ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
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COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(75)221
Vol.1975/0080

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COMMISSION OFTHESUS.OEBANGOMMUMTIÏÏS
COM(75)221final
Brussels,20May1975
Draft
CouncilDeckelo:icontaining directives to
theCommissionforthenegotiation ofan
extensionoftheDragonAgreement
001:1(75)221final

111/400/7^-E
CQIIMUITICATIONFROMTHECOHMTSSIONTOTHECOUIIC.TL.
ExtensionoftheAgreementconcerning ;theHigh-Temperature
Gas-CooledTeaotorProject(OECDErpgonProject)
TheDRAGONAgreement(wiichisimplementedundertheauspicesoftheOECD)
isduetoexpireon31March1976.On17April1975;"theBoardofManagement
oftheDragonprojectapprovedaproposaltoextendtheAgreementupto
31March1981,i.e.,foraperiodoffiveyearsinsteadofthreeasinthe
past.Inthisproposal,however,provisionismadefortheprogrammetobe
reviewedafterthreeyears,i.e.,by31March1979-I-»whenthisreview
takesplace,theredoesnotseemtobeanyfurtherpointincontinuingthe
Agreement,thenexttwoyearswouldbespentinwindingtiptheprogrammesin
anorderlymanner,onboththetechnicalandonthefinancialfide.If,on
theotherhand,itisconsidereddesirabletogooniviththeAgreement ?a
decisiontothiseffectwouldlikewisehavetobetakenby31ferch1979»
Oneadvantageofthisapproachisitwoulddomuch~oofacilitatethe
administration ofProjectpersonnel,andthusimprovetheirefficiencyand
thequalityoftheserviceswhichtheprojectcanprovideforthesignatories
oftheAgreement.InaccordancewithArticle3oftheAgreementcurrently
inforce,thedecisionconcerningafurtherextensionmustbetakennot
laterthan30June1975*ln"theabsenceofanydecisionbythatdate,the
projectmanagementwouldbecomesocriticalthatpreliminaryactiontowind
uptheprojectwouldhavetobetakeninJuly1975-Thiswouldmeanin
particulargivingthethreemonthsnoticelaiddowninthestaffregulations
topracticallyallthestaff,shuttingdownthereactortostartunloading,
andgivingnoticeoftheterminationofalloutsidecontracts(irradiation,
heliumloopsfortestingmaterials,etc.).Theprojectisnowleft,with
verylittleroomformanoeuvre,anditwillnotbelongbeforeirreversible
stepshavetobetaken.The'financialpositionhasbeenmade,verydifficult
bytherateofinflation,whichismuchhigherthanwasanticipated ..whenthe
currentextensionwasbeingnegotiated.

■*2 111/400/75-E
Hairingregard "to"themedium-and -long-termimportanceofhigh-temperature
reactorsbothforpowerproductionandforotherapplications (synthetic
fuelsfhigh-temperaturechemicalandmetallurgical processes ?etc.)?and
thefactthattheDragonProjectmightcontributesubstantially tofacilitate
andspeeduptheattainmentoftheseobjectives,theCommissionfeelsthat
itwouldbeexpedienttoextendtheAgreementonthelinenproposedbythe
BoardofManagement.Thetechnicalprogrammewouldincludethefollowing
objectives : 1
1)TheoperationoftheDragonreactoruptoMarchI98O'
2)TherationalutilizationoftheirradiationfacilitiesintheDragon
reactorandotherEuropeanteatreactors,supplemented byanappropriate
programmeofpos~-irradiation examinations,with'thetwofoldaimof--
supportinganycommercialinitiativesthatmightbetaken?andlater
jdeveloping tfc.3fueltechnologywithaviewtoadvancedapplications
3)tJsqoftheprimarycircuitofthereactorfortestingmaterialsand
componentsassociatedwithpowerreactors(o.g.fthermalinsulation,
heatexchangers) '
4)Useoftheprimarycircuitofthereactorforstudiesonthediffusion,
depositionandentr&inmontoffissionproducts.Thesestudiesshould
enabletheadvantages "oftheETRconcepttobemereclearlydefinedfrom-
thepointofview'of'componentaccessibility andofsafety ;
5)AgeneralevaluationoftheRTRconceptiiiregardtosafety r
6)Researchanddevelopmentonmaterialsfortheprimarycircuit,with !
specialemphasis "ontheproblemsposedbyadvancedapplications .The
testsplannedunderthisprogramme'willbecarriedoutintheDragon •
reactoritself,aswellasin.existingloopsWhicharebeingusedunder-
contractsconcludedwithoutsidecontractors' '' -■-

-3 I11/400/75~Ε
7)Definition andquant ificationofthemajor problems associated with
materials foradvanced applications :this would heundertaken bya
small team ,whowould proceed toevaluate these systems incooperation
with bodies andindustrial undertakings inthesignatory states .
Fortheimplementation ofthis programme ,theBoard ofManagement forthe
Dragon project hasrecommended atotal budget of28Mfe(67.2-.JGJC )-for .five years .
This amount allows fortheestimated effects ofinflation ,aswell asforthe
closing down ofthereactor ifitisfinally taken outofservice ontermi­
nation oftheAgreement .
TheCommission proposes that thecontributions should beonthe same basis
asinthecurrent Agreement ,namely ,that Austria ,Sweden andSwitzerland
should continue tobo^r 9*64 ofthetotal budget between thern fandthat
theoverall contribution oftheUnited Kingdom (UAAEA contribution plus the
UKparticipation inthejoint programme oftheNine )should remain at48.30%.
Having regard tothetimescale fortheforecast expenditure ,this should
represent acontribution of6.48 IUA (9-64%) Austria ,Switzerland and
Aktiebolaget Ator.anergi ofSweden y24.86 J-3JA (36.99 /')fortheUKAEA and
35-86 KUA (53.37 $>)fortheCommunity .
Inview oftheforegoing ,theCommission requests theCouncil issue the
necessary authorization ,inaccordance with .Article 101oftheEaratois
Treaty ,tonegotiate anextension oftheDragon Agreement with Austria ,
Switzerland oidtheAktiebolaget Atomenergi of "Sweden pandtotake note of
theCommission 'sintentions inregard tothesharing ofthefinancial burden
between theCommunity andtheUKAEA .

ZII/400/75-E
Dlti'FP
CouncilDecisioncontainingdirec+ivestotheCommissionforthe
negotiationofnnpxtcnsionoftheDragonAgreement
TheCounciloftheEuropeanCommunities,
Havingregardtothe.Treaty,-establishingtheEuropeanAtomicEnergy
Corrmunity,andinparticularthesecondparagraphofArticle101thereof;
WhereastheAgreementrelatingtoafartherextensionoftherevised
AgreementconcerningtheHigh–Temperature Gas-CooledReactorProject
(dragon)|signedor8December197??providesinArticle|(l)thata
DecisiononafurtherextensionoftheAgreementshall "beadop+ed not-
laterthan30June1975>
Havingregardtothedrax"tpresentedbytheCommission ;
WhereasitisdesirablethattheDragonAgreementshouldbeextendedfor
afurtherperioa;
HISDECIDEDA3FOLLOWS:
/
£ojeArticle
Initsnegotiations v:ithAustria,Switzerland andtheiJctiebclaget
AtomenergiofSwedenfiorafurtherextensionoftheDragonAgreement,
theCommissionshallcomplywiththedirectivesannexedtothisDecision.

ΙΙΙ/400/75-Ξ
AJTNEX
Directives fromtheCounciltotheCommission
forthenegotiation ofanextensionoftheDragonAgreement
TheCommissionshallnegotiatewithAnstx-iafSwitzerland andthe
Aktiebolaget AtomenergiofSwedenanextensionoftheDragonAgreement
foraperiodoffiveyears,namelyfrom1April1976*o31Karch190l»
topermittheimplementation oftheproposedtechnicalprogramme.
Thesaidprogrammeshallbereviewedbefore31March1979;andit
shallbedecidedbythatdatewhethertheAgreementshouldbeextended
beyond31MarchI98Iorallowedtolapseonthelatterdate.
TheCommissionshallnegotiatethisextensionassoonaspossible
ontern>3similartothoseoftheAgreementnouinforce,andonthe
basisofafinancialcontribution bythethreePartiesofor?sail
amountingto$.64'%ofthetotalbudget.