No C 171/38 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 9. 7. 79 
3.2. Internally,  the  Community  should: 4. Conclusions 
3.2.1.  constantly  adapt  technical,  social  and  economic 
standards  to the  economic  and  social  progress  of the 
Community,  with  a view  to making  competition  in the 
maritime  sector  healthier,  improving  the  living  and 
working  conditions  of  crews  and  ensuring  that 
non-member  countries  and,  in particular,  developing 
countries,  engaging  in maritime  activities  can  play  the 
role to which  they  are entitled  — in short,  with  due 
observance  of the  provisions  of the  Preamble  of the 
Treaty; 
3.2.2.  equip  itself  with  efficient  tools  in the economic 
and commercial  spheres  that  will  enable  effective 
support  to be given  to Member-State  shipowners  in the 
face of competition  from  third-country  shipowners 
whose  operations  are facilitated  by manifest  structural 
advantages. 4.1. The  Committee  has  made  an effort  to bring  its 
views  to the  attention  of all the  relevant  authorities 
before  the UNCTAD  conference  to be held  in Manila  in 
May  1979,  which  will  consider  a special  aspect  of the 
problems  described. 
4.2. The  Committee  appeals  to the  Council,  the 
Commission,  the  Member  State  governments  and  all 
national  and  international  decision-making  bodies  to 
ensure  that  work  is speeded  up and  that  the  decisions 
needed  to avert  serious  threats  to the  Community  are 
taken  without  delay. 
Done  at Brussels,  4 April  1979. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Fabrizia  BADUEL  GLORIOSO 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for a research  and  training  programme  (1979  to 1983)  for  the 
European  Atomic  Energy  Community  in the field  of controlled  thermonuclear  Fusion 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 299  of 13 December  1978,  page  2. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 5 December  1978,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  7 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 167th 
plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 4 and  5 April  1979. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
9. 7. 79 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 171/39 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the  Treaty  establishing  the European 
Atomic  Energy  Community,  and  in particular  Article  7 
thereof, 
Having  regard  to the  request  made  by the  Council  of 
the European  Communities  on 5 December  1978  for an 
opinion, 
Having  regard  to the  decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
18 December  1978,  entrusting  the  Section  for  Energy 
and Nuclear  Questions  with  the  preparation  of an 
opinion  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by the said  Section 
at its 47th  meeting,  held  on 9 March  1979, 
Having  regard  to the report  submitted  at its meeting  by 
the rapporteur,  Mr Friedrichs, 
Having  regard  to the  discussions  at its 167th  plenary 
session,  held  on 4 and  6 April  1979  (meeting  of 4 April 
1979), 
Whereas  nuclear  fusion  could  be an important  energy 
source,  particularly  suitable  for  covering  a significant 
proportion  of the Community's  long-term  energy  needs; 
Whereas  the  scale  of  the  requisite  research  and 
development  work  calls  for a common,  united  approach 
by the Community; 
Whereas  continuation  of  the  Community  fusion 
programme  in line  with  earlier  Council  Decisions 
involves  long-term  cooperation  embracing  plasma 
physics  and  the  entire  range  of activities  in the field  of 
fusion, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by 86 votes  to 1, with  5 abstentions: 
The Committee  endorses  the Commission  proposal  and 
makes  the following  comments: 
1. Thermonuclear  fusion  offers  a long-term,  but  still 
uncertain  possibility  of meeting  a significant  proportion 
of the  Community's  energy  requirements  in the  next 
century.  Energy  is produced  by the  fusion  of light 
atoms,  in  contrast  to  the  current  technology  of 
producing  nuclear  energy  by the fission  of heavy  atoms. 
Fusion  would  have  important  advantages  in being  a large-scale  energy  source  which  is not  dependent  on 
limited  natural  resources  and  which  would  not  have 
the same  radioactive-waste  management  problems  asso-
ciated  with  nuclear  fission. 
2. On  the  other  hand,  the  technology  is complex  and 
requires  a major  research  effort  involving  considerable 
cost.  The  first  objective  is to demonstrate  that  fusion  is 
a scientific  possibility  (probably  within  the  next 
decade).  The  next  step  would  be to demonstrate  its 
technical  feasibility.  (There  are  indications  that  a 
demonstration  reactor  could  be built  by the turn  of the 
century).  Finally,  it must  be  proved  whether  the 
production  of energy  by thermonuclear  fusion  is viable 
from  the micro-  and  macro-economic  point  of view. 
3. The  Committee  would  recall  its  opinion  of 
27 November  1975  on  the  proposed  pluriannual 
programme  of the  Community  for  the  years  1976  to 
1980  in the  field  of controlled  thermonuclear  fusion 
and plasma  physics  (1). That  opinion  stressed  the  need 
to promote  R&D  work  on  nuclear  fusion  as a 
potential  long-term  alternative  energy  source.  The 
Committee  notes  with  satisfaction  that  the  progress 
achieved  so far  justifies  the  proposal  that  the  earlier 
programme  be continued  and  expanded  significantly. 
4. The  Committee  is pleased  that  the  Commission 
proposal  is based  on  the  principle  of  a rolling 
programme.  This  procedure,  i.e. the adoption  of a new 
five-year  programme  when  the  previous  one  has  been 
running  for three  years,  is in line  with  the  Committee's 
repeated  request  that  R&D  programmes  should  be 
reviewed  while  they  are  in progress  and  that  appro-
priate  conclusions  should  be drawn.  The  Committee 
considers  that  nuclear  fusion  is of considerable  impor-
tance  not  only  for the future  energy  supply  but  also  for 
the scientific  technological  and  industrial  development 
of the  Community.  It would  therefore  be wrong,  the 
Committee  feels,  to defer  expansion  of the  programme 
which,  as experience  has  shown,  is both  feasible  and 
appropriate. 
5. The  Committee  would  also  refer  to the  particularly 
intensive  international  cooperation  and  exchange  of 
experience  in  the  field  of  nuclear  fusion.  The 
Commission  can  only  participate  in and  benefit  from 
this international  exchange  if it itself  is in a position  to 
make  a significant  contribution. 
(i) OJ No C 35, 16. 2. 1976. 
No C 171/40 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 9. 7. 79 
6. In this  context,  the Committee  would  emphasize  the 
need  for  further  close  cooperation  within  the 
Community  itself.  The  success  of both  the  general 
R&D  programme  and  the  JET  project  — which  is a 
major  element  of the  joint  efforts  — is contingent  on 
exceptionally  close  liaison  between  these  two 
programmes,  particularly  since  two  different  bodies 
have  the  administrative  responsibility  for  the  two 
programmes.  Any  measures  which  promote  such  liaison 
are extremely  important. 
7. As  in previous  programmes,  it is proposed  to 
concentrate  research  on  magnetic  confinement  of 
plasma  and  on the Tokamak  system  in particular.  In its 
opinion  on the  1976  to 1980  programme  the  Com-
mittee  endorsed  this  concentration  for  the  research  ef-
fort,  particularly  on account  of the  limited  funds  avail-
able.  The  Committee  reiterates  this  view,  but points  out 
that in recent  years  progress  has  been  achieved  on iner-
tial confinement.  This  progress  warrants  considering 
this method  as a promising  alternative  to magnetic  con-
finement.  It is therefore  important  that  appropriate 
attention  be paid  to the  development  of inertial  con-
finement,  and  the Committee  welcomes  the fact  that  the 
proposal  takes  at least  some  steps  in this  direction. 
8. Current  research  on  nuclear  fusion  is chiefly 
designed  to demonstrate  the  physical  feasibility  of 
plasma  confinement,  under  suitable  conditions.  The 
present  proposal  is also  geared  to this  objective.  After 
the feasibility  of  plasma  confinement  has  been 
Done  at Brussels,  4 April  1979. successfully  proved,  the  technology  of a fusion  reactor 
— tritium,  materials  technology,  etc.  — will,  the 
Committee  feels,  pose  exceptionally  difficult  problems. 
Action  to solve  these  will  be  both  expensive  and 
time-consuming.  The  Committee  is therefore  glad  that 
the Commission  proposes  that  some  important 
technological  matters  be dealt  with  already  at this  stage. 
The Committee  lays  particular  emphasis  on the fact  that 
the solution  of technological  problems  is crucial  to the 
safety  of the  future  fusion  reactor.  Generally,  the 
Committee  is, however,  particularly  anxious  that  the 
future  safety  factor  should  be taken  into  account  in all 
nuclear  fusion  research  projects. 
9. In this  context  the  Committee  would  like  to 
reiterate  its conviction  that  a Community  nuclear  safety 
code,  as advocated  in its Study  of 28 April  1977  must 
be given  some  thought. 
10. The  Committee  considers  that  it is absolutely 
essential  at the  present  juncture  to inform  the  general 
public  in full  about  the  possibilities  and  problems  of 
nuclear  fusion.  It must  be spelt  out  that  nuclear  fusion 
could  only  contribute  to energy  supplies  in the  long 
term  and  that  it will  not  necessarily  be a 'clean'  energy 
source.  Even  if we  assume  that  fusion  can  have 
significant  advantages  over  fission  from  the safety  and 
environmental  angles,  the  problems  associated  with 
fusion  technology  must  be  exposed  and  discussed 
openly  here  and  now  to prevent  any  distrust  from  the 
outset. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Fabrizia  BADUEL  GLORIOSO