompassed research projects on nuclear 
measurements and reference materials, executed by the Central Bureau for Nuclear Measurements 
(CBNM), and research projects on reference methods for non-nuclear energies and the assessment of 
the reliability of structures, executed by the Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics (ISEI) 
and by the Institute for Safety Technology (1ST). 
Nuclear data measurements were executed at CBNM in 1992 as in the past. Reference materials for 
reactor neutron dosimetry and for nuclear safeguards measurements and inter-laboratory 
measurement campaigns on nuclear materials are in growing demand. In general, however, the 
scope of CBNM work is shifting from nuclear to non-nuclear fields, and from fundamental reseorch to 
applications. 
At ISEI, a new type of optical interferometric laser holographic technique has been developed for 
non-evasive evaluation of composite structures, which have large surfaces (e.g. monuments, aircraft, 
civil structures - bridges, etc.). 
The most important achievement in the field of the measurement and testing programme is the 
completion of the European Laboratory for Structural Assessment (ELSA) for structural dynamics 
studies with full scale models of buildings and structures. To optimise the use of this unique facility, 
several research Institutes have been grouped in an association, and integrated European 
programmes are being established. In particular, a programme of pre-normative research is foreseen 
to support the setting-up of harmonised construction standards in Europe. 
(3) 
10-
• The Environment Protection programme consisted of research projects executed by the 
Environment Institute (El) on atmospheric pollution, and on soil, water and waste pollution. It also 
encompassed applications of remote sensing techniques, executed by the Institute for Remote 
Sensing Applications (IRSA), and research activities on industrial hazards executed by the Institute for 
Safety Technology (1ST) and by the Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics (ISEI). 
As a contribution to the global change programme, the Environment Institute (El) has been active in 
a new European project on Biogenic Emissions in the Mediterranean Area (BEMA). This project aims 
to assess the amount and fate of vegetation emissions and their rôle in the tropospheric ozone 
formation processes in comparison to anthropogenic emissions. The Institute for Remote Sensing 
Applications (IRSA) contributed to the programme by the development of remote sensing based 
approaches for the study of the terrestrial and marine biospheres, with particular emphasis on 
changes in vegetation distribution (e.g. biomass burning) and regional and temporal variations of sea 
surface temperature and biological activity. 
In addition atmospheric tracers have been utilised in in-field campaigns in the Alps to study the 
diffusion of atmospheric pollutants A European Scale Experiment (ETEX) has been initiated, in 
collaboration with international and national organisations, to evaluate the real time response of 
atmospheric models used for emergency management. 
During the 1991-1992 European Arctic Stratospheric Ozone Experiment (EASOE), the Environment 
Institute acted as a network station of the observing system implemented to prepare synoptic maps 
of the ozone levels. 
Advanced techniques of remote sensing are being evaluated such as imaging spectrometry. High 
spectral resolution sensors have been shown to provide information on specific elements of interest, 
such as lignin and moisture content, which cannot currently be obtained with existing sensors. 
The European Microwave Signature Laboratory, the largest civilian facility of its type in the world for 
undertaking spectral signature research has been inaugurated on 21 April 1992. The objective of this 
laboratory is to undertake research in preparation for future spaceborne missions relying on 
observation techniques which are weather independent, 
The Facility for Investigating Runaway Events Safely (FIRES) aimed at studying the safety of batch 
chemical reactors is operational at 1ST. In this facility the nitration of toluene has been investigated as 
a typical case of chemical processes that might lead to severe accidents. 
The setting-up of a Centre of Earth Observation (CEO) is being examined by ISEI, IRSA and El; the 
main objective of the Centre could be to provide an efficient decentralised network for the full 
exploitation of the earth observation data including those obtained by spaceborne sensors. A 
feasibility study, headed by the JRC, is ongoing; a decision on how to proceed will be made by the 
Board of Governors by mid 1993. 
• The Nuclear Fission Safety programme encompassed a number of research activities ranging 
from reactor safety and nuclear waste executed by the Institute for Safety Technology (1ST), to 
research activities in nuclear safeguards and fissile materials management, executed by the Institute 
for Safety Technology and the Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics (ISEI), and to 
research activities on nuclear fuels and actinides executed by the Institute for Transuranium Elements 
(ITU). 
The reactor safety activities at 1ST have continued with the study of severe accident phenomena in 
nuclear power plants. Fission products and aerosol transport were studied via the participation in the 
international PHEBUS-Fission Product programme (fission product release in the containment) at CEA 
(Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique) Cadarache and in-vessel phenomena were analysed by the 
FARO (Experimental Facility for Fuel Melting) test programme at Ispra. 
11 -
The Performance and Training Laboratory on Nuclear Safeguards (PERLA) was put into operation. 
The number of training and calibration exercises in support to Commission policy, related to nuclear 
safeguards, continued to grow (support to the IAEA and to the Euratom Safeguards Directorate), 
demonstrating the relevance and necessity of the facility. 
In the area of nuclear safeguards techniques at ISEI, the Laboratory for Surveillance and Containment 
(LASCO) became fully operational in 1992 and started to test, at real scales, new containment 
surveillance technologies (optical, robots, etc.). 
The Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU) contributed to the safety of nuclear fission. Particular 
attention was given to the effect of water intrusion into spent fuel during their storage in 
repositories, and to basic aspects of the nuclear transmutation of long-lived radioactive waste 
constituents into products with comparatively short half-lives. 
The measurement of nuclear fuel properties at temperatures that might occur in a hypothetical 
reactor accident involving core melt-down was concluded with a study of the specific heat of uranium 
dioxide up to 8000°C. 
• The Fusion Technology and Safety programme is executed by the Institute for Safety 
Technology, (1ST) the Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics (ISEI) as well as the Institute 
for Advanced Materials (IAM). 
Commissioning of the European Tritium Handling Experimental Laboratory (ETHEL) has continued. 
Work has also commenced on the preparation of experiments aimed at improving containment and 
the safe handling of tritium. 
The IAM is studying the properties of materials used in components of future fusion reactors. 
Experiments on He implantation in fibre reinforced SiC and thermal cycling tests on first wall 
elements have been performed. 
Various computer packages are being developed by ISEI to model physical phenomena within the 
reactor and a facility to simulate remote handling procedures has been built. 
Progress made in the execution of these programmes is reported in more detail in Chapter 2, 
dedicated to the activities of the JRC Institutes. 
1.2 J RC S/T Support to Community Policies 
JRC scientific and technical expertise is available to other Directorates General of the Commission for 
support in the formulation and implementation of Community policies. 
JRC support can take several different forms: 
theoretical studies or laboratory work, 
assistance in the scientific management of projects or contracts, 
scientific and technical support in drafting and implementing EC legislation. 
In 1992, JRC scientific and technical support accounted for 22% of the JRC budget, compared with 
19% in 1991, 15% in 1990, 13% in 1989 and 10% the year before. Figure 1 shows how this support 
was divided amongst the various Community policies. 
During the year a number of multi-annual agreements have been signed by the Director General of 
the JRC with other Directorates General in order to provide an effective customer/contractor 
relationship, as well as a degree of continuity and long-term planning. This is a clear reflection of the 
increasing confidence in the JRC's reputation within the customer/contractor framework, which has 
been reinforced, and a recognition of the efficiency of its services in solving current problems. The 
main sectors concerned were Energy, Agriculture and Environment. 
-12 
Practically more than 88% of all operations were covered during the year by an Inter-DG multi-
annual contract, a Council Decision or a Commission Decision, with the remaining part executed in 
response to more urgent requests from Commission Directorates General. 
Figure 1 
S/T Support to Commission Services 
MioEcu 
18 
16 
14 
12 
10 
8 
6 
4 
2 
0 1992 
1991 
1990 
JJJJÛ II (MM 
FSU CPS DGI DGIII DG VI DG VIII DG XI DG XIII DG XVII Others 
FSU Forward Studies Unit 
CPS Consumer Policy Service 
DG I International Cooperation 
DG III Industrial Policy 
DGVI Agricultural Policy DG VIII Development Policy 
DG XI Environmental Policy 
DG XIII Telecommunications and 
Innovation Policy 
DGXVII Energy Policy 
• JRC support for Energy policy (DG XVII) accounts for 25% of the scientific and technical 
support budget. 
Most of the work undertaken deals with the following tasks: 
nuclear energy: 
training of inspectors, providing state of the art equipment, reference analyses of nuclear 
materials samples and technical support to the Euratom Safeguards Directorate, 
non-nuclear energy: 
Contributions were predominantly on energy conservation and its rational use in small and 
medium size industries, buildings and transport systems, and in the monitoring of photovoltaic 
and solar thermal demonstration projects. 
-13-
• JRC support for the Environmental policy, which accounts for 25% of the scientific and 
technical support budget, provides DG XI with scientific and technical assistance in the drafting and 
the implementation of legislation on chemical pollutants, atmospheric pollution, water quality, 
chemical waste, industrial risks and major accidents. This work is part of the EC Action Programme in 
the field of the Environment and includes the following actions: 
Work with chemical pollutants deals mainly with S/T support to EC Programmes and 
Regulations in the field of chemical control for two EC Directives, 67/548 and 79/831/EEC; 
Atmospheric pollution support concerns the implementation of EC Directives 80/779 and 
85/203/EEC on air quality (SO2, NO2, photochemical oxidants); 
Support in the management of waste is offered with the co-ordination of a group of 
independent experts for the preparation of the European Waste Catalogue (Directive 
91/156/EEC); 
Work on major accidents supports the implementation of EC Directive 82/501/EEC, and the 
investigation of hazards of certain industrial activities such as processing and storage 
installations for hazardous chemicals; 
ECVAM, a new laboratory for the validation of alternative testing methods (alternative to 
animal testing) for the evaluation of drugs and cosmetics is being set-up and development of 
the programme activities started. 
• JRC support for the Common Agricultural Policy, which accounts for 15% of the scientific and 
technical support budget, covers mainly three research areas: 
the application of remote sensing to agricultural statistics where the aim is to develop and 
demonstrate, up to the semi-operational level, methodologies which integrate remote sensing 
data into the collection of statistics for the monitoring of crop acreage and agricultural 
production in the EC (Council Decision of 26.9.1988), 
support to operational applications in establishing registers of inventory control systems in 
agriculture, using either airborne or spaceborne remote sensing techniques, 
the use of the nuclear magnetic resonance technique for the analysis of wines, and the 
creation of a data bank of European wines (EEC Regulation No 2048/89 - Art 16). 
Further information on the JRC Scientific and Technical support activities to the Commission's services 
may be found in Chapter 2. 
1.3 JRC Work for Third Parties 
Third Party Contract Work continues to grow. The total volume of work ordered from the JRC during 
1992 reached the level of 9 MioEcu. 
Table 1 shows the evolution of the execution (amounts invoiced and payments received) of Third 
Party Work ordered during the past period 1988-1991. The volume of work, still to be executed at the 
end of 1991, to implement the order book accumulated during the period 1988-1991, amounts to 
27.8 MioEcu (45.6 MioEcu - 17.8 MioEcu). Amounts invoiced, or work performed by the JRC in 1992 
for these orders, passed during the period 1988-1991, amounted to 7.61 MioEcu, which represent 
27 4% of the work which was still to be executed at the end of 1991. 
Figure 2 shows the evolution of the new orders received by the JRC during 1992, which amounted to 
8.9 MioEcu. Related figures for amounts invoiced and payments received were respectively 
5.2 MioEcu and 2.8 MioEcu 
-14 
Table 1 
Execution of Work for Third Parties (MioEcu) ordered during the period 1988-1992 
Year 
Order book 
Amounts invoiced 
Payments received 1988 
5.79 
2.77 
2.03 1988-1989 
15.71 
6.04 
4.85 1988-1990 
23.54 
11.17 
10.15 1988-1991 
45.64 
17.83 
15.33 1988-1992 
45.64 
25.43 
23.38 
Contracts obtained so far show that all JRC Institutes are involved in Third Party Work; nevertheless 
two Institutes, IAM and ITU are far ahead in the winning of contracts. 
Industry is the most important customer of the JRC, with 70% of the total Third Party Work provided 
by the JRC, while contracts with other research organisations or public administrations amount to 
22% and 8% of JRC Third Party Work respectively. 
Most EC countries are benefiting from JRC scientific expertise through Third Party Work; outside the 
EC, Japan, the USA and Canada are the main customers of the JRC. 
Figure 2 
JRC Work for Third Parties in 1992 
MioEcu 
10 
Jan Orders 
Invoices 
Payments received 
Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 
15-
1.4 JRC Exploratory Research 
The selection and monitoring of exploratory research projects has been achieved in 1992 with the 
aid of the Sub-Committee for Exploratory Research of the Board of Governors. 
Their objective is the improvement of the scientific vitality of the JRC. In order to enable the Institutes 
to steer their activities in a more direct manner, part of the resources has been put directly in the 
hands of these Institutes, while another part has been reserved for exploratory research on a 
competitive basis. The following exploratory research activities should be underlined, in particular: 
ITU is studying the main parameters, such as acoustic power, aerosol concentration and size, 
leading to the agglomeration of aerosols using ultra sound to improve the precipitation rate 
of current gas cleaning techniques; 
IAM executed various experiments using instrumented phantoms to verify computer models 
needed to predict the dose distribution within patients in preparation of Boron Neutron 
Capture Therapy at the high flux reactor in Petten; 
Experimental neural network software for image classification used to map land cover is being 
developed into an operational system by ISEI and IRSA. Improved techniques using significantly 
less computation time were applied to mapping land cover in Portugal for inter-comparison 
with existing databases; 
El is developing a methodology, based on the use of pulsed, laser induced fluorescence, to 
analyse atomic and molecular species in gaseous samples by a single absolute measurement. 
The detection of HO radicals in the troposphere will be a possible application of this method; 
ISEI is assessing the potential of thin-film photovoltaic devices as window material for 
buildings. Performance evaluation tests for double-glass design, which allows to increase the 
efficiency by extracting heat from within the glass sandwich are being implemented. 
1.5 JRC Participation in EUREKA Projects 
The EUREKA initiative was set-up to raise, through closer co-operation among enterprises and 
research institutes in the field of advanced technologies, the productivity and competitiveness of 
Europe's industries and national economies on the world market, and hence strengthen the basis for 
lasting prosperity and employment. It involves 20 countries plus the Commission of the European 
Communities. 
JRC participation in EUREKA (European Co-operation on Advanced Technology) continued in 1992 in 
the following projects: 
CEFIR (Ceramic European Fibre Research, EU 658), an initiative aiming at the production of 
European high temperature resistant ceramic fibres. The first stage was concluded by defining 
the needs and targets for European ceramic fibres and evaluating the prospects for European 
manufacture from the commercial and technological viewpoint (see para. 2.3); 
FORMENTOR (EU 19), related to the development of expert systems to support decision 
making in hazardous situations (see para. 2.4), 
EUROTRAC (EU 7), with the TRACT (Transport of Air Pollutants over Complex Terrain) 
subproject that uses artificial tracers for assessing the transport of atmospheric pollutants in 
the Alpine region; the BIATEX (Biosphere Atmosphere Exchange of Pollutants) subproject that 
aims to understand the rôle of biogenic emissions and deposition processes; and the LACTOZ 
(Laboratory Studies of Chemistry related to Tropospheric Ozone) subproject that evaluates, by 
udbie uniibybiem in pnybii*. 
16 
laboratory experiments, the chemical and photochemical transformation of atmospheric 
pollutants (see para. 2.6), 
EUROENVIRON (EU 330), with the TRACY (Toxic Metals in Human Tissues and Fluids) project 
(EU 618) which aims to develop a state base for toxic materials in human tissue and fluids and 
the mobile analysis laboratory project (EU 674) aiming at developing a mobile analytical 
laboratory for the in-field analysis of water, waste and soil (see para. 2.6), 
VISIMAR (Visualisation and Simulation of Marine Environmental Processes, EU 495), to monitor 
the marine environment. 
1.6 JRC Co-operation with Other Laboratories and Organisations 
The JRC maintains many scientific relations, both formal and informal, with national laboratories 
and international organisations. 
All of the JRC's Institutes have been able to extend their co-operation network during 1992. Figure 3 
shows the number of formal co-operations with national research institutions in the EC. Apart from 
these collaborations the JRC is also expanding its network towards the EFTA countries and world­
wide. 
Figure 3 
Formal JRC Co-operations with National Laboratories in the EC 
Number of JRC Co-operations 
30 JRC Institutes 
Countries 
-17 
2. ACTIVITIES OF THE JRC INSTITUTES IN 1992 
This chapter outlines the activities of the Institutes of the JRC during 1992. Furthermore, a section is 
dedicated to JRC Publications and Eurocourses. 
2.1 The Central Bureau for Nuclear Measurements (CBNM) 
The CBNM, located in Geel (Belgium), is dedicated to the promotion of European Standards and the 
harmonisation of reference methodologies and materials. The Institute contributed to the 
Framework Programme line "Measurement and Testing" by executing its specific programme under 
the heading "Reference Materials and Measurements". It is engaged in support activities related 
mainly to nuclear safeguards at the request of the Directorate General for External Relations (DG I) 
in support to IAEA and of the Directorate General for Energy (Euratom Safeguards Directorate, DG 
XVII). It also provides reference materials to various customers. The scope of the activities of the 
Institute is steadily shifting from nuclear to non-nuclear fields, and from fundamental research to 
applications. 
• Reference Materials and Measurements 
CBNM is providing high quality reference materials for the calibration of analytical equipment in all 
stages of the nuclear fuel cycle and in the non nuclear field for BCR ("Bureau Communautaire de 
Référence"), with the aim of improving the reliability of chemical analyses and physical 
measurements. 
In that context, the preparation, characterisation and certification of a number of nuclear and non-
nuclear reference and spike materials continued. Several special reference materials for BCR were 
prepared, such as orange juice (sugars, aminoacids), pig liver (vitamins), fly ash (dioxines), soils 
(phenols, cyanides). Analytical work on metallo-proteins and heavy metal traces of environmental or 
clinical importance also continued. 
The new ultra-clean chemical laboratory was completed and inaugurated in November. This 
laboratory provides an atmosphere with extremely low concentrations of dust and metals. Hence it is 
very suitable for low concentration trace determination in all kind of samples. 
The accuracy in silicon atomic weight measurements could be increased by a factor of 10 to 3-10-7. 
This result will be used to further refine the value of the Avogadro constant. Silicon has been selected 
because extremely pure crystals are available as a result of the advances in the semi conductor 
industry. Improving the accuracy of the Avogadro constant is a necessary prerequisite to improve the 
basic unit system in physics. 
In the non-nuclear analytical Interlaboratory Measurement Evaluation Programme (IMEP), using 
isotopic specific measurements as a reference for toxic/essential element assay, the progress was as 
follows: for Cadmium in polyethylene the results were published, for trace elements in natural and 
synthetic water the results were under evaluation, and for iron in human serum certification has been 
finished. 
In the frame of the EURACHEM (European Organisation for Metrology in Chemistry) activities, a first 
workshop on "Comparability and Traceability in Measurements of Amount of Substance" was 
initiated by CBNM and took place at the Institute in November. 
Activities in neutron measurements for fission covered data on standards, structural materials and 
basic research. 
The neutron standards data set, to which other measurement can be referred, was further 
improved. Measurements were done of the 235U fission cross-section, a measure for the 
probability of interaction, relative to the neutron-proton scattering cross-section in the 
neutron energy range from 0.3 to 2 MeV. Results on nuclear mass and charge distributions in 
(4) 
-18-
the cold region of the spontaneous fission of 252Cf, which is a standard for fission studies, have 
been published; 
The study of neutron interaction with structural materials, a long-standing programme on 
resonance parameters, was concluded by complementary measurements of the total cross-
section and of capture \-ray spectra for 6<>Ni and resonance parameter analysis of the total 
cross-section up to 800 keV; 
Basic research on measurements of the 239pu fission cross-section has been performed in the 
energy range from thermal to 1 keV, showing that the hitherto existing discrepancies were 
due to a normalisation problem. Fragment mass- and energy-distributions from the 
spontaneous fission of 244Pu, and for the 237Np fission reaction in the region of the threshold 
were studied. A search of shape isomers in 239u and 233jh, in the latter case with a positive 
indication, was completed. 
In the context of fusion data double emission cross-sections for 207pD have been measured and earlier 
data on 9Be (n» 2n) have been finally corrected for multiple scattering effects. High resolution 
transmission measurements on natural iron have also been started. 
The EUROMET (European Organisation of Metrology Laboratories) project on the metrology of 192lr 
brachytherapy sources was finished. The Institute participated in a BIPM ("Bureau International des 
Poids et Mesures") intercomparison of the activity concentration measurements of a 75Se solution 
and also in the standardisation of a 152Eu solution and comparison with other laboratories through 
the "Système International de Référence" of BIPM. 
The programme on radiation physics was continued at the CBNM's Linear Accelerator with 
measurements on transition radiation in the soft X-ray energy domain. Also several novel X-ray 
sources produced by electron beams were studied. 
Nuclear methods are capable of detecting extremely low concentrations of light elements in near-
surface regions. One of these methods, Nuclear Reaction Analysis, was applied in a study of the 
oxidation of aluminium implanted and non-implanted stainless steel samples at the 7 MV Van de 
Graaff Accelerator. 
• Community and External Services 
In Support to Services of the Commission the CBNM continued the preparation of a series of solid 
spikes for safeguards measurements which were supplied to the International Atomic Energy Agency 
(IAEA). Safeguards verification measurements were made according to the requests of the Euratom 
Safeguards Directorate of DG XVII. The analytical quality control programme co-ordinated by the 
Institute for all ECSAM (European Commission's Safeguards Analytical Measurements) laboratories 
continued. Results of the analytical measurements on mixed uranium plutonium oxide pellets, 
plutonium nitrate solution, spent fuel and synthetic input solutions were collected for evaluation. 
Development and application of the isotopic fingerprint method which allows the identification of 
origin of some products or pollutants, have been started. Candidates for this analysis were sulphur in 
fossil fuels to detect environmental pollution, and carbon, oxygen and nitrogen in food and drugs, to 
prevent fraudulent actions. 
The alpha-spectrum analysis code developed during the study of emission probabilities in 239Pu could 
be provided to users in alpha-spectrometry research. 
A special effort has been made in the field of neutron flux metrology including the preparation of 
neutron dosimeters. This work has concentrated on the activity determination after irradiation and 
the calculation of the neutron flux. 
19 
2.2. The Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU) 
The ITU. located in Karlsruhe, has expertise and unique equipment for property studies on nuclear 
fuel materials. It executes, within the Nuclear Fission Safety Programme, research on the Safety of 
Actinides in the nuclear fuel cycle; it also contributes to research on Reactor Safety and on the 
management of Radioactive Waste. ITU provides scientific and technical support to nuclear 
safeguards upon the request of the Directorates General for External Relations (DG I) and for Energy 
(DG XVII). In addition, the Institute is engaged in a number of important contracts at the request of 
the nuclear industry. 
• Safety of Actinides in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle 
The Institute continued its research on the behaviour of nuclear fuels at high burn-up and under off-
normal working conditions to provide information on possible extensions of their operation limits. In 
this context the study of specific structural features which may limit the fuel lifetime has been 
extended to the so-called "rim effect", a region of increased porosity at the periphery of the fuel. 
Mixed nitride fuels can now be fabricated according to current safety requirements, and nitride 
irradiation tests and post-irradiation examinations are under preparation (in collaboration with the 
"Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires" of Cadarache and HFR Petten). 
The results of measurements of the specific heat capacity of uranium oxide fuel, at temperatures up 
to 7000 K, were analysed. Mathematical models of fuel rod behaviour under transient and steady 
state conditions were further refined. The models will contribute to the improved prediction of the 
fuel behaviour. 
Fission gas release from UO2 was investigated by annealing irradiated fuel segments and by 
systematically comparing release rates at different heating modes, under various atmospheres and at 
different burn-ups. The international fission gas release project RIS0 III was concluded, and the 
contributions of the Institute were summarised in various reports. 
Studies on transmutation were continued in order to assess its technical feasibility. A continuation of 
the collaboration with CEA Cadarache on the development and testing of minor actinide containing 
fuels (oxides) was established. In the field of partitioning, work on the properties of extraction agents 
for actinides was started using centrifugal extractors and genuine high-level waste. Efforts to 
improve the safety of handling radioactive materials were continued. 
• Characterisation of Radioactive Waste 
Leaching studies were continued with UO2 and with fuel with simulated burn-up. The surface state of 
U02 in the presence of water was studied in detail; the composition and thickness of leached layers 
were measured. While previous leach tests were carried out under dynamic conditions, further 
testing was performed under static conditions in autoclaves at 200°C in order to quantify the 
influence of the environment (liquid or gaseous) and of oxidising conditions on the leaching 
mechanisms. 
Modelling the interaction of steam and water with spent fuel in an underground waste repository 
was continued. 
• Basic Studies on Actinides 
A new family of actinide compounds of the composition An2Me2Me* was discovered, synthesised 
and characterised. Equipment for the preparation of high-purity Am and Cm on the hundred gram 
scale was set-up. The synthesis of quasi crystalline uranium compounds was attempted. 
Equipment for determining magnetic and transport properties and for Môssbauer spectrometry on 
actinide samples was commissioned. 
-20 
Close collaboration with external scientific institutions involved exchange of staff and samples. These 
collaborations included magnetic and electrical measurements, neutron scattering experiments, and 
the use of synchrotron radiation for the diffraction, absorption and the magnetic scattering of X-rays 
on actinides and actinide compounds. 
• Community and External Services 
The robotised reprocessing input analysis equipment, which the ITU had developed for and installed 
at the Gatchina reprocessing plant in Russia undergoes field testing. The results of the first field test 
were evaluated and compared with those of parallel tests performed at the IAEA Seibersdorf 
laboratories (SAL) and at the ITU Karlsruhe. A bias of the order of 1% was observed between the 
Gatchina plant results on the one side and the SAL and ITU results on the other side, which could be 
explained by the spike calibration procedure employed in Gatchina. 
Analytical support was given, upon request, to the Euratom Safeguards Directorate (DCS) in 
Luxembourg. It consists of analysing samples which have been taken by inspectors at different 
nuclear installations within the European Community. The instruments employed by DCS at the 
various installations have been modernised according to the state of the art. An expert system for 
quality assurance was further perfected and tested. Components of a glove box for sample titration 
including auxiliary preparatory steps have been developed. 
The prototype equipment of a laboratory for on-site safeguards analysis, at the Sellafield 
reprocessing plant, has been assembled and is being tested. Some equipment related to non­
destructive test are still to be provided. A team of twelve inspector analysts is presently being trained. 
Major work for external contractors concerned the continuation of the preparation and 
characterisation of minor actinide containing alloys and the preparation of their irradiation in a fast 
flux reactor. Fuel rods from commercial light-water reactors subject to an elevated burn-up were 
analysed. Investigations to produce monoclonal antibodies tagged with short-lived radio isotopes for 
cancer therapy were continued. All in all, new orders for third parties amounted to 1.5 MioEcu, which 
represents 5.2% of the Institute's budget in 1992. 
• Exploratory Research 
The investigation of the transport of large aerosol particles in ducts and chimneys performed as 
exploratory research helped to clarify aerosol transport mechanisms under conditions of turbulence. 
A system with a combined electro-acoustic precipitator for particle agglomeration was characterised 
and successfully tested with glycol aerosol. 
2.3 The Institute for Advanced Materials (IAM) 
With sites at both Petten and Ispra, the IAM executes the specific programme on Advanced Materials 
and exploits and operates the High Flux Reactor for the Dutch and German authorities. The Institute 
is engaged in various support activities and in particular in pre-normative research related to 
standards and codes. The Institute also expands considerable effort to attract and execute work on a 
contractual basis for industry. During 1992 the Institute for Advanced Materials concentrated its 
effort on the research areas of materials for extreme environments, reliability and life extension, 
surface modification technology and fusion materials. 
• Materials and Measurements 
Important observations were made in the formulation of failure mechanisms for coated and 
uncoated single crystals of Ni based alloys used in aero-engines in close association with aerospace 
industry. 
Two surprising results were obtained in the frame of the fusion materials studies. The first 
experiments on He implantation in SiC/SiC has shown that, against any expectation, even quantities 
as high as 1000 parts per million did not produce any visible damage to the material. If this positive 
21-
result can be confirmed by more sophisticated investigations, one of the major restrictions for the 
applicability of SiC/SiC in fusion reactors would be overcome. 
The thermal cycling tests on first wall elements demonstrated that the base material can easily 
undergo the requested number of cycles. Weak points, however, were observed in the brazings, 
where cracks nucleate and propagate and finally penetrate the base material. 
In the Surface Modification Centre thermal shocks on thermal barrier coatings were simulated by 
using electron beams and laser. The successful investigation of a wide range of materials has created 
a knowledge base for attracting contracts from industry. 
Plasma spray coatings for the corrosion protection, of high temperature turbine blades have been 
developed and exhibit improvement in oxidation resistance. These results are of importance for the 
transport and power industry. 
In a joint venture with ECN, the Advanced Coating Centre has work in progress on coating continuous 
fibres for reinforcing composites. 
In addition, a laser-spallation facility was set up to measure the adherence of coatings to substrates. 
In this technique, the shock wave induced by a laser pulse is used to detach the coating. Measurement 
of the amplitude of the shock wave and of the vibration of the specimen surface provides the input 
data for a finite element model from which the adhesion strength is calculated. 
In a contribution to engineer the micro-structure of structural ceramics on a submicron scale, 
nanocrystalline Yttria (Yttrium oxide) was developed to coat Zirconia ceramic powders. A chemical 
technique provided the starting materials with the fine scale control composition. 
The EUREKA-CEFIR project, co-ordinated by the Institute, has achieved the primary objectives of the 
first stage Definition Phase. The project, which includes 22 Industrial Partners and 24 Research 
Institutes, has defined the needs and targets for European ceramic fibres and has evaluated the 
prospects, both from technological and commercial viewpoint, for their European manufacture. The 
decision to commit the necessary resources for long term research turns upon the perception of the 
strategic vulnerability of the European aero-engine industry. The leading industries of the project 
have prepared an R&D working programme, on a European-wide scale, in order to allow this project 
to proceed to a full implementation phase. 
The Institute for Advanced Materials catalysed European interest and actions on joint efforts in 
developing inter-metallic materials for structural applications. This year a concerted action has been 
agreed under the BRITE/EURAM programme, in which the Institute participates as one of a large 
number of European laboratories. 
A concept for a European Association for pre-normative research of engineering and constructional 
materials has, under the guidelines of IRDAC (Industrial Research and Development Advisory 
Committee), been formulated in association with national standards organisations and CEN 
("Comité Européen de Normalisation"). The aim of the Association will be the promotion of pre-
normative research of materials leading to European standards. The work will be executed in a 
decentralised mode. 
• Community and External Services 
The Scientific/Technical Support to Commission Services encompassed in 1992 activities in: 
pre-standardisation of advanced ceramics and pressure vessels and analysis of the rôle of 
materials in the competitive position of the European aeronautics industries for DG III, 
materials R&D implications in environmental problem areas and quality protocols of radio­
pharmaceuticals for DG XI, 
22-
the valorisation of patents and licenses for sensors, ultrasonic transducers and passive 
downwards heat transfer for DG XIII. 
The Institute for Advanced Materials maintained its position for third party contract work in the field 
of materials and experienced a significant increase in contracts for the production of isotopes, used in 
medical and industrial applications, and for the irradiation of structural materials. New orders for 
third party work earned by IAM during 1992 exceeded 5 MioEcu, which amounts to 10% of the 1992 
budget of the Institute. 
The Institute for Advanced Materials initiated two pan-European collaboration projects, both 
building on the experience gained during the past 15 years in the PISC (Programme for the Inspection 
of Steel Components) Programme: 
AMES: European Network on Reactor Pressure Vessel Embrittlement and Annealing, 
EBIQ: European Bureau for Inspection Validation or Verification. 
• High Flux Reactor 
The High Flux Reactor at Petten was operated during 1992 according to schedule. The availability was 
near to 100% of the scheduled operation time. The utilisation of the irradiation positions was 
between 60% and 70%. 
An important share of the reactor's irradiation capacity was again utilised for irradiation experiments 
on fuel and structural materials for nuclear fission reactors, as well as for fusion applications. 
Radioisotope production services for the medical sector and industrial applications have markedly 
increased again. The new facility for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy has been used intensively for 
investigating the preconditions for the treatment of patients. 
2.4. The Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics (ISEI) 
ISEI, based at Ispra, executes some parts of the specific research programmes on Working 
Environment, Measurement and Testing, Environment, Nuclear Fission Safety and Fusion. The 
Institute executes several activities in Support to the Community Policies and it is engaged in 
exploratory research and in Third Party Work. 
• Working Environment 
In the field of accident prevention and safety, the cognitive model COSIMO (Cognitive Simulation 
Model) has been fully documented and a first set of field studies for the development of a model of 
"stress" and of "temporal reasoning" affecting decision-making has been carried out. A prototype of 
a system response generator aiming to analyse human decision-making during accidents has been set 
up. The Human Error Analytical Taxonomy (HEAT) project has completed the phase of audits on past 
accidents. 
• Measurement and Testing, Environment 
In the field of reliability modelling of structures various surface characterisation and profiling 
techniques have been applied and tested on stone specimens. In the field of pre-normative research 
on optical diagnostic techniques, main developments were on: 
Double exposure and real time holographic interferometry, which has been successfully 
applied to evaluate the deformation state of stone material; 
Software tools to obtain three dimension deformation profiles from interferograms and three 
dimension surface maps from contouring images. 
23-
ln the field of pre-normative research on photovoltaic conversion systems, performance 
measurements for advanced devices and thin film reliability test procedures have been developed. 
An experimental performance assessment of large area transparent modules has been carried out as 
a part of the integration of photovoltaic systems in building facades. 
The following four main contributions were made in the pre-normative research areas on methods 
and software for risk assessment and environmental planning: 
The STARS (Software Tools for Analysis of Reliability and Safety) code is ready for use. 
The second phase of the FORMENTOR project was completed; applications have been carried 
out, one on a chemical process plant and one on a satellite ground system. 
A directory of models has been established in the emergency management area. 
Two decision support systems for environmental planning have been implemented; a 
computer package for decision support on transport of hazardous goods has been finalised. 
• Nuclear Safeguards, Nuclear Fission Safety and Fusion 
Nuclear Fission Safety, Reliability and Risk Assessment: a study of the informatics structure of an 
object-oriented data base to record all event types occurring in a specific plant has been performed, 
with a view to its implementation in STARS. A tool for dynamic reliability analysis, DYLAM (Dynamic 
Logic Analytical Methodology) has been developed. A pilot study related to accident management, 
based on the system response analyser concept with a simple human behaviour model, has been 
worked out to be used in severe nuclear accident management. 
In Structural Reliability the campaign of thermal shocks on a pressure vessel nozzle corner, where a 
crack has been induced by mechanical fatigue, has been completed and the results have been used to 
validate theoretical models adopted in licensing procedures. 
Safeguards and Fissile Materials Management: the data base of the European R&D Safeguards 
activities (ESTABANK) has been updated. The software for the control of the robot vehicle for remote 
surveillance has been developed. The software for a new family of image processing systems allowing 
real time application has been developed. A series of software packages for verification and 
processing of ultrasonic seal signatures has been developed. The installation of the LASCO storage 
facility and the instrumentation for monitoring and surveillance are underway and the facilities to 
test the components are operational. 
Nuclear Fusion: the feasibility study on an attaching lock system ("Twin-belt") for the Next European 
Torus (NET) chamber has been concluded. The concept is considered as becoming an option for the 
future International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). A test-rig for the validation of 
models to deal with electromechanical effects of plasma disruptions on the Torus internal surface has 
been installed. The facility (ROBERTINO) for testing remote operation procedures on models (Scale 
1:3) of the inner components of the fusion reactor became operational during 1992. In the area of 
safety, analyses of accidents which could stem from the loss of active cooling system (loss of electrical 
supply) have been carried out. 
• Community and External Services 
In support of DG I, on nuclear safeguards for the IAEA, a system of reviewing and image processing 
for the remote surveillance of nuclear fuel storage areas has been performed. Demonstration to IAEA 
inspectors of the use of sealing bolts on spent fuel containers has been made. A new laboratory 
(TAME) for the calibration of mass and volume measurements has been established and it is now 
being used for training purposes. 
Specifications to implement a co-ordination centre for an aircraft incident reporting system have 
been defined and software/hardware is being procured at the request of DG VII. 
-24 
In support of DG XI in the field of major accidents, the design of the Community Documentation 
Centre on an industrial risk informatics system has been completed and the new data base of the 
major accident reporting system has been defined. A Community documentation centre for 
biotechnology safety and regulation (BIOSAFE) has been constituted. The civil protection pilot 
information system has been put into operation. 
For DG XIII a remote sensing software package named SPACE has been implemented. In the frame of 
the VALUE (Valorisation and Utilisation for Europe) programme, a transputer parallel system for real 
time image acquisition has been completed and the ray-tracing technique improved. 
For DG XVII the support to the THERMIE ("Technologies Européennes pour la Maîtrise de l'Energie") 
programme has been pursued by the analysis and evaluation of new photovoltaic and solar thermal 
demonstration projects (a total of more than 70 projects was evaluated). A number of proposals in 
the sector of buildings and transport has been also analysed. In the area of nuclear safeguards a 
computer aided system station for reviewing computer aided video surveillance tapes has been 
developed. Tests on ultrasonic sealing bolts have been performed. Work on accounting and data 
management has been pursued. 
Statistical applications of artificial neural networks progressed in support to EUROSTAT. As a support 
to the Secretariat General of the Commission an information system to centralise and analyse 
information on the prevention of frauds was under development. 
For Third Party Work, calibration and certification tests as well as assistance tests on new photovoltaic 
devices have been performed in the ESTI (European Solar Test Installation) facility under contract 
with various organisations. Contracts have also been won in the areas of risk assessment and nuclear 
safeguards. Computer aided engineering work in support to industrial projects has also been 
executed. 
• Exploratory Research and International Co-operation 
Exploratory research has been carried out in the areas of neural networks for teleoperated vehicle 
navigation and image classification for land cover mapping, as well as of thin photovoltaic devices in 
buildings. 
2.5. The Institute for Safety Technology (1ST) 
Located at Ispra, the 1ST contributes to the Measurements and Testing, the Nuclear Fission Safety 
and Fusion, and to the Environment Programmes. The Institute is engaged in several support 
activities at the request of Commission's services, mainly in the field of nuclear safeguards for the 
Directorates General for External Relations (DG I) and Energy (DG XVII). 
• Reactor Safety 
The programme on Reactor Safety is focused on the study of severe accident phenomena which is an 
area where public perception of risk is high and international co-operation is very important. The 
activities related to the JRC FARO and the joint CEA-JRC PHEBUS Fission Products programmes are 
absorbing the largest part of resources. Concerning FARO, the first tests on molten fuel quenching in 
water, simulating on a large scale in-vessel phenomena during severe accidents, have been 
successfully carried out. 
In relation to PHEBUS the preparation work for the first test involving fuel melting and release of 
fission products in a simulated reactor containment has been completed with 1ST staff contributing in 
the setting-up of test instrumentation and in the qualification/documentation of test data. In 
addition benchmark exercises have been mounted to stimulate participation of European partners. 
The ESTER (European Source Term Research Code) computer code package is being developed by 1ST, 
in co-operation with many other institutions, and is designed to be the European best estimate tool 
25 
for the modelling of the source term in severe accident calculations. A first pilot version of ESTER has 
been released for testing to the European partners. 
• Fusion Technology 
The construction of ETHEL, the European Tritium Handling Experimental Laboratory, has been 
completed. The principal objective of its research programme is to assess the tritium propagation 
modes and transfer pathways and to validate new protective barriers for achieving an improved 
confinement of tritium under normal or accidental conditions, and thus to minimise subsequent 
dilution and dispersion into the environment. 
Provided with unique test equipment in the form of two "climate chambers" ETHEL is especially 
suited to validating the large scale plant performance of dynamic containment barriers. This 
represents an important source of necessary information in support of designers and regulatory 
authorities for ITER. 
In the frame of the co-operation between 1ST and the Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Germany, a 
workshop and several topical meetings have been organised to present and discuss progress achieved 
in TLK (Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe) and in ETHEL, as well as preparatory research activities for both 
installations. 
• Working Environment 
The expertise in computational fluid dynamics has allowed the 1ST to contribute to a new research 
programme in the field of ventilation and pollutant transport modelling. The first step was the 
development of a turbulence model to be included in a three dimension finite element code. 
• Measurement and Testing 
The new reaction wall facility, named ELSA (European Laboratory for Structural Assessment), started 
operation in May 1992 with the preparation and execution of experiments at large scale in view of 
checking the proper functioning of the servo-hydraulic equipment and the implementation of the 
pseudo-dynamic test method. A 3-storey steel frame with concrete-slab floors has been constructed, 
instrumented for pseudo-dynamic testing and tested under simulated earthquake loading. On 
October 16, 1992, ELSA was inaugurated with the participation of the Commission's Vice-President 
Pandolfi and some 300 representatives from industry and national research organisations. 
As a part of the ongoing research in collaboration with the European Association of Structural 
Mechanics Laboratories, a 4-storey reinforced concrete structure has been designed according to 
Eurocode 8. It will be tested in early 1993. 
• Industrial Hazards 
The focus of this work is on the assessment, improvement and harmonisation of safety 
methodologies. The FIRES facility for studying the safety of batch chemical reactors has become fully 
operational, and typical incidents regarding the nitration of toluene have been investigated. 
The MPMC (Multi-Phase Multi-Component) venting facility continues to produce results of industrial 
relevance and is now being directed towards large scale studies. Experimental data and design 
methodologies have contributed to a number of international working groups (ISO/Technical 
Committee 185, DIERS -Design Institute for Emergency Relief Systems and DECHEMA - "Deutsche 
Gesellschaft fur chemisches Apparatewesen, chemische Technik und Biotechnologie, e.V"). 
In the field of dense gas dispersion, a three-dimensional computer code is under validation, and a 
one-dimensional shallow layer model is near completion. 
-26 
• Community and External Services 
The Institute for Safety Technology is providing scientific and technical services in the field of nuclear 
/ > safeguards to the Directorate Generator External Relations (IAEA) and to the Euratom Safeguards 
V v\ Directorate of the Directorate General/or Energy. 
k The assessment of Non Destructive Assay (NDA) techniques' performances, the calibration of 
T) " instruments, and the characterisation of standards continued as the principal activities in the field of 
nuclear safeguards. 
Together with the new TAME facility (an industrial size volume calibration and measurement 
laboratory for reprocessing plants, installed and set to operation this year) the PETRA facility (a set of 
installations representative of the whole back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle) is now available at 1ST 
representing a unique opportunity for the integrated development and assessment of techniques 
and concepts for the fission fuel cycle safety control in support of the Commission's and IAEA 
obligations in nuclear safeguards. 
In response to the first call for proposals launched by the Human Capital and Mobility (HCM) 
Programme, the setting-up of a co-operation network involving 19 European laboratories has been 
proposed. This has the aim of covering, through experimental and analytical investigations, the 
priority needs for pre-normative research in support of Eurocode 8 identified by the Directorate 
General of Industrial Affairs. The ELSA facility has also been included in the "Access to Large 
Installations" sub-programme of the HCM Programme, with two groups of users already identified. 
The international interest and participation in the FARO programme is increasing. USNRC (United 
States Nuclear Regulatory Commission) has extended the agreement with 1ST to include also the small 
scale fuel-coolant interaction tests under way in the KROTOS facility. 
• Exploratory Research Activities 
1ST is engaged in the execution of exploratory research in various areas, i.e. radioactive waste 
(transmutation of actinides, plutonium waste measurement), materials investigations (high 
temperature crucibles, stress-strain diagram of brittle materials, new zeolite substrates for gaseous 
off-gas treatment), and computer modelling activities (chemical reactors control, aerosol transport, 
engineering programming). 
2.6. The Environment Institute (EI) 
The El, based at Ispra, contributes to the Environmental Protection Programme and to the Working 
Environment Subprogramme. The Institute is engaged in several support activities at the request of 
various of the Commission's services, mainly for the Directorate General for Environment, Nuclear 
Safety and Civil Protection (DG XI). 
• Environmental Chemicals 
The Environment Institute has been actively involved in the biomonitoring of trace metals to assess 
the occupational exposure to "newer" metals (Pt, Ge and Rare Earths) used in high technology 
processes (electronics industry, catalytic converters, energy production). 
A second updated compact disc version of the ECDIN (Environmental Chemical Data Information 
Network ) data bank on environmental chemicals has been delivered. 
The former COST ("Cooperation Scientifique et Technique") action "Indoor Air Quality and its Impact 
on Man" has been transferred as a European Collaborative Action (ECA) to the JRC Environment 
Programme activities. Experts from 14 laboratories from different European countries are 
contributing to the development of harmonised methods for indoor investigations and assessments. 
27 
A large walk-in type environmental test chamber for investigations in indoor emissions has recently 
been installed at El and will be made available to ECA. 
The work in the EUREKA project TRACY, where the objectiv is to collect and evaluate the published 
information concerning trace metals in human tissue and fluids, continued with the establishment of 
the criteria for the evaluation of publications, the definition of the procedure for evaluating each 
element and the evaluation of publications concerning Cd, Cr, Co, Ni, Pb and V. 
• Atmospheric Pollution 
In the field of biospheric/atmospheric interactions, the BEMA (Biogenic Emissions in the 
Mediterranean Area) project aimed at clarifying the rôle of vegetation emissions in the 
Mediterranean basin has been set-up in collaboration with 15 European laboratories and the 
Directorate General for Science, Research and Development. A BEMA Operational Plan Group has 
been appointed in order to develop an operational plan for the in-field measuring campaign to be 
performed in 1993 at the BEMA test site at Castelporziano (Rome). 
Chemical aspects of the marine sulphur cycle and its impact on the radiative properties of the 
atmosphere due to the formation of aerosols were investigated in the laboratory and by modelling 
studies. A ship measurement campaign across the North Atlantic was organised in collaboration with 
the Institute for Remote Sensing Applications. 
Laboratory studies on the night-time oxidation of organics, with special reference to the biogenic 
isoprene, were carried out in the frame of the EUREKA/EUROTRAC project in view of assessing the 
chemical transformation of atmospheric pollutants. 
In the framework of the same project, the final experiment on the transport of the atmospheric 
pollutants over complex terrain of the TRACT subproject was carried out. The JRC participated with a 
tracer experiment to study the air flow patterns of the experimental site (the Rhine valley). Two 
perfluorocarbon tracer releases were undertaken, with the collection of over 600 air samples, both at 
ground level, and using special aircraft. 
During the 1991-1992 European Arctic Stratospheric Ozone Experiment (EASOE), the Environment 
Institute acted as a network station of the ground based observing system set-up to provide, on a 
daily basis, maps of the total ozone fields over Europe and the Arctic. 
• Soil, Water and Waste Pollution 
The large-scale verification of laboratory-derived models for contaminant spreading in terrestrial and 
aquatic systems has been started: a new technique for tracing ground-water movement has been 
tested in a fractured rock formation and discrepancies between laboratory and field observation of 
trace metal diffusion in clays solved in terms of different chemical reactivities. 
New analytical procedures have been developed and applied in the study of the fate of persistent 
organochlorine pollutants in terrestrial and lacustrine ecosystems. 
Analytical protocols for algal samples have been set up and reports on experimental campaigns in the 
Mediterranean Sea, to evaluate the innovative methods for phytoplankton analysis, drawn. 
In the framework of the EUREKA project EU-674 (mobile analysis laboratory) the units have been 
ordered and delivery is foreseen by the end of February 1993. All the instrumentation is ready to be 
installed. 
• Community and External Services 
The Environment Institute provided scientific and technical support to several of the Commission's 
Services, DG I (External Relations), DG III (Internal Market and Industrial Affairs), DG V (Employment, 
Industrial Relations and Social Affairs), DG VI (Agriculture), DG XI (Environment, Nuclear Safety and 
-28-
Civil Protection), DG XXI (Customs Union and Indirect Taxation), and CPS (Consumer Policy Service), 
DG XIII (Telecommunications, Information Industries and Innovation). 
To highlight a few examples of the work done: 
intercomparison programmes organised and jointly managed by the JRC and LIS 
(Landesanstalt fur Immissionsschutz, FRG) on NO2 calibration standards implemented in the 
Member States at Central Laboratory level (EC Directive 85/205), and by the JRC and NPL 
(National Physical Laboratory, UK) on volatile organic compounds measurement techniques 
(new Directive on tropospheric ozone) in support to DG XI, 
preparation of the hardware and software for the EC Urgent Radiological Information 
Exchange System (ECURIE), including the transmission of radiological information undertaken 
in Support to DG XI, 
The Institute has assumed responsibility, at the request of DG XI, for the new EUCLID 
(European Chemical Information Database) data bank which is the central tool for the 
implementation of the Council Regulation on the risk evaluation of existing chemicals (to be 
adopted in March 1993). In addition El is preparing a European Waste Catalogue to classify 
different types of waste; 
Work has continued for DG III on the development of the European pharmaceutical data bank 
(ECPHIN); 
A NMR Reference Laboratory for the sugar control in various wines was created for DG VI; 
The microbiological control of specific chemical compounds in food and cosmetics was 
undertaken on behalf of the CPS (Consumer Policy Service) 
The Institute continued to support the DG XI Task Force on the European Environment Agency. 
In collaboration with the World Meteorological Organisation and the International Atomic Energy 
Agency a new project, entitled ETEX (European Tracer Experiment) has been initiated. The project 
aims to verify the quality of atmospheric models when used in real-time conditions, as required for 
emergency management in case of large accidents. The project also includes Central and Eastern 
European countries. 
In the frame of a research contract sponsored by the Polish Ministry of the Environment, a 
measurement campaign for the evaluation of the transboundary transport of SO2 and NO2 across the 
Brama Morawska region was performed. 
The Institute is working under contract with several regional and national administrations in the 
fields of air and water pollution and in the collection of data for priority chemicals. 
2.7. The Institute for Remote Sensing Applications (IRSA) 
Located at Ispra, IRSA executes the programme on the Application of Remote Sensing Techniques. 
The Institute is providing a major scientific support for the utilisation of remote sensing data in 
agricultural statistics, at the request of the Directorate General for Agriculture (DG VI) and the 
European Statistical Office (EUROSTAT); it also provides scientific and technical support at the 
request of the Directorates General for External Relations (DG I), Development (DG VIII), and 
Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection (DG XI). 
Within the programme on the Application of Remote Sensing Techniques IRSA has undertaken work 
on a number of themes related to monitoring the environment and to participating in global change 
activities. 
29 
• Environmental Monitoring In Europe 
The Collaborative Programme between remote sensing laboratories for the development of remote 
sensing techniques to monitor less favoured areas of the European Community, has completed its 
second phase. The Collaborative Programme will now be transformed into a project on integrated 
ecological mapping focusing on less favoured areas within the EC, with a smaller number of themes 
such as high accuracy forest and grassland ecosystem maps. 
In support of these activities new techniques for data interpretation were further developed, 
including such techniques as neural networks, expert systems, integrated geographical information 
systems and automatic image segmentation 
The land use mapping and inventory experiment for Mediterranean areas was completed in 1992. 
This project has formed the basis for a new study which is developing techniques, including linear 
spectral modelling, to map and to monitor Mediterranean land degradation and soil erosion. The 
work is currently undertaken in the Mediterranean areas of France, Spain and Greece. 
• Global Change 
As a contribution to the world wide effort to understand and predict changes in the global 
environment IRSA has continued to develop techniques to derive relevant information from earth 
observation data. 
Considerable effort has been given to the collection and processing of continental scale data sets for 
Africa and Asia in order that continental scale vegetation processes, including biomass burning, can 
be evaluated on a multi-temporal basis. In addition new techniques have been developed to derive 
information from these data. In this respect a new vegetation index, the Global Environmental 
Monitoring Index (GEMI), has been developed. 
• Advanced Techniques of Earth Observation 
The evaluation and promotion of advanced techniques of earth observation have continued. 
Polarimetric radar data from airborne campaigns held in 1989 and 1991 have been analysed, with 
particular emphasis being given to the synergy of the data with high spectral resolution optical data. 
The objective of the campaign has been to obtain a better understanding of forests and their 
evolution. 
In addition a number of ERS-1 (European Remote Sensing Satellite Nr 1) projects are being 
undertaken. One, the International Forest Investigation project, is evaluating the potential of 
satellite borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to map and monitor forests. The second, an ERS-1 
Pilot Project, is evaluating the capability of the SAR data to provide information on European 
agriculture in terms of surface and yield. 
The European Microwave Signature Laboratory (EMSL) was officially inaugurated in April. After a 
series of acceptance tests, the provisional acceptance was notified to the contractor of the 
installation in July. Since then experimental activity has started with the characterisation tests of the 
laboratory. In addition a call for experiments has been distributed to European laboratories for use in 
the EMSL. 
Finally a new programme has been initiated that explores the performance of high spectral 
resolution data in order to derive geophysical parameters, with particular reference to forestry and 
agriculture applications. This will use laboratory, field and airborne data as inputs. 
• Community Services 
In support of DG I (External Relations), work continued on the observation of the upwelling area off 
the North West African coast to assess the marine productivity in this area. In support of this a sea 
truth collection campaign was undertaken in this area. These data will be used to validate the 
30-
ongoing work on the derivation of chlorophyll maps from satellite data and the modelling of the 
hydrodynamics of the upwelling area. 
A new project in support of DG I has been initiated in 1992 to evaluate the potential of detecting 
illicit narcotic plants using remote sensing. 
In support of DG VI (Agriculture) and the European Statistical Office (EUROSTAT) work has 
progressed in the Pilot Project for the application of remote sensing to agricultural statistics. In 
particular Action 1 (Regional Inventories) has expanded as a number of countries, in particular Greece 
and Portugal and also eastern European states including Czechoslovakia and Romania are now 
applying the methodology. Action 4 (Rapid Estimates) has also expanded to take into account 53 sites 
across Europe, from which biweekly facsimiles showing the current estimate of areas under crop are 
forwarded to DG VI and EUROSTAT. 
In addition work for the "Fond Européen d'Orientation et de Garantie Agricole" (FEOGA) of DG VI 
has concentrated on the establishment of olive tree, vineyard and citrus registers and the declaration 
made by farmers in southern Europe concerning a selection of crops. These methods are particularly 
necessary as the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) extends the subsidies based on surfaces. 
For DG VIII (Aid to Development) work concentrated on the development of techniques to monitor 
and characterise biomass burning patterns at continental scales. This was supported by a field 
campaign to southern Guinea and the collection and processing of continental scale earth 
observation data sets. 
For DG XI the Ocean Colour European Archive Network (OCEAN), a joint project with the European 
Space Agency (ESA), has progressed well. All facilities and tools required for the processing and 
archival of the satellite data have been completed as planned. 
In support of DG XI work was also undertaken to investigate the use of remote sensing in the revision 
of the CORINE land cover map using computer aided photo-interpretation, plus semi-automatic and 
automatic updating techniques. 
• External Services 
The Tropical Ecosystem Environmental Observations by Satellites (TREES) project (a joint project with 
ESA) has progressed towards its initial aim of establishing a base line inventory of tropical forest 
cover using data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor. In addition 
the first data from the ERS-1 SAR have been received and are being evaluated. 
For the European Airborne Remote Sensing Capability (EARSEC - a joint project with ESA) a contract 
was signed with a German institute for the development of an advanced airborne imaging 
spectrometer. In addition a contract was signed with a Danish institute for the improvement of an 
existing airborne SAR in order to make it a fully polarimetric C- and L-band system. 
A Third Party Work contract with an Italian company saw the further development of pre-operational 
techniques for oil detection in the sea by means of a helicopter mounted time resolved laser induced 
fluorosensor. 
2.8. The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) 
The IPTS has a technology watch function and performs scientific and technological studies at the 
request of the Services of the Commission mainly in the fields of transport, environment and energy 
and with particular attention to industrial innovation. 
Work on the development of the observatory on science and technology continued and progress was 
made in the information system of on-going R&D in Europe. An additional number of national and 
regional data bases was selected and their structure and content were analysed. 
-31 
New studies in support of the Commission services were undertaken and a follow up of some of the 
work of the previous year was requested. 
As a follow-up of the previous report prepared for DG III on the competitiveness of European space 
industries, IPTS is running a series of interviews with top executives of the aerospace industries in 
order to critically review available literature on space competitivity. 
Following the final report of phase 1, and a review by a panel of industrialists and the UIC ("Union 
International des Chemins de fer") representatives, a series of specific studies concerning the 
electrification of the European High Speed Train Network was launched on behalf of the Directorate 
General for Industrial Affairs. 
Activities in support of the Forward Studies Unit of the Commission concerned industrial and 
environmental problems, including global change aspects. 
Work related to market-based approaches for environmental protection addressed two subjects. One 
was a focus on market-based approaches as a least-cost solution for achieving environmental quality 
targets, and the other focused on barriers to business acceptance of market-based instruments. 
Information concerning energy and environment were collected and analysed. The conclusion is that 
although the information available is not good enough for short-term sectoral decision making, it is 
probably sufficient for broad political decisions. 
The continuing survey of global change research and policy, begun in 1991, was carried on in 1992. A 
report was issued in June, emphasising the importance of on-going international research about the 
effects of anthropogenic sulphate aerosols for the elucidation of the greenhouse effect itself. Ozone 
depletion research was also included in the report. Another report includes a first survey of 
international research and development on CO2 removal and storage technologies, using, among 
others, the results of a study undertaken by NERSC (Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing 
Centre), Bergen, Norway. 
Two closely related aspects of environmental protection were addressed in the work carried out for 
pli the Directorate General^>r Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection. The first study focused 
-T\ b on the current and prospective technologies for dealing with environmental pollution, whilst the 
' second study sought to define the existing potential for pollution prevention in industry. 
Additional studies for the Directorate General for Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection 
involve the development of the first Technical Note on "Coating Lines/Iron and Steel Production" 
undertaken in co-operation with an external consultant. In the mean time data collection and 
analysis of the environmental characteristics of the "Coating Lines process" is progressing with the 
aim to being to prepare the first meeting of the BAT (Best Available Technologies) Working Group of 
National Experts in January 1993. 
In the second part of 1992 work started in support of the Directorate General for Energy concerning 
the review and the assessment of energy technologies which may become available in the long term 
(2020 and beyond). Two case studies were initiated on the future prospects of fuel cells and on CO2 
separation and disposal with the aim of avoiding the greenhouse effect. 
Twelve seminars or workshops, with the participation of external experts, were organised in Ispra or 
in Brussels during 1992 in connection with the above studies. 
-32 
2.9. Publications and Eurocourses 
• Publications 
In 1992 the JRC published 825 papers. The following Table gives the distribution of these publications 
among the JRC Institutes. 
Table 2 
Distribution of JRC Publications among JRC Institutes in 1992 
Institutes 
Directorate General 
Central Bureau for Nuclear 
Measurements 
Institute for Transuranium 
Elements 
Institute for Advanced Material 
Institute for Systems Engineering 
and Informatics 
Institute for Safety Technology 
Environment Institute 
Institute for Remote Sensing 
Applications 
Institute for Prospective 
Technological Studies 
Administrative & Technical 
Services, Ispra 
Total EUR 
Reports 
5 
6 
3 
16 
17 
25 
19 
12 
1 
2 
106 Conference 
Papers 
1 
44 
50 
97 
103 
66 
112 
86 
1 
1 
561 Articles 
published 
-
39 
34 
19 
16 
15 
23 
12 
-
-
158 Total 
6 
89 
87 
132 
136 
106 
154 
110 
2 
3 
825 
An evolution of these publications during the last eight years is illustrated in Figure 4. 
The detailed list of JRC publications is published each year in the "Publications Bulletin". The last 
issue, No 12/ISSN, 0254-3133, published in September 1992, gives the list of JRC publications in 1991. 
-33-
Figure 4 
Evolution of JRC Publications (1985-1992) 
Number of Publications 
700 
600 
500 
400 
300 
200 
100 EUR Reports 
Conference Papers 
Articles published 
m 
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 
• Eurocourses - Other Workshops and Seminars 
The JRC organised 9 Eurocourses. The lecturing staff was composed of 92 guest lecturers from EC 
Member Countries and the USA, and 38 experts from both the JRC Institutes and various Directorates 
General of the Commission. 
The courses were residential at Ispra except one in Lisbon. They were attended by 223 participants, 
coming from industry, public administration, universities and research organisations. All of the EC 
Member States except Luxemburg were represented at the Eurocourses and the world-wide interest 
can be demonstrated by the participation of representatives from 28 non EC countries. Details on the 
attendance in 1992 and over the two past years are given in Figure 5. 
The courses covered the following topics: 
Chemical and Environmental Science. 
Chemical, Microbiological, Health and Comfort Aspects of Indoor Air Quality, 
Chemistry and Environment: Legislation, Methodologies and Applications, 
Technologies for Environmental Cleanup: Soil and Ground-water. 
34-
Remote Sensing 
Remote Sensing Applied to Agricultural Statistics - Area Frame Sampling, 
Imaging Spectroscopy as a Tool for Environmental Observations. 
Mechanical and Materials Science 
Cyclotron Production, Quality Control and Utilisation of Medical Radionuclides, 
Advanced Techniques for Surface Engineering . 
Health and Radiation Protection 
Techniques and Management of Thermoluminescence Dosimetry. 
Training and Education 
COMETT II: A Project for the Development of Multimedia Training Materials in the Field of 
Remote Sensing, Risk Assessment, Geography and Environment. 
The course material is published in various volumes, each one describing the state of the art in a 
specific field. 
The JRC Institutes organised also various workshops and seminars to discuss their activities with 
scientists of other organisations and to disseminate the results of their work. 
Figure 5 
Participants in Eurocourses for the Years 1990,1991 and 1992 
Number of Participants 
300 
280 
260 
240 
220 
200 
180 
160 
140 
120 
100 
80 
60 
40 
20 
0 MY.Mvljii.iiiliirir.agS] Industry 
m»MM Research 
Organisations 
Commission's 
Services 
1990 1991 1992 
35-
3. HUMAN RESOURCES 
3.1. Staff Policy 
The JRC authorised statutory staff table amounts to 2080, including both scientific-technical and 
administrative staff. 
JRC statutory personnel is governed by the EC staff regulations. For many years the JRC has not 
recruited staff as officials. Scientific/Technical temporary agents are recruited under a five year 
contract, which is renewable; after two terms the contract becomes of undetermined duration. 
Administrative tempory agents are directly recruited under a contract of undetermined duration. 
Table 3 gives the distribution of the JRC officials and temporary agents present at the JRC on 
31 December 1992, by Directorates and Institutes. Until December 1992, 67 people of these two 
categories left the JRC and 24 people were recruited. 
Table 3 
Distribution of Statutory Staff 
Location Staff 
Directorate General 16 
Programmes Directora te 19 
Resources Co-ordination - Scientific & Technical Support 392 
Central Bureau for Nuclear Measurements 167 
Institute for Transuranium Elements 193 
Institute for Advanced Materials 271 
Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics 224 
Environment Institute 199 
Institute for Remote Sensing Applications 88 
Institute for Safety Technology 308 
Institute for Prospective Technological Studies 13 
JRC Seconded Staff 11 
Total 1901 
The difference between the authorised ceiling in statutory staff and the staff effectively present at 
the JRC can be explained as follows: 
Posts for statutory staff, in agreement with the Council and the Parliament, have been 
deliberately kept vacant, in order to save personnel credits to allow hiring of visiting scientists, 
seconded experts and other scientific grant holders falling outside the Human Capital and 
Mobility Programme conditions; 
-36 
The remaining part of the difference corresponds to the necessary margin of flexibility ( ± 6%) 
required to allow for movement of staff during the year. 
3.2. Visiting Scientists, Seconded Experts and Scientific Fellows 
Numerous scientists, besides the statutory staff, are active in the JRC under various hosting 
schemes: 
The JRC hosts senior scientists for one or sometimes two years as visiting scientists; 
Experts from national organisations may be seconded to the JRC to participate in selected 
scientific work; 
The JRC trains researchers through a programme of fellowships, granted to postgraduate 
students preparing a doctor degree. 
The JRC participates in the Human Capital and Mobility (HCM) Programme and hosts post­
doctoral scientists under this programme. 
Table 4 shows where these people worked in the various JRC Institutes. 
It is also worthwhile mentioning that there are about ten scientists from third countries working at 
the JRC on a grant in the framework of a Commission agreement with their countries or with the 
IAEA. Besides the above mentioned scientists, several senior scientists and about eighty trainees were 
working at the JRC without expense to the EC budget, in general for a short period of time. 
Table 4 
Visiting Scientists, Seconded Experts, Grant Holders on 31 December 1992 
Institutes 
Central Bureau for Nuclear 
Measurements 
Institute for Transuranium 
Elements 
Institute for Advanced 
Materials 
Institute for Systems 
Engineering and Informatics 
Environment Institute 
Institute for Remote Sensing 
Applications 
Institute for Safety 
Technology 
Institute for Prospective 
Technological Studies 
Total Visiting 
scientists 
8 
-
-
2 
4 
3 
-
-
17 Seconded 
experts 
1 
2 
1 
4 
1 
1 
4 
1 
15 Post-Doctoral 
Scientists 
1 
1 
2 
4 
1 
1 
3 
-
13 Post-
Graduate 
Students 
10 
9 
25 
19 
15 
3 
9 
3 
93 Total 
20 
12 
28 
29 
21 
8 
16 
4 
138 
Furthermore the Directorate General has two seconded experts bringing thus the total to 140. 
37 
4. FINANCES 
The commitment credits fixed by the Budgetary Authority for the execution by the JRC of the Specific 
Research Programmes and S/T Support Activities to the Commission are as follows : 
Specific Research Programmes 178.80 MioEcu 
S/T Support to the Commission 62.36 MioEcu 
Total 241.16 MioEcu 
Other resources for HFR operation and third party work are : 
HFR Reactor 19.47 MioEcu (Supplementary programme) 
Work for Third Parties 13.72 MioEcu (Budgetary advance) 
Total 33.19 MioEcu 
The total amount of the available credits is therefore 274.35 MioEcu. 
Details about 1992 commitments are given in Table 5 covering Specific Research Programmes, 
Exploratory Research, S/T Support to the Commission and Work for Third Parties (HFR Reactor and 
others). 
In addition to the commitments given in Table 5, 2.522 MioEcu were spent due to the completion of 
previous programmes. 
0.4 MioEcu due to the upgrade of the safeguards of the Ispra 1 reactor foreseen in 1973, 
1.346 MioEcu as a consequence of the modification of the weighting factor for the 
Netherlands, 
0.776 MioEcu as a consequence of the decision of the court of the first instance of 
28 February 1992 providing for interest on arrear to be paid to the beneficiaries of a previous 
decision of the court stating Varese as the reference for the calculation of the weighting factor 
for the Ispra site. 
38-
Table 5 
Commitments for Programme Execution 1992 
(Rounded figures, MioEcu) 
Specific Research Programmes 
Industrial and Materials 
Technology 
Measurement and Testing 
Environment 
Human Capital and Mobility 
Nuclear Fission Safety 
Controlled Thermonuclear 
fusion 
Exploratory Research 
Subtotal 
S/T Support to the Commission 
Subtotal 
Others 
HFR Reactor 
Work for Third Parties 
(Advance: reimbursable 
credits) 
Subtotal 
| Total Personnel 
16.70 
16.69 
31.25 
0.05 
29.27 
8.72 
6.22 
108.91 
30.98 
30.98 
5.82 
5.15 
10.97 
150.85 Other 
Expenditures 
6.79 
10.92 
16.49 
5.36 
21.24 
4.42 
3.74 
68.95 
28.51 
28.51 
10.90 
2.64 
13.54 
111.00 Total 
23.49 
27.61 
47.74 
5.41 
50.51 
13.14 
9.96 
177.85 
59.49 
59.49 
16.72 
7.79 
24.51 
261.85 Budget 1992 
24.69 
27.13 
47.10 
7.92 
55.51 
12.66 
3.79 
178.80 
62.36 
62.36 
19.47 
13.72 
33.19 
274.35 
The advance in the budget of reimbursable credits for the execution of work for Third Parties has 
been committed only to the level of 7.79 MioEcu because the amount of orders for such activities did 
not reach the original target; the unused credits of this advance, of 5.93 MioEcu have been 
reimbursed to the budget by cancellation. 
For exploratory research the budget initially foresaw a preliminary figure of 3.79 MioEcu, whereas 
further appropriations have been provided during the year by transfers from the programme lines 
within the cealing set by the Council Decisions, and the Financial Regulations. 
-39 
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES 
Page 
Tables 
1. Execution of Work for Third Parties ordered during 1988-1991 14 
2. Distribution of JRC Publications among JRC Institutes in 1992 32 
3. Distribution of Statutory Staff 35 
4. Visiting Scientists, Seconded Experts and Grant Holders 36 
5. Commitments for Programme Execution 1992 38 
Figures 
1. S/T Support to Commission Services 12 
2. JRC Work for Third Parties in 1992 14 
3. JRC Co-operation with National Laboratories 16 
4. Evolution of JRC Publications (1985-1992) 33 
5. Participants in Eurocourses for the Years 1990,1991 and 1992 34 ANNEXA 
40-
ANNEX B 
JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE 
GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 
BCR 
BEMA 
BRITE/EURAM 
CBNM 
CEA 
CEN 
COMETT 
DCS 
DG 
EAEC 
ECN 
El 
ELSA 
EMSL 
ERS-1 
ESA 
ESTER 
ETHEL 
EURATOM 
EUROENVIRON 
EUROSTAT 
EUROTRAC 
FARO 
FIRES 
FORMENTOR 
HCM 
HFR 
IAEA 
IAM 
IPTS 
IRDAC 
IRSA 
ISEI 
ISO 
1ST 
ITU 
JRC 
LASCO 
NMR 
PERLA 
PHEBUS 
R&D 
S/T 
SAR 
STARS Bureau Communautaire de Référence 
Biogenic Emmissions in the Mediterranean Area 
Basic Research in Industrial Technologies for Europe/European Research on 
Advanced Materials 
Central Bureau for Nuclear Measurements 
Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique 
Comité Européen de Normalisation 
Community Action Programme for Education and Training for Technology 
Direction Contrôle de Sécurité de l'Euratom - DG XVII 
Directorate General 
European Atomic Energy Community 
Energy Centrum Nederland 
Environment Institute 
European Laboratory for Structural Assessment 
European Microwave Signature Laboratory 
European Remote Sensing Satellite Nr 1 
European Space Agency 
European Source Term Research Code 
European Tritium Handling Experimental Laboratory 
European Atomic Energy Community 
EUREKA Environmental Umbrella Project 
European Statistical Office 
European Experiment on Transport and Transformation of Environmentally Relevant 
Trace Constituents in the Troposphere (EUREKA project) 
Experimental Facility for Fuel Melting 
Facility for Investigating Runaway Events Safely 
EUREKA project to develop expert system to help decision in hazardous situations 
(complex man made systems) 
Human Capital and Mobility 
High Flux Reactor (Petten Site) 
International Atomic Energy Agency 
Institute for Advanced Materials 
Institute for Prospective Technological Studies 
Industrial Research and Development Advisory Commitee 
Institute for Remote Sensing Applications 
Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics 
International Standards Organisation 
Institute for Safety Technology 
Institute for Transuranium Elements 
Joint Research Centre 
Laboratory for Surveillance and Containment 
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance 
Performance and Training Laboratory (Nuclear Safeguards) 
French In-Pi le Programme (Severe Fuel Damage) 
Research and Development 
Scientific/Technical 
Synthetic Aperture Radar 
Software Tools for Analysis of Reliability and Safety 

ISSN 0254-1475 
COM (93) 112 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 15 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-93-138-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-53869-4 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
L-2985 Luxembourg