Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a supplementary research programme to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre for the European Atomic Energy Community (1996 to 1999)

(96/C 73/07)

(Text with EEA relevance)

COM(95) 549 final - 95/0284(CNS)

(Submitted by the Commission on 17 November 1995)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

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, submitted after consultation of the Scientific and Technical Committee,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

Whereas, the development of nuclear medicine within the European Union contributes to the target of ensuring human health protection which the Union set itself and which necessitates an increased use of testing reactors for medical purposes;

Whereas, within the framework of the common policy relating to the field of science and technology, the research programme is one of the principal means available to the European Atomic Energy Community to contribute to a safe use of nuclear energy;

Whereas the contributions to this supplementary programme will come from the Netherlands, Germany and France, either directly or through agreements with research institutions,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The supplementary programme on the operation of the high-flux reactor (HFR), hereinafter referred to as 'the programme`, the objectives of which are set out in Annex I, is hereby adopted for a period of four years, starting on 1 January 1996.

Article 2

The financial contributions estimated as necessary for the execution of the programme amount to ECU 39,7 million. The breakdown of this amount is given in Annex II.

Article 3

The Commission, assisted by the Board of Governors of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) shall be responsible for carrying out the programme and, to this end, shall call upon the services of the JRC.

Article 4

The Commission shall decide on the terms of reference of the Board of Governors.

Article 5

1. The Commission shall each year, before 15 April, submit to the European Parliament, the Council, and the Economic and Social Committee a report on the implementation of this Decision.

2. This report shall be accompanied by the observations of the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors may also submit through the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, and the Economic and Social Committee a separate report on any aspect of the implementation of this Decision.

Article 6

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

ANNEX I

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES

The programme's aims are primarily:

1. the reliability of the high-flux reactor (HFR) at Petten; this activity involves the normal use of the installation for more than 250 days a year, the management of the fuel cycle and control of safety and quality;

2. the rational use of this reactor in a broad range of disciplines including isotope production and the work related to it; the experimental irradiation of the materials intended for fission reactors and future fusion, the applications of neutrons in research in solid state physics and materials science, neutroradiography as a non-destructive testing method and the treatment of certain forms of cancer using neutrons (BNCT) and related research.

ANNEX II

BREAKDOWN OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS

The contributions to this supplementary programme will come from the Netherlands, Germany and France.

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