16. 2. 76 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 35/19 
Opinion  on the proposed  Pluriannual  Programme  of the  Community  for the years  1976 
to 1980  in the  field  of controlled  thermonuclear  fusion  and  plasma  physics 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  was  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 201  of 3 September  1975,  page  4. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 11 August  1975,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  170  of the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Atomic  Energy  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the  above  matter  at its 
135th  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 26 and  27 November  1975. 
The full  text  of the  opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the request  for an opinion  made  by 
the Council  on 11 August  1975, 
Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Atomic  Energy  Community,  and  in 
particular  Article  170  thereof, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
23 September  1975  instructing  the Section  for Energy 
and Nuclear  Questions  to draw  up an opinion  and  a 
report  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the opinion  adopted  by the Section 
for Energy  and  Nuclear  Questions  at its meeting  on 
7 November  1975, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  submitted  by the 
Rapporteur,  Mr Noordwal, 
Having  regard  to the discussion  at its 135th  plenary 
session  held  on 26 and  27 November  1975  (meeting 
of 27 November), 
Whereas  thermonuclear  fusion  represents  a major 
potential  alternative  source  of energy  which  is 
particularly  suitable  for  meeting  a large  proportion 
of the Community's  long-term  requirements;^ 
Whereas  the  necessary  research  and  development 
work  is of such  magnitude  as to necessitate  a single 
joint  Community  effort; Whereas  the  Community  has  already  achieved 
international  respect  for  its  research  and 
development  work  in this  field; 
Whereas  the  continuation  of  the  Community's 
fusion  programme  in line  with  previous  Decisions  of 
the Council,  constitutes  a long-term  cooperative 
project  embracing  all work  carried  out  in the field  of 
fusion  and  plasma  physics, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a unanimous  vote: 
1. General  comments 
1.1. The  development  of a new  energy  source 
based  on the fusion  of light  atoms  in contrast  to the 
current  technology  of producing  nuclear  energy  by 
the fission  of heavy  atoms  offers  a long  term,  but 
still uncertain  possibility  of meeting  a significant 
proportion  of  the  Community's  overall  energy 
requirements  under  economically  competitive 
conditions  some  time  after  the year  2000. 
1.2. If  realized,  thermonuclear  fusion  would  offer 
very important  benefits  to the  Community,  which 
possesses  limited  economically  recoverable  reserves 
of the classical  energy  sources  of oil,  natural  gas  and 
No C 35/20 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 16. 2. 76 
coal,  whose  demographic  structure  imposes  ultimate 
health  and  safety  limits  on  the  development  of 
conventional  nuclear  energy  from  fission,  and  whose 
climate  and  geological  structure  with  the  exception 
of certain  regions  do  not  appear  to offer  the 
alternative  sources  for solar  and  geothermal  energy 
production  on  a massive  scale.  Fusion  would 
overcome  these  limitations  since  the basic  materials 
it requires  are duterium  and  lithium,  both  of which 
are present  in unlimited  quantities  in seawater,  since 
these  materials,  being  harmless,  would  reduce  the 
risk of accidents  and  environmental  nuisances  from 
energy  production  to a minimum,  and  since  there  is 
no limit  to the scale  on which  it could  be developed 
as an energy  source. research  and  development  programmes  in this  field, 
the first  of which  began  in 1959  and  the  last  of 
which  will  finish  at the  end  of  1975.  The 
Commission  now  proposes  a fourth  programme  to 
run from  1976  to 1980  and  which  marks  the 
important  transition  from  the  exploratory  stage  to 
the first  experimental  stage.  The  cornerstone  of the 
programme  is the construction  of a Tokamak  that  is 
appreciably  larger  than  its predecessors,  to be known 
as the Joint  European  Torus  (JET).  The  programme 
will, over  the  five-year  period,  cost  a total  of 615 
million  units  of account  of which  265  million  units 
of account  will  be borne  by the Community  budget. 
It will  involve  a Commission  staff  of 117,  with  an 
additional  average  of 260  staff  being  temporarily 
employed  to build  the JET. 
1.3. On  the other  hand,  the technical  and  financial 
implications  of developing  fusion  are  considerable. 
Research  work  to date  has  been  confined  to the 
theoretical  and  exploratory  stage.  It has  now  to be 
followed  by  a first  experimental  stage  which 
attempts  to achieve  in practice  the  conditions  in 
which  thermonuclear  fusion  could  take  place.  Only 
then will  it be possible  to build  the  equipment  in 
which  thermonuclear  fusion  can  actually  be carried 
out: according  to the  Commission,  the  first  fusion 
reactor  could  begin  operating  by about  the year  2000. 
There  is then  the  final  stage  which  is that  of 
commercial  production.  The  equiment  required  is 
extremely  costly  to build  and  large  inputs  of energy 
will be needed  in the experimental  stage  before  the 
reactors  can  become  net  producers  of energy.  The 
Committee  believes  that  it is essential  to secure  the 
closest  possible  involvement  of Community  industry 
at all stages  in order  to ensure  its familiarization  with 
thermonuclear  technology  and  thus  to facilitate 
further  development.  It welcomes  the Commission's 
initiatives  in this  respect. 
1.4. The  fundamental  problem  is  to  reach 
temperatures  of hundreds  of millions  of degrees 
Celcius.  At these  temperatures  matter  is in the state 
of plasma  and  may  not  come  into  contact  with  any 
containment  material.  In order  to confine  it, use  is 
made  of very  intense  magnetic  fields.  These  magnetic 
'containers'  must  be capable  of confining  fairly  hot 
and fairly  dense  plasmas  for sufficiently  long  periods 
to permit  their  combustion.  Several  attempts  have 
been  made  to develop  devices  of this  kind  of which 
the Tokamak  has given  the best  results  to date. 1.6. The  Committee,  which  was  not  consulted  on 
the earlier  programmes,  welcomes  this  opportunity 
of commenting  on the  Commission's  proposals  for 
an indirect  R&D  programme  on fusion  for the first 
time.  It has,  however,  in its opinion  of 30 January 
1975  on  'Energy  for  Europe:  Research  and 
Development'  (1), already  stressed  the  importance  of 
maintaining  the R&D  effort  on fusion  as a long-
term  alternative  energy  source  without  being  under 
any illusions  that  it will  bring  solutions  to the 
Community's  short-  or  medium-term  energy 
problems. 
1.7. The  Committee  is not  in a position  to 
comment  on  the  technical  feasibility  to bring  a 
fusion  reactor  into  operation  as early  as the  year 
2000.  Nevertheless,  it believes  that  the  necessary 
research  and  development  effort  must  be pursued  at 
full speed  as of now  if fusion  is to be in a position 
to contribute  to the  solution  of the  major  energy 
problems,  already  outlined  above,  which  the 
Community  is likely  to face  in the  long  term.  It 
therefore  gives  the present  proposed  programme  its 
approval  and  support. 
1.8. At  the same  time  the Community  must  keep 
all its research  and  development  programmes  under 
regular  review  in order  to ensure  that  costs  are kept 
to a minimum.  In a situation  where  ever-increasing 
demands  are made  on a relatively  limited  amount  of 
finance,  the Community  is faced  with  a clear  choice 
between  giving  substantial  support  to a few  projects 
or giving  limited  assistance  to a large  number.  The 
Committee,  for its part,  believes  that  the Community 
1.5. The  Community,  under  its  Euratom 
responsibilities,  has already  carried  out three  indirect (!) OJ No  C 62, 15. 3. 1975,  p. 3. 
16. 2. 76 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 35/21 
must  opt  for the first  course  of action,  by continuing 
to give  full  backing  to the  highest-priority  areas 
instead  of attempting  to maintain  a large  number  of 
inadequately-financed  R&D  projects  in the medium 
term. 
1.9. The  Committee  therefore,  believes  the 
Commission  is correct  in concentrating  on  the 
Tokamak  which  has  yielded  the  most  encouraging 
results  to date.  Nevertheless,  it would  like  to have 
seen more  information  given,  both  on the  prospects 
offered  by other  technologies  (open  configurations, 
laser  fusion)  and  the  project-selection  criteria  used 
by the Commission.  In the earlier  stages  of research, 
it believes  that  each  technique  should  be studied 
until  its viability  has  reasonably  been  disproved.  In 
the later  stages  of research,  however,  the Committee 
considers  that  the  Community  must  limit  its efforts 
to a few  promising  technologies,  both  for  the 
financial  reasons  outlined  above,  and  because  it is 
the only  way  that  the Community  can  compete  in a 
high-technology  field  against  projects  of  third 
countries  which  are  backed  by  greater  financial 
and R&D  resources.  In a field  so costly  as 
thermonuclear  fusion,  it is already  abundantly  clear 
that no Member  State  can  afford  to go it alone, 
bearing  the  total  cost  of an applied  project  on its 
own budget  or that  the  Community  could  afford  to 
support  more  than  one  such  project  at  the 
commercial  stage.  It is therefore,  also  of fundamental 
importance  to continue  efforts  to build  up the  base 
for a single  coordinated  Community  R&D  effort 
before  any  divergencies  in national  activities  begin  to 
emerge. 
1.10.  Just  as duplication  of effort  must  be avoided 
within  the  Community,  similar  steps  must  be taken 
to maintain  the highest  possible  level  of international 
cooperation.  It is particularly  necessary  here  to 
recognize  the  pioneering  work  undertaken  by the 
USSR  in the field  of thermonuclear  fusion  as well  as 
that of the  United  States  and  the  recently-intensified 
efforts  of Japan,  especially  since  all three  countries 
are planning  substantial  further  research programmes.  The  Committee  recognizes  that  the 
Community  has,  to date,  also  been  among  the 
leaders  in international  developments  on  fusion 
technology.  Nevertheless,  it  is  vital  for  the 
Community  to maintain  this  position  if it is to 
continue,  through  information-exchange,  to have 
access  to the results  of the work  carried  out  by these 
countries. 
1.11.  On  the  financial  side,  it is important  to note 
that the planned  Community  fusion  programme  with 
a total  cost  of 615  million  units  of account  (i. e., on 
both  national  and  Community  budgets)  is already 
only  one  quarter  of the  size  of the  corresponding 
programme  proposed  for  the  United  States  which, 
for the  period  1977—1981  would  have  a budget 
totalling  some  2 500  million  dollars  (excluding  work 
on laser  fusion).  Moreover,  the  programme  of the 
USSR  is,  according  to the  Commission,  almost 
certainly  larger  and  more  diversified  than  that  of the 
United  States.  The  Committee  agrees  that  the 
proposed  programme's  budget  may  be sufficiently 
large  in the  immediate  term  to  maintain  the 
Community's  international  position  as  an  equal 
partner.  Nevertheless,  it is concerned  lest,  in the 
longer  term,  the  Community  should,  through 
insufficient  financial  commitment,  lose  its credibility 
and with  it access  to international  information.  It 
therefore  stresses  the  need  to  give  subsequent 
programmes  adequate  financial  backing  in order  to 
prevent  such  a situation  arising. 
1.12.  The  Committee  considers  that  the  choice  of 
site for  the  JET  must  be made  objectively  on the 
basis  of detailed  technical  analysis.  It believes  that 
the overriding  criterion  must  be that  of where  the 
programme  can most  effectively  be carried  out. 
1.13.  Finally,  the  Committee  believes  that  great 
stress  must  be placed  on the Community  character  of 
the programme,  whose  successful  undertaking 
would  not  only  save  money  and  bring  potential 
benefits,  but  would  also  mark  an  important 
development  on the road  to European  Union. 
Done  at Brussels,  27 November  1975. 
The Chairman 
of the  Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Henri  CANONGE