No C 247/2 Official Journal of the European Communities 2. 10. 90 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Decision on a specific research and technological development 
programme in the field of nuclear fission safety (1990 to 1994) 
COM(90) 343 final 
(Submitted by the Commission on 3 August 1990) 
(90/C 247/02) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 7 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
after consulting the Scientific and Technical Committee, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European 
Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas, by Decision 90/221 /Euratom, EEC C) the 
Council adopted a third framework programme for 
Community activities in the field of research and techno­
logical development (1990 to 1994), specifying inter alia 
the activities to be pursued in the area of nuclear fission 
safety; whereas this Decision should be taken in the light 
of the grounds set out in the preamble to that Decision; 
Whereas, for activities falling under the Euratom Treaty, 
Article 2 of Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC provides for 
the implementation of a third framework programme 
through programmes adopted in accordance with Article 
7 of the said Treaty; 
Whereas the Joint Research Center shall contribute 
through its own programme to the implementation of the 
aforesaid activities; Whereas an estimate should be made of the amount of 
Community financial resources needed to carry out this 
specific programme; whereas the appropriations actually 
available will be determined in the course of the 
budgetary procedure in line with the financial 
perspectives annexed to the Interinstitutional Agreement 
of 29 June 1988 (2), and with any future financial 
perspectives covering the period 1993 to 1994; 
Whereas, pursuant to Article 4 and Annex I of Decision 
90/221/Euratom, EEC, the amount deemed necessary 
for the whole framework programme includes an amount 
of ECU 57 million for the centralized dissemination and 
exploitation of results, to be divided up in proportion to 
the amount envisaged for each activity; whereas, in view 
of the importance of this specific programme within the 
'Energy' activities, the estimate of the financial resources 
needed by this programme is to be reduced by ECU 0,37 
million, which amount is to be allocated to the 
centralized activities; 
Whereas this programme must be implemented by the 
Commission, as provided for in Article 7 of the Treaty; 
whereas to help accomplish this, the Member States are 
bound, pursuant to Article 192 of the Treaty, to facilitate 
the achievement of its tasks where necessary; 
Whereas the implementation of this programme must 
consist essentially in the selection of research and devel­
opment projects to enable them to benefit from 
Community participation; whereas the Commission 
should encourage the submission of such projects by the 
usual means of publishing calls for proposals in the 
Official Journal; whereas a special procedure should also 
be devised so as to maintain a degree of flexibility 
enabling the Commission, in the face of the continuous 
evolution and gradual acceleration of technological 
progress, also to take into consideration 
O OJ No L 117, 8. 5. 1990, p. 28. (2) OJ No L 185, 15. 7. 1988, p. 33. 
2. 10. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 247/3 
spontaneous proposals consistent with the objectives of 
the programme; 
Whereas the projects to be carried out under the 
programme must be selected with special attention to the 
principle of economic and social cohesion in the 
Community, the transnational nature of the projects and 
the support to be given to small and medium-sized enter­
prises; 
Whereas the activities pursued by the Community for 
strengthening the scientific and technological basis of 
European industry and encouraging it to become more 
competitive include promoting cooperation on research 
and technological development with third countries and 
international organizations; whereas such cooperation 
may prove particularly beneficial to the development of 
this programme; 
Whereas it is necessary, as Annex II to Decision 
90/221/Euratom, EEC, provides, to foster a harmonized 
approach to nuclear fission safety in the Community, by 
bringing together all the parties involved, thus rein­
forcing the pre-normative dimension of research, namely 
in radiation protection and reactor safety, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1 
A specific research and technological development 
programme for the European Atomic Energy 
Community in the field of nuclear fission safety, as 
defined in Annex I, is hereby adopted for a period of 
five years as from 1 January 1990. 
Article 2 
1. The total Community funds estimated as necessary 
for the implementation of the programme adopted by 
this Decision amount to ECU 199 million. This amount 
comprises ECU 37 million for the carrying out of the 
activities approved by this Decision, and ECU 162 
million for the activities which the Joint Research Centre 
will contribute to the programme and which will be the 
subject of a separate Council Decision. 
2. The said sum of ECU 37 million is reduced by 
ECU 0,37 million for centralized dissemination and 
exploitation of results. The resulting sum of ECU 36,63 
million includes staff costs, which may amount to a 
maximum of 19 %. 3. An indicative breakdown of expenditure is set out 
in Annex II. 
4. Should the Council take a decision pursuant to 
Article 1 (4) of Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC, this 
Decision shall be amended to take account of that 
decision. 
5. The budgetary authority shall decide on the appro­
priations available for each financial year. 
Article 3 
Rules for the implementation of the programme are set 
out in Annex III. 
Article 4 
The rate of the Community financial contribution shall 
be laid down in accordance with Annex IV to Decision 
90/221/Euratom, EEC. 
Article 5 
1. During 1992 the Commission shall review the 
programme and submit a report on the results of its 
review to the Council and the European Parliament, 
together with proposals for any necessary changes. 
2. At the end of the programme the Commission shall 
assess the results obtained. It shall submit a report 
thereon to the Council and the European Parliament. 
3. The reports shall be drawn up having regard to the 
objectives set out in Annex I to this Decision and in 
accordance with Article 2 (4) of Decision 
90/221/Euratom, EEC. 
Article 6 
To assist the Commission in the implementation of the 
programme a Management and Coordination Committee 
for nuclear fission safety shall be established. Articles 2 
to 6 of Council Decision 84/338/Euratom/ECSC/ 
EEC (') shall apply to that committee. 
Article 7 
In implementing this programme, decisions may be 
taken, where necessary, to carry out supplementary 
O OJ No L 177, 4. 7. 1984, p. 25. 
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programmes or to participate in programmes undertaken 
by several Member States or in joint undertakings within 
the meaning of Articles 45 to 51 of the Treaty. 
Article 8 
Where cooperation with third countries and international 
organizations aimed at achieving the objectives of this 
programme requires the conclusion of agreements or contracts under the second paragraph of Article 101 of 
the Treaty, the Commission shall be authorized to 
negotiate them. The conclusion of such agreements or 
contracts shall be effected in accordance with the 
provisions of the second paragraph of that Article. 
Article 9 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States. 
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ANNEX I 
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES AND CONTENT 
This specific programme fully reflects the approach embodied in the Third Framework Programme in 
terms of the scientific and technical goals and the underlying aims which it pursues. 
Paragraph 5 B of Annex II of the Framework Programme forms an integral part of the present specific 
programme. 
The following presents an analytical description of the content of the programme, based on and taking 
account of the above elements. 
AREA 1 
Radiation protection 
The aim is to provide the scientific knowledge for an objective assessment of radiation effects and risks as 
well as the methods to optimize radiation protection. Research will be carried out to define the extent of 
exposure and the ways in which it can occur from natural, medical and industrial sources, study the health 
consequences including the treatment of over-exposure, and assess, in a comparative and quantitative way, 
the risks which radiation can pose to man and his environment. 
The scientific knowledge obtained by this action is a prerequisite for the continued updating of the basic 
safety standards for the health protection of the general public and workers against the dangers of ionizing 
radiation (') and will provide the scientific background for the continued evolution of radiation protection 
concepts and practices. It is also aimed at maintaining and enhancing both the technical and regulatory 
aspects of expertise in radiation protection and will enable the relevant authorities to evaluate the impact of 
long-term choices in energy policy on man and his environment, to manage normal operational and rare 
emergency situations, and to inform the public objectively about the risks and benefits of radiation. 
Issues related to concerns about radiation and its effects, heightened by the accident at Chernobyl and by 
more recent information on risk estimates and on the extent of exposure from natural, medical and 
industrial sources will be addressed. Research will aim at reducing the uncertainties related to the 
evaluation of risks at low doses/low dose rates by combining the information obtained from a variety of 
experimental approaches with that from epidemiology. 
An assessment of the risks related to radon in homes will aim at the development of effective and durable 
countermeasures to reduce population exposure. Research on optimizing procedures will be carried out in 
order to reduce patient exposure from medical diagnostic radiology. Management procedures based on 
improved scientific information will be developed to optimize radiological protection in the work place. 
Scientific procedures will be developed to allow the consequences of nuclear emergencies to be assessed in 
real-time and their management to be improved, thus enabling the most effective countermeasures to be 
taken, to reduce transfer of radioactive contamination to man, and to treat victims of radiation accidents. 
The solution of the complex problems involved requires that information from quite different subject areas 
be integrated in a multi-disciplinary approach in which the following themes will be addressed: 
Human exposure to radiation and radioactivity 
The objective is to develop the ways and means to measure radiation doses in a sensitive and reliable way, 
and to define the critical pathways of radioactivity in the environment and possible strategies to impede the 
transfer of radionuclides to man. 
(') O] No L 246, 17. 9. 1980, p. 1. and OJ No L 265, 5. 10. 1984, p. 4. 
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The measurement of radiation doses and their interpretation will be improved by implementing the new 
dosimetric quantities and by developing better procedures and instrumentation for personal and accident 
dosimetry. Particular attention will be paid to exposure from incorporated radionuclides. 
The behaviour of radionuclides in the environment will be studied focusing on natural and long-lived 
artificial radionuclides which can accumulate in natural or semi-natural ecosystems or undergo chemical 
and biological modifications. In addition, countermeasures to reduce the consequences of radioactive 
contamination to the environment and man will be investigated. 
Consequences of radiation exposure to man: their assessment, prevention and treatment 
The objective is to determine quantitatively effects occurring at low doses/low dose rates (stochastic effects 
of radiation), to develop means to recognize and treat consequences of radiation accidents (non-stochastic 
effects) and to assess effects on the developing organism. 
A concerted approach based on microdosimetry, biophysical modelling, molecular, cellular and animal 
studies and epidemiology will be undertaken to understand the mechanisms involved and to evaluate the 
risks of radiation-induced cancer and genetic damage in man. This will lend crucial support to the interpre­
tation of human epidemiological data and to their extrapolation to low doses/low dose rates. 
Diagnosis and treatment of consequences of accidents involving whole-body or local external exposure, or 
internal contamination with radionuclides will be improved by studying their pathogenesis and making use 
of new molecular and cellular techniques. 
Investigations on the developing organism will focus on brain damage after irradiation in utero, on the 
induction of radiation-induced cancer and on the transfer of radionuclides in the foetus and during infancy 
and childhood. 
Risks and management of radiation exposure 
The objective is to evaluate the overall risks of human exposure to radiation and to provide the methods 
for optimizing and managing radiation protection under normal and accident situations. 
Systematic information on human exposure from natural, medical and industrial sources will be collected, 
and emphasis will be placed on epidemiological studies, including those in persons exposed at the 
workplace or to enhanced natural radioactivity. The factors affecting population radon exposure in homes 
and possible countermeasures will be investigated. Radiation risks will be put into perspective by comparing 
them with other risks. 
Optimization of radiation protection in normal and accident situations will be investigated to conform with 
new protection standards. Radiation accident consequence models and emergency management procedures 
will be further developed. Optimization of medical diagnostic exposure will be achieved by developing 
quality assurance measures for image quality and analyzing the risks and benefits of different procedures. 
AREA 2 
Reactor safety 
The overall objective of this new activity is to contribute to the definition of what will be needed to satisfy 
the expected safety requirements for future generations of nuclear power plants and to improve confidence 
in safety analyses, through an exercise promoting the concertation of parties from all Member States of the 
Community, independent of whether or not they have a nuclear power programme. 
The work envisaged will contribute to the assessment of the safety margins associated with design and 
operation, and to building confidence in the completeness of safety analyses and the reliability of the 
components involved in accident management. It will provide a reference point for initiatives in the 
Community and a basis for possible, more extensive Community actions. 
2. 10. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 247/7 
Selected key safety issues related to future nuclear power plants will be addressed, paying particular 
attention to passive technology. Work will focus also on the safe containment of radioactivity under severe 
accident conditions, and will mainly consider existing light water reactors which are more widespread in 
the Community, other European countries and the rest of the world. Moreover, there will be some partici­
pation, from the point of view of design safety, in new types of reactors, i.e. those in the development stage 
or those planned for the future, which are likely to be constructed between now and the end of the 
century. 
The action at Community level will include studies, inter-comparisons of methods and tools, such as prob­
abilistic safety analyses, and joint evaluations of research and development work. After considering the 
potential challenges to confinement in case of severe accidents and their implications on containment 
performance, the key issues will be addressed under the following three main themes: 
Accident progression analysis 
Severe accident phenomenology and its implications for containment will be studied with respect to in 
vessel phenomena related to containment loading and to ex vessel phenomena. The latter will deal, in 
particular, with hydrogen related phenomena and their modelling, detection and control; fission product 
behaviour; coolability of corium, steam explosion and corium-concrete interaction. 
Behaviour and qualification of the containment system 
Research will deal with the integrity of the containment system (venting, seismic and other external events, 
degradation of leak tightness due to ageing), modelling and failure mode analyses (material and structure 
behaviour, e.g. prestressed concrete), and the qualification and safety margins of containment structures, 
equipment and electronic systems with regard to severe accidents. 
Accident management and control 
Research will concentrate on the man-machine interface (computer based aids for operators handling 
complex procedures and novel situations, for example recognition of abnormalities and their diagnosis, and 
handling of incomplete or misleading information), and on strategies for intervention and accident miti­
gation. 
ANNEX II 
INDICATIVE BREAKDOWN OF EXPENDITURES 
In per cent, for the period 1990 to 1994: 
— Area 1: Radiation protection: 78-79% 
— Area 2: Reactor safety: 21-22 % 
The breakdown between different areas does not exclude the possibility that projects could cover several 
areas. 
No C 247/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 2. 10. 90 
ANNEX III 
RULES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAMME AND ACTIVITIES FOR DISSEMINATION 
AND EXPLOITATION OF THE RESULTS 
1. The Commission shall implement the programme on the basis of the scientific and technical content 
described in Annex I. 
2. The rules for implementing the programme, referred to in Article 3, comprise: research and techno­
logical development projects, accompanying measures and concerted actions. 
The direct research activities carried out by the Joint Research Centre will be the subject of a separate 
Council decision. 
The projects shall be the subject of shared-cost research and technological development contracts. 
The accompanying measures consist of applying the means to ensure proper technical execution, 
management and evaluation of the programme, as well as adequate dissemination and accessibility of 
the results, and coordination, training and consciousness-raising of the participants in the programme. 
The concerted actions are those defined in the Financial Regulations. 
3. The participants in the projects must be natural or legal persons established in the Corrynunity (*), such 
as universities, research organizations and industrial firms, including small and medium-sized enter­
prises, or associations thereof, in particular European Economic Interest Groupings (EEIGs). 
Natural or legal persons established in countries which have concluded agreements with the Community 
foreseeing scientific and technical research, may, based on the criterion of mutual advantage, take part 
in the projects undertaken in the context of this programme. The contracting parties under such 
arrangements shall not benefit from Community funding. They shall contribute to the general adminis­
trative costs. 
4. The choice of projects shall be carried out according to the following order of priority, the first method 
being the rule, the second the exception: 
The participants in the projects shall be selected on the basis of the ordinary procedure of calls for 
proposals and published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. 
The Commission may also accept proposals according to an exceptional procedure and under the 
conditions mentioned below, when they make a particularly promising and significant contribution as 
regards the originality of the theme proposed, the novelty of the scientific and technical approach and 
the methodology of execution, also taking into account the particular nature of the proposers. 
A favourable technical evaluation of such proposals shall not by itself be a sufficient justification for 
accepting a project; this exceptional procedure may only apply after verification that the nature of the 
project, as defined above, does not justify the use of the normal procedure for calls for proposals. 
The exceptional procedure must be completed before the ordinary procedure in such a way that the 
available amount for the Community's financial participation in projects retained by the ordinary 
procedure can be determined precisely. The closing date for the exceptional procedure shall be 
published each year in the Official Journal of the European Communities. 
The amount of the financial participation of the Community for all the projects retained by the excep­
tional procedure will be decided each year, in relation to the projects selected according to particularly 
strict criteria of excellence. In any case, this amount may not exceed 15 %; it may be revised each year 
in the light of experience. 
(') In the interests of the present programme, the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) based in Geneva, most 
of whose installations are located in the Community, may participate in contracts. 
2. 10. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 247/9 
The Commission shall draw up a vade-mecum setting out all the rules applicable to this exceptional 
procedure in order to guarantee full transparency. 
5. The projects must provide for participation by at least two mutually independent partners established in 
different Member States. 
6. The Commission may encourage the participants to form a European Economic Interest Grouping 
(EEIG) or make other arrangements for carrying out projects, such as those on a large scale, permitting 
decentralized management adapted to the specific requirements of the project. 
7. The knowledge acquired during the course of the projects shall be disseminated on the one hand within 
the specific programme and on the other hand by means of a centralized activity, pursuant to the 
Decision referred to in the third paragraph of Article 4 in Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC.