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Vol. 1985/0 264 
  
 
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Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Economic 
Community and the European Atomic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), this file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation. 
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen 
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983, 
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003 
(ABI. L 243 vom 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit 
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5 
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben. 
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
C0H<85> 789 final 
Brussels, 23 December 1985
Communication
of the Commission to the Council
C0M(85) 789 final

2.
1. Introduction
In its proposal for a Fusion Programme 1985 to 1989^ the 
Commission estimated the expenditure commitments necessary for the 
implementation at 790 MioECU.^
(3)In its decision adopting the Fusion Programme 1985 to 1989 the 
Council reduced this amount by 100 MioECU to 690 MioECU. Contrary 
to previous decisions on the Fusion Programme, the Council abstained 
from making a breakdown of the allocation between the General 
Programme and JET and within the various components of the General 
Programme.
(4)The Commission stated at the Council Decision "that it will
initiate forthwith, in consultation with the CCFP and the JET 
Council, the elaboration of a breakdown of the 1985-1989 allocation 
(690 MioECU) between the various programme components, as well as an 
analysis of the consequences of such a funding level. The Commission 
will communicate to the Council this breakdown and the result of the 
analysis as soon as they are available, and at the latest by the end 
of 1985."
In implementing this statement the Commission, after consultation 
with the CCFP and the JET Council, presents hereinafter to the 
Council
- a breakdown of the 1985-1989 allocation between the various 
programme components (Part 2 of this document),
- an analysis of the consequences of such a funding level (Part 3 
of this document).
The analysis with regard to JET also contains some preliminary 
information about the need to prolong the duration of this project.
(1) Document C0M(84) 271 final of 18 May 1984.
(2) Throughout this document all figures relate to the research and 
training programme in the field of controlled thermonuclear fusion 
exclusive of the fusion activities of the Joint Research Center.
(3) Council Decision 85/201/Euratom of 12 March 1985.
(4) Council document 5260/85, Annex II "Statements for the Council 
Minutes".

3.
In view of the presentation of a new framework programme for the 
period 1987 to 1991, which the Commission announced in its 
communication "Implementation of the Commission's Memorandum 
'towards a European technological Community'" 5 ,  the Commission 
stresses here the following points:
Within this framework programme fusion will be an important 
objective. The long-term potential of fusion, namely to open a new 
way of power generation, friendly to the environment and using 
practically inexhaustible fuel, remains a vcilia and strung argument 
to vigorously continue its development. Fusion might contribute one 
day to reduce the economic, ecological arid political vulnerability 
of Europe.
The scientific and technical achievements of the European programme 
place Europe in the forefront of world-wide fusion research. JET is 
the leading fusion experiment in the world, which achieved its 
initial objectives for the ohmic heating phase on time and in budget 
and hence made formidable progress towards the demonstration of the 
scientific feasibility of fusion. The European medium-size machines 
in operation have contributed in a powerful way to the progress of 
fusion and the future success of JET, e.g. by discovering the regime 
of high plasma confinement, by developing plasma heating systems, 
etc., and more can be expected from those under construction. 
Europe is also leading in research on stellarators and reversed 
field pinches, alternative configurations to the Tokamak. JET and 
these devices are by themselves a demonstration of European high 
technology, with spin-offs (in particular in the fields of super­
conducting magnet technology, robotics, radiofrequency and high 
power microwave tubes) ,  to the benefit of other branches of science 
and of European industry.
Fusion is the programme in Europe with an absolute Community 
character: all fusion activities of the Member States and in the JRC 
are integrated into one, "The European Programme". This Programme 
has attracted the important fusion E.&D activities of two non—member 
States, Sweden and Switzerland, now fully associated with it; and it
(5) C0M(85) 530 final.

4.
makes Europe an appealing partner for international cooperation, 
both in bilateral frames (Canada, Japan, United States) and in 
multinational organisations (OECD, IAEA). It is worthwhile to note 
that the expenditure of the European programme is comparable to that 
of Japan and inferior to that of the US magnetic fusion programme. 
Moreover, this programme is achieved with a comparatively small rate 
of financial participation of the Community. An efficient management 
allows for common planning of the national activities and their 
steering by Community institutions; for the active exchange of staff 
between European laboratories (mobility) and for the setting up of 
the JET Joint Undertaking and of the NET Agreement to operate the 
NET-Team.
Therefore, by virtue of its important objectives, its excellent 
record, its technological interest and its Community character, 
fusion continues to be one of the most important R&D programmes 
sponsored by the Commission. As already anticipated by the 
Commission, in order to maintain the momentum of the programme and 
to account for the increase of Community R&D activities due to the 
joining of the new member States in 1986, as well as to the mounting 
involvement of industry, the funding level indicated in the 
Commission's proposal for the programme 1985/89 should be restored 
in real terms.
2. Breakdown of the allocation to the Fusion Programme 1985 to 1989
2.1 Article 2 of Council Decision 85/201/Euratom reads:
"The funds estimated as being necessary for the execution of the 
programme amount to 690 million ECU, including expenditure on a 
workforce of 270 staff and the unused amounts from the previous 
programme."

5.
2.2 By the present communication the Commission informs the Council that 
the amounts and figures mentioned in that decision are broken down 
between the General Programme and JET as follows:
funds estimated necessary:
. General Programme (budget item 7310) 
. JET (budget item 7311):360 MioECU 
330 MioECU
(6)Total 690 MioECU
amounts unused from previous programme, included in the funds 
estimated necessary:
General Programme: 
JET:46.9 MioECU 
73.1 MioECU
Total 120.0 MioECU
Staff:
General Programme: 
JET105 officials and other servants 
165 staff within the meaning of 
Article 2(a) of the conditions 
of employment of other 
servants of the European 
Communities
Total 270
Without prejudice to the Commission's responsibility for the 
implementation of the Fusion Programme, the amount of 360 MioECU 
earmarked for the General Programme, may be indicatively
(6) The 360 MioECU for the General Programme are exclusive of, and the 
330 MioECU for JET are inclusive of, Third States contributions. 
Both budget items (7310 and 7311) show these contributions 
separately.

6.
broken down as follows:
MioECU
.  NET 13 
.  Technology 80 
.  Physics 245 
.  Mobility and Management 22 
Total of General Programme 360
3. Analysis of the consequences of a funding level of 690 MECU for 
1985-89
3.1 General Considerations
The evolution of the programme, particularly during the last 5 
years, required increasing R&D resources in order to make 
significant progress in JET and in the General Programme. While 
this necessity was recognized by the Council and is reflected in the 
budget 1982-86, as compared to the (real term) budget of the 
previous programme period, the figures for 1985-89 do not correspond 
to this trend (see table below).  With an inflation of about 19% 
from 1982 to 3  985 the 690 MioECU represent a reduction of about 
50 MioECU in real terms at 1985 values when compared to 620 MioECU 
for 1982-1986.
The budget for the Fusion Programme in the last 
3 programme periods following decisions of the Council.
MioECU 1979-83 1982-86 1985-89
JET
General Programme195.0
190.5319
301330(7)
360(7)
Total 385.5 620 690
(7) breakdown by the Commission in the present document.

7.
The breakdown of 690 MECU as shown in Part 2 of this document is 
intended to protect the JET programme from irreversible damage as a 
consequence of the overall budget reduction, since JET is an 
indispensable source of information on the medium term and distant 
scientific needs of fusion. However, as will be explained in 
paragraph 3.2, 330 MECU for JET are not sufficient to achieve its 
approved aims.
As for the General Programme, the expansion initiated following the 
recommendations of the independent European Fusion Review Panel and 
the decision of the Council on the 1982-86 programme, and consisting 
mainly of the construction of medium-size machines for plasma 
confinement and heating and of the implementation of the NET- 
Technology programme, cannot be financed from 360 MECU. On the 
other hand, neither can the construction of those machines be 
stopped halfway to their completion, nor can the NET-Technology 
programme be abandoned without, at the same time, abandoning the 
present strategy with NET as focus of the fusion programme. The 
breakdown for the General Programme at the end of Part 2 of this 
document does not resolve this dilemma: it is an attempt to maintain 
all elements of the ongoing programme; however, as the comments line 
by line will show, the funds are not sufficient to cover these 
activities.
The following table compares the breakdown of the 690 MECU to the 
original proposal totalling 790 MECU, and to the December 1984 
compromise of the Presidency (750 MECU).

8.
Comparative breakdown of the funds 
allocated to the Fusion Programme 1985-1989
Original
proposai
(790)December 84 
compromise 
(750)Council
decision
(690)Cuts
relative to 
proposal
JET
NET347
23 for 3 yrs337
23 for 4 yrs330
13 for 3 yrs17 ( 5%) 
10 (43%)
Technology 120 100 80 40 (33%)
Physics 278 268 245 33 (12%)
Management 
+ mobility22
not including 
fellowships22
including
fellowships22
including
fellowships0
(7%)(8)
Total
general
programme443 413 360 83 (19%)
GRAND
TOTAL790 750 690 100 (13%)
3.2 JET at the reduced funding level of 330 MECU
Within this sum, it seems possible to steer the Project so that no 
irreversible damage is made to the presently foreseen scientific 
programme and planning up to early 1987. However, in order to 
achieve the aims of the Project as defined when it was approved in 
1978 (e.g. to approach as closely as possible the conditions needed 
in a reactor by making the best possible use of the capabilities of
(8) fellowships account for 1.5 MioECU

9.
the device),  it will be necessary to add some supplementary equip­
ment. This will require more time and more funds than hitherto 
envisaged, but without increasing the present level of annual 
expenditure.
Thus the JET Council initiated discussions on the extension of the 
statutory lifetime of the JET Joint Undertaking ending the 31st May 
1990. At present it seems likely that the device will have to be in 
operation up to the end of 1992 in order to achieve its aims and to 
make the best use of the new equipments to be installed. The JET 
Council will pronounce itself on a precise date and on the
corresponding amendment of the JET Statutes in time for the
Commission to submit it for approval to the Council (Art. 50 of the 
EURATOM-Treaty) together with the next programme revision.
3.3 The General Programme at the reduced funding level of 360 MECU
- NET: In accordance with the March 1985 Council decision, the
NET activity will be slowed down postponing its major 
milestones by about 2 years, i.e. adopting now, as a working 
hypothesis, 1989/90 as a date for the decision on the detailed 
design, and 1993 for the decision on the construction of NET.
These dates fit the new time schedule for JET and allow for
more evidence on the plasma performance to be gathered from the 
medium-size machines (on the assumption that the schedules for 
these are maintained). It should be noted that the budget of 13 
MECU includes only the expenses for running the NET Team and 
for the contracts to the Associations in support of NET. 
Industrial contracts in direct support to NET (6 MioECU as 
foreseen in the NET Agreement) are included in the Technology 
budget.
- Technology:  Like NET, the Technology programme will be slowed 
down so as to match the new NET-milestones.  However, in order 
to squeeze the budget down to 80 MECU, it would be necessary In 
addition
(i) to cut the NET-oriented part of the programme to the bone 
so that it may become too meagre to base on it the

10.
envisaged decisions and the development in industry of the 
advanced technologies essential to the feasibility of the 
project; and
(ii) to reduce the long-term (DEMO-oriented) part, such as 
research into materials promising a long life and/or low 
activation of the first wall, evaluation of the
environmental impact of fusion, and possibly other generic 
research items, which are not bound to the time schedule 
of NET.
Both are considered incompatible with the overall programme 
strategy and therefore the Commission will not resort to these 
measures during the first two years, expecting that at the next 
revision enough funds will be made available to avoid a 
disruption of the Technology programme.
Physics :  The funds required for this part of the programme 
(which covers all aspects of physics and engineering of plasma 
heating and confinement) can be calculated very precisely 
because the investments are well known since all medium-size 
machines are presently under construction, because there are 
clear estimates of the support required by JET and NET, and 
because the Associations are working with a well-defined staff. 
Even under the most severe streamlining, the amount of 
245 MioECU is not sufficient to carry out the programme in the 
Associations. The only possible response to this level of 
funding, short of destroying the European character of the 
programme, would be to temporarily halt the construction or 
even the operation of the medium-size devices, with 
irreversible damage to the programme. The financial artifice 
of reducing the Commission's participation (e.g. by reducing 
the rate or failing to compensate for inflation) would equally 
lead to a halt because national budgets would not make up for 
the deficit. Here again the Commission will not implement such 
measures during the first two years, expecting to make up for 
the difference in the funding at the next programme revision.

Management and Mobility:  Due to increasing cooperation between 
the fusion laboratories the mobility fund could be exhausted 
before the end of the five years period.
Conclusions
The Commission has analysed the consequences on the fusion programme 
of the reduced 1985-89 allocation of 690 MioECU. Given the momentum 
gained since 1979, the enormous scientific potential of JET, and the 
commitment of the European fusion laboratories to build and operate 
several specialized medium-size machines and to devote a sizeable 
effort to NET and Technology, the restrictive measures that would 
need to be imposed if this allocation were not to be revised would 
strongly damage the European fusion programme as a whole.
As already announced at the programme decision - and noted by the 
Council - the Commission intends, in the first two years 1985 and 
1986, to run the programme at the financial level as indicated in 
the programme proposal. As to the years after 1986, the Commission 
expects that the revision aimed at a new programme 1987 to 1991, to 
which the Council committed itself in the decision of 12 March 1985, 
will provide the Community resources for the continuation of the 
programme without major disruption.

Opinion of the CCFP
on the Communication of the Commission to the Council 
on the Fusion Programme concerning the breakdown 
of the 1985-1989 allocation
The CCFP, which already expressed on January 24, 1985, its Opinion on the 
implications of the Conclusions of the Council Meeting of 19 Dec. 1984 
concerning the Community Fusion Programme, makes the following statements:
The structure and content of the European Fusion Programme make it a 
model for other possible efforts of Europe in Science and Technology; 
it is the most successful Community programme in research and 
technology.
The structure of the fusion programme is that it is driven by the 
relevant national institutions coordinated by the Commission within 
the system of Associations. The fusion programme has an absolute 
Community character: all fusion activities of the Member States (plus 
Sweden and Switzerland) and in the JRC are integrated into one, "The 
European Programme", and this is achieved with a comparatively small 
financial participation of the Community. The research programmes of 
the Associations provide the necessary width, and together with JET, 
the guidance for the European programme. The Associations have 
together launched a joint undertaking, JET, in order to equip 
themselves with a large device which goes beyond the capability of 
any individual Association; a possible next joint undertaking is NET. 
This structure is thought to be well adapted to the future, when the 
role of the presently physics-oriented Associations will be eventually 
taken over by technology-oriented national institutions and later by 
industry.
The content of the fusion programme is prepared by the fusion 
community through the peer group review system operated by the CCFP 
and, for JET, by the JET Council. The scientific and technical 
achievements of the European programme place Europe in the forefront 
of world-wide fusion research. JET is the leading fusion experiment 
in the world, which already in its first two years of operation 
has made formidable progress towards demonstration of the scientific 
feasibility of fusion. The European medium-size machines contribute 
in a powerful way to the progress of fusion and to the future success 
of JET, e.g. by discovering the regime of high-plasma confinement or 
developing plasma heating systems. In addition to helping to steer 
JET and the future main-line programme directed towards NET, the 
devices existing in the Associations and those under construction 
will have to provide more results. They will investigate confinement 
under high—field conditions, plasma technology and superconducting 
magnet technology. They also investigate different systems of 
confinement (stellarator,  reversed field pinch) to provide alternative 
solutions - or better solutions - for the power reactor.
The European Fusion Programme has been successfully managed. It has 
been able to concentrate on the most promising line, the toroidal 
magnetic confinement, and within this approach to maintain the 
necessary width.

2.
- The European Fusion Programme has efficiently built a true scientific 
and technical community of large and small laboratories, readily 
capable to welcome new comers, and directed towards a common goal. 
The mobility of scientists between the various laboratories has 
reached a remarkable level. It is that closely interwoven European 
network which is at stake if the funding level is not to be improved.
— In order to exploit the full potential of JET for the benefit of the
whole fusion programme directed towards NET, the JET Undertaking 
should be prolonged beyond the date presently foreseen. The JET 
Council has made a recommendation to the Commission that the steps 
for prolongation should be initiated. The CCFP endorses these
recommendations. These recommendations require that the JET commit­
ment budget should continue at about the present annual level.
Finally, it is well to remember that fusion has already a large high 
technology content. JET and the other plasma devices and the NET- 
oriented component development are such a demonstration of high 
technology. In this context the European industry has played an 
important role which is expected to grow in the case of NET. Fusion 
Technology includes areas of wider interest to other branches of 
science and technology and to industry such as superconductivity, 
robotics, ultra high vacuum, plasma engineering, sensor technology, 
highly resistant materials, high power and high frequency tubes, high 
power beams, tritium technology. We observe that, at the present 
time, many of these technologies are under intensive discussion, in 
quite a different context.
The CCFP concludes that it can only note the break-down presented by the 
Commission because it recognizes that 330 MioECU are insufficient for the 
success of JET and that 360 MioECU are equally inadequate for the success 
of the general programme. The CCFP endorses and supports the analysis of 
the consequences of such a low level of funding which is reported in 
Chapters 2 and 3 of the Commission paper.