•it * 
Ä A EUROOPAN YHTEISÖJEN KOMISSIO 
Bryssel, 10.04.1995 
KOM(95)12L lopull. 
YHTEINEN TUTKIMUSKESKUS 
VUOSIKERTOMUS 1994 
(komission esittämä) 

-2-
PREAMBLE 
Following 
Article 4 of the Council Decision of 29 April 1992, adopting specific research programmes to be 
implemented by the Joint Research Centre for the European Economic Community 
(92/273/EEC) during the period 1992-1994, 
Article 4 of the Council Decision of 29 April 1992, adopting specific research programmes to be 
implemented by the Joint Research Centre for the European Atomic Energy Community 
(92/274/Euratom) during the period 1992-1994, 
Article 5 of the Council Decision of 29 April 1992, adopting a supplementary research 
programme to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre for the European Atomic Energy 
Community (92/275/Euratom) during the period 1992-1995; 
it is foreseen that an annual report on the execution of the programme will be transmitted by the 
Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee. 
The enclosed document constitutes the third of these reports and concerns the year 1994. 
It is accompanied by the observations of the Board of Governors. 
HALLINTONEUVOSTON HUOMIOITA VUOTTA 1994 KOSKEVASTA YTK: N 
VUOSIKERTOMUKSESTA1 
Johdanto 
YTK:n erityisohjelmia koskevien neuvoston päätösten mukainen 
hallintoneuvosto esittää vuosittain huomionsa YTK:n johdon 
laatimasta ja komission hyväksymästä vuosikertomuksesta. 
Ensinnäkin hallintoneuvosto toteaa, että vuosi 1994 oli erityisen 
tärkeä YTK:lie. Se oli ohjelman 1992 - 1994 viimeinen vuosi, ja 
hyväksyessään vuoden 1994 työohjelmaa hallintoneuvosto varmisti 
vuosien 1992 - 1994 ohjelman tiettyjen tavoitteiden täyttymisen. 
Samalla vuosi 1994 oli myös siirtymävuosi kuljettaessa kohti 
YTK:n uutta, entistä kilpailukykyisempää toimintamallia, jota 
sovelletaan vuodesta 1995 alkaen. Ensimmäinen merkki tästä 
esiintyi joulukuussa 1993 esitetyssä neuvoston yhteisessä 
kannassa, joka koskee neljättä tutkimukseen, tekniseen kehittämi­
seen ja esittelyyn 1994 - 1998 liittyvää yhteisön toimintaa 
koskevaa puiteohjelmaa. Hallintoneuvoston pääasiallisena 
huolenaiheena ei ollut pelkästään YTK:n valmius kohdata uusia 
haasteita, vaan erityisesti se, että komissio, neuvosto ja 
Euroopan parlamentti sääntöjä ja säädöksiä sopivalla tavalla 
muuttamalla loisivat uudet reunaehdot, joiden avulla YTK voisi 
toimia uusissa olosuhteissa. Hallintoneuvosto kokoontui helmi­
kuussa 1994 ylimääräiseen kokoukseen tarkastelemaan tätä uutta 
tilannetta. Se on ollut hallintoneuvoston mielenkiinnon kohteena 
koko vuoden ajan. 
YTK:n työ vuonna 19 94 
Hallintoneuvosto toteaa tyytyväisenä, että YTK:n tieteellis­
tekninen työ on vuosikertomuksessa osoitetulla tavalla edistynyt 
hyvin ja johtanut useisiin merkittäviin saavutuksiin. Jotkin 
näistä saavutuksista ovat herättäneet julkista kiinnostusta; yksi 
tällainen saavutus on laitoksessa tehtävä laittoman ydinmateriaa­
lin sisältämien transuraanialkuaineiden tarkastus Euratomin 
turvallisuusvalvonnasta vastaavaa komission pääosaston XVII osas­
toa varten. Yhteistyötä sekä kansallisten että kansainvälisten 
elinten kanssa on tehostettu; esimerkkinä tästä on eurooppalainen 
merkkiainekokeilu, jossa kokeillaan ilmakehämallien toimintaa 
hätätilamenettelyjen varalta. Tämä on tyypillinen esimerkki 
Vuosikertomukseen liitettävistä hallintoneuvoston 
esittämistä huomioista säädetään 29 päivänä huhtikuuta 
1992 annetuissa neuvoston päätöksissä 92/273/ETY, 
92/274/Euratom, 92/275/Euratom, jotka koskevat ETY:ä 
ja Euratomia varten YTK;Ssa toteutettavia erityisiä 
tutkimusohjelmia 1992 - 1994 ja Euratomia varten to­
teutettavaa lisäohjelmaa (HFR-reaktori) 1992 - 1995. 
2 9 päivänä huhtikuuta 1992 annetussa neuvoston päätös­
lauselmassa 92/C 118/03 määrätään, että vuosikertomuk­
sessa on annettava tietoja YTK:n kaikista toiminnan 
aloista. 
~Q 
siitä, miten YTK:ta (tässä tapauksessa ympäristön tutkimuslai­
tosta) pyydetään johtamaan Euroopan laajuisia suuria kokeita, 
joihin osallistuu useita laboratorioita sekä kansallisia ja 
kansainvälisiä (IAEA, WMO) viranomaisia. Hallintoneuvoston vuonna 
1990 määrittelemän strategian mukaisesti yhä suurempi osa YTK:n 
toiminnasta suunnataan yhteisön politiikkojen tieteellis­
tekniseen tukemiseen näistä politiikoista vastaavien komission 
yksiköiden pyyntöjen perusteella. Tämä toiminta vastasi lähes 
neljännestä YTK:n koko työmäärästä vuonna 1994. Merkkinä 
uudenlaisesta toiminnasta on muun muassa Euroopan vaihtoehtoisten 
menetelmien keskuksen (vaihtoehto eläinkokeille) toiminnan 
aloittaminen lokakuussa 1994 Isprassa; tämän elimen tehtävänä on 
tukea yhteisön lainsäädäntötyötä tällä alalla pääosaston XI 
aloitteesta. 
Lupaava merkki oli myös se, että kyseisen vuoden aikana YTK 
pystyi lisäämään kolmansille osapuolille tehtävää työtä koskevien 
toimeksiantosopimusten määrää, vaikka kilpailu tällä alalla onkin 
käymässä tiukemmaksi. 
Vuonna 1994 teknologian tutkimuslaitos sijoittui toimipaikkaansa 
Sevillaan Espanjaan. Hallintoneuvosto seuraa kiinnostuneena 
tutkimuslaitoksen kehittymistä tässä uudessa ympäristössä, joka 
saattaa myötävaikuttaa YTK:n ja Välimeren alueen yhteistyön 
lisääntymiseen. 
Laajempi YTK:n yhteistyön muoto alkoi vuonna 1994 ETA-sopimuksen 
myötä. Itävalta, Islanti, Suomi, Norja ja Ruotsi osallistuivat 
täysipainoisesti YTK:n EY-ohjelmiin, ja hallintoneuvoston työtä 
ohjasi kaikkien näiden viiden maan edustajien osallistuminen. 
Vuoden 1994 työn osalta hallintoneuvosto toteaa lopuksi huomatta­
van tyytyväisenä tutkijoiden määrän kasvun henkisen pääoman ja 
liikkuvuuden ohjelmassa sekä muissa ohjelmissa. Tämä seikka sekä 
tutkijavierailuja ja komennuksella olevia kansallisia asiantunti­
joita koskevat järjestelyt parantavat merkittävällä tavalla 
keskuksen tieteellistä elinvoimaa ja merkitsevät yhteistyön 
lujittamista jäsenvaltioiden ja muiden osallistujavaltioiden 
kansallisen tutkimustyön kanssa. 
YTK tulevaisuudessa 
Kuten edellä mainittiin, YTK on aloittanut muuntumisen kohti 
kasvavaa kilpailukykyä, minkä puolesta hallintoneuvosto on 
puhunut jo jonkin aikaa ja mistä neuvosto, Euroopan parlamentti 
ja komissio ovat sittemmin päättäneet. Hallintoneuvosto sitoutuu 
tukemaan komissiota ja YTK:n johtoa tässä vaikeassa yrityksessä. 
Tähän liittyen hallintoneuvosto panee tyytyväisenä merkille oman 
asemansa vahvistamisen, joka toteutettiin 14 päivänä marraskuuta 
1994 tehdyllä komission päätöksellä, joka koskee hallintoneuvos­
ton toimintaedellytyksiä. 
YTK:n tulevaisuutta koskevien muodollisten päätösten lisäksi 
hallintoneuvostoa ohjaavat myös YTK:sta vuosina 1993 ja 1994 
tehdyt arvioinnit, jotka vierailevat ryhmät toteuttivat hallin­
toneuvoston aloitteesta, sekä FRS Sir Hermann Bondin toteuttama 
<<^_ 
kokonaisanalyysi. 
Ajankohtaisempiin tehtäviin kuuluu avustaminen ehdokkaiden 
valinnassa useisiin juuri vapautuneisiin tai lähiaikoina vapautu­
viin johtajan toimiin. Hallintoneuvostolla ja YTK:lia on edessään 
useita muitakin tehtäviä, kuten keskuksen pitkän aikavälin 
strategian meneillään olevan määritystyön saattaminen päätökseen. 
Kiitokset 
Hallintoneuvosto antaa kiitollisen tunnustuksensa Euroopan 
komission jäsenelle professori A. Rubertille, joka toimi kyseisen 
vuoden ajan yhteyshenkilönä, sekä työlle, jonka Ruberti on tehnyt 
sen puolesta, että YTK:n asema yhteisön teknisen kehittämisen ja 
tieteellisen tutkimuksen politiikan työvälineenä vahvistuu. 
Samalla hallintoneuvosto ilmaisee tunnustuksensa pääjohtajan, 
hänen alaistensa johtajien sekä YTK:n koko henkilöstön omistau­
tumisesta työllensä ja heidän rohkeudestaan tulevaisuuden suurten 
haasteiden edessä. 
Bryssel, helmikuu 1995 
- 4 c '-
YHTEINEN TUTKIMUSKESKUS 
Yhteinen tutkimuskeskus on Euroopan yhteisöjen komission 
perustama eurooppalainen tieteellinen ja tekninen tutkimuskeskus, 
jonka päämaja on Brysselissä. Belgiassa, Saksassa, Italiassa, 
Alankomaissa ja Espanjassa sijaitsevissa viidessä eri toimipai­
kassa toimii kahdeksan erillistä laitosta, jotka kukin keskitty­
vät omalle asiantuntemuksensa alalle. 
Nämä laitokset ovat: 
IRMM Mittaus- ja vertailumateriaalien tutkimuslaitos (Geel) 
ITU Transuraanialkuaineiden tutkimuslaitos (Karlsruhe) 
IAM Kehittyneiden materiaalien tutkimuslaitos (Petten ja Ispra) 
ISEI Tieto- ja järjestelmätekniikan tutkimuslaitos (Ispra) 
EI Ympäristön tutkimuslaitos (Ispra) 
IRSA Kaukotunnistussovellusten tutkimuslaitos (Ispra) 
1ST Turvallisuustekniikan tutkimuslaitos (Ispra) 
IPTS Teknologian tutkimuslaitos (Sevilla) 
YTK:n säännönmukainen henkilöstömäärä vuoden 1994 lopussa oli 
1845. Tähän määrään on lisättävä 354 YTK:ssa toiminutta tutkijaa, 
joiden palkan YTK maksoi erilaisten vierailujärjestelyjen 
puitteissa. 
YTK:n käytettävissä vuonna 1994 olleet kokonaismäärärahat olivat 
noin 300 miljoonaa ecua, kun otetaan huomioon ETA/EFTA-jäsenval­
tioiden maksama 11 miljoonan ecun rahoitusosuus. 
Tämän vuosikertomuksen tarkoituksena on antaa yleiskuva YTK:n 
toiminnasta vuonna 1994. 
Lisätietoja on kunkin kahdeksan tutkimuslaitoksen vuosikertomuk­
sissa. YTK levittää tieteellisen työnsä tuloksia myös jul­
kaisemalla lukuisia tieteellisiä kertomuksia, esittämällä 
tutkimuksia konferensseissa ja tieteellisissä aikakausjulkaisuis­
sa sekä järjestämällä työistuntoja, seminaareja ja konferensseja. 
Näitä julkaisuja voi tilata seuraavasta osoitteesta: 
Public Relations and Publications 
CEC - Joint Research Centre 
1-21020 Ispra (VA) Italia 
puhelin: +39 332 78 91 80 
fax: +39 332 78 58 18 
-iid-
YTK VUONNA 1994 
Kuten aikaisempienkin ohjelmien aikana yhteinen tutkimuskeskus 
(YTK) toteutti vuosina 1992 - 1994 tutkimusohjelmia ETY:lie 
(Euroopan talousyhteisö) ja Euratomille (Euroopan atomienergiayh­
teisö) neuvoston hyväksymällä tavalla. Lisäksi YTK on antanut 
tieteellistä ja teknistä tukea erilaisia yhteisön politiikkoja 
varten näistä politiikoista vastaavien komission pääosastojen 
pyynnöstä; YTK on myös antanut osaamisensa ja koelaitteistonsa 
julkisten ja yksityisten elinten käyttöön maksua vastaan 
(kolmansille osapuolille tehtävä työ) . 
Vuonna 1994, joka oli neuvoston 29 päivänä huhtikuuta 1992 
vahvistamien YTK: n erityisohjelmien 1992 - 1994 viimeinen 
toteutusvuosi, edistettiin kolmannen puiteohjelman tavoitteiden 
saavuttamista seuraavilla aloilla: teollinen ja materiaalitek­
niikka, mittaus ja testaus, ympäristö, ydinfission turvallisuus, 
hallittu lämpöydinfuusio sekä henkinen pääoma ja liikkuvuus. 
Vuonna 1994 Noin 66 prosenttia YTK:n talousarviovaroista käytet­
tiin näiden ohjelmien toteuttamiseen. 
Sopimus Euroopan talousalueesta (ETA) tuli voimaan 1 päivänä 
tammikuuta 1994, ja siitä lähtien ETA/EFTA-maat ovat osallistu­
neet YTK:n ETY:lie toteuttamiin erityisohjelmiin. 
YTK:lie on ollut etua sen poikkitieteellisyydestä, sen asemasta 
puolueettomana elimenä, joka on osa Euroopan komission yksikköjä, 
ja lukuisista yhteistyösuhteista, joita se on muodostanut 
jäsenvaltioiden tutkimuslaitosten kanssa, sekä laajemmasta 
yhteistyöstä, joka perustuu kolmansien maiden kanssa tehtyihin 
sopimuksiin. YTK:n hallintoneuvosto on kiinnittänyt paljon 
huomiota siihen, että toissijaisuusperiaatetta noudatetaan. 
Noin 23 prosenttia YTK:n vuoden 1994 talousarviovaroista 
käytettiin komission yksiköille tehtävään tieteelliseen ja 
tekniseen tukitoimintaan; paljon huomiota on kiinnitetty asiakas-
toimeksisaaja-periaatteen noudattamiseen. Lähes kaikki vuoden 
tärkeimmät toiminnot toteutettiin pääosastojen välisen monivuoti­
sen sopimuksen, neuvoston päätöksen tai komission päätöksen 
perusteella; loput toteutettiin yksittäishankkeina komission 
pääosastojen toimeksiannosta. Vuonna 1993 alulle pannut uudet 
aloitteet toteutettiin perustamalla Euroopan vaihtoehtoisten 
menetelmien keskus (ECVAM) ja allekirjoittamalla pääosaston XI 
ja YTK:n välinen yhteisymmärryspöytäkirja Euroopan ilmansaastei­
den vertailulaboratoriosta (ERLAP). 
Kolmansille osapuolille sopimuksen perusteella tehtävä työ jatkui 
ja YTK tehosti markkinointiaan sekä laitosten tasolla että 
keskitetysti. Tämän tuloksena uusien sopimusten määrä kasvoi 
huomattavasti kyseisen vuoden kuluessa, ja kaikki laitokset 
osallistuivat kolmannelle osapuolelle tehtävään työhön. 
YTK:n viides toimipaikka avattiin Sevillassa Espanjassa 1 päivänä 
syyskuuta 19 94; Espanjan kuningaskunnan ja yhteisöjen 15 päivänä 
huhtikuuta 1994 tekemän sopimuksen perusteella tähän toimipaik-
-(in­
kaan sijoitetaan teknologian tutkimuslaitos. 
Yhteisön toimintaa tutkimuksen, teknisen kehittämisen ja 
esittelyn alalla koskeva neljäs puiteohjelma (1994 - 1998) ja 
Euratomin puiteohjelma (1994 - 1998) hyväksyttiin ja yhteisen 
tutkimuskeskuksen toimintatapaa muutettiin kilpailukykyisemmäksi 
26 päivänä huhtikuuta 1994 tehdyillä neuvoston päätelmillä (EYVL 
N:0 C 126/1, 7.5.1994). 
Neuvosto hyväksyi 15 päivänä joulukuuta 1994 EY:lie ja Euratomil-
le tehtävää työtä koskevat kaksi erityisohjelmaa, jotka YTK:n on 
määrä toteuttaa 1995 - 1998. 
-5 
JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE 
1994 ANNUAL REPORT 
Report of the Commission 
6-
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
Page 
The Joint Research Centre 7 
1. The JRC in 1994 8 
1.1. Council Decisions relating to Joint Research Centre activities 9 
1.2. Evaluation of JRC scientific activities 9 
1.3. Entry into force of the EEA Agreement 10 
1.4. Specific research programmes 10 
1.5. S/T Support for Community policies 14 
1.6. Work for third parties 16 
1.7. Cooperation with national research organisations 18 
1.8. International cooperation 20 
1.9. Ispra site renovation 21 
1.10. Publications, workshops and seminars 21 
2. Activities of the JRC Institutes in 1994 23 
2.1. Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements 23 
2.2. Institute for Transuranium Elements 24 
2.3. Institute for Advanced Materials 27 
2.4. Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics 29 
2.5. Environment Institute 32 
2.6. Institute for Remote Sensing Applications 34 
2.7. Institute for Safety Technology 36 
2.8. Institute for Prospective Technological Studies 39 
3. Human Resources 41 
3.1. Staff policy 41 
3.2. Visiting scientists, seconded experts and scientific fellows 42 
4. Finances 43 
Annex A: List of tables and figures 45 
Annex B: Glossary of acronyms and abbreviations 46 
THE JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE 
The Joint Research Centre is a European scientific and technical research centre established by the 
Commission of the European Communities, with headquarters in Brussels. Five separate sites, located 
in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, house eight different institutes, each with its 
own focus of expertise. 
These institutes are: 
IRMM The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (Geel) 
ITU The Institute for Transuranium Elements (Karlsruhe) 
1AM The Institute for Advanced Materials (Petten & Ispra) 
ISEI The Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics (Ispra) 
El The Environment Institute (Ispra) 
IRSA The Institute for Remote Sensing Applications (Ispra) 
1ST The Institute for Safety Technology (Ispra) 
IPTS The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (Seville) 
The statutory staff of the JRC was 1 845 at the end of 1994. To this number one must add 354 
scientists who were active in the Centre and were paid by the JRC under various hosting schemes. 
The global financial appropriations available to the JRC in 1994 were around 300 Mioecu, taking into 
account a contribution of 11 Mioecu, from the EEA/EFTA Member States. 
This Annual Report intends to give a general overview of JRC activities in 1994. 
Readers may find more details in the Annual Reports of the eight institutes. The JRC also publishes 
numerous scientific reports, presents papers in conferences and in scientific journals, and organises 
workshops, seminars and conferences to disseminate its scientific achievements. 
These documents may be obtained from 
Public Relations and Publications 
CEC - Joint Research Centre 
I-21020 Ispra (VA) Italy 
Phone: • 39 332 78 9180 
Fax: + 39 332 78 5818 
8-
1. THE JRC IN 1994 
In the period 1992-1994, as in previous programme periods, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) has 
executed research programmes for the EEC (European Economic Community) and the EAEC 
(European Atomic Energy Community) respectively, as approved by the Council. Moreover, the JRC 
has provided scientific and technical support for various Community policies as requested by the 
Commission Directorates General responsible for these policies and has made its scientific 
competence and experimental installations available to public or private bodies in return for 
payment (Work for Third Parties). 
During 1994, the last year of the 1992-1994 JRC Specific Programmes, adopted by the Council on 
29 April 1992, contributions were made to the objectives of the 3rd Framework Programme under 
the lines of Industrial and Materials Technologies, Measurement and Testing, Environment, Nuclear 
Fission Safety, Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion and Human Capital and Mobility. About 66% of the 
JRC Budget was used in 1994 to implement these programmes. 
The Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) entered into force on 1 January 1994 and the 
EEA/EFTA countries have participated since then in the JRC Specific Programmes for the EEC. 
The JRC has benefited from its multi-disciplinarity, its role as a neutral organisation forming part of 
the services of the European Commission and the many collaborations it has developed with research 
organisations in the Member States, as well as wider collaborations under various agreements with 
third countries. Much attention has been paid by the JRC Board of Governors to ensuring respect for 
the principle of subsidiarity. 
About 23% of the 1994 JRC Budget went into work undertaken as scientific and technological 
support for the Commissions' services and much attention has been paid to applying the 
customer/contractor principle. Almost all major operations were covered during the year by an inter-
DG multiannual contract, a Council Decision or a Commission Decision, and the rest were carried out 
on a one-off basis in response to requests from Commission Directorates General. New initiatives, 
conceived in 1993, were taken with the inauguration of the European Centre for Validation of 
Alternative Testing Methods (ECVAM) and the signature of a memorandum of understanding 
between DG XI and the JRC, for the European Reference Laboratory of Air Pollution (ERLAP). 
Contractual work performed for third parties continued and the JRC strengthened its marketing 
efforts both at institute and at central level. As a result, the volume of new contracts substantially 
increased during the year, with all the institutes being involved in the execution of third party work. 
The JRC's fifth site, at Seville in Spain, was opened on 1 September 1994; it houses the Institute for 
Prospective Technological Studies, following an agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the 
Communities signed on 15 April 1994. 
The Fourth Framework Programme on Community activities of Research, Technological Development 
and Demonstration (1994-1998) and the Euratom Framework Programme (1994-1998) were 
approved and the role of the Joint Research Centre has been reoriented, by the Council Conclusions 
of 26 April 1994 (OJ N°C 126/1 dated 7.5.1994), towards a more competitive approach. 
The two specific programmes for the work for the EC and for the EAEC, to be carried out by the JRC 
during the period 1995-1998, were approved by the Council on 15 December 1994. 
9-
1.1. Council Decisions relating to Joint Research Centre activities 
On 26 April 1994, the Council reaffirmed its resolution of 29 April 1992 on the JRC, and in particular : 
the Community character of the JRC and its role in the achievement of the objectives of the 
Union, 
the need for the JRC to pursue and reinforce its move towards a more competitive approach on 
the basis of a genuine customer/contractor relationship. 
The Council underlined the need for the JRC to progressively enter the competitive area, generally in 
networks with other laboratories; this transition towards a more competitive approach should be 
introduced gradually and progressively during the period 1995 to 1998. 
The Commission, in the course of 1994, acted to facilitate the new orientation : 
in adopting new rules for the participation of European organisations in the activities of the 
1995-1998 Framework programme, allowing the JRC to participate, on a same basis with other 
laboratories, in these activities ; these rules have been adopted by the Council; 
in proposing the needed amendments to the financial regulations, which are presently under 
discussion at the Budgetary Authority, Council and the European Parliament; 
in adopting the needed reorganisation of the JRC, in strengthening the role of the Board of 
Governors, reinforcing the link with the shared cost activities and creating a Scientific and 
Industrial Advisory Group; 
by creating an Internal JRC task force in order to help the JRC scientific units to answer 
effectively the calls for tender of the shared cost and other competitive activities; 
by requesting the Secretariat General of the Commission to organise the competitive support 
activities which will have to be launched under the responsibility of the various Directorates 
General of the Commission. 
The two specific programmes for the work for the EC and for the EAEC, to be carried out by the JRC 
during the period 1995-1998, were approved by the Council on 15 December 1994. 
1.2. Evaluation of J RC scientific activities 
Visiting groups, made up of scientists and science managers external to the European Commission 
and chosen for their knowledge in the specific fields of the JRC institutes, were constituted in 1993, 
on the recommendation of the Board of Governors, to carry out an independent evaluation of the 
JRC's scientific activities. 
Nine of these groups, of 4 to 6 persons each, visited the institutes in late 1993 and in 1994. They had 
discussions with scientific and managerial staff, and their reports were then gathered and analysed 
by Sir Hermann Bondi, FRS (Fellow of the Royal Society). 
Sir Hermann Bondi discussed their findings and observations with the Board of Governors, in line 
with the Council Decision on the JRC Specific Programmes of 29 April 1992 
It was generally recognised that the development of the JRC's activities had been continuous and 
positive. The institution of visiting groups has led to establishing valuable new connections, has 
provided constructive advice to the respective institutes and seems to have been a successful 
approach to assessing JRC activities. 
10 
Broad similarities between the nine reports were observed : the overall scientific standards of the 
work were praised; the JRC's support activities for Commission programmes were judged to be good 
and improving, but further development is still attainable. 
It was generally recognised that the stimulus of having to gain work on a competitive level would 
have very positive results. But a change of attitude, or even of culture, will be necessary — indeed 
for some institutes quite considerable change — and will require sustained determination. On the 
other hand, the rapid growth of external links, thanks to grantholding students and visiting scientists 
as well as through networking, was universally applauded and further extension in this direction is 
recommended. 
The JRC management analysed all specific recommendations made by the visiting groups, and 
approved their implementation wherever they were compatible with existing regulations. 
The Board of Governors made its own observations which, together with the visiting groups' 
evaluation reports, were transmitted by the Commission, to the Council and the Parliament, in 
accordance with the requirements laid down in the Council Decisions on the JRC Specific Research 
Programmes for 1992-1994. 
1.3. Entry into force of the EE A Agreement 
Following the entry into force of the EEA Agreement on 1 January 1994, the EEA/EFTA countries have 
started participating in all aspects of the JRC's EEC programmes. Scientific collaboration has been 
particularly focussed on areas of specific interest to these countries, such as photovoltaic systems for 
alpine regions, an extension to EFTA countries of the project on the monitoring of land resources, a 
project on coastal monitoring for the Baltic region, an extension of the application of tracer 
techniques for global change (cooperation with the Austrian laboratory at Seibersdorf), as well as the 
development of methods for risk prevention, in collaboration with the National Rescue Services 
Board of Sweden. 
Nationals from the EEA/EFTA countries have participated in the work both at committee level and in 
the institutes, as grantholders, visiting scientists and seconded national experts. Finally, 
representatives of the EEA/EFTA countries have joined the Board of Governors. 
1.4. Specific research programmes 
The major task of the JRC in 1994 was to contribute to the implementation of the EC's 3rd Framework 
Programme in its last year of existence. This contribution accounted for 66% of the JRC budget, and 
was carried out, in particular, through activities included in the following specific programmes: 
• The Industrial and Materials Technologies programme encompassed research on advanced 
materials executed by the Institute for Advanced Materials (1AM), and on the working environment, 
executed by the Institute for Safety Technology (1ST), the Institute for Systems Engineering and 
Informatics (ISEI) and by the Environment Institute (El). 
The work performed on materials for extreme environments was continued, with emphasis on high 
temperature corrosion (up to 14000C), creep and fatigue properties on new metallic materials 
(superalloys, intermetallics) and Si3N4-SiC based ceramics and composites. 
Significant progress was made in the field of interfaces in materials in four main areas: carbon fibre 
reinforced silicon nitride ceramics, plasma ion nitriding, semiconductor gas sensors, and cubic boron 
nitride films. 
In the field of hard coatings, nano-crystalline (B, Ti)Nitride films of considerable hardness and good 
wear resistance were developed. They are interesting candidates for applications such as high speed 
machining, since they are much more stable than other protective films at high temperatures. 
The European-based networks on aged materials (AMES), the behaviour of critical industrial 
components (NESC) and the validation of inspection methods (ENIQ) became well established. More 
-11 
than 40 different organisations from all over the world were involved in these networks. The first 
project of NESC, involving all disciplines related to structural integrity, is already in full operation. 
Within ENIQ there was a growing consensus on a European methodology for inspection qualification 
of non-destructive techniques. A first large project on validation of surveillance practice and 
mitigation methods was ready to be set up in AMES. 
In the domain of the working environment (see also further, in the Environment Protection 
programme), the determination of trace metals in the European population in general and under 
working conditions was continued; the study of metal toxicity at low level exposure was also 
continued. Early fault diagnosis tools were also investigated, through a methodology for the 
diagnosis of industrial processes based on statistical analysis applied to the start-up/shut-down of 
industrial plants. 
• The Measurement and Testing programme encompassed research projects on measurements 
and reference materials, carried out by the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements 
(IRMM), and research projects on reference methods for non-nuclear energies (photovoltaic systems) 
and the assessment of the reliability of structures, executed by the Institute for Systems Engineering 
and Informatics (ISEI) and by the Institute for Safety Technology (1ST). 
The IRMM confirmed its worldwide reputation by accurately measuring neutron-interaction data 
and by preparing relevant reference materials, contributing thus to numerous fields of application. 
Among others, isotope abundance measurements and atomic weight determinations were 
performed with extreme accuracy. 
A prior commitment to the Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) was extended, and special 
reference materials relevant for biological and environmental studies were prepared, tested and 
characterised. 
At the ISEI, activities dealt with structural diagnostics by optical and volumetric techniques. 
Achievements were made in the utilisation of pulsed holographic interferometry and the 
characterisation of stone materials by an electronic speckle pattern interferometer. Acoustic emission 
techniques were used to assess the quality of bonding and a methodology was developed for laser 
holographic interferometric techniques for measuring damage accumulation in materials. 
Other activities regarded pre-normative research on photovoltaic systems at the ESTI (European Solar 
Test Installation), namely the development of a flash radiometer, the annealing of thin-film silicon 
amorphous modules, after light-soaking and tests of safety standards for commercial modules. 
• The Environment Protection programme consisted of research projects executed by the 
Environment Institute (El) on atmospheric pollution, and on soil, water and waste pollution. It also 
encompassed applications of remote sensing techniques, executed by the Institute for Remote 
Sensing Applications (IRSA), and research activities on industrial hazards executed by the Institute for 
Safety Technology (1ST) and by the Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics (ISEI). 
On atmospheric pollution, the results of the preliminary measuring campaign on the Biogenic 
Emission in the Mediterranean Area (BEMA) project showed biogenic emissions to be two to three 
times higher than those in temperate ecosystems. This feature has been further investigated in the 
course of the 1994 BEMA campaign, held once more at the Castelporziano (Rome) test site. The 
results will be available in early 1995. 
The preparation of ETEX, the "European Tracer Experiment" designed to test the behaviour of 
atmospheric models for emergency response, is continuing. Various countries contributed equipment 
and techniques, which made it possible to widen the field experiment. 
By a collaboration agreement with the "World Meteorological Organisation" (WMO), a "World Data 
Centre for Aerosols" (WDCA) was created, to collect and exchange information obtained through a 
large number of monitoring stations around the world. WDCA is a part of the "Global Atmospheric 
Watch" (GAW) system, set up by WMO to monitor the evolution of the global atmosphere. 
12-
All the information available on the environmental contamination caused by the Chernobyl accident 
is being collected and merged in form of an atlas, in collaboration with all European countries, 
including eastern and central European countries, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The project will be 
carried out using modern computer technologies. Exchange of scientists and training were important 
aspects of the project, which will be completed in 1996, ten years after the accident. 
Activities at El related to pollution by trace metal exposure and its health effects were mentioned 
above. A mechanistic understanding of metal toxicity at a low level exposure is being developed. 
In the framework of indoor air pollution, the adsorption-desorption of several volatile organic 
compounds (VOC) on furniture surfaces (carpet, wall covering, etc.) has been investigated: a new 
model with two adsorption compartments has been developed and successfully tested. 
Field and laboratory studies continued in the areas of pollutant-soil-water interaction and toxin 
production associated with algal growth, in relation to environmental factors. The application and 
development of advanced analytical techniques for pollutant detection in various environmental 
matrices have been pursued through collaborative studies and intercalibration exercises with 
European laboratories. Two mobile analytical laboratories have been designed and put into 
operation within the framework of the EUREKA project EU 674. 
At IRSA, the work scale went from local to global; considerable emphasis was put on scientific issues 
grouped under the generic heading of "Global Change". It embraced work on global vegetation 
dynamics, global patterns of fire activity in vegetation, sea surface temperatures and marine primary 
productivity. 
The Institute is the counterpart of the European Space Agency (ESA) for the application of earth 
observation data. They work together on a number of collaborative projects. For example, the first 
phase of a three year ESA - EC project to produce maps of tropical forest distribution was brought to 
a successful end. The use of remote sensing techniques resulted in the most up-to-date information 
currently available on the state of the world's tropical forests. 
Likewise, for the marine environment, a joint project with ESA for the processing of ocean colour and 
sea surface temperature data, and the distribution of this information to a wide range of European 
institutes, was successfully concluded; work has begun on a similar initiative related to data from a 
new generation of Earth observation sensors. 
1994 also saw the Institute take a lead role in a major new initiative with the ESA, the European Earth 
Observation System. It is designed to improve and promote the use of Earth observation data 
throughout Europe, and involves a collaboration with national space agencies and several Earth 
observation communities throughout the ESA, the European Union and the EEA/EFTA Member 
States. As a contribution to the European Earth Observation System, the JRC with its three institutes, 
IRSA, ISEI and El, is developing the CEO-Centre for Earth Observation - a decentralised European data 
management and information system which will provide value added data services. 
At 1ST, modelling work on dense vapour cloud dispersion in the framework of STEP shared-cost 
actions concentrated on the development of the shallow layer model and on the validation of the 3-
dimension code ADREA-HF and the one-dimensional shallow layer computer model. 
The development of a two-dimension computer code for the numerical simulation of reactive gas 
flows has been completed. Assessment calculations are under way for the study of deflagration and 
detonation phenomena in industrial environments. 
• The Nuclear Fission Safety programme encompassed a number of research activities ranging 
from reactor safety executed by the Institute for Safety Technology (1ST), to research activities on 
nuclear safeguards and fissile materials management, executed by the Institute for Safety 
Technology and the Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics (ISEI), and to research activities 
on nuclear fuels and actinides executed by the Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU). 
After the execution of the first Phebus FP test in December 1993 at Cadarache (F), preliminary analysis 
of the results was started at Ispra and Cadarache, with contributions from all partners in this 
international project. The second test with irradiated fuel is planned for 1995. A new version of the 
European Source Term Evaluation Research (ESTER) code package developed by the Institute in 
-13 
collaboration with the European partners for the evaluation of the source term, has been released to 
the partners for testing and validation. 
At Ispra the construction of the STORM facility (Simplified Tests On Resuspension Mechanisms) for 
large scale studies of aerosol deposition and re-suspension has been completed. 
The experimental programme-on in-vessel melt quenching phenomena, performed in the Fuel 
Melting and Release Oven (FARO) and the small-scale steam explosion (KROTOS) facilities available 
at Ispra, saw important progress. The first successful tests with 150 kg of molten material were carried 
out in FARO and a small-scale test programme, executed in KROTOS with real material, focused on 
steam explosion investigation. 
In the field of basic actinide research, theoretical studies of magnetic-optical properties made a major 
contribution to the understanding of the unusually high Kerr effect observed in some actinide 
compounds. The superconductivity transition temperature of americium was found to increase 
strongly with pressure. 
In the basic investigations to improve the safety of nuclear fuels, emphasis was placed on a better 
understanding of the structural changes occurring in the cold part of LWR fuel at high burnup, i.e. 
the RIM effect. 
Nuclear safeguards activity on surveillance dealt with active vision techniques and computer assisted 
reviewing of surveillance images. 
• The Fusion Technology and Safety programme is executed by the Institute for Safety 
Technology (1ST), the Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics (ISEI), and the Institute for 
Advanced Materials (IAM). 
The principal activities concerning the European Tritium Handling Experimental Laboratory (ETHEL) 
involved the preparation of two experimental circuits for commissioning with hydrogen/deuterium 
and the installation of new services to improve future operational and maintenance activities. The 
laboratory's Tritium Rework Unit was at the detailed design stage. The on-going cold commissioning 
should lead to active operations with tritium, starting in 1995. 
The world-wide development of fusion technology was concentrated on the design of the 
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The IAM contributed to this effort by 
supporting ITER'S technological needs for the selection and characterisation of materials. In parallel, 
IAM also participated in the European longer term programme for the development of low 
activation materials. 
In the area of thermonuclear fusion, computer simulation and experimental validation of remote 
handling procedures were pursued, together with post-accidental thermal transient analyses for 
design guidelines and assessment for the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor). 
• The Human Capital and Mobility programme of the JRC continued with increased activities in 
1994 and covered all Institutes. It offered individual research fellowships to interested scientists, 
participation in Networks with other research organisations and access to large scale facilities 
projects. The Board of Governors of the JRC approved during 1994,96 individual fellowships at post­
doctoral level, 7 networks involving JRC participation, two institutional fellowships in association 
with universities, and JRC participation in one large scale facility. 
Progress made in the execution of these programmes is reported in more detail in Chapter 2, 
dedicated to the activities of the JRC institutes. 
14-
1.5. Scientific and Technical Support for Community policies 
JRC scientific and technical (S/T) expertise is available to other Directorates General of the 
Commission for support in the formulation and implementation of Community policies. 
The JRC support can take several different forms: 
laboratory work or theoretical studies drawing on the scientific competence or experimental 
facilities of the JRC; 
scientific and technical work for implementing EC legislation or S/T assistance with drafting of 
new legislation; 
scientific assistance in the management of projects or contracts. 
In 1994, JRC scientific and technical support accounted for 23% of the JRC budget. Figure 1 shows 
how this support was divided between the various Community policies. An effective 
customer/contractor relationship, as well as a degree of continuity and long-term planning, were 
among the priorities. Furthermore, major long-term agreements have been consolidated by 
decisions of the Commission, which have been communicated to the Council and to the European 
Parliament. The main sectors concerned were environment, energy and agriculture. 
About 83% of all operations were covered during the year by an inter-DG multi-annual contract, a 
Council Decision or a Commission Decision, with the rest carried out in response to urgent requests 
from Commission Directorates General. 
Figure 1 
S/T Support for Commission Services 
JRC Support Budget (Mioecu) 
24 
20 
16 
12 
ml 1994 
1993 
1992 
1991 
FSU CPS DG I DG III D<S VI DG VIII DG XI DG XIII DG XVII Others 
FSU Forward Studies Unit 
CPS Consumer Policy Service 
DG I External Economic Relations 
DG III Industrial Policy 
DG VI Agricultural Policy 
DGVIII Development Policy DGXI 
DG XIII 
DG XVII Environmental Policy 
Telecommunications, 
Information Market and 
Exploitation of Research 
Energy Policy 
15 
• JRC support for Environmental policy, which accounts for 27.8% of the scientific and technical 
support budget, provides DG XI with scientific and technical assistance in the implementation of 
legislation on chemical pollutants, atmospheric pollution, water quality, chemical waste, industrial 
risks and major accidents. This work is part of the EC Action Programme in the field of the 
Environment and includes the following actions: 
atmospheric pollution support, concerning the implementation of EC Directives 80/779 and 
85/203/EEC on air quality (S02< N02). and Directive 92/72/EEC (ozone, modelling studies). A 
memorandum of understanding between DG XI and the JRC for the setting-up and operation 
of the European Reference Laboratory of Air Pollution (ERLAP) was signed on 11 July 1994; 
preparatory work for the "European Tracer Experiment" (ETEX), to test the validity of 
atmospheric models for emergency response by using artificial released tracers. Initiated in 
1992 to support DG XI activities on radiation protection, the experiment is progressing well, 
with more than twenty countries participating; 
assistance with the management of information on environmental contamination from the 
Chernobyl accident, which is being collected and merged in the form of an atlas. This project is 
being developed in collaboration with all European countries, including central European 
countries, along with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine; 
data collection by the European Chemicals Bureau (ECB), as stipulated by Council Regulation 
793/93 on the risk assessment of existing chemicals. The database IUCLID (International 
Unified Chemicals Information Database, former EUCLID) became operational; 
the inauguration of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) 
on 17 October 1994. It is currently establishing information services and is organising a series 
of workshops, task forces and symposia in order to support interlaboratory prevalidation and 
formal validation of non-animal tests and testing strategies; 
the establishment of a Major Accident Bureau at the Joint Research Centre (JRC), dedicated to 
the carrying out of scientific and technical activities related to the implementation of 
Community legislation (Directive 82/501/EEC) dealing with the control of major accident 
hazards. A memorandum of understanding between DG XI and the JRC was signed in January 
1994. 
• JRC support for Energy policy (DG XVII) accounts for 27.3% of the scientific and technical 
support budget. 
Most of the work undertaken deals with the following tasks: 
training of inspectors, harmonisation of in-service nuclear safeguards inspection practices, 
providing state of the art equipment and reference analyses of nuclear materials samples;. 
design of on-site laboratories for safeguards analysis at reprocessing plants such as Sellafield 
and La Hague; routine analysis of nuclear materials samples; 
contribution to long-term energy scenarios, including the evolution of the nuclear energy 
industry; 
contributions to energy conservation and to the rational use of energy in small and medium 
size industries, buildings and transport systems; 
monitoring of photovoltaic and solar thermal demonstration projects. 
16 
• JRC support for the Common Agricultural Policy, which accounts for 14.2% of the scientific 
and technical support budget, covers mainly the following research areas: 
application of remote sensing to agricultural statistics with the aim of developing and 
demonstrating, up to semi-operational level, methodologies integrating remote sensing data 
into the collection of statistics for the monitoring of crop acreage and agricultural production 
in the EC (Council Decision of 26 September 1988); 
assistance in establishing registers of inventory control systems in agriculture, using either 
airborne or spaceborne remote sensing techniques; 
in the framework of the European Office for Wine, Alcohol and Spirit Drinks, identification of 
the origin of alcohol in wines and spirits and implementation of the Nuclear Magnetic 
Resonance (NMR) and Isotope Ratio Mass Spectra. 
Further information on JRC scientific and technical support activities for the Commission's services 
may be found in Chapter 2. 
1.6. Work for third parties 
The customers of the Joint Research Centre 
The JRC has offered its scientific expertise to external customers since 1988, and has attracted orders 
worth more than 83 Mioecu over the seven years since this activity was initiated. 
During the first period (1988-1991) in which the JRC offered its scientific expertise to third parties, a 
total order book (adjusted for cancellations) of 43.85 Mioecu was registered. 
Table 1 
JRC execution of third party work (Mioecu) ordered during the period 1988-1991 
Years 
Initial Order book 
Cancellation 
Actual order Book 
Amounts invoiced 
Payments received 1988-1992 
45.64 
1.45 
44.19 
25.43 
23.38 1988-1993 
45.64 
1.79 
43.85 
29.49 
27.87 1988-1994 
45.64 
1.79 
43.85 
32.74 
31.30 
At the end of 1994, 72% of the work contracted for in 1988-1991 has been carried out and invoiced, 
and payments received totalled 31.3 Mioecu. Work on the remaining 28% is continuing and will, in 
some cases, extend up to the year 2000. 
Over the period 1992-1994, the total volume of orders received by the JRC from external customers 
amounts to 39 Mioecu, of which the total of new orders received in 1994, reached 18 Mioecu. At the 
end of 1994, 59% of work contracted for in 1992-1994, has been carried out and invoiced, worth a 
total of 23 Mioecu (see Fig. 3). The rest will be carried out in 1995 and later. Payments received 
correspond closely the amounts invoiced. 
-17-
Industry remains the most important JRC 
customer, with 57% of orders. Research 
organisations account for 21 %. 
The nuclear sector remains the predominant field 
of activity, with about 75% of the contracts. Other 
sectors - including the environment - amount for 
just over 25% of total orders received by the JRC 
and currently being carried out. Figure 2 
bv source of order 
Others 
Research Organ 
Public Admin. 
Industry 
bv Field of Activity 
Other Sectors including environment 
© Nuclear 
Sector 
Figure 3 
Third party work ordered from the JRC during the period 1992-1994 
Amount (Mioecu) 
40 
36 r 
r 
32 
28 
24 
20 Orders • 
Invoices A 
Paym ents recei ved x—— x 
18 
A trend already noticeable in 1993, the public sector's increasing need for scientific expertise in the 
field of environmental management, is gathering momentum. Projects involving the JRC in the study 
of air, water and soil pollution and in the management of industrial and urban waste have 
progressed well; environment related activities now account for 20% in volume of the orders being 
carried out by the JRC, particularly in Ispra, and could grow further. 
The Institute for Advanced Materials is far ahead of the other JRC Institutes in the winning of 
contracts for third party work but, for the first time a very important contract has been earned by the 
JRC institutes housed at the Ispra site. 
1.7. Cooperation with national research organisations 
A part of the JRC's cooperation is of an informal nature, resting on the wide range of contacts 
individual staff members have built during their professional careers or their participation in 
international networks and working groups. 
Non-core research staff, such as grantholders, seconded national experts and visiting scientists 
contribute more contacts with their previous institutions. This kind of informal permeation of 
information among researchers who may have widely different scientific backgrounds, but who work 
on related problems, has an invaluable "cross-fertilisation" value for breeding ideas and finding 
new practical solutions. 
On a more structured basis, the JRC cooperates with national research organisations within the 
European Union and the associated EFTA countries through bilateral and multilateral agreements, 
Human Capital and Mobility networks and Eureka projects. 
Bilateral cooperation is generally focused on highly specialised fields, where the sharing of scientific 
expertise enhances the scientific qualitities of both partners. There are 87 bilateral cooperation 
agreements in force, as of 1994. 
In multilateral cooperation, the subjects under study are usually broader than in bilateral ones. The 
number of partners may vary from 2 to 20 or even more, in extreme cases up to 70. 49 multilateral 
cooperation agreements are now operational, involving nearly 600 partners. 
Fig. 4 gives the distribution (in numbers of agreements, large and small) of both bilateral and 
multilateral cooperation agreements among the JRC's institutes. 
The Human Capital and Mobility (HCM) Programme, with its networks with other research 
organisations, is another suitable framework for cooperation. The JRC participates in 20 HCM 
Networks (see Fig. 5). Postgraduate and post-doctoral grantholders provide a multiplicity of contacts 
with their former universities and are a good source of information. 
The JRC also participates in five Eureka projects (see Fig. 5)2. 
2. The EUREKA initiative was set-up to raise, through closer cooperation among enterprises and 
research institutes in the field of advanced technologies, the productivity and competitiveness of 
Europe's industries and national economies on the world market, and hence strengthen the basis 
for lasting prosperity and employment. It involves 20 countries, plus the European Commission. 
19-
Figure4 
bilateral and multilateral cooperation 
20 r Number of Cooperation agreements Bilateral 
Multilateral . 
IRMM ITU IAM El ISEI IRSA 1ST IPTS 
Figure 5 
HCM and Eureka cooperation 
1Q Number of Cooperation agreements HCM NETWORKS 
EUREKA 
I i 11 
IRMM ITU IAM El ISEI IRSA 1ST IPTS 
20 
CEFIR (Ceramic European Fibre Research, EU 658), an initiative aimed at the production of 
European high temperature resistant ceramic fibres, where a novel methodology for the 
engineering of fibre and composite interface has been developed (see par. 2.3 below); 
IPACERC (Induction Plasma Assisted CVD of Erosion Resistant Coatings) a project aimed at the 
development of Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition Reactor of Erosion resistant 
coatings. This application will be used for helicopter turbines. 
FORMENTOR (EU 19), concerned with the development of expert systems to support decision 
making in hazardous situations, where a first version of a coherent methodology has been 
developed (see par. 2.4 below), for a real time operator decision support system; 
EUROTRAC (EU 7), with the TRACT (Transport of Air Pollutants over Complex Terrain) sub-
project which uses artificial tracers for assessing the transport of atmospheric pollutants in the 
Alpine region, where data related to previous experiments have been assembled in a data 
base, which is now available for predictive model verification; and the LACTOZ (Laboratory 
Studies of Chemistry related to Tropospheric Ozone) sub-project which evaluates, by 
laboratory experiments, the chemical and photochemical transformation of atmospheric 
pollutants, where cooperation with the University of Kiel and with the University of Milan has 
led to interesting results (see par. 2.5 below); 
EUROENVIRON (EU 330), with the TRACY (Toxic Metals in Human Tissues and Fluids) project 
(EU 618), which aims to develop a Member State data base for toxic materials in human tissue 
and fluids, and the mobile analysis laboratory project (EU 674) aimed at developing a mobile 
analytical laboratory for the in-field analysis of water, waste and soil and where an 
interlaboratory exercise is near completion (see par. 2.5 below). 
1.8. International cooperation 
• Cooperation on nuclear safeguards R&D 
The Commission of the European Communities approved in July 1994 the agreement renewing the 
longstanding Cooperation Agreement between the United States Department Of Energy and the 
European Atomic Energy Community, which was concluded for the first time in January 1982. 
The Council has been informed about this development, in accordance with Article 101, paragraph 3, 
of the EURATOM Treaty, and the Agreement was signed on 6 January 1995. This renewal of the 
agreement will allow the pursuit of fruitful collaboration with several US laboratories in nuclear 
safeguards R& D. 
Cooperation in the same field progressed very well with the Japanese Atomic Energy Research 
Institute (JAERI), in accordance with the agreement signed between the Commission and JAERI in 
May 1990. 
Work performed under a contractual agreement with the Kohplin Radium Institute in St. Petersburg, 
concerned with the performance assessment of on-site automated sampling equipment for nuclear 
safeguards on a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility, progressed according to plans. 
• Cooperation on nuclear reactor safety with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) 
Work performed under a contractual agreement for cooperation in nuclear safety research, focussed 
on severe accidents, also progressed according to plan (see 2.7. below) 
• Cooperation in remote sensing Earth Observation techniques with China. 
First discussions took place on the setting up of a cooperation plan in the field of Earth observation 
techniques for the monitoring of the state of the environment in China. 
-21-
1.9. Ispra site renovation 
Ispra, in northern Italy, is the largest of all five JRC sites. It was handed over to the European Atomic 
Energy Community (EURATOM) in 1960-62 and gradually developed in the 1960s as a technology-
oriented, nuclear "big science" research and development centre, meant to accommodate a staff of 
4 000. The nuclear programme orientation has, meanwhile, undergone significant change and Ispra 
now hosts a total of 2 185, including non-permanent staff, visitors and students. 
On the one hand, the availability of inexpensive energy at the time accounts for the centre being 
built in a rather spread-out fashion, with some disregard for the ecological and economic aspects of 
energy efficiency. On the other hand, non-nuclear research at Ispra gradually evolved after 1973 
towards issues of "safety" and "environment", and is likely to focus further on "soft" research such as 
environment and life sciences. This type of activity requires different kinds of buildings and 
infrastructural services, such as smaller laboratories and more offices used for data processing. 
The JRC management has now seized the opportunity provided by having to renovate installations 
and to erect some new ones in order to try and turn Ispra into an ecologically designed centre by 
concentrating alt future constructions within a more densely built, more restricted zone, expecting to 
realise sizable energy savings as well as a recovery by nature in the non-built areas. It is intended to 
make it a model for the transformation of an existing, older research centre into an ecologically 
efficient one. The fact that Ispra houses both the JRC's Environment Institute and research on 
alternative energy is a further incentive for the operation. 
Plans for an ECO-Centre at Ispra were suggested in 1991, started in 1992 and progressed in 1993 
towards a fully fledged masterplan for the whole site and its energy balance. This masterplan is now 
available and includes all aspects of infrastructure adjusting, building construction and nature 
recovery. The phased transformation ends up being a more demanding task than the designing of a 
"green" centre from scratch. 
All future buildings will be concentrated in a particular zone in the northern end of the site, with a 
fivefold more intense use of ground. 
The implementation of the plan has started and is progressing: the south facade (780 m2) of the ELSA 
(European Laboratory for Structural Assessment) experimental hall has been cladded with solar 
panels. Four surviving buildings are being refitted to reduce energy use; three new ones are now in 
the planning phase for construction in 1995/96. 
1.10. Publications, workshops and seminars 
• Publications and patents 
In 1994 the JRC published 951 papers. Table 2 gives the distribution of these publications among the 
JRC institutes. 
The detailed list of JRC publications is published each year in the "Publications Bulletin". The last 
issue. No 14/ISSN0254-3133, published in March 1994, lists JRC publications in 1993. 
In 1994, 30 JRC patents were also granted. These are also listed in the bulletin. 
-22-
Table 2 
JRC publications by JRC institute in 1994 
Institute 
Directorate General 
Institute for Reference Materials and 
Measurements 
Institute for Transuranium Elements 
Institute for Advanced Materials 
Institute for Systems Engineering and 
Informatics 
Environment Institute 
Institute for Remote Sensing 
Applications 
Institute for Safety Technology 
Institute for Prospective 
Technological Studies 
Total EUR 
Reports 
1 
5 
2 
24 
22 
16 
14 
15 
4 
103 Conference 
Papers 
-
78 
77 
111 
105 
68 
111 
90 
6 
646 Articles 
2 
38 
33 
49 
17 
34 
14 
10 
5 
202 Total 
3 
121 
112 
184 
144 
118 
139 
115 
15 
951 
• Conferences, workshops and seminars 
In 1994, the JRC organised 5 conferences, about 200 international workshops and meetings, and 60 
visits to the various sites. The resulting total of 7 700 visitors demonstrates that the Centre is 
constantly widening its horizons within the international scientific community. 
A selection of these activities is given in the following list. 
Conferences 
PISC /Project for the Integrity of Steel Components - JRC Petten 
4th International Symposium on Food and Cosmetics - JRC Ispra 8-10 March 
1-2 June 
13-14 September 
Workshops-Meetings 
1-2 February 
21 February 
16-19 April 
28-29 June 
4-6 October 
12 October Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSAR) in Environmental 
Sciences-JRC Ispra 
2nd meeting of the Steering Commettee of the Pathfinder Phase of the 
Centre for Earth Observation (CEO) - JRC Ispra 
Biogenic Emission in the Mediterranean Area - JRC Ispra 
"Journées des Actinides" - JRC Karlsruhe 
Working Group on "Targets and Fuels" - JRC Karlsruhe 
Quality Assurance in Analytical Chemistry - JRC Geel 
Handling/Analysis of vagabonding Nuclear Material" initiated by the Federal 
Ministry of the Environment - JRC Karlsruhe 
23-
2. ACTIVITIES OF THE JRC INSTITUTES IN 1994 
This chapter outlines the activities of the institutes of the JRC during 1994. 
2.1. The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) 
The IRMM is dedicated to the promotion of European standards and the harmonisation of reference 
materials and methodologies. The Institute contributed to the Framework Programme Line 
"Measurement and Testing" by executing its specific programme under the heading "Reference 
Materials and Measurements". Its work continued to cover nuclear as well as non-nuclear aspects 
and to contribute to fundamental studies as well as to applied research. It is engaged in support 
activities related mainly to nuclear safeguards at the request of the Directorate General for External 
Relations (DG I), in support of the International Atomic Agency (IAEA) and of the Directorate General 
for Energy (Euratom Safeguards Directorate. DG XVII). It also provides services and reference 
materials to various customers from the EU Member States. 
• Reference Materials and Measurements 
The task of IRMM is to contribute to an improvement of harmonisation and standardisation in 
analytical measurements. To this end, available efforts were directed towards : 
the preparation, characterisation and certification of high quality reference materials 
facilitating the establishment of a co-ordinated analytical measurement system at the 
European level; 
the application of measurement expertise and refined analytical techniques to well selected 
non-nuclear issues. 
The high quality reference materials prepared are used for the calibration of analytical equipment at 
all stages of the nuclear fuel cycle and in various non-nuclear fields, with the aim of improving the 
reliability of measurements in chemistry and physics. Samples for nuclear data measurements have 
been prepared and characterised (in particular, a new series of 10B and 6UF reference deposits). 
The certification procedures for rhodium, titanium and new AICo alloys for reactor neutron 
dosimetry are proceeding well. For non-nuclear reference materials, further improvement in 
automation of production processes has led to higher productivity and quality. 
Progress has been made in the study of the electrochemical behaviour of metallothioneins and 
related molecules. Trace metal analyses of materials froçn the marine environment were continued. 
The Regular European Interlaboratory Measurement Evaluation Programme (REIMEP) activity 
continued, and mixed uranium-plutonium oxide pellets have been certified for their uranium and 
plutonium content. 
The Ultra Clean Chemical Laboratory is being used for the production of extremely pure acids. The 
International Measurements Evaluation Programme (IMEP), which is a collaborative effort involving 
many laboratories in the Member States, has attracted the interest of official laboratories from states 
within the Danube river basin for participation in an IMEP intercomparison campaign on 
measurements of trace elements in water. 
Measurements of isotopic composition of noble gases and of light elements, using their gaseous 
fluorides compounds, are progressing. 
Measurements of neutron induced reactions continued very successfully , as a result of requests from 
users in the fields of fission and fusion technologies : 
24-
total cross sections of 10B were measured at the Linac and the Van de Graaff accelerators, in 
the framework of cooperation initiated by the Nuclear Science Committee of the Nuclear 
Energy Agency (NEA); 
very high energy resolution measurements of total cross sections of iron and aluminium were 
carried out, in response to a special interest, expressed by the NEA Working Party on 
Evaluation Cooperation; 
in collaboration with the Kernforschungszentrum, Karlsruhe, neutron capture cross sections of 
138Ba and 208pD have been measured; 
high accuracy total and capture cross sections of 2*7Np have been determined in collaboration 
with the CEA (Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique) 
The Linac was operational in the first half of 1994 only; since then, it has been undergoing a 
complete refurbishment. 
Radionuclide standardisation work has been performed on extended area sources of 41Ca and 56Co. 
Two low energy X-ray standards, each with a set of different fluorescence layers, have been 
produced and are available for utilisation. 
Measurements of low radioactivity levels continued in collaboration with the Max-Planck-lnstitut, 
Heidelberg and the underground laboratory of SCK/CEN, Mol. 
• Community and external services 
The IRMM continued to carry out safeguards verification measurements in response to requests from 
the Euratom Safeguards Directorate of DG XVII as part of a quality control programme co-ordinated 
by the Institute for ali ECSAM (European Commission's Safeguards Analytical Measurements) 
laboratories. In particular, results of analytical measurements on mixed uranium-plutonium oxide 
pellets were evaluated. 
A chromatographic method for the identification and quantification of hair dye precursors and 
couplers has been developed in support of the Consumer Protection Service. An informative data 
bank on safety of products has been designed and almost completed. 
Work in support of the Directorate General for Agriculture has concentrated on the production of 
ewe-curd reference materials and on the preparation of milk powder spiked with dioxines and 
furanes. 
Several large scale productions of reference materials have been realised, such as four sediments for 
the Measurement and Testing Programme (former BCR), curd and milkpowder for DG VI, and trout 
and Antarctic sediments for external customers. 
2.2. The Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU) 
The ITU has expertise and unique equipment for property studies on nuclear fuel materials. It carries 
out. within the Nuclear Fission Safety programme, research on the safety of actinides in the nuclear 
fuel cycle. It also contributes to research on fuel behaviour under accident conditions, 
characterisation of nuclear waste forms, and exploratory research. It provides scientific and 
technical support for nuclear safeguards upon request from the Directorates General for External 
Relations (DG I) and for Energy (DG XVII). In addition, the ITU is engaged in a number of contracts at 
the request of various customers. 
25-
• Safety of actinides in the nuclear fuel cycle 
High burnup light water reactor fuel 
In order to understand better the physical properties of high burnup uranium oxide fuel, work 
continued on both simulated fuels (SIMFUEL) and actual reaaor irradiated fuel. In particular, the 
relation between the oxygen potential and the oxygen-to-metal ratio of the fuel was studied. For 
the first time, the buffer effect of the oxidation of molybdenum fission products on fuel oxidation 
could be confirmed. 
Further ion implantation work extended the database of parameters for production of the fuel 
structure at the periphery (rim-effect). The radiation damage work was extended to very high energy 
uranium implants. For the first time, fission tracks could be seen in U02 produced by double fission. 
Fuel for transmutation studies and partitioning of actinides 
In a new activity, radiation damage is being studied on materials (e.g. spinel MgAI204) for 
transmutation of minor actinides. First results were obtained on phase changes and swelling 
occurring due to the impact of fission products in such matrices. 
The extension of the Minor Actinides (MA) laboratory was carried on, with the development of 
powder preparation equipment based on the sol-gel process, and the design of a new fabrication 
chain for the preparation of fuel pins containing minor actinides. 
The work on partitioning of actinides from waste solutions was continued with genuine high level 
waste. Potential extractants were tested in batteries of centrifugal contactors. 
Preparatory work was done on fuel targets for the transmutation of minor actinides (mainly Am-241, 
Am-243 and Cm) in a fast reactor. This project is being carried out in cooperation with CEA (France), 
ECN (Netherlands) and Kf K( Germany). 
High temperature studies of UO2 
With the objective of establishing a unified microscopic model encompassing many thermophysical 
properties, high temperature studies on uranium oxide were pursued using, among others, analysis 
of calorimetric data previously obtained at ITU. 
The laser flash device for measurement of the thermal diffusivity of irradiated fuel was tested with 
several standard samples and with semitransparent materials presenting particular difficulties. The 
apparatus constructed at ITU exhibits outstanding performance, thanks to the very sophisticated 
optical and mechanical alignment system. 
Annealing tests of irradiated fuel in contact with reactor structural materials have been carried out 
at temperatures up to 1600° C, using mostly a lightly reducing atmosphere. The results show only 
slight increases of nuclide releases as compared to experiments without such structural materials. 
Basic actinide research 
Study of the physical and structural properties of the heavy-fermion superconductor UPd2Al3, and its 
isostructural compounds NpPd2AI3 and NpNi2AI3/ was continued, including solid solutions between 
the first two compounds with two different Np/U ratios. 
Experimental effort was also concentrated (MöBbauer study, structural and electrical properties) on 
the uranium and neptunium compounds of the AuCu3 structure type. All of the uranium compounds 
exhibit anomalous compression without any structural change, which is not the case for the 
neptunium compounds. The origin of this phenomenon could indicate pressure-induced electron 
transfer in uranium. Other interesting effects of pressure observed were the enhancement of 
26 
superconductivity in americium and strong changes of the magnetic ordering temperatures in some 
uranium, neptunium and plutonium compounds. 
Theoretical work on the optical and magnetic properties of actinide materials was continued. In 
particular, a newly developed programme for calculating circular dichroism was applied to various 
compounds, e.g. Uranium Sulphide. The pressure dependences of the Curie temperatures of Cm and 
Gd were calculated and compared. 
Fuel behavior under accident conditions 
The fission gas release of cladded high burnup UO2 pellets with a central hole annealed under 
He/3% H2 atmosphere was studied using thermal ramps, simulating the thermal behaviour during a 
LOss of Coolant Accident (LOCA). The first results indicate that the release is correlated with the 
temperature rise. 
New improvements of the TRANSURANUS code have been implemented, and statistical analysis in 
the form of numerical noise analysis was included. 
A new model TUBRNP (TRANSURANUS BuRNUp) has been developed to predict the radial power 
density distribution as a function of burnup, together with the radial profile of uranium and 
plutonium isotopes. 
In order to study the consequences of an accidental rupture of the cladding of fast breeder oxide fuel 
containing americium or neptunium, sodium compatibility tests on such fuels were carried out under 
laboratory conditions. 
• Characterisation of radioactive waste 
Further specimens of irradiated UO2 were leached under highly oxidising conditions. The influence of 
granite (reducing conditions) on the leaching of spent fuel was also investigated. 
The corrosion of UO2 and UO2 spent fuel in various media has been studied using electrochemical 
techniques. Due to their high resistivity, the samples are subject to pitting attack at grain boundaries 
or inclusions. The more heterogeneous irradiated materials suffer higher (— 50x) corrosion than non-
irradiated UO2. 
• Community services 
The design for the on-site laboratory at Sellafield was continued, with two milestones for the 
laboratory installation : the "Hazards of Operation" study and the "Precommissioning Safety 
Report" were accepted by the plant operator. A quality control scheme in accordance with ISO 9001 
(EU 29000) was introduced, using outside consultants. 
About 500 chemical analyses of safeguards samples were performed in 1994 for the Euratom 
Safeguards Directorate in Luxembourg. 
A portable compact K-edge absorptiometer for U solutions and a neutron-gamma counter for Pu 
oxide samples were built for use by inspectors. A hybrid K-edge apparatus, installed at La Hague for 
routine measurements of input samples, was maintained and used for routine inspection 
measurements by Institute staff. 
Also, in support of DG XVII, the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer technique has been 
combined with a high pressure liquid separation column for the on-line measurement of actinides 
and fission products, and with a laser for ablation of fuel or other highly radioactive material. A very 
sensitive glow-discharge mass-spectrometer has been installed in a giovebox and calibrated for a 
wide range of materials. 
During 1994, a series of receipts, the so-called "vagabonding" nuclear materials, has been analysed. 
These materials were analysed under the terms of an agreement between Germany and the 
-27 
European Commission, in particular the Euratom Safeguards Directorate in Luxembourg. The samples 
have varied considerably, from uranium-containing powders to fresh fuel pellets and to plutonium 
containing materials. 
• Work for third parties 
A breakthrough was achieved- in the preparation of a-emitting agents for a new radio-immuno-
therapy. The chemical separation scheme for Ac-225 from U-233/Th-229 feed, based on sorption on 
titanium phosphate followed by cation exchange, was brought to a routine stage. First charges of Ac-
225 were shipped to the USA, where clinical studies are being performed. 
The fabrication of actinide-bearing multicomponent alloys, to be used as targets for irradiation, was 
successfully finished. 
Contractual work also included the study of dissolution residues from high burnup fuels, and the 
characterisation of spent nuclear fuels. These contracts started in 1994. 
In the Institute's hot cells, major work on the assessment of commercial fuel and cladding 
performance was continued under contract with the nuclear industry. Non destructive testing of 125 
fuel rods and post test analysis of samples from the first run of the PHEBUS project were also carried 
out as third party work. 
The total volume of third party work performed in 1994 amounted to about 2.5 Mioecu. 
• Exploratory research 
With the conversion to low enriched uranium for material test reactors, in order to support non-
proliferation objectives, an increase in uranium loading is important. The feasibility of manufacturing 
a new high density (7 g U/cm3) material test reactor fuel based on uranium nitride has been 
demonstrated. Compatibility studies proved that there is no metallurgical interaction between 
uranium nitride and AI below 500°C. 
The acoustic agglomeration rate of aerosols has been shown to depend linearly on the applied 
acoustic power. This result has important implications for acoustic agglomeration models and for the 
design of effective agglomeration cavities. 
2.3. The Institute for Advanced Materials (IAM) 
With sites at both Petten and Ispra, the IAM carries out the specific programme on Advanced 
Materials and exploits and operates the High Flux Reactor for the Dutch and German authorities. 
The Institute is engaged in pre-normative research related to standards and codes, and in work on a 
contractual basis for industry. During 1994 the Institute concentrated its efforts on the research 
areas of materials and measurements, reliability and life extension, materials for extreme 
environments, surface modification technology, measurement and validation methodologies for 
materials and structure, and fusion materials. 
• Materials and measurements 
Activities were primarily focused on the qualification and characterisation of metallic and ceramic 
materials and components for application in industrial service. Several approaches were 
investigated, such as life assessment, threshold limits, performance, failure behaviour, etc. by 
modelling and experimental validation, in order to establish and develop a design and operating 
code. 
The scientific scope ranged from the simulation of "extreme" industrial environments, often tailored 
to specific technologies or the development of complex, unique testing facilities, to the 
interpretation of the materials' behaviour at the microstructural and submicrostructural level. The 
qualification of advanced commercial materials was supported by the development of novel next-
28 
generation materials, particularly in the field of composites and in surface engineering. All activities 
were associated with relevant producer and end-user European industries. 
• Reliability and life extension 
Emphasis was placed on the combined mechanical performance and corrosion resistance of advanced 
materials in service simulating-environments, the development of life predictive procedures and the 
input for codes of practice for industrial applications in the three following fields: metallic alloys, 
ceramics and composite ceramics, and sub-critical components. 
• Materials for extreme environments 
The R&D work contributed to the safety, reliability, efficiency and environmental friendliness of 
industrial installations. In particular, work was performed on high temperature corrosion, chemical-
mechanical properties of high temperature alloys, characterisation of intermetallics and refractory 
alloys and ceramics and composites. It included the development of unique test equipment, the 
promotion of testing standards and the generation of a materials property data base on advanced 
materials operating at high temperatures in corrosive environments. 
• Surface modification technology 
IAM offers a wide ranging competence in surface coating and engineering, deployed at both Petten 
and Ispra. Major activities include low pressure and atmospheric plasma spraying of thermal barrier 
coating systems, chemical vapour deposition of hard and ultra-hard wear resistant coatings, physical 
vapour deposition of hard coatings for engineering and biomedical applications, process 
development, modelling and in-situ diagnostic feedback for intelligent processing, laser and high 
energy beam surface treatments. Surface engineering for next-generation materials included 
ceramic-matrix joining, interfacial engineering in fibre composites, the fabrication of coatings by 
colloidal processing, and surface degradation in industrial metal processing by Marangoni 
convection. 
• Measurement and validation methodologies for materials and structures 
Pre-normative activities were continued with the development and improvement of methods for the 
measurement, testing and detection of properties of metallic, ceramic and composite materials, 
including the validation of these methods as a pre-normative input to the subsequent development, 
improvement or optimisation of codes and standards by European standards institutions. 
In the area of materials information and data management the work on the High Temperature 
Materials Databank (HTM-DB) was continued with emphasis on the incorporation of spin-off 
improvements into the HTM-DB from an aluminium alloy databank for the European car industry, 
promotion of the HTM-DB as the standard data base in Europe for alloy properties, and cooperation 
with the European Collaborative Creep Committee (a BRITE/EURAM activity). 
• Fusion technology and safety 
Through experimental research, the development of the understanding and the determination of 
properties of materials relevant to future thermonuclear fusion applications, namely low activation 
materials, was continued. Experimental support to the NET/ITER data base (Next European 
Torus/International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), and a contribution to the long term 
European Fusion Programme, featured prominently. All these activities were carried out in the 
framework of the programme monitored and agreed upon by the Fusion Technology Steering 
Committee. 
29-
• High Flux Reactor (HFR) 
The High Flux Reaaor at Petten was operated during 270 days at full power, and the irradiation 
capacity was used at a level close to the technical limits. The Boron Neutron Capture Therapy facility 
was commissioned and now awaits a decision of the medical partners on clinical trials of patients. 
Furthermore, it has strengthened its leading position in supplying the European radio­
pharmaceutical industry with radioisotopes. 
• Community services 
Support activities were performed for DGIII, on standards for advanced ceramics and Non Destructive 
Testing (NDT) standards for pressure vessels. This latter activity made it possible to exploit the Project 
for the Integrity of Steel Components (PISÇ) results for direct use by CEN/CENELEC (the European 
Standardization Committee/European Committee for Electric Standardization) in order to develop 
and orient activities of the networks AMES (Aged Materials Expertises and Studies), NESC (European 
Network for Evaluating Steel Components), and ENIQ (European Network for Inspection 
Qualification). These networks back up the policies and actions of European Commission 
Directorates XI and XVII, which have responsibility for reactor safety and energy matters. 
Projects developed by the networks in the area of regulation included: 
comparison of national requirements and industrial practices in relation to the integrity of 
structural components, with emphasis on materials ageing, inspection effectiveness and 
structural integrity assessment methodologies; 
support for the development of a harmonised approach to steel embrittlement evaluation and 
mitigation methods; 
support for the harmonisation of inspection qualification procedures, through performance 
demonstration. 
• Work for third parties 
Work for third parties continued, with a volume of contracts comparable to the previous year. 
Contracts were obtained from the energy sector for materials development and materials 
performance assessment. The HFR was utilised for the production of radioisotopes for medical and 
industrial applications and for the irradiation of structural materials. 
• Exploratory research 
The following three projects were carried out : (a) engineering of fibre-matrix interfaces in ceramic 
composites by nanocrystalline processing, (b) measurement of localised stress fields at dissimilar 
material interfaces by neutron scattering, and (c) direct measurement of adhesion in films and 
coatings by a laser pulse induced spallation technique. 
2.4. The Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics (ISEI) 
The ISEI contributes to the specific research programmes on Working Environment, Measurement 
and Testing. Environment. Nuclear Fission Safety and Fusion. It carries out several activities in 
Support of the Community Policies and is engaged in Exploratory Research and in Third Party Work. 
• Working Environment 
The field studies of cognitive ergonomics (the analysis of reasoning and decision making processes in 
work places), applied to the domain of air traffic control, for the study of complex working 
conditions, have led to the development of an operative model of "stress". This model aims at 
improving the design of interfaces and communications between operators and of means of control. 
The studies of safety at work have been applied to the domain of airplane-pilot interaction and have 
resulted in a method for the identification of the root causes of human error. Moreover, a new 
30 
cockpit resource management approach has been designed for the introduction of cognitive aspects 
in pilot training. The methodology of process statistical diagnostics (the diagnosis of industrial 
processes based on statistical analysis) has been applied to start-up/shut-down of industrial plants, 
which are typical complex, non-linear processes. This methodology will contribute to the 
development of tools for early fault diagnosis. 
• Measurement and Testing. 
Field tests to investigate the state of conservation of old Italian paintings with a portable new 
instrument based on laser interferometry, called Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometer (ESPI), 
have been successful. A multiple ESPI system has been developed and tested, and a new procedure 
for mechanical characterisation of stone materials has been setup. Contacts with industries are going 
on with a view to marketing the system. A coherence-radar system for surface profilometry of 
industrial components has been developed, implemented and successfully tested. This system would 
be used for dimensional control of high precision small industrial components of the order of 10-20 
cm. A series of comparative tests, performed by various manufacturers and research laboratories, on 
the use of acoustic emission in real time qualification for the quality control of glued joints during the 
glue polymerisation process for aeronautics, has been completed with positive results. An acoustic 
ultrasonic technique is being applied in collaboration with industry to the quality control of glued 
joints after the polymerisation period. 
Pre-normative research in photovoltaic systems was concluded with the final verification of the fast 
sampling flash radiometer. This system makes possible spectral irradiance measurements of very 
short (1ms) light pulses, and a patent was requested. Emphasis was put on the implementation of a 
quality assurance system following the ISO 9003 standard, and on the participation in the first phase 
of a world-wide calibration of reference solar cells, which would lead to a world photovoltaic 
reference scale recognised by national standard bodies. The experience gained in previous years with 
the technology of amorphous-silicon thin-film modules has been transferred to the Ecocentre ELSA-
facade, as part of a harmonised cost-benefit analysis of rational risk of loss of energy in existing 
buildings. Work on system identification for energy savings in buildings was continued. 
• Environment 
New decision support models for environmental management were developed, taking into account 
both qualitative and quantitative information, and addressing the problem of various types of 
uncertainties. These models are being applied in third party work for the Sicily Region in the areas of 
pollution control in urban areas and of water resources management. The computer programme 
TRIM (Transportation Risk Management) was enhanced, with the development of an accident data 
base based on worldwide public sources. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis 
technique in decision support systems for environmental management have been applied to real case 
studies, e.g water management problems in Ireland and Italy and management of a natural park in 
Belgium. The Multi Criteria Decision Aid (MCDA) technique coupled with GIS and generic algorithms 
has been applied to solve the problem of generating alternatives in site facilities for toxic waste 
treatment. 
In the area of remote sensing techniques, the "Pathfinder Phase" of the CEO-Centre for Earth 
Observation aimed at preparing the "Design and Implementation Phase", has been started. A 
number of studies on the survey of present infrastructure status in Europe and on the requirements 
of users of satellite data, have been launched. A workshop on European data networks and user 
information services was organised at the end of 1994 in collaboration with the European Space 
Agency. 
Dedicated systems for the visualisation and animation of scientific data were developed. 
• Nuclear Safeguards, Nuclear Fission Safety and Fusion 
In the area of safeguards, the navigation of a remotely guided vehicle was applied to the detection of 
unforeseen obstacles; this development was based on ultrasonic data and a neural network. 
Techniques for remote monitoring over public networks dealing with storage, encryption and 
-31-
transmission of safeguards data were investigated. In the Laboratory for Surveillance and 
Containment (LaSCo), investigations were pursued on integration of video surveillance with other 
sensors for the safeguarding of nuclear material storage areas. The first experimental tasks were 
conducted in the TAME (Tank Measurement Laboratory), in order to investigate precision 
measurements on liquid content. 
In the area of reactor safety, the development of a set of integrated software tools for the safety 
management of nuclear power plants was pursued. This set of tools, based on the STARS (Software 
Tools for the Analysis of Reliability and Safety) structure and regularly updated PSA (Probabilistic 
Safety Assessment) concept, was successfully applied to the analysis of the auxiliary feedwater system 
of the Grohnde power plant. A collaboration with TùV Sud-West (Technischer Uberwachung-Verein) 
was undertaken, to validate the STARS fault tree analyser. Applications of dynamic reliability for 
investigating man-machine interface, and studies of human factors in PSA, have been made in order 
to improve the evaluation of operator error probability in accident sequences. The development of 
advanced models for knowledge extraction from reliability data bases and estimation of reliability 
parameters has continued. The pressurised thermal shock experimental activity, in the context of 
nuclear fission safety, has been concluded. A review and a summary of the results obtained during 
the 3rd Framework Programme in the field of plant ageing is being published. 
In the area of thermonuclear fusion, computer simulation and experimental validation of remote 
handling procedures have been pursued in the ROBERTINO facility, as a contribution to the design of 
the blanket handling device for ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor). Post-
accidental thermal transient analyses for design guidelines and assessment have been carried out for 
the ITER design and for the study of Safety and Environmental Assessment of Fusion Power (SEAFP). A 
contribution to the assessment of the dynamic structural integrity of the vacuum vessel of ITER and 
of the blanket structures of SEAFP, in case of a plasma disruption, has been undertaken. 
• Community services 
A system for designing information verification of complex nuclear facilities, based on image 
processing, was developed by the JRC and installed at the International Atomic Energy Agency 
(IAEA). Several training courses were organised for IAEA inspectors in the field of volume and mass 
determination and surveillance in tanks and sealing techniques. Environmental tests on video 
equipment for inspectors have been conducted (for DG I). 
Work on safety critical computer systems began with collection of existing information, preparation 
of the Safecomp'95 conference and the drawing-up of a workplan for the 1995-1998 programme. 
The implementation of the 3D image synthesis software in the new parallel computer CONCERTO 
was completed (for DG III). 
The pilot implantation in Ispra of a European Coordination Centre for Aircraft Incident Reporting 
Systems (EEC-AIRS) was almost completed, and will be operational in 1995 (for DG VII). 
The activities on the "Seveso Directive" were reinforced to implement a Major Accident Hazards 
Bureau. The Bureau's tasks are : the operation of the Major Accident Reporting System; the 
operation of the Community documentation centre on Industrial Risk and the scientific/technical 
coordination of technical working groups for drafting guidance notes on various issues arising from 
the directives. In particular, significant progress has been made towards guidance notes for safety 
reports and safety management systems. Guidelines for the information of the public were 
published as a Euratom report. Assistance work in the field of biotechnology was pursued, and 
comparison of activities on environmental impact assessments in Member States was initiated (in 
support of DG XI). 
Valorisation activities included holographic compression techniques for image synthesis, ultra high 
sensitivity interferometric sensors, tagging/sealing applications (in support of DG XIII). 
32 
Review stations of recorded surveillance images, based on a cyclic image buffer, were developed for 
computer assisted review. A system for the identification of fuel element numbers, using pattern 
recognition, was designed (in support of DG XVII/EURATOM Safeguards Directorate). 
European demonstration project proposals in the area of photovoltaics, heating, building, transport 
and industry sectors (THERMIE programme) were appraised. Assistance was extended to ALTENER 
and SAFE programme activities, in the area of a rational use of energy in buildings and industry (in 
support of DG XVII). 
Work continued on operation and development of the authoring system for the documentation 
antifraud project and for the computer-aided management of parliamentary petitions (support for 
the General Secretariat). 
Neural networks tools were implemented for statistical applications such as typology of European 
regions and foreign trade statistics (in support of EUROSTAT). 
• Work for third parties 
Calibration of photovoltaic cells and quality testing of modules continued to be major sources of 
income. Other activities concerned environmental management studies requested by regional 
administrations and sealing systems fabrication for nuclear safeguards. 
• Exploratory research 
Exploratory activities dealt with, among others, the analysis of local optical correlation decay, 
numerical stereophotogrammetry, advanced visualisation of dynamic data, and the propagation of 
solitons. 
2.5. The Environment Institute (EI) 
The Environment Institute, based at Ispra. contributed to the Environment Protection programme 
and the Working Environment subprogramme. In particular El activities have concerned the 
implementation of three programmes, namely a participation in the Global Change Research; the 
Technologies and Engineering for the Environment and - to a lesser extent • the Working 
Environment. A steadily increasing part of the Institute's effort has been devoted to 
scientific/technical support for Community policies, special consideration having obviously been 
given to the Directorate General for Environment. Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection (DG XI ). 
• Environmental chemicals 
Studies within the framework of indoor air pollution have been continued using both small and 
walk-in (Indoortron) exposure chambers. In particular, the adsorption/desorption process for several 
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) has been investigated on furniture surfaces (carpets, wall 
coverings), entailing the development and successful testing of a new two-absorption compartments 
mathematical model. 
Field and laboratory studies on pollutant-soil-water interaction, as well as on toxin production 
associated with algal blooms in relation to environmental factors, have been pursued in order to 
investigate the transformation and fate of pollutants in the soil. Collaborative studies and 
intercomparative analytical campaigns between European laboratories have been launched, with a 
view to the development and application of advanced techniques for pollutant detection in various 
matrices. Two mobile analytical laboratories have been made operational, within the framework of 
the EUREKA project EU 674. Contributions were made to the implementation of new techniques and 
in-site applications. 
• Atmospheric Pollution - Global Change 
The second experimental campaign for the assessment of Biogenic Emission in the Mediterranean 
Area ( BEMA project) has been carried out in Castelporziano (Rome). The main purpose of the 
33-
campaign was to further elucidate the quite large monoterpene emissions from the sclerophyllous 
Mediterranean oak, despite the lack of monoterpenes in the leaves or bark, which had been observed 
in the preceeding 1993 BEMA campaign. The final results will be available in early 1995. 
Within the framework of the European research project LABVOC, the troposphere oxidation process 
of the biogenic dimethyl sulphide, which is an important source of particles in marine air, has been 
further investigated through laboratory experiments. Major uncertainties in the present 
understanding of the process, and future research needs, have been identified by means of a 
sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. 
Within the framework of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) the Aerosol 
Characterisation Experiment (ACE-2) has been proposed with a view to evaluating the impact of 
anthropogenic aerosols on global change. This field experiment has been scheduled for 1997. 
A World Data Centre for Aerosols (WDCA) was created, resulting from collaboration with the World 
Meteorological Organisation. The Centre will collect and exchange information and data from 
monitoring stations all over the world, as part of the Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) system for 
the monitoring of the evolution of the global atmosphere. 
Several interlaboratory exercises, with the participation of laboratories in the Member States, have 
been organised, and are being evaluated to assess analytical errors in water analysis. 
Soil interlaboratory comparison has been launched and the preparatory campaign at Brembate 
(Bergamo, Italy) has been planned. 
• European Chemicals Bureau (ECB) 
The first phase of data collection on risk assessment of existing chemicals (Council Regulation 793/93) 
has been completed. More than 7 000 data sets from industrial and commercial companies have 
been loaded in IUCLID ( International Unified Chemicals Information Database ) and installed at the 
competent authorities in the Member States and at the OECD. Several meetings with national experts 
have been organised to deal with "Classification and Labelling", "Notification of New Chemicals", 
"Risk Assessment of Existing Chemicals" and "Export/Import Control of Certain Dangerous 
Chemicals". 
• European Centre for Validation of Alternative Testing Methods (ECVAM) 
The European Centre for Validation of Alternative Testing Methods (ECVAM) was inaugurated on 
17 October 1994. The establishment of information services has already started, and the Centre has 
organised a series of workshops, task forces and symposia. Interlaboratory prevalidation and formal 
validation studies are being supported. In practice, ECVAM is involved in the development and 
validation of non-animal tests and testing strategies. 
• Working Environment 
Activity dealing with trace metal exposure and health effect has been primarily focussed on the 
qualitative determination of trace metals in the European population in both general and working 
conditions, and on metal toxicity at low level exposure. 
• Community services 
A memorandum of understanding between DG XI and the JRC for the setting-up and operation of 
the European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution (ERLAP) was signed on 11 July 1994. ERLAP - an 
extension of the former Central Laboratory for Air Pollution - is intended to support the action of 
DG XI as far as ambient air quality is concerned, and to participate in monitoring programmes such as 
EMEP ( European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme ). 
Preparatory work for ETEX (European Tracer Experiment ) continued. ETEX was designed to test the 
behaviour of atmospheric models for emergency response. The field experiment, which was 
34-
scheduled to be performed at the end of the year, was enlarged in scope and application through the 
contribution of equipments and techniques from various countries. 
All the available information on environmental contamination from the Chernobyl accident is being 
collected and merged in form of an atlas. The project, benefitting from modern computer 
technology, is being developed in collaboration with all European countries - including central 
European countries, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine- and is planned to conclude in 1996, ten years after 
the accident. 
Work on the data bank on pharmaceuticals (ECPHIN) has been pursued in support of DG III; new 
action was undertaken, aimed at developing an intercommunication network for the ECPHIN system. 
A prototype is being tested with the users. 
Further work has been performed within the framework of the "European Office for Wine, Alcohol 
and Spirit Drinks", to identify the origin of alcohol in wines and spirits, and to implement the Nuclear 
Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Isotope Ratio Mass Spectra (IRMS) fingerprint data bank. 
• Work for third parties 
In the context of work for third parties, further progress has been made in activities carried out for 
the Lombard Region, aimed at control of air pollution monitoring stations, throughout the region. 
The contract with Ente Flumendosa in Sardinia continued, with analytical work on water and 
sediments for the detection of several pollutants, using advanced analytical techniques such as 
graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass 
Spectrometry (ICP-MS). 
A new contract with the Sicily Region is being finalised, to cover activities in the fields of air pollution, 
water pollution and the control of the general population for trace metal content in body fluids. 
• Exploratory research 
Exploratory research at El dealt with three projects, namely : the use of surface enhanced Raman 
scattering for the characterisation of aerosols; the development of a tracer technique for gold; the 
setting up of a laser photofragmentation technique for the study of heterogeneous reactions of 
sulphur compounds in the troposphere. 
2.6. The Institute for Remote Sensing Applications (I RSA) 
Located at Ispra, the IRSA implements the programme on the applications of remote sensing. The 
Institute, through the use of satellite Earth observation data, provides key scientific support for 
agricultural statistics at the request of the Directorate General for Agriculture (DG VI) and the 
European Statistical Office (EUROSTAT). It also provides scientific and technical support at the 
request of the Directorates General for External Relations (DG I). Development (DG VIII). and 
Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection (DG XI). 
Within the programme on the Application of Remote Sensing Techniques, the IRSA has undertaken 
work on a number of themes related to the monitoring of the environment and to global change. 
• Environmental monitoring in Europe and the Centre for Earth Observation 
New techniques for obtaining specific information on the condition of the European environment 
are being developed. These are based on the use of satellite imagery and geographic information 
systems. 
The Forest Information from Remote Sensing (FIRS) programme consolidated its planning phase, and 
the first steps towards a uniform European forest information system were taken. 
35-
The first pilot studies of a new initiative, the Coastal Ecosystem Monitoring project, were successfully 
started. They will embrace initiatives such as sediment transport and coastal erosion. 
Land degradation monitoring tests concentrated on soil erosion and wildfire damage at Spanish and 
Greek test sites. These were complemented by the first experiments concerning hydrological 
modelling for water resource management. 
The pathfinder phase of the Centre for Earth Observation (CEO) project, aiming at preparing the 
"Design and Implementation Phase" has been started in conjunction with a steering committee of 
the Member States. IRSA established a CEO project committee which began activities to survey and 
understand the present infrastructure status, etablish user requirements, and produce cost estimates, 
with the goal of producing a final plan for the design and implementation phase. 
• Global change 
The IRSA continued to develop satellite data processing techniques to derive relevant information 
from Earth observation data, contributing thus to the worldwide effort to understand and predict 
changes in the global environment. 
The processing of a ten-year data set for the African continent was completed. These data were used 
for continental-scale land cover classification, and to generate a unique view of wildfire patterns for 
the continent. These results are used for global change research in the framework of two 
International Geosphere Biosphere Programme activities, the Data and Information System and the 
International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) project respectively. 
Complementary work in the marine environments of the biosphere saw the establishment of 
networks of applications projects to use the archives of processed ocean colour and sea surface 
temperature data. Significant progress was made in linking Earth observation data sets into bio-
optical models, for a prediction of the ocean's net primary productivity. 
• Advanced techniques of Earth observation 
The European Microwave Signature Laboratory (EMSL) began the experiment plan coordinated by 
the International Advisory Committee. The EMSL also responded to ad hoc requests for 
experimentation concerning detection of dangerous objects. 
Laboratory measurements using the Optical Goniometer, supported by field observations, made 
significant progress towards extraction of precise geophysical measurements, particularly relating to 
spectral signatures of biochemicals in vegetation reflectance spectra. Such measurements will be 
vital for interpretation of data from future space instruments. 
Development of workstations for automatic marine oil spill detection and for the monitoring of 
shipping traffic, using satellite and airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems, neared 
completion. These will be tested as an aid to coastguard activities in Europe. 
SAR data from the European Remote Sensing Satellite Nr 1 ( ERS-1) were also used for mapping and 
monitoring of temperate forests in Europe and tropical forests in South America and West Africa. 
• Community services 
The pilot project for the application of remote sensing to agricultural statistics increased its 
operational capabilities. Regular bulletins of crop statistics and information on crop conditions are 
being routinely published. These are forwarded to DG VI and EUROSTAT. The national statistical 
services of some Member States are implementing the agricultural project's methodology. The work 
has also been extended to new geographical regions, including the Maghreb and the Czech Republic, 
where the remote sensing methods were found to be equally effective. 
The Fire in Global Environmental Monitoring programme (FIRE) contributed to the establishment of a 
new IGAC project to look at the effect of savanna fires on atmospheric chemistry. Field work in 
-36 
central Africa and Madagascar, aimed at constructing operational fire monitoring systems, in support 
of DG VIII, was carried out and confirmed the effectiveness of fire detection from satellite. This 
information may be used for the protection of forest reserves and national parks. 
New methods for land cover map update and revision from satellite data were developed in support 
of DG XI. The Ocean Colour Techniques for Observation, Processing and Utilisation Systems 
(OCTOPUS) programme has been developed with ESA and other European partners in preparation 
for the upcoming Sea viewing wide Field of view Sensor (SeaWiFS) space mission. 
• External services 
The TRopical Ecosystem Environmental observation by Satellite (TREES) project (a joint project with 
ESA, the European Space Agency) completed the first worldwide tropical forest inventory from 
satellite data, and began detailed planning for a second project phase concentrating on forest 
condition monitoring, to develop an alarm system for detection of major areas of tropical 
deforestation. 
The European Airborne Remote Sensing Capability (EARSEC), a joint project with ESA, consolidated 
its instrument development and testing programme. Optical and microwave sensors will be available 
in 1995, to be used in airborne experimental campaigns throughout Europe. 
Third party work for water resource monitoring and management in the Mediterranean continued, 
and new work focusing on environmental monitoring for Sicily began. 
The Institute also became involved in the VEGETATION programme developed by France, Belgium, 
Italy, Sweden and the European Commission. This will manage the development of the new 
operational vegetation monitoring space-borne instrument. The data will be used for mapping 
surface parameters, such as surface roughness, and for use in operational crop production 
forecasting. 
• Exporatory research 
Finally, exploratory research subjects ranged from development of a knowledge-based system for 
crop acreage estimation using ERS-1 SAR data, through detection of malaria, to development of 
virtual reality systems for remote sensing. 
2.7. The Institute for Safety Technology (1ST) 
The 1ST contributes to the Measurement and Testing, the Nuclear Fission Safety and Fusion and to 
the Environment programmes. It is also engaged in several support activities at the request of the 
Commission's services, mainly in the field of nuclear safeguards for the Directorates General for 
External Relations (DG I) and Energy (DG XVII). 
• Reactor safety 
The Institute contributes to the research on Light Water Reactor (LWR) severe accidents. The work 
focussed on two areas of concern, which were the study of the interaction of molten corium with the 
coolant and reactor structures and the evaluation of the quantity and quality of radioactive products 
(source term) which would be released into the environment in the case of an accident. 
In the first area, the tests in the FARO (Fuel Melting And Release Oven) and KROTOS,(Small Scale 
Steam Explosion) facilities continued to deliver important results, which are under discussion and are 
being used by the European and US partners to better understand the fundamental mechanisms of 
molten fuel-coolant interaction (melt quenching, steam explosion) and to validate computer models. 
The first full-scale tests in FARO (with 150 Kg of molten material) have been performed. It was 
possible to make a first evaluation of the effect, on the quenching process, of the presence of 
zirconium metal in the molten corium. 
The COMETA (Core Melt Thermal-hydraulic Analysis) code already developed has been successfully 
-37 
used to analyse the FARO tests. In KROTOS, a series of tests with uranium oxide in water allowed a 
clear comparison with results obtained using simulant materials (e.g. aluminium oxide) which exhibit 
very different behaviour. 
In the second study area, source term, work focussed on completing the construction of STORM, a 
large scale plant which will be used to investigate aerosol re-suspension in the primary system and its 
role on source term. In addition, the development of the ESTER source term code package and the 
analysis of the first Phebus FP in-pile test performed in December 1993 continued in close 
cooperation with all the partners in this international research project. 
• Nuclear safeguards 
A specific R&D programme is being executed at the JRC to provide technical tools for control of fissile 
materials, to comply with EC requirements in the framework of the EURATOM Treaty and the Non 
Proliferation Treaty. 
The activities of Non-Destructive Assay (NDA) are performed at the PERformance LAboratory (PERLA) 
and of mass-volume determination in the TAnk MEasurement (TAME) laboratory. 
Studies on neutron multiplication and hardware developments have been carried out in the field of 
plutonium monitoring. Thermal (infrared) video systems were tested, to check their applicability to 
plutonium monitoring, with positive results. 
• Waste management 
Actinide monitoring activities were concentrated on the development of active and passive systems 
for checking uranium and plutonium in waste packages. 
An industrial scale Pu control system was constructed for 2001 drums, and was successfully tested in 
industrial environments. Several industries have shown particular interest in the exploitation of such 
a system. A U-measurement system for small samples (about 1 dm*) was under construction for 
supply to an industrial customer. 
• Fusion technology 
The principal activities regarding the European Tritium Handling Experimental Laboratory (ETHEL) 
involved the preparation of two experimental circuits for commissioning with hydrogen/deuterium 
and installation of new services to improve the laboratory's future operational and maintenance 
activities. A third test is in the preparation phase, while the laboratory's Tritium Rework Unit is at the 
detailed design stage. The on-going commissioning will lead to active operations with tritium in 
ETHEL in 1995, and will permit the start of large scale experiments for ITER (International 
Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor). 
By reallocating laboratory space available in one of the ESSOR (Essai Orgel-organique Eau Lourde) 
hot cell areas, a low inventory tritium laboratory was put into operation in 1994, so that hot tests 
could be performed on the memory effects of tritium in zeolites and in in-building structures, in 
support of the work of ITER. A special inquiry performed for the latter concerned tritium tracking in a 
fusion reactor. 
• Industrial hazards 
The FIRES facility was modified and prepared for studies on polymerisation reactions, in cooperation 
with the chemical industry. Development of advanced methodologies has been continued, for the 
determination of reactor conditions, process optimisation and control. 
In close cooperation with industry, validation of the computer package RELIEF (design venting system 
code) has been continued. A personal computer version of this code, with a sophisticated user 
interface, has been completed. A venting test series in the new test facilities DRACULA (large-scale 
venting) and COLUMBUS (venting of long horizontal vessels) has been started. A general computer 
-38-
module for the numerical simulation of transient two-phase flow has been developed, and work is 
continuing on the development of a 3-D version of the code, also including reacting flow capabilities. 
Modelling work on dense vapour cloud dispersion continued in the framework of STEP (Science and 
Technology for Environmental Protection) Shared-Cost Actions. The development of a 2-D computer 
code for the numerical simulation of reactive gas flows has been completed. Assessment calculations 
are under way for the study of-deflagration and detonation phenomena in industrial environments. 
Future developments will focus on the extension to 3-D flow conditions. 
• Measurement and Testing 
Pseudo-dynamic tests on large-scale models of civil engineering structures are being performed at 
the ELSA reaction-wall facility, as part of a project of prenormative research in support of Eurocode 
No. 8, the provisional European standard for the design of civil engineering structures in seismic 
areas. This activity is performed within a scientific network involving 19 European laboratories under 
the Commission's Human Capital and Mobility programme. The overall aim of the prenormative 
research is to enlarge, through analytical and experimental studies, the current field of application of 
Eurocode No. 8 and to improve its reliability. 
As part of this collaborative research, a full-scale 4-storey reinforced concrete structure was tested at 
the ELSA reaction wall under severe earthquake loadings. This experimental campaign provided 
unique experimental data for the validation of computer simulation models and for the calibration 
of damage indicators to be used in the safety assessment of reinforced concrete structures. 
Pseudo-dynamic tests were also performed on large-scale models of irregular bridges using the so-
called substructuring technique. The ELSA team has also contributed to the COST-C1 project, the 
European concerted action on the semi-rigid behaviour of civil engineering connections. 
The Large Dynamic Test Facility (LDTF) was used to investigate the dynamic characteristics of 
materials and structural components, mainly at the request of industry in Europe and Japan. A group 
of users of LDTF, including sponsoring industrial partners, has been formed under the "Large 
Installations" chapter of the Human Capital and Mobility programme. 
• Community services 
The Institute for Safety Technology has continued to provide a scientific and technical support to the 
EURATOM Safeguards Directorate (ESD) and to the IAEA (through DG I) in the field of nuclear 
safeguards. More than 10 training courses and calibration exercises have been organised in PERLA to 
meet the Commission policy in nuclear fuel fabrication facilities. A seminar with 20 Russian experts 
has also been organised in PERLA (PERformance LAboratory for safeguards), to support the ESD in its 
cooperation with the Russian Federation. 
An unattended/integrated active neutron monitoring system (UMS) utilising surveillance tools, has 
been designed and initiated (in collaboration with ISEI) with the aim of providing ESD with a modern 
device capable of monitoring in unattended mode, the total output of fuel assemblies produced in a 
Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel fabrication plant. The device will be tested and installed in 1995. 
Field measurement results collected by ESD need to be organised in upgraded data base facilities to 
facilitate performance assessment, long term evaluation, training and procedure setup. 1ST is 
providing the data base systems, which are being implemented and linked to a network. 
39-
• Work for third parties 
Contracts with European and non-European research organisations and industries, such as "Ente 
Nazionale per I'Energia Elettrica" (ENEL), "Energia Nucleareed Energie Alternative" (ENEA), "United 
States Nuclear Regulatory Commission" (USNRC), Otomelara, Kawajyu, Mitsubishi and others, 
continued in 1994. 
The Institute has performed studies and experiments in facilities referred to below, both in the 
nuclear and non-nuclear fields. 
The USNRC is partly funding the large scale facility FARO and the small scale facility KROTOS for fuel-
coolant-interaction experiments in the case of a severe accident in an LWR. 
The detailed design and the operation of the STORM facility for studies on aerosol deposition-
resupension, and research on innovative advanced small reactors using nuclear safety codes, are 
carried out on behalf of ENEL. 
The Large Dynamic Test Facility (LTDF) is being used mainly for studies of dynamic material properties 
in collaboration with Japanese partners. 
2.8. The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) 
The IPTS performs both a technology watch function and scientific and technological studies, at the 
request of the services of the Commission, mainly in the fields of the environment, energy and 
transport, with particular attention to industrial innovation. 
• Science and Technology Observatory 
As part of the development of ESTO (European Science and Technology Observatory), the 
preparation of an information system on current research involved the implementation of an 
intelligent interface aimed at providing a more user-friendly system. Progress was made in this field, 
and first results are expected early in 1995. Prototype S/T Observatory work has been initiated in the 
field of "Environmental Technologies". The approach chosen involves the development and use of a 
specialised multifunctional information treatment system, aimed at the early detection of S/T 
breakthroughs. Initial trials were undertaken for the conception of typical Observatory outputs such 
as alert reports, newsletters and strategic studies. Other modules of ESTO are being prepared : e.g. 
"Advanced Materials" and "Future Energy Technologies". 
• Community service 
Activities in support of the Forward Studies Unit of the Commission concerned industrial and 
environmental problems, including global change aspects. Work related to business and the 
environment focussed on the analysis of two micro-economic case studies. The first, related to end-
of-pipe technologies, concerned flue gas desulphurisation by a Japanese company; the second, 
related to process technology, concerned waste minimisation and water utilisation by a British 
chemical company. A seminar on Business and Environment was organised in Seville in February 1994 
and the proceedings were edited and are being published in a book. Work on the development of 
green indicators, as well as studies concerning science policy, technology innovation and interaction 
with job creation and sustainability, were carried out. Finally, a study on biotechnology risk 
assessment was completed, including analysis of the Japanese approach to biotechnology regulation 
and a review of problems created by genetically manipulated organisms. The survey of global change 
research and policy continued in 1994, in order to update the scientific assessment of these issues and 
to serve as a basis or a reference for the definition and/or evaluation of Community and international 
policy response. 
As a follow-up to the studies on the Competitiveness of European Space Industries made in support 
of DG III, an analysis was performed of the various consolidation options such as economies of scale 
and functional gains. 
-40 
In the field of environmental protection, a study of the techniques for environmental policy 
evaluation was performed following a request from the Forward Studies Unit of DG III and DG XI and 
with the collaboration of DG II. A catalogue of techniques was prepared, including a guide to the 
selection of the most appropriate method in each specific case. Two other projects were carried out in 
support of DG XI. The first concerned the prospective technological aspects of plastics recycling up to 
2010, including chemical and mechanical recycling and incineration. The second dealt with the 
development of an observatory and watch function in the field of the Best Available Technologies 
(BAT) which will contribute to the assessment of technologies which are candidate for future BATs. 
Work in support of DG XVII involved the review and assessment of energy technologies which may 
become available in the long term (year 2020 and beyond). 
After the completion, in 1993, of a study on fuel cell technologies, the final report was published in 
April 1994. Technologies for CO2 separation, storage and/or sequestration were reviewed: two 
workshops were held in January and an interim and a final report on CO2 storage were produced. 
Photovoltaic energy and nuclear fission energy were also reviewed, and work is continuing on 
assessing their long-term prospects. 
• External service 
Under contract with a national space organisation, a study concerning "Space markets and elements 
for a space policy" was performed and the final report was made available in January 1994. 
Similarly, with a European firm, a study on regional profiles in RTD activities for Spain was performed, 
and the final report made available in August 1994. 
-41-
3. HUMAN RESOURCES 
3.1. Staff policy 
The JRC authorised statutory staff ceiling amounts to 2 080, including both scientific-technical and 
administrative staff. 
JRC statutory personnel is governed by EC staff regulations. For many years, the JRC has not 
recruited staff as officials. Scientific/technical temporary agents are recruited under a five year 
contract, which is renewable; after two terms the contract becomes of undetermined duration. 
Administrative temporary agents are directly recruited under a contract of undetermined duration. 
Table 3 gives the distribution of the JRC officials and temporary agents present at the JRC on 
31 December 1994, by Directorates and Institutes. In the course of 1994, as of December, 88 people 
belonging to these two categories had left the JRC and 58 had been recruited. 
Table 3 
Distribution of Statutory Staff as of December 1994 
Institutes Staff 
Di redora te General 21 
Programmes Directora te 12 
Resources Coordination - Scientific & Technical Support 387 
Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements 173 
Institute for Transuranium Elements 198 
Institute for Advanced Materials 259 
Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics 199 
Environment Institute 196 
Institute for Remote Sensing Applications 91 
Institute for Safety Technology 278 
Institute for Prospective Technological Studies 25 
JRC Seconded Staff 8 
Total 1845 
The difference between the authorised ceiling in statutory staff and the staff effectively present at 
the JRC can be explained as follows: 
posts for statutory staff, in agreement with the Council and the Parliament, have been 
deliberately kept vacant, in order to save personnel credits, to allow hiring of visiting scientists, 
seconded experts and other scientific grant holders failing outside the Human Capital and 
Mobility Programme conditions; 
the remainder of the difference corresponds to the necessary margin of flexibility required to 
allow for movement of staff during the year. 
42 
3.2. Visiting scientists, seconded experts and scientific fellows 
Numerous scientists, besides the statutory staff, are active in the JRC, under various hosting 
schemes: 
the JRC hosts senior scientists for one year or sometimes two years, as visiting scientists; 
experts from national organisations may be seconded to the JRC, to participate in selected 
scientific work; 
the JRC trains researchers, through a programme of fellowships, granted to postgraduate 
students preparing a doctorate; 
the JRC participates in the Human Capital and Mobility (HCM) programme, and hosts post­
doctoral scientists under this programme. 
Table 4 shows where these people worked in the various JRC institutes. 
It is also worthwhile mentioning that, thanks to the Human Capital and Mobility programme, the 
number of post-doctoral scientists present at the JRC increased from 13 in 1992 to 91 in 1993 and to 
197 in 1994 ; furthermore, there are about 40 scientists from third countries working at the JRC on a 
grant, within the framework of a Commission agreement with their countries or with the IAEA. 
Besides the above mentioned scientists, several senior scientists and about 150 trainees are working 
at the JRC with no cost to the EC budget, in general for a short period of time. 
Table 4 
Visiting scientists, seconded experts, grant holders (situation as of December 1994) 
Institutes 
Institute for Reference 
Materials and Measurements 
Institute for Transuranium 
Elements 
Institute for Advanced 
Materials 
Institute for Systems 
Engineering and Informatics 
Environment Institute 
Institute for Remote Sensing 
Applications 
Institute for Safety 
Technology 
Institute for Prospective 
Technological Studies 
Total Visiting 
scientists 
3 
-
3 
6 
4 
6 
4 
1 
27 Seconded 
experts 
1 
-
-
2 
3 
5 
2 
-
13 Post-doctoral 
scientists 
19 
21 
44 
35 
22 
25 
24 
7 
197 Fost-graduate 
students 
15 
12 
10 
14 
34 
14 
13 
5 
117 Total 
38 
33 
57 
57 
63 
50 
43 
13 
354 
-43 
4. FINANCES 
The commitment credits fixed by the budgetary authority for the execution by the JRC of the specific 
research programmes and S/t support activities for the Commission for 1994 are as follows : 
Specific research programmes 189.38 Mioecu 
S/t support for the Commission 68.79 Mioecu 
Total 258.17 Mioecu 
Other resources for HFR operation and third party work are : 
HFR Reactor 18.97 Mioecu (Supplementary 
programme) 
Work for third parties 12.65 Mioecu (Budgetary advance) 
Total 31.62 Mioecu 
Furthermore, there was a contribution of 11.15 Mioecu from the EEA/EFTA countries to the specific 
programmes for the EEC. The total amount of available credits was therefore 300.94 Mioecu. 
Details of 1994 commitments are given in Table 5 which covers specific research programmes, 
exploratory research, S/T support to the Commission and work for third parties (HFR Reactor and 
others). 
The advance in the budget of reimbursable credits for the execution of work for third parties has 
been committed only to the level of 8.79 Mioecu; the unused credits of this advance, amounting to 
3.86 Mioecu, have been reimbursed by cancellation. 
For exploratory research, the budget initially foresaw 1.45 Mioecu (including the EEA/EFTA 
contribution); appropriations have been provided during the year by transfers from the programme 
lines, within the ceiling set by Council Decisions and the Financial Regulations. 
44 
Table 5 
Commitments for Programme Execution 1994 including the EEA/EFTA contribution 
(Rounded figures, MioEcu) 
Specific Research Programmes 
Industrial and Materials 
Technology 
Measurement and Testing 
Environment 
Human Capital and Mobility 
Nuclear Fission Safety 
Controlled Thermonuclear 
Fusion 
Exploratory Research 
Subtotal 
S/T Support to the Commission 
Subtotal 
Others 
HFR Reactor 
Work for Third Parties 
(Advance: reimbursable 
credits) 
Subtotal 
Total Personnel 
17,70 
19,99 
30,84 
-
26.26 
8,51 
5,80 
109,10 
37,99 
147.09 
4,93 
4,59 
9,52 
156,61 Other 
Expenditures 
8,83 
13,29 
19,54 
11,74 
26,92 
6,07 
4,69 
91,08 
31,96 
123,04 
12,17 
4,20*** 
16.37 
139.41 Total 
26,53 
33,28 
50,38 
11,74 
53,18 
14,58 
10,49* 
200,18 
69,95 
270,13 
17,10 
8,79**** 
25,89 
296,02 Budget 1994 
29,14 
34,71 
52,64 
11,80 
57,16 
13,63 
1,45 
200,53 
68,79 
269,32 
18,97** 
12,65 
31,62 
300.94 
*) As explained on the preceding page this was made available by the initial budget figure and 
transfers from the other programme lines. 
**) HFR foreseen resources. 
***) Specific credits, paid by the contractors in order to perform the work, are not included in these 
figures; they amount to 2.81 Mioecu. 
The total volume of contractual work performed in 1994 amounts thus to 11,60Mioecu. 
****) The advance in the budget of reimbursable credits for the execution of work for third parties 
has been committed only to the level of 8,79 Mioecu; the unused credits of this advance, 
amounting to 3.86 Mioecu have been reimbursed by cancellation. 
45 
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES 
Page 
Tables 
1. JRC execution of TPW ordered during the period 1988-1991 16 
2. JRC Publications by JRC Institute in 1994 22 
3. Distribution of Statutory Staff 41 
4. Visiting Scientists, Seconded Experts and Grant Holders 42 
5. Commitments for Programme Execution 1994 44 
Figures 
1. S/T Support for Commission Services 14 
2. JRC Work for Third Parties 17 
3. Third Party Work ordered from the JRC during the period 1992-1994 17 
4. JRC bilateral and multilateral cooperations 19 
5. J RC HCM and E U RE K A Cooperati ons 19 ANNEX A 
-46 
ANNEXB 
JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE 
GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 
ALTENER Specific actions for greater penetration for renewable energy sources 
BCR Bureau Communautaire de Référence 
BRITE-EURAM Basic Research in Industrial Technologies for Europe/European Research on 
Advanced Materials 
CEA Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique 
CEN Comité Européen de Normalisation 
DG Directorate General 
EAEC European Atomic Energy Community 
ECN Energie Centrum Nederland 
ELSA European Laboratory for Structural Assessment 
ESA European Space Agency 
ESD Euratom Safeguards Directorate 
ESTER European Source Term Research Code 
ETHEL European Tritium Handling Experimental Laboratory 
EURATOM European Atomic Energy Community 
EUREKA European Research Coordination Agency 
EUROENVIRON EUREKA Environmental Umbrella Project 
EUROSTAT European Statistical Office 
EUROTRAC European Experiment on Transport and Transformation of Environmentally Relevant 
Trace Constituents in the Troposphere (EUREKA project) 
FARO Experimental Facility for Fuel Melting 
FORMENTOR EUREKA project to develop expert system to help decision in hazardous situations 
(complex man made systems) 
HCM Human Capital and Mobility 
HFR High Flux Reactor (Petten Site) 
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency 
ISO International Standards Organisation 
KFK Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe 
OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development 
PHEBUS French In-Pile Programme (Severe Fuel Damage) 
SAR Synthetic Aperture Radar 
SAFE Specific actions for vigorous energy efficiency/Action déterminée en faveur d'une 
plus grande efficacité énergétique 
SCK/CEN Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie/Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires 
STARS Software Tools for Analysis of Reliability and Safety 
THERMIE Technologies Européennes pour la Maîtrise de l'Energie 
~HY-
ISSN 1024-4492 
KOM(95) 121 lopullinen 
ASIAKIRJAT 
FI 15 
iAiettetamimero : CB-CO-95-131-FI-C 
ISBN 92-77-87570-4 
Euroopan yhteisöjen virallisten julkaisujen toimisto 
L-2985 Luxembourg