I r*r" ~ I EUROPEISKA GEMENSKAPERNAS KOMMISSION 
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Bryssel den 17.04.1996 
KOM(96)158 slutlig 
Gemensamma forskningscentret (GFC) 
ÅRSRAPPORT FOR VERKSAMHETEN 1995 
(Framlagd av kommissionen) 

SYNPUNKTER FRAN GUVERNÖRSRÅDET PA GEMENSAMMA 
FORSKNINGSCENTRETS ÅRSRAPPORT FOR 1995 
1995 - DET FÖRSTA ARET MED NYA UPPGIFTER 
1995 var ett betydelsefullt år för GFC. Det var nämligen då som GFCs nya roll efter 
överenskommelse med rådet, parlamentet och kommissionen skulle börja. 
GFC:s ändrade roll innebar ett behov av ett bredare utbud av konkurrensutsatt verksamhet än 
tidigare och från och med 1995 kan GFC delta i gemenskapsprogram på samma villkor som sina 
nationella samarbetspartner från forsknings- och industrivärlden. Som framgår av den här 
rapporten har GFC hittat dynamiska lösningar på denna nya utmaning och i fråga om programmen 
för verksamhet med delat kostnadsansvar har man nått lovande resultat tillsammans med 
samarbetspartners i medlemsstaterna och andra länder med anknytning till programmen. Även när 
det gäller övriga typer av konkurrensutsatt verksamhet har man uppnått goda resultat. Trots de 
nya arbetsmetoder som introducerades under 1995 har GFC inte slagit av på takten för arbeten 
utförda för tredje part i jämförelse med tidigare år. Guvernörsrådet noterar att de preliminära mål 
som sattes upp för deltagande i konkurrensutsatt verksamhet för 1995 som helhet har överträffats. 
Konkurrensutsatt verksamhet är bara en del av GFC:s arbete, där andra delar utgörs av t.ex. 
institutionell forskning och vetenskaplig och teknisk stödverksamhet till unionens politik inom 
olika sektorer, särskilt miljö, energi, jordbruk och industri. Guvernörsrådet uppskattar att GFC 
ständigt strävar efter att uppfylla kundernas krav. I fråga om forskningen finns en välkommen vilja 
att få fram resultat till nytta för industrin och samhället. Rapporten ger belysande exempel på detta 
och guvernörsrådet kommer att fortsätta sporra GFC till fortsatt utveckling mot ett 
resultatorienterat GFC med en ökad inriktning på spridning av forskningsresultaten. På grundval av 
frekventa utvärderingar av GFC är guvernörsrådet tillfreds med den höga kvaliteten på GFC:s 
arbete och den allt större betydelse det får för att uppfylla de behov som Europeiska unionens 
politik skapar. 
Guvernörsrådet noterade redan förra året sina förväntningar på GFGs utveckling från 1995 och 
framåt. Bland de åtgärder som guvernörsrådet vidtagit för att förbättra uppföljningen av GFCs 
verksamhet finns en omorganisation av underkommittéerna som gör att man mer detaljerat kan 
granska GFC:s institutioner. Fortlöpande ansträngningar görs för att införa kapacitetsparametrar 
och kvalitetsbedömning. 
UTVÄRDERING A V GFC 
För sin vägledning av GFC under året har guvernörsrådet tagit fasta på rekommendationer från de 
utvärderingar av GFC och dess institut som gjordes av externa, oberoende experter i slutet av förra 
programperioden, 1992-1994. Guvernörsrådet har gått igenom samtliga rekommendationer från 
detta arbete och medger att GFC:s ledning gjort ansträngningar för att genomföra dem, men 
noterar samtidigt attvissa värdefulla rekommendationer, särskilt när det gäller administration och 
personalpolitik, inte har genomförts beroende på skäl som ligger utanför GFCs kontroll. 
REGLER SOM STYR GFC - PERSONALFRÅGOR 
Guvernörsrådet fortsätter att arbeta för att GFC helt och hållet skall kunna drivas så att det kan 
uppnå de förändrade arbetsmetoder som förordades av rådet i april 1994. Detta kan innebära en 
vidare utveckling av de regler och den lagstiftning som styr centrets verksamhet och eventuellt en 
förändrad ställning inom kommissionen. Det bör också leda till större flexibilitet när det gäller 
budgeten och finansiella frågor kombineratmed framstegen för det administrativa finansiella 
systemet. Guvernörsrådet har presenterat sina synpunkter på dessa viktiga frågor för Edith Cresson, 
kommissionär med ansvar bl.a för forskning. Mot slutet av året informerades guvernörsrådet om 
den nära förestående planen om att ge GFC utökat självstyre inom kommissionen och om andra 
organisationsförändringar som planerades. Söm ett första resultat av detta kommer GFC att få 
status som eget generaldirektorat från första delan av 1996 (enligt beslut den 16 januari 1996). 
1 ©^ 
Guvernörsrådet har även diskuterat personalpolitik med kommissionären och kommer attbevaka 
vilka följderna blir för GFC i fråga om kommissionens nya personalpolitik i unionens 
forskningsbudget. I likhet med personalen på många andra europeiska forskningsinstitut, har GFC 
en åldersstruktur som gör att många av medarbetarna kommer att gå i pension inom de närmaste 
åren. Fem tjänster som institutschef blev lediga under 1995 och av dessa har fyra tillsatts av 
kommissionen på förslag från guvernörsrådet, medan den femte tjänsten fortfarande är vakant. 
Guvernörsrådet välkomnar de fyra nya cheferna som började vid GFC i mitten av 1995. 
INFORMATIONSSPRIDNING OM GFC:S VERKSAMHET 
GFCs ändrade roll kräver en ökad informationsspridning om verksamheten till alla berörda parter 
på nationell nivå. Som ett stöd för detta planerade medlemmar av guvernörsrådet tillsammans med 
GFC under 1995 för en fortsättning av GFCs informationsdagar och presentationer av GFCs 
verksamhet i medlemsstaterna i syfte att främja fortsatt samarbete mellan nationella 
forskningslaboratorier, universitet, industrin och GFC. För att uppnå god samordning mellan GFCs 
forskningsverksamhet och övrig forskningsverksamhet med anknytning till den inom 
gemenskapens ramprogram, har medlemmar från guvernörsrådet tillsammans med GFC-
representanter deltagit i möten med gemenskapens programkommittéer. Dessa utbyten av 
synpunkter som de föreskrivs i rådsbeslut om GFC-program bör intensifieras och omfatta all 
relevant programverksamhet under 1996. 
STRATEGI 
För att GFC skall klara sin uppgift att bedriva kundorienterad forskning av högsta kvalitet och 
integritet som stöd för gemenskapspolitiken krävs en tydlig och långsiktig strategi för GFC och dess 
institut. I slutet av 1995 enades guvernörsrådet om en uppdaterad strategi för GFC och man har 
diskuterat de underliggande strategierna förvarje institut som vägledning för centret för dess 
nuvarande och framtida verksamhet. En av de åtgärder som fanns i 1995 års strategidokument är 
ökad användning av kapacitetsindikatorer för att stödja utvecklingen av GFC. 
INSTITUTET FÖR FRAMTIDSSTUDIER (IPTS) 
I sitt utlåtande om årsrapporten från 1994 nämner guvernörsrådet den nya placeringen av IPTS i 
Sevilla och det arbete som planeras. Guvernörsrådet är tillfreds med det nya arbetsprogrammet för 
IPTS som definierades 1995 och som godkänts av kommissionen. Guvernörsrådet uppskattar även 
den nya betydelsefulla teknikövervakningsfunktion som invigdes av Edith Cresson i närvaro av 
styrelseordföranden. Edith Cresson betonade det samarbete som IPTS har etablerat i 
medlemsstaterna och med Europaparlamentet. 
HÖGFLÖDESREAKTORN 
1995 var det sista året för det kompletterande EURATOM-programmet för högflödesreaktom i 
nederländska Petten. Under året har det förekommit diskussioner på alla nivåer om framtiden för 
högflödesreaktom och det föreslagna fleråriga programmet som skulle starta under 1996. Man har 
bland annat diskuterat en genomgripande översyn av ledningen för anläggningen och en intensiv 
satsning mot en mera kommersiell användning av en större del av reaktorns kapacitet med 
åtföljande förbättringar av effektivitet och ekonomi. 
OMNÄMNANDEN 
Guvernörsrådet uppskattar de täta kontakter man haft med kommissionären med ansvar för 
forskning, Edith Cresson, och ser fram emot vidare diskussioner om utvecklingen av GFCs strategi. 
Guvernörsrådet vill samtidigt visa sin uppskattning för de stora insatser som gjorts av 
generaldirektören, enhetscheferna och samtliga GFC-anställda i arbetet med att klara de nya 
utmaningarna. 
2 «X. 
GEMENSAMMA FORSKNINGSCENTRET 
Gemensamma forskningscentret (GFC) är Europeiska unionens gemensamma 
forskningslaboratorium. Det är inrättat av Europeiska kommissionen och har sitt säte i Bryssel. På 
fem orter, i Belgien, Italien, Nederländerna, Spanien och Tyskland, finns sammanlagt åtta olika 
institut som vart och ett har en specialinriktning. 
Instituten är följande: 
IRMM Institutet för referensmaterial och -mätningar GEEL (B) 
ITU Institutet för transuraner KARLSRUHE (D) 
IAM Institutet för avancerade material PETTEN (NL)och ISPRA(I) 
ISEI Institutet för systemteknik och informationsteknik ISPRA (I) 
El Miljöinstitutet ISPRA (I) 
IRSA Institutet för tillämpningar av fjärranalys ISPRA (I) 
1ST Institutet för säkerhetsteknologi ISPRA (I) 
IPTS Institutet för framtidsstudier SEVILLA (SP) 
GFCs uppgift är att främja och bedriva kundorienterad forskning av högsta kvalitet och integritet 
som stöd för gemenskapspolitiken. 
Det gemensamma forskningscentret är en väsentlig del av gemenskapens system för forskning och 
teknisk utveckling och bidrar som sådant till gemenskapens forskningspolitik, särskilt på de 
områden där centret har gedigna, för att inte säga unika, kunskaper och på områden där centrets 
neutralitet är av avgörande betydelse för den vetenskapliga och tekniska stödverksamheten för 
gemenskapspolitiken. Dessa verksamheter utförs genom GFCs särskilda program som beslutas av 
rådet och som finansieras av Europeiska unionens budget. Dessutom deltar GFC alltmer, på 
konkurrensutsatta villkor, tillsammans med industrin, forskningsorganisationer och universitet i 
medlemsstaterna eller associerade länder i gemenskapsprogram, inklusive verksamhet med delat 
kostnadsansvar i enlighet med ramprogrammen. Centret erbjuder också mot betalning sina tjänster 
till olika kunder. 
Personalen uppgick vid slutet av 1995 till 1 786 personer inbegripet tjänstemän och tillfälligt 
anställda. Till detta antal skall läggas 319 forskare som deltog i olika forskningsprojekt och som 
avlönades av GFC. 
Värdet på GFCs krediter under 1995 uppgick till knappt 258 miljoner ecu. 
Den här årsrapporten syftar till att ge en allmän överblick av GFC: s verksamhet under 1995. 
I årsrapporterna från de åtta forskningsinstituten finns mer detaljerade uppgifter. GFC ger även ut 
ett stort antal antal vetenskapliga rapporter, presenterar dokument till konferenser och bidrar med 
artiklar i vetenskapliga tidskrifter (en uppställning över dessa rapporter finns i 
Publikationsbulletinen som ges ut årligen), organiserar workshops, seminarier och konferenser för 
att sprida sina vetenskapliga resultat. 
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1. DET GEMENSAMMA FORSKNINGSCENTRET UNDER 1995 
1995 - ETT BETYDELSEFULLT AR 
1995 var första året för GFCs nya inriktning. Denna formulerats av Europeiska unionens råd, 
Europaparlamentet och Europeiska kommissionen efter diskussioner som 1994 ledde till beslut om 
ramprogram för gemenskapens verksamheter inom forskning, teknisk utveckling och 
demonstration samt till de efterföljande besluten om särskilda forskningsprogram i syfte att 
genomföra ramprogrammen. Dessa inkluderar två forskningsprogram under åren 1995-98 som är 
specifika för GFC, varav ett gäller Europeiska gemenskapen (EG) och det andra Europeiska 
atomenergigemenskapen (Euratom). I enlighet med rådets slutsatser av den 26 april 1994 om GFC: s 
roll, har centret under 1995 bedrivit både institutionella verksamheter och konkurrensutsatta 
verksamheter. De förra omfattar institutionell forskning och teknisk/vetenskaplig stödverksamhet 
för gemenskapspolitiken. De konkurrensutsatta verksamheterna omfattar deltagande i åtgärder 
med delat kostnadsansvar inom ramprogrammen, åtgärder för att stödja konkurrenskraften hos 
kommissionens tjänster som ansvarar för olika politikområden inom unionen, konkurrensutsatta 
verksamheter som ligger utanför gemenskapens ramprogram samt kontraktsarbeten utförda för 
tredje part. 
Under 1995 tog dessutom den nyligen utsedda kommissionen initiativ för att stärka samarbetet 
mellan industri- och forskningsvärlden. I det sammanhanget betonade kommissionären med ansvar 
för forskning, Edith Cresson, behovet av fortsatt kommersialisering av GFCs forskningsresultat och 
av förbättrad spridning av GFC: s verksamhet. 
Under 1995 utökades också Europeiska unionen med tre nya medlemsstater (Finland, Sverige och 
Österrike). Dessa länder hade redan under 1994 deltagit i GFC:s verksamhet i enlighet med EES-
avtalet (Europeiska ekonomiska samarbetsområdet). Inom denna ram kunde GFC under 1995 
fortsätta samarbetet med Island, Liechtenstein och Norge. 
INSTITUTIONELLA VERKSAMHETER 
GFC:s institutionella verksamheter bidrog till att nå målen för det fjärde ramprogrammet för EG-
och Euratom-programmen inom områdena informations- och kommunikationsteknik 
(informationsteknik), industriteknik (industri- och materialteknik, mätning och testning), miljö 
(miljö och klimat), biovetenskap och bioteknik (jordbruk och fiske, inklusive jordbruksindustrin, 
livsmedelsteknik, skogsbruk och landsbygdsutveckling), icke-kärnbränsle, riktad 
samhällsvetenskaplig forskning, säkerhet vid kärnfission och termisk kärnfusion. 
NYA UTMANINGAR: KONKURRENSUTSATTA VERKSAMHETER 
Efter grundliga förberedelser, som började 1994, svarade GFC på de utmaningar som var resultatet 
av de nya möjligheter som 1995 öppnades för konkurrensutsatta verksamheter. Tillsammans med 
samarbetspartner från industrin, forskningscenter ochuniversitet i unionen och associerade länder, 
utarbetades mer än 300 förslag som svar på den första ansökningsomgången enligt de nya 
ramprogrammen. Av förslagen antogs 28 %. GFC presenterade även förslag på åtgärder i syfte att 
främja konkurrensen och för gemenskapsprogram utanför ramprogrammen, i synnerhet PHARE 
och TACIS, där man fick kontrakt på arbeten som gällde kärnsäkerhet i länder i Central- och 
Östeuropa, samt i Ryssland och övriga nya oberoende stater. 
För att man skulle kunna utnyttja dessa nya möjligheter krävdes intensiv marknadsföring av GFC. 
Detta möjliggjordes tack vare flera rättsliga, finansiella, budgetmässiga och administrativa beslut 
som fattades av gemenskapens institutioner (rådet, parlamentet och kommissionen). Besluten 
omfattade nödvändiga ändringar av budgetförordningen för Europeiska unionens budget, som 
det fattats beslut om i september 1995. 
Kontraktsuppdrag som utförts för externa tredje parter var också betydande och nya kontrakt som 
ingicks under 1995 uppgick till över 18 miljoner ecu. 
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BESÖK AV KOMMISSIONAREN 
Den 20 juli 1995 besökte kommissionären Edith Cresson för första gången GFC. Det första besöket 
skedde vid institutet i Ispra, följt av ITU i Karlsruhe i september och i december IPTS i Sevilla där 
Edith Cresson invigde institutets nya teknikövervakningsfunktion. I sitt tal till personalen 
uppmuntrade hon GFC att fortsätta sitt arbete för forskning och teknisk utveckling i Europa. Hon 
presenterade kommissionens uppfattning i fråga om GFC:s bidrag till unionens politik och till 
engagemanget för konkurrensutsatta verksamheter. 
1995 meddelade kommissionen att man inrättat flera arbetsgrupper som skall syssla med industriell 
forskning inom följande områden: den nya generationen flygplan, multimedieprogram för 
utbildning, morgondagens bil, vacciner och virussjukdomar, framtidens tåg och järnvägssystem, 
transporter som kombinerar olika transportsätt, framtidens sjöfartssystem och miljövänliga 
vattenteknologier. Personal från GFC har deltagit i de flesta av dessa arbetsgrupper och parallellt 
med detta har GFCs ledning planerat nya inriktningar för GFCs institutionella forskningsområden 
för att anpassa forskningen efter de nya prioriteringar som kommissionen angivit. 
NYA CHEFER 
Under året tillträdde nya chefer för fyra av GFC-instituten, ISEI, El, IRSA och IAM, efter att ha blivit 
utnämnda av kommissionen på förslag från guvernörsrådet. 
INITIATIV FÖR FÖRBÄTTRAD KOMMUNIKATION 
Banden mellan GFC och industrin, forskningscentra och universitet stärktes också genom att man 
anordnade informationsdagar i London, Aten, Köpenhamn, Milano och Wien, på initiativ från 
medlemmar av guvernörsrådet. Informationsdagarna gav instituten tillfälle att presentera sig och i 
workshops diskutera nya perspektiv för samarbete. På liknande vis har representanter för GFC:s 
ledning och personal hållit ett antal seminarieri medlemsstaterna om GFCs verksamhet rent 
allmänt och i synnerhet de delar som syftar till att stimulera konkret samarbete på nationell eller 
regional nivå med industrin och forskningsinstanser. Genom information, bl.a. i form av nyhetsbrev 
och riktade seminarier, riktad till övriga tjänster inom kommissionen har man demonstrerat hur 
GFC kan bidra till att genomföra unionens politik. 
STRATEGI 
Under programperioden 1995-98 kommer GFC å ena sidan att bygga på erfarenheterna från 
tidigare programperiod, å andra sidan måste man möta de utmaningar som de ständiga och 
snabba förändringarna på världsmarknaden ställer på den europeiska industrin och de nya krav 
som den Europeiska unionen står inför, och där tyngdpunkten ligger på offentliggörandet av de 
forskningsresultat som är viktiga för industrin och samhället. För att klara kraven organiserar därför 
GFC varje år flera konferenser, workshops och seminarier på sina fem orter i Europa. 
Besökssiffrorna återspeglar det intresse som den vetenskapliga världen visar för de bidrag som GFC 
kan lämna till forskning och utveckling. 
I syfte att stärka GFCs nya hållning så som den föreskrivs av rådet, parlamentet och kommissionen 
har guvernörsrådet och GFCs ledning under året diskuterat strategierna för de åtta instituten och 
GFC som helhet, vilket resulterade i att tyngdpunkten skall ligga på kundorienterad forskning av 
hög kvalitet som är till verklig nytta för Europeiska unionen och som skall utföras effektivt och med 
flexibel omställning allt efter ändrade behov på marknaden. 
GFCs verksamhet skapar band mellan forskarlag i medlemsstaterna som befinner sig på olika 
nivåer i fråga om vetenskaplig och teknisk utveckling. Verksamheten bidrar följaktligen till att 
stärka sammanhållningen mellan laboratorier och forskningsinstitut i gemenskapens samtliga 
regioner. 
5 «Cx. 
1.1 INSTITUTIONELL VERKSAMHET: GFCS SÄRSKILDA FORSKNINGSPROGRAM 
Den viktigaste uppgiften för GFC under 1995 var att bidra till genomförandet av GFCs särskilda 
forskningsprogram i enlighet med gemenskapens ramprogram som skulle genomföras för första 
gången. Bidraget bestod av institutionell forskningsverksamhet och vetenskaplig/teknisk 
stödverksamhet till kommissionens tjänster. 
1.1.1 Institutionell forskningsverksamhet 
Under 1995 uppgick den institutionella forskningsverksamheten till 73 % av GFC:s institutionella 
verksamhet uppdelad på följande program: 
• Programmet Industriteknik och materialteknik genomförs av Institutet för avancerade material 
(IAM) och omfattar forskningsprojekt som rör avancerade material, ytteknik, nya miljövänliga 
material och icke-destruktiva utvärderingsmetoder för kontroll av industrikomponenter. 
• Programmet Mätning och testning omfattade forskningsprojekt om referensmätningar och 
-material och genomfördes av Institutet för referensmaterial och -mätningar (IRMM). Programmet 
omfattade även en bedömning av pålitligheten hos strukturer, som genomfördes av Institutet för 
säkerhetsteknologi (1ST). 
• Programmet Miljö och klimat bestod av forskningsprojekt om förorening av atmosfären, mark 
och vatten och genomfördes av Miljöinstitutet (El), om successiv uppbyggnad av ett decentraliserat 
europeiskt databehandlings- och informationssystem för Centret för jordobservationer, om 
tillämpningen av fjärranalys som genomfördes av Institutet för tillämpningar av fjärranalys (IRSA) 
och om industriella risker som genomfördes av Institutet för säkerhetsteknologi (1ST) och av 
Institutet för systemteknik och informationsteknik (ISEl). 
• Programmet om icke-nukleär energi bestod av forskningsprojekt om material för rena 
teknologier, genomfört av Institutet för avancerade material (IAM), om standardisering av 
fotoelektriska apparater som genomfördes av Institutet för systemteknik och informationsteknik 
(ISEl). 
• Programmet om säkerhet vid kärnfissioner omfattade olika slags forskning från studier om 
reaktorsäkerhet, genomförda av Institutet för säkerhetsteknologi (1ST), av Institutet för 
systemteknik och informationsteknik (ISEl) och Institutet för avancerade material (IAM), till 
verksamhet som gäller nukleär säkerhet och hantering av kluvet material, genomförd av Institutet 
för säkerhetsteknologi (1ST), av Institutet för systemteknik och informationsteknik (ISEl) och av 
Institutet för transuraner (ITU). ITU genomförde även forskning om kärnbränsle och aktinider. 
• Programmet Kontrollerad termisk kärnfusion (teknologi och säkerhet) genomförs av Institutet 
för säkerhetsteknologi (1ST), Institutet för systemteknik och informationsteknik (ISEl) och Institutet 
för avancerade material (IAM). 
• Programmet Riktad samhällsvetenskaplig forskning omfattar övervakningsfunktionen för 
vetenskap och teknik och verksamheten vid Institutet för framtidsstudier (IPTS). Institutets 
viktigaste uppgift är att bearbeta material från experter, konsulter, forskningsorganisationer och 
institut i medlemsstater och om det är möjligt i tredje länder i syfte att opartiskt analysera, 
behandla och integrera materialet samt, vilket är ännu viktigare, att urskilja trender eller områden 
där åtgärder behövs och att presentera dessa för beslutsfattare. 
• Tack vare den institutionella forskningen kunde GFC skapa ett nät av vetenskapligt samarbete 
över hela Europa. GFC har via bilateralt och multilateralt samarbete lyckats skapa fler än 800 
kontakter med olika partners, huvudsakligen inom Europeiska unionen men även i andra 
europeiska länder, i USA och Japan. 
• Slutligen har den institutionella forskningen varit en av huvudfaktorerna som gör det möjligt för 
GFC att utveckla europeiska forskningsnätverk som är inriktade på GFC:s egna resurser. 
6 ô^ 
1.1.2 Institutionell vetenskaplig och teknisk stödverksamhet för gemenskapspolitiken 
GFC försåg unionens politik med vetenskapligt och tekniskt stöd på begäran av berörda tjänster 
inom kommissionen i enlighet med ett rådsbeslut av den 15 december 1994 (som antog GFCs 
särskilda program). Denna vetenskapliga och tekniska verksamhet utgjorde 27 % av GFC:s 
institutionella verksamhet. 
Stödverksamheten är kundorienterad, vilket är i linje med opartiska och neutrala vetenskapliga och 
tekniska krav från EG-direktiv, kommissions- och rådsbeslut eller krav i Euratomfördraget. 
Förhållandet kund/utförare mellan den beställande tjänsten inom kommissionen och GFC-
instituten kommer till uttryck i utarbetandet och undertecknandet av samarbetsavtal mellan 
generaldirektoraten. 
Den allmänna övervakningen av sådana GFC-tjänster till andra generaldirektorat inom 
kommissionen har skötts av en officiell kommitté som omfattar flera direktorat och är upprättad i 
enlighet med ett kommissionsbeslut. Kommittén som sammanträdde vid två tillfällen under 1995, 
bägge gångerna med ett högt deltagarantal, har en dubbel roll: den skall dels övervaka det arbete 
som utförs, för att säkerställa ett smidigt och ömsesidigt informationsutbyte om verksamheten 
(under 1995 fick alla generaldirektorat information om stödverksamheten via mer än 100 
sammanfattningar), dels skall den planera verksamheten för kommande år och då beakta 
prioriteringar, nya krav och budgetbegränsningar. 
Detta vetenskapliga och tekniska stöd rörde följande ramprogram: informationsteknologier, miljö 
och klimat, jordbruk och fiske, riktad samhällsvetenskaplig forskning och kärnsäkerhet och 
säkerhetsåtgärder. 
GFC:s tre viktigaste stödverksamheter är följande: 
1. GFC-stöd för miljöpolitiken, som svarar för 46 % av budgeten för vetenskapligt och tekniskt stöd, 
ger GD XI vetenskapligt och tekniskt stöd vid genomförandet av lagstiftningen som rör miljöfarliga 
kemikalier, förorening av luften, vattenkvalitet, kemiskt avfall, industriella risker och kärnsäkerhet. 
Samarbetsavtalet mellan generaldirektoraten för perioden 1995-98 undertecknades i december 
1995. 
2. GFC-stöd för den gemensamma jordbrukspolitiken uppgår till 16,5 % av budgeten för 
vetenskapligt och tekniskt stöd. Samarbetsavtalet mellan generaldirektoraten för perioden 1995-
98 undertecknades den 17 juli 1995. 
3. GFC-stöd för kärnsäkerhet (Euratom säkerhetsåtgärder GD XVII, IAEA stödprogram för 
säkerhetsåtgärder GD I) står för 32 % av budgeten för vetenskapligt och tekniskt stöd. 
Samarbetsavtalet mellan generaldirektoraten för perioden 1995-98 förväntas undertecknas i 
början av 1996. 
7<£^ 
1.2 KONKURRENSUTSATT VERKSAMHET 
1988 infördes systemet med uppdrag som skulle utföras för tredje part, vilket innebar att GFC skulle 
bedriva forskning på kontraktsbasis för externa kunder. Syftet var att få en värdemätning av GFC:s 
arbete och dess konkurrenskraft, att öka teknologiöverföringen till slutanvändarna och att låta den 
europeiska industrin och forskningsinstituten dra nytta av GFC:s speciella tillgångar och 
kompetens. Detta var första steget i att öppna GFC för konkurrens. I de diskussioner i rådet och 
Europaparlamentet som ledde till besluten om det fjärde ramprogrammet och EURATOM-
ramprogrammet underströks behovet av att GFC fortsatte och intensifierade sin strävan att bli mer 
konkurrensutsatt på basis av ett äkta förhållande mellan kund och utförare så som det fastställs i 
rådets sammanfattning om GFCs roll i april 1994. 
Genomförandet av rådets slutsatser innebar, vilket rådet noterat, flera åtgärder och beslut om 
rättsliga, budgetmässiga, finansiella och administrativa frågor som helst skulle ha trätt i kraft den 1 
januari 1995. 
Det viktigaste beslutet rörde ändringar av budgetförordningen. Detta beslut föregås alltid av långa 
förhandlingar innan rådet kan fatta beslut, vilket den här gången skedde i september 1995. 
Målet är att förändringen skall ske stegvis: cirka 20 % av den globala GFC-budgeten för 1995-98 
bör finansieras genom konkurrensutsatt verksamhet. Den 1 januari 1995 omfattade GFC:s 
konkurrensutsatta verksamhet följande: 
-Deltagande i verksamhet med delat kostnadsansvar där GFC tillsammans med partners i 
medlemsstaterna lämnar in förslag i samband med ansökningsomgångar, eller bidrar till förslag 
som lämnats in av andra laboratorier enligt ramprogrammen. 
-Konkurrensutsatt verksamhet för vetenskapligt och tekniskt stöd enligt det fjärde 
ramprogrammet, där GFC kan konkurrera om konkurrensutsatta uppdrag från kommissionens 
generaldirektorat. 
-Övrig k on kurrens utsatt verksamhet som ligger utanför ramprogrammen där GFC ensamt eller 
tillsammans med andra kan delta i olika verksamheter som finansieras av gemenskapen (t.ex 
PHARE, TACIS, stöd till utvecklingsländer osv.) och kan söka bidrag från gemenskapen för dessa 
verksamheter. 
-Kontraktsforskning, det ursprungliga arbetssättet för tredje part som nämns ovan, som nu är del 
av GFCs ordinarie konkurrensutsatta utbud. 
Även om förberedelserna för den snabba uppgången av konkurrensutsatt verksamhet hade startat 
redan 1994, var 1995 året då man började lära sig av erfarenheterna: lära sig att hantera nya 
administrativa och rättsliga frågor, lära sig att på ett kreativt sätt omdisponera sina resurser och 
personal för att möta nya utmaningar och lära sig attanpassa sig till en helt ny inre och yttre miljö. 
GFC-instituten har tagit itu med den konkurrensutsatta verksamheten på ett motiverat, flexibelt 
och entusiastiskt sätt och har dessutom haft gott stöd av en intern arbetsgrupp för 
konkurrensutsatt verksamhet. 
I fråga om GFCs deltagande i verksamhet med delat kostnadsansvar har GFC tillsammans med 
samarbetspartners från medlemsstaterna lämnat in totalt 338 projektförslag som svar på de första 
ansökningsomgångarna för femton specifika program. I december 1995 hade kommissionen 
beviljat finansiellt stöd till 95 av dessa förslag, vilket motsvarar 28 % av de inlämnade förslagen. Det 
finansiella resultatet för GFC, som visserligen är svårt att bedöma exakt beroende på pågående 
kontraktsförhandlingar för flera projekt, kommer att överstiga 10,5 miljoner ecu. Det är viktigt att 
notera hur både förslagsverksamheten och de följande utvärderingsresultaten har visat betydelsen 
av GFCs arbete och dess förankring i den europeiska industri- och forskarvärlden. 
Inom området konkurrensutsatt verksamhet för vetenskapligt och tekniskt stöd öronmärktes 128 
miljoner ecu inom det fjärde ramprogrammet för fyraårsperioden. Av dessa ställdes 26,5 miljoner 
ecu till förfogande för kommissionens tjänster i början av 1995, men endast 20 miljoner ecu har 
8 <3^ 
använts under 1995. GFCs institut har lyckats få cirka 11,9 miljoner ecu i form av kontrakt, 
ensamma eller i samarbete med andra. 
GFC:s institut har även uppvisat en hög aktivitetsnivå under 1995 för övrig konkurrensutsatt 
verksamhet utanför ramprogram som TACIS, PHARE osv. I den här hårt konkurrensutsatta sektorn 
av marknaden har GFC fått kontrakt motsvarande 2,3 miljoner ecu. 
Nya kontrakt (vunna på marknaden i sin helhet) för arbeten för tredje part uppgår för 1995 till över 
18 miljoner ecu. Det är imponerande att kunna bibehålla marknadsandelarna med tanke på de 
stora ansträngningar som lagts ned på övriga områden (för 1994 uppgick kontraktsvärdet för 
arbeten för tredje part till 18 miljoner ecu). 
I tabell 1 ges en översikt av intäkter under 1995 för konkurrensutsatt verksamhet. 
Tabell 1 - konkurrensutsatt verksamhet 
Intäkter under 1995 (i miljoner ecu) 
Intäkter 1995 Krediter 
för1995(*) 
Verksamhet med delat 10,8 3,9 
kostnadsansvar 
Konkurrensutsatt stödverksamhet 11,9 4,8 
Konkurrensutsatt verksamhet 2,3 1,3 
utanför det fjärde 
ramprogrammet 
Arbete för tredje part 18,5 18,5 
TOTAL 43,5 28,5 
(*) Återstoden kommer att överföras till 1996 års budget. 
HFR kompletterande program 
Kommissionen ansvarar för driften av högflödesreaktom (HFR) i Petten enligt avtalet 
Euratom/Nederländerna av den 25 juli 1961. Den 29 april 1992 antog rådet ett fyraårigt 
kompletterande forskningsprogram som rör driften av högflödesreaktom (HFR) i Petten och som 
skulle genomföras av GFC för Europeiska atomenergigemenskapen (1992-1995). I det 
kompletterande programmet som skulle avslutas den 31 december 1995 var HFR-verksambeten 
huvudsakligen resultatet av samarbete mellan Nederländerna och Tyskland, som också stod för 
finansieringen. Extra finansiering, som hela tiden ökat, kom från externa kontrakt. Enligt planerna 
skall driften av HFR fortsätta under ett nytt kompletterande program, där en ännu större del av 
inkomsterna skall komma från den industriella sektorn och kostnaderna skall sänkas kraftigt. 
9 Q^ 
1.3 GFCS INFORMATIONSDAGAR - PUBLIKATIONER OCH KONFERENSER 
Den nya inriktningen för GFCs verksamhet gör det nödvändigt med ett närmare samarbete mellan 
GFC och industrin, forskningscentra och universitet i medlemsstaterna. För att stimulera detta 
samarbete och för att öka medvetenheten om GFC har man anordnat informationsdagar på 
initiativ från medlemmar av guvernörsrådet i London, Aten, Köpenhamn, Milano och Wien. 
Representanter från GFC har presenterat centret och i parallella workshops som representerar 
institutet har man hittat underlag för nya samarbetsformer med deltagarna. Informationsdagarna 
har fungerat som ett komplement till de talrika presentationerna av GFC för besökare på orterna, 
besöken på nationella laboratorier, medverkan från GFC på specialmässor och -utställningar, 
distribution av GFC-litteratur osv. 
GFC kan erbjuda ett brett sortiment av publikationer om vetenskapliga frågor. Det rör sig om allt 
från rapporter och artiklar i vetenskapliga tidningar, artiklar till konferenser, EUR-rapporter och 
recensioner. 
Under 1995 publicerade GFC totalt cirka 1 000 artiklar. Deras fördelning på respektive institut visas i 
tabell 2. 
Tabell 2 - GFC-publikationer under 1995 (till och med den 14 februari 1996) 
Institut 
Övergripande planering 
Institutet för referensmaterial och 
-mätningar 
Institutet för transuraner 
Institutet för avancerade material 
Institutet för systemteknik och 
informationsteknik 
Miljöinstitutet 
Institutet för tillämpningar av fjärranalys 
Institutet för säkerhetsteknologi 
Institutet för framtidsstudier 
Totalt EUR-
rapporter 
5 
5 
2 
16 
14 
22 
17 
19 
17 
117 Artiklar 
till 
konferenser 
1 
66 
96 
136 
115 
129 
111 
114 
4 
772 Publicerade 
artiklar 
1 
40 
15 
49 
26 
37 
23 
16 
1 
208 Totalt 
7 
111 
113 
201 
155 
188 
151 
149 
22 
1097 
En detaljerad lista över GFC-publikationer offentliggörs varje år i Publikationsbulletinen. Det 
senaste numret, nr. 15, publicerades i mars 1995, och innehöll alla publikationer under 1994. 
De flesta av dessa publikationer kan fås från PR-enheten i Ispra. 
Förutom patenten finns i Publikationsbulletinen en uppställning över alla patent som GFC fått. 
Under 1994 fick man 22 patent. 
Varje år organiserar GFC ett antal konferenser, workshops och seminarier på de fem orterna i 
Europa. Under 1995 anordnades 9 konferenser, 94 internationella workshops och sammankomster 
och 135 besök till de olika orterna. Totalt har fler än 11 000 personer besökt anläggningarna, vilket 
visar det stabila intresse som den vetenskapliga världen visar för de bidrag som GFC kan ge till 
forskning och utveckling. 
10 ö^ 
1.4 Mänskliga 
GFC:s personalstyrka består av tjänstemän och personer med tidsbegränsad anställning, inbegripet 
både vetenskapligt-tekniska tjänster och administrativ personal. I slutet av december 1995 uppgick 
antalet anställda till 1 786 personer, vilket kan jämföras med 1 845 i december 1994.1 tabell 3 visas 
personalfördelningen för 1995. 
Tabell 3 - Personalfördelning i december 1995 
Institut Antal anställda 
Generaldirektoratet 25 
Programdirektoratet 13 
Samordning av resurser - vetenskaplig & teknisk stödverksamhet Ispra 347 
Institutet för referensmaterial och -mätningar 169 
Institutet för transuraner 194 
Institutet för avancerade material 250 
Institutet för systemteknik och informationsteknik 187 
Miljöinstitutet 219 
Institutet för tillämpningar av fjärranalys 101 
Institutet för säkerhetsteknologi 246 
Institutet för framtidsstudier 26 
Personer utlånade till GFC 9 
Totalt 1786 
Förutom den ordinarie personalen är 319 forskare aktiva i GFC i olika projekt, till exempel: 
särskilt meriterade forskare som gästforskare, 
nationella experter som lånats ut till GFC av medlemsstater för att delta i särskilda vetenskapliga 
projekt, 
stipendiater med doktorsexamen eller med grundutbildning. 
I tabell 4 visas fördelningen per institut av de forskare som arbetade vid GFC i slutet av december 
1995. 
Dessutom kommer cirka 20 forskare varje år från ett tredje land på stipendium inom ramen för 
kommissionens överenskommelse med respektive land eller med Internationella 
atomenergiorganet (IAEA). 
Förutom ovanstående forskare arbetar flera särskilt meriterade forskare och ungefär 150 
praktikanter vid de olika GFC-instituten under kortare perioder utan att det belastar EU-budgeten. 
H O. 
Tabell 4- Gästforskare, utlånade experter, stipendiater i december 1995 
Institut 
Institutet för 
referensmaterial och 
-mätningar 
Institutet för 
transuraner 
Institutet för 
avancerade material 
Institutet för 
systemteknik och 
informations­
teknik 
Miljöinstitutet 
Institutet för 
tillämpningar av 
fjärranalys 
Institutet för 
säkerhetsteknologi 
Institutet för 
framtidsstudier 
Totalt Gäst­
forskare 
2 
2 
4 
1 
5 
7 
4 
2 
27 Utlånade 
experter 
2 
-
-
2 
4 
5 
-
13 Forskare 
med 
doktors­
examen 
16 
14 
32 
26 
17 
21 
17 
8 
151 Studenter med 
grund-
utbild-ning 
16 
10 
15 
15 
34 
17 
13 
8 
128 Totalt 
36 
26 
51 
44 
60 
50 
34 
18 
319 
12 ^ 
1.5 FINANSER 
GFCs budget för 1995 visas i tabell 5. 
Tabell 5 - Budget i miljoner ecu 
Institutionell verksamhet 
EG-specifikt program 152 761 
lAEA-specifikt program 75 301 
Delsumma 228 062 
Konkurrensutsatt verksamhet 
Deltagande i verksamhet med delat 
kostnadsansvar 
Konkurrensutsatt vetenskaplig och 0,027 
teknisk stödverksamhet 
Deltagande i gemenskapens 0,045 
verksamheter utanför det fjärde 
ramprogrammet 
Arbete för tredje part 10 460 
Delsumma 10532 
Högflödesreaktor 18 548 
Totalt 257142 
Till dessa åtaganden kommer 0,564 miljoner ecu i krediter som förts över från 1994 års budget för 
genomförande av forskningskontrakt rörande miljö och distansövervakning från rymden, 
godkända i mars 1995 (SEK(95), 400 slutlig). 
GFCs totala finansiella tillgångar uppgick till knappt 258 miljoner ecu: 
Utförande av GFC-specifika program (forskning och institutionell stödverksamhet för 
kommissionens tjänster). 
Utförande av GFCs konkurrensutsatta verksamhet inom ramen för EU:s budget (deltagande i 
verksamhet med delat kostnadsansvar för kommissionens tjänster, deltagande från GFC:s sida i 
övrig gemenskapsverksamhet, bidrag från den nederländska och den tyska regeringen för driften 
av högflödesreaktom och från GFCs kunder för arbeten som utförs på deras begäran). 
Det bör understrykas att siffrorna i tabell 6 syftar på utgifter för arbeten som GFC utfört under 
1995. Verksamhet med delat kostnadsansvar och konkurrensutsatt vetenskaplig och teknisk 
stödverksamhet och deltagande i övrig gemenskapsverksamhet representerar nya typer av 
verksamhet för GFC under 1995. I de flesta fall ingicks kontrakten först i slutet av 1995. Som en 
naturlig följd utfördes bara ett begränsat arbete under 1995. I tabell 2 finns siffror över kontrakt 
som ingicks under 1995. 
13 O^. 
JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE 
1995 ANNUAL REPORT 
(Presented by the Commission) 
FOREWORD 
Following 
Article 7 of the Council Decision of 15 December 1994, adopting a specific programme for research 
and technological development, including demonstration, to be carried out for the European 
Community, on the one hand, by the Joint Research Center (JRC) and, on the other, by means of 
activities within the framework of a competitive approach and intended for scientific and technical 
support to Community policies (1995 to 1998) (94/918/EC); 
Article 7 of the Council Decision of 15 December 1994, adopting a specific programme of research 
and technological development, including demonstration, to be implemented by the Joint Research 
Centre for the European Atomic Energy Community (1995 to 1998) (94/919/Euratom); 
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 implementation of the activities of the JRC will be 
transmitted by the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the Economic and Social 
Committee. 
In fulfilment of this requirement, the enclosed document reports on JRC activities in 1995, and at the 
same time constitutes a contribution to the reporting on Community RTD (Research and 
Technological Development) activities required by Article 130P of the EC Treaty. 
This annual report is accompanied by the comments of the Board of Governors. 
OBSERVATIONS BY THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS ON THE JRC ANNUAL REPORT 1995 
*95 - THE FIRST YEAR UNDER MODIFIED ROLE 
1995 was a significant year for the JRC. This was the year where the modified role of the JRC, as 
agreed with the Council, the Parliament and the Commission in 1994, took effect. 
This modified role for the JRC called for a wider spectrum of competitive activities than was the case 
in the past, and from 1995 onwards the JRC could participate in Community programmes on an 
equal basis with its national partners from research and industry. As witnessed by the present 
report, the JRC responded in a nvnamic way to this new challenge and in the case of the shared cost 
action programmes, obtainec n the competition promising results together with its partners 
throughout the Member States of the European Union and other countries associated with the 
programmes. Good results were also obtained for the other modes of competitive activities. It is 
noteworthy that, in spite of the new modes introduced in 1995, the JRC kept up the pace with work 
for third parties in comparison with previous years. In this new situation, preliminary targets were 
set for participation in competitive activities in 1995 and the Board notes with satisfaction that 
overall, these targets were exceeded. 
Competitive activities is only one facet of the JRC work, another being its institutional research and 
scientific and technical support to the Union's sectorial policies, notably environment, energy, 
agriculture and industry. The Board appreciates the continuing concern of the JRC to respond 
positively to the requirements of customers. For the research activities there is a welcome drive 
towards producing useful results for the benefit of industry and society. The report highlights 
examples of this and the Board will continue to urge the Centre to pursue the necessary trend 
towards a further output-oriented JRC with an increased scope for the commercialisation of its 
research results. Based on frequent evaluations of the JRC, the Board feels satisfied with the 
generally high quality of the JRC work and its increasing relevance to the needs of the European 
Union's policies. 
The Board already noted last year its expectations for the development* for the JRC from 1995 
onwards. Amongst the measures the Board has taken to strengthen its follow-up on the JRC 
activities is a restructuring of its Sub-Committees, allowing to follow in more detail the JRC 
institutes. Continuing efforts are being made to introduce performance parameters and quality 
assessment. 
EVALUATIONS OF THE JRC 
In its guidance of the JRC throughout the year the Board has drawn on the recommendations from 
the evaluations of the JRC and its Institutes by external, independent, experts available at the end of 
the previous 1992-1994 programme period. The Board has reviewed the full set of 
recommendations from this exercise and recognises the JRC's management efforts in working to 
implement them, while noting that some useful recommendations particularly related to 
administrative and staff policy matters have not yet been implemented for reasons beyond the 
control of the JRC 
RULES GOVERNING THE JRC - STAFF ISSUES 
The Board continues to press for the JRC to be allowed to operate fully in a way that enables it to 
achieve the change in working methods envisaged by the Council Conclusions of April 1994. This 
may call for a further evolution of the rules and regulations governing its activities, possibly 
involving an evolution of its status within the Commission. This should also lead to an increased 
flexibility in budgetary and financial matters combined with the noted progress on the financial 
management systems. The Board has presented its points of view on these important matters to the 
Commissioner for Research, Mrs. Edith Cresson. Towards the end of the year it was informed of the 
imminent plans for giving the JRC a larger autonomy within the Commission and other 
organizational changes planned. Thus as a first step, the JRC will be given status as a separate 
Directorate General from early 1996 (Decided on 16 January, 1996). 
Thé Board has also discussed staff policy issues with the Commissioner and expects to follow the 
implications for the JRC under the new policy of the Commission on staff under the research budget 
of the Union. Like the staff of many other European research institutes, the JRC has an age 
distribution which will result in many vacancies in the coming few years. Five senior posts as Institute 
Director became vacant in 1995 and four of these were filled, following appointments by the 
Commission upon advice from the Board, while a fifth post is still to be filled. The Board welcomes 
the four new Directors who joined the JRC in mid-1995. 
DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ON THE JRC 
The modified role of the JRC requires a more intense dissemination of information on JRC activities 
to all interested parties at a national level. As a contribution to this, in 1995 Members of the Board, 
together with the JRC, arranged for a continuation of the series of JRC Information Days and 
presentations of JRC activities throughout the Member States with the aim of fostering further 
collaboration between national research laboratories, universities, industry and the JRC. To attain 
proper coordination between the JRC research activities and other related research activities under 
the Community Framework Programmes, Members of the Board have participated with JRC 
representatives in meetings of the Community Programme Committees. These exchanges of views 
as prescribed in the Council decisions on the JRC programmes should be intensified and encompass 
all relevant programme activities in 1996. 
STRATEGY 
The fulfilment of the JRC's mission of performing customer-driven research of the highest quality 
and integrity in support of Community policies, calls for a clear long-term strategy for the JRC and its 
Institutes. The Board agreed in late 1995 on an updated JRC strategy and has conducted discussions 
on the underlying Institute strategies as a guide for the Centre in its current and future activities. 
One of the measures envisaged in the 1995 strategy document is more extensive use of performance 
indicators to assist the development of the JRC. 
INSTITUTE FOR PROSPECTIVE TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES (IPTS) 
In its observations on the 1994 Annual Report, the Board mentioned the new location of this 
institute in Seville and the work planned. It is pleased to record the new work programme for IPTS, 
defined in 1995 and endorsed by the Commission. Moreover, the Board appreciates the 
inauguration of the important Technological Watch function by the Commissioner, Mrs. Edith 
Cresson, in the presence of the Chairman of the Board, who emphasised the collaboration IPTS has 
established throughout the Member States and with the European Parliament. 
HIGH FLUX REACTOR 
1995 was the last year of the supplementary EURATOM programme for the High Flux Reactor (HFR) 
at Petten (NL). Throughout the year discussions have taken place at all levels on the future of the 
HFR reactor and its proposed new multi-annual programme to begin in 1996. This has involved a 
complete overhaul of the management of the facility and an intensive drive towards a more direct 
commercial use of a considerable part of its capacity with the ensuing improvement in efficiency,and 
economy. 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
The Board welcomes the several contacts it has had during the year with the Commissioner for 
Research, Mrs. Edith Cresson and looks forward to further discussions on the development of JRC 
strategy. 
At the same time the Board expresses its appreciation for the hard work of the Director General, his 
Directors and the entire JRC staff in addressing the challenges facing them. 
JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE 
1995 ANNUAL REPORT 
Report of the Commission 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
1. THE JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE IN 1995 8 
1.1 INSTITUTIONAL ACTIVITIES: JRC SPECIFIC RESEARCH PROGRAMMES 10 
1.1.1 Institutional Research Activities 10 
1.1.2 Institutional Scientific and Technical Support for Community Policies 14 
1.2 COMPETITIVE ACTIVITIES 18 
Participation in shared cost actions 18 
Competitive scientific and technical support activities 18 
Other competitive activities outside the Framework Programmes 18 
Third Party Work 18 
HFR Supplementary Programme 19 
1.3 INFORMATION DAYS - PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCES 19 
1.4 HUMAN RESOURCES 20 
1.5 FINANCES 22 
2. ACTIVITIES OF THE JRC INSTITUTES IN 1995 ,: 23 
2.1 THE INSTITUTE FOR REFERENCE MATERIALS AND MEASUREMENTS 23 
2.2 THE INSTITUTE FOR TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS 26 
2.3 THE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED MATERIALS 28 
2.4 THE INSTITUTE FOR SYSTEMS ENGINEERING AND INFORMATICS .., 31 
2.5 THE ENVIRONMENT INSTITUTE 35 
2.6 THE INSTITUTE FOR REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS 38 
2.7 THE INSTITUTE FOR SAFETY TECHNOLOGY 41 
2.8 THE INSTITUTE FOR PROSPECTIVE TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES : 44 
Annex 1 46 
Annex 2 48 
JRC Annuel Report 1995 
THE JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE 
The Joint Research Centre is the corporate research laboratory of the European Union. It is 
established by the European Commission 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 (B) 
ITU The Institute for Transuranium Elements KARLSRUHE (D) 
1AM The Institute for Advanced Materials PETTEN (NL) and ISPRA (I) 
ISEl The Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics ISPRA (I) 
El The Environment Institute ISPRA (I) 
IRSA The Institute for Remote Sensing Applications ISPRA (I) 
1ST The Institute for Safety Technology ISPRA (I) 
IPTS The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies SEVILLE (E) 
The mission of the JRC is to promote and carry out customer-driven research of the highest quality 
and integrity in support of Community policies. 
The Joint Research Centre, being an integral part of the Community research and technological 
development system, contributes to Community research policy, particularly in those sectors in 
which it has special, if not unique, skills and in areas where its neutrality is essential for scientific and 
technical support for Community policies. These institutional activities are performed in executing 
the JRC specific programmes decided by the Council and funded by the European Union budget. 
Furthermore the JRC is increasingly engaged in competitive activities participating: on a competitive 
basis, with industry, research organisations and universities within the Member States or associated 
countries, in Community programmes, including shared cost actions under the Framework 
Programmes, and offering its services against payment to various customers. 
The statutory staff, comprising officials and temporary agents of the JRC, was 1.786 at the end of 
1995. To this number one must add 319 scientists who were active in the Centre and were paid by 
the JRC under various hosting schemes. 
The global credits committed by the JRC in 1995 were slightly lower than 258 Mioecu. 
This Annual Report is intended to give a general overview of JRC activities in 1995. 
Readers may find more details in the Annual Reports of the eight institutes. The JRC also publishes 
numerous scientific reports, presents papers to conferences and in scientific journals (all these 
reports are referred to in the Publication Bulletin which is published yearly), and organises 
workshops, seminars and conferences to disseminate its scientific output. 
8 
1. THE JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE IN 1995 
1995 A SIGNIFICANT YEAR 
1995 was the first year of a new approach for 
the JRC. This had been defined by the Council of 
the European Union, the European Parliament 
and the European Commission in discussions 
which led, in 1994, to decisions on the 
Framework Programmes for Community 
activities in research, technological 
development and demonstration and to 
subsequent decisions on the specific research 
programmes to implement the Framework 
Programmes. These include two JRC specific, 
1995-1998, research programmes, one for the 
EC (European Community) and the other for 
the EAEC (European Atomic Energy 
Community). In conformity with the Council 
conclusions of 26 April 1994 on the role of the 
JRC, the Centre in 1995 has engaged in 
institutional activities as well as competitive 
activities, the former covering institutional 
research and institutional scientific and 
technical support to Community policies. The 
competitive activities include participation in 
shared-cost actions under the Framework 
Programmes, competitive support measures for 
Commission services responsible for the various 
Union policies, competitive activities outside 
the Community Framework Programmes and 
contractual work performed for outside third 
parties. 
1995 was, moreover, the year in which the 
newly appointed Commission launched 
initiatives for establishing better bonds 
between industry and research. Within this 
frame the Commissioner for research, Mrs. E. 
Cresson, strongly emphasised the need for 
further commercialisation of JRC research 
results and for improved communication of JRC 
activities. 
Finally, 1995 also saw the enlargement of the 
European Union. The three new Member States 
(Austria, Finland and Sweden) had already 
participated in 1994 in JRC activities under the 
EEA (European Economic Area) Agreement. 
This framework allowed for the continuation, in 
1995, of the JRC collaboration with Iceland, 
Liechtenstein and Norway. 
INSTITUTIONAL ACTIVITIES 
The JRC institutional activities contributed to 
the objectives of the 4th Framework Programme for the EC and the EAEC Framework 
Programmes via the lines of Information and 
Communications Technologies (Information 
Technologies), Industrial Technologies 
(Industrial and Material Technologies, 
Measurements and Testing), Environment 
(Environment and Climate), Life Sciences and 
Technologies (Agriculture and Fisheries, 
including agro-industry, food technologies, 
forestry and rural development), Non-nuclear 
Energy, Targeted Socio-Economic Research, 
Nuclear Fission Safety and Thermonuclear 
Fusion. 
NEW CHALLENGES: COMPETITIVE ACTIVITIES 
Following extensive preparations begun in 
1994, the JRC responded to the challenge set by 
the new opportunities opened up in 1995 for 
competitive activities. Together with partners 
from industry, research centres and universities 
throughout the Union and associated countries, 
more than 300 proposals were made in 
response to the first call for proposals under the 
new Framework Programmes, with a success 
rate of 28%. The JRC also presented proposals 
for competitive support activities and for 
Community programmes outside the Frame­
work Programmes, notably PHARE and TACIS, 
where contracts were won for nuclear safety 
work in the Central and Eastern European 
countries, Russia and other Newly Independent 
States (NIS). 
Taking up these new opportunities required 
intensive marketing by the JRC. They were 
made possible by a series of legal, financial, 
budgetary and administrative decisions by the 
Community institutions (Council, Parliament, 
Commission). These included the necessary 
amendments to the Financial Regulation for the 
European Union budget, decided on in 
September 1995. 
Contractual work performed for external third 
parties was also notable and new contracts 
signed during 1995 amounted to well above 18 
Mioecu. 
W5/7S BY THE COMMISSIONER 
On 20 July 1995 Commissioner Mrs. E. Cresson, 
made her first visit to the JRC, starting with the 
Institutes at Ispra, followed by a visit to ITU in 
Karlsruhe in September and IPTS in Seville in 
December, where Mrs. Cresson inaugurated the 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
new technological watch function of the 
Institute. In her address to the personnel during 
these visits, she encouraged the JRC to continue 
its mission for Research and Technological 
Development in Europe. She outlined the views 
of the Commission on the contributions to be 
made by the JRC to the policies of the Union 
and on to engagement in competitive activities. 
In 1995 the Commission announced that it had 
established several task forces on industrial 
research in the areas of new-generation 
aircraft, multimedia educational software, the 
car of tomorrow, vaccines and viral diseases, the 
trains and railway systems of the future, 
intermodal transport, maritime systems of the 
future and environmentally friendly water 
technologies. JRC staff have participated in 
most of these task forces and, in parallel, the 
JRC management has planned reorientations 
within the JRC institutional research areas, in 
order to match research to the new priorities 
set by the Commission. 
NEW DIRECTORS 
During the year, four new Directors of JRC 
Institutes, namely ISEl, El, IRSA and IAM, took 
up their posts, after appointment by the 
Commission acting on the advice of the Board 
of Governors. 
COMMUNICATION INITIATIVES 
Links between the JRC and industry, research 
centres and universities were also reinforced 
through the organisation of Information Days 
in London, Athens, Copenhagen, Milan and 
Vienna, on the initiative of Members of the 
Board of Governors. The Institutes were 
presented, while workshops outlined new 
perspectives for collaboration. Likewise, 
members of JRC management and staff have 
given a number of seminars throughout the Member States on JRC activities in general and 
in particular those aimed at stimulating 
concrete collaboration with industry and 
research conducted at a national or regional 
level. JRC availability in support of Union 
policies was further publicised by information 
activities directed to other Commission services, 
including a Newsletter and targeted seminars. 
STRATEGY 
The programme period 1995-1998 will see the 
JRC, on the one hand build on experience 
acquired from the previous programme period 
and on the other, meet the challenges that 
rapidly and continuously changing world 
markets impose on European Industry and the 
new demands facing the European Union, with 
an emphasis on the commercialisation of 
research results of value to industry and society. 
To this end, each year the JRC organises a 
number of conferences, workshops and 
seminars at its five sites in Europe. The number 
of visitors shows the constant interest of the 
scientific community in the contributions to 
research and development made by the JRC. 
/' 
In order to consolidate the new approach of the 
JRC as prescribed by the Council, the Parliament 
and the Commission, the Board of Governors 
and the JRC management have, during the year, 
discussed strategies for the eight institutes and 
the JRC as a whole, leading to an emphasis on 
customer-driven, high quality research of real 
utility for the European Union, executed in an 
efficient way with a flexible responsiveness to 
changing market needs. 
JRC activities have the effect of creating links 
between teams in Member States situated at 
different levels of scientific and technological 
development. They thus contribute to rein­
forcing cohesion between laboratories and 
research institutes in all the Community regions. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
10 
1.1 INSTITUTIONAL ACTIVITIES: JRC SPECIFIC 
RESEARCH PROGRAMMES 
The major task of the JRC in 1995 was to 
contribute to the implementation of the JRC 
specific programmes under the Communities' 
Framework Programmes in their first year of 
existence. This contribution was carried out 
through institutional research activities and 
through institutional scientific and technical 
support activities for the services of the 
Commission. 
1.1.1 Institutional Research Activities 
In 1995, institutional research activities 
accounted for 73% of the JRC's institutional 
activities; they are carried out under the 
following Programme lines: 
• The Industrial Technologies and Materials 
Technologies programme is carried out by 
the Institute for Advanced Materials (IAM) 
and encompassed research projects on 
advanced materials, on surface engineering, 
on new ecofriendly materials and on Non 
Destructive Evaluation techniques for the 
inspection of industrial structural 
components. 
a The Measurements and Testing programme 
encompassed research projects on reference 
measurements and materials, carried out by 
the Institute for Reference Materials and 
Measurements (IRMM); and on the 
assessment of the reliability of structures, 
carried out by the Institute for Safety 
Technology (1ST). 
• The Environment and Climate programme 
consisted of research projects on 
atmospheric, soil, water and waste pollution, 
executed by the Environment Institute (El); 
on the gradual setting up of the Centre for 
Earth Observation a decentralized European 
data management and information 
system,and on applications of remote sensing 
techniques, carried out by the Institute for 
Remote Sensing Applications (IRSA); and on 
industrial hazards carried out by the Institute 
for Safety Technology (1ST) and by the 
Institute for Systems Engineering and 
Informatics (ISEl). 
m The Non-Nuclear Energy programme 
consisted of research projects related to 
materials for clean technologies, carried out by the Institute for Advanced Materials 
(IAM), and to standardisation of photovoltaic 
devices, carried out by the Institute for 
Systems Engineering and Informatics (ISEl). 
o The Nuclear Fission Safety programme 
encompassed a number of research activities 
ranging from studies on reactor safety, 
carried out by the Institute for Safety 
Technology (1ST), by the Institute for Systems 
Engineering and Informatics (ISEl) and the 
Institute for Advanced Materials (IAM), to 
research activities on nuclear safeguards and 
fissile materials management, executed by 
the Institute for Safety Technology (1ST), the 
Institute for Systems Engineering and 
Informatics (ISEl), and the Institute for 
Transuranium Elements (ITU). ITU carried out 
research on nuclear fuels and actinides. 
a The Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion 
programme (Technology and Safety) is 
carried out by the Institute for Safety 
Technology (1ST), the Institute for Systems 
Engineering and Informatics (ÖEI), and the 
Institute for Advanced Materials (IAM). 
/ 
B The Targeted Sodo-Economic Research 
programme includes the Science and 
Technology Observatory function and 
prospective work the activities of the 
Institute for Prpspective Technological 
Studies (IPTS). The essential role of the 
Institute is to harvest the available 
contributions from experts, consultants, 
research organisations and institutes in 
Member States and when possible in third 
countries, in order to analyse, process and 
integrate them impartially and in depth and, 
more importantly, to distil clear trends or 
needs for action in a usable form for decision 
makers. 
While Part two of this document reports on the 
evolution in 1995 of these research activities, 
Institute by Institute, some salient results are 
highlighted here in order to illustrate how 
institutional research enables the JRC' to 
develop scientific knowledge and to acquire 
specific installations in order to make a 
valuable contribution to the advance of science, 
to provide scientific evaluations, to spread 
know how and expertise in areas where new 
innovative applications could be of interest to 
coordinate scientific cooperation throughout 
Europe and sometimes, to develop European 
scientific networks centred on its own facilities. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
11 
> Novel activities, making valuable contribu­
tions to science and technology for the 
benefit of European industry: 
A new composite material, made of a silicon 
nitride matrix reinforced with long silicon 
carbide fibres, has been elaborated at IAM 
Petten, using a liquid infiltration technique 
followed by sintering. An investigation of its 
mechanical properties demonstrated the 
effectiveness of the fibre reinforcement in 
increasing both the strength and toughness of 
the otherwise brittle silicon nitride matrix, due 
largely to the formation of weak interphase 
bounding (the SiC fibres are precoated with a 
400 nm thick layer of pyrolitic carbon). Figure 1 
illustrates the typical stress-displacement curves 
for the composites with and without an 
interphase; the composite fabricated with 
coated fibres exhibits a much better 
performance than the one elaborated with 
uncoated fibres. This new composite is a first-
rate candidate for high temperature 
applications of structural components in a 
number of advanced industrial applications, 
such as gas turbines. 
A project for the synthesis of carbon nitride, a 
new product, has been set up within a network. The multiple aims of the project were: to assess 
the thermal, optical, mechanical and 
tribological properties of the material and to 
evaluate its functional characteristics for 
industrial use in optical applications, magnetic 
storage, hard disk techniques and advanced 
mechanical components. The network has 
aroused the interest of 22 research institutes 
and 11 industrial partners from 9 different 
countries. The experimental contribution of the 
IRM M will be the characterisation of the 
material by nuclear techniques. The IRMM will 
perform the analysis of materials layers for the 
light elements (H, B, C, N, O) using charged 
particle beams of the 7 MV Van de Graaff 
accelerator. Nuclear reaction analysis of carbon 
and nitrogen by (d,p) reactions as well as 
Rutherford backscattering will be performed. 
• The JRC has exploited spin-offs from its 
research activities in areas where a new 
Community policy could be emerging: 
For example, the European Commission, 
together with the Member States, is 
currently strengthening its policy on natural 
risks, in particular on the monitoring and 
prevention of floods. Flooding is a major 
threat in many regions of Europe, both north 
|siC/Si,N4 composite g 
0.2 OJ 0.4 
Dieptaoamant (nun) 0.6 
Flexure laad-dtspfacemcnt corvn of »3N4 reinforced with SiC fibre withoat coating and with Carbon 
Pyrolytie coati ng*. 
*Co«rt^rofONERA(F 
Fig. 1 - Stress-displacement curves 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
12 
and south, and involves river basins that need 
monitoring in more than one country. The 
exchange of prevention and monitoring 
knowledge among Member States could thus 
be beneficial, even for events such as flash 
floods which have only local consequences. 
IRSA initiated a uniform land cover data base 
obtained with remote sensing techniques 
from most of Europe. Harmonised digital 
terrain models can be obtained with a 
sampling scheme of 20 by 20 m spatially and 
6-7 m in elevation through optical sensors 
such as SPOT. New techniques using 
microwave sensors are being developed in 
order to reach a higher degree of accuracy. 
Specific projects carried out for specific users 
have also allowed IRSA to develop an 
expertise in hydrological modelling. A 
project called WETLANDS has improved our 
understanding of the hydrology of 
catchments (research conducted in 1995 on 
two test sites, in England and in Greece, both 
in collaboration with local organisations), 
and our ability to assess the impact of major 
proposed changes (such as river diversion or 
reservoir building) or to develop water 
management strategies. Another project, 
HYDRE, developed for a consortium of 
Mediterranean regions, allowed IRSA to 
study the evolution and hydric stress of the 
vegetation. 
Geocoded information on land cover is of 
prime importance for upstream runoff, as 
well as for downstream vulnerability 
assessment, in mountaineous areas, forests 
can slow runoff by a factor of 10 as compared 
to bare soil. Modelling runoff using land 
cover information is important for advance 
warning of floods during risk periods and for 
assessing mitigation measures. It can also be 
important in deciding on agricultural policies 
of fallow (set-aside) or afforestation which 
have indirect consequences on floods. 
The Institute for Remote Sensing Applica­
tions (IRSA) is in the process of setting up a 
scientific and technical support capacity for 
emerging Community policies concerning 
floods, thanks to its in-house expertise and 
the benefit of ongoing institutional research. 
• Institutional research activities also fostered 
spin-offs to specific applications. Two 
significant examples in the field of surface 
engineering at the Institute for Advanced 
Materials: In the framework of a Eureka project led by 
IAM (IPACERC project), the development of a 
new processing technique for production of 
multi layer coatings has greatly increased (up 
to 500 times) resistance to erosion. These 
coatings will have applications in the 
aeronautics field, particularly in helicopter 
engines. 
Surface engineering technology was applied 
successfully in the biomaterials field, with 
three major achievements: improvement of 
the integration of prostheses in living tissues 
(hip, teeth) due to biocompatible coatings; 
reduction of wear of hip prostheses by 
surface engineering of mobile parts of joints; 
control of the proliferation of bacteria on the 
prosthesis by incorporating disinfectant 
elements on the surface of the prosthesis. 
These activities are conducted in conjunction 
with several medical Institutes in Italy, in 
France and in Germany. 
These two examples illustrate how 
institutional research can lead to applica­
tions useful to industry and society. 
• Institutional research enabled the JRC to 
spread a web of scientific cooperation ail 
over Europe. Indeed, through bilateral or 
multilateral cooperation, the JRC has set up 
more than 800 connections with various 
partners, mainly within the European Union 
but also in other European countries, the 
USA and Japan. This is illustrated in Figure 2. 
• Finally, its institutional research has been one 
of the main factors enabling the JRC to 
develop European scientific networks 
centred on its own facilities. A vivid example 
can be found in the afield of earthquake 
engineering: 
In spite of important advances in earthquake 
engineering and seismic design over the last 
two decades, recent seismic events in Europe 
(e.g. in Greece and Italy ) have shown how 
vulnerable developed societies still are to the 
effects, of earthquakes, both in human and 
economic terms. Research aimed at 
decreasing this vulnerability which, to a large 
extent, depends on the seismic response of 
structures is thus clearly needed. High level 
expertise in seismic design of structures has 
long been available in the European Union, 
as have been specialised facilities for 
earthquake testing of structures, in particular 
shaking tables. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
13 
Airife 
UNHMnadom 
1U% 
Fig. 2 - Distribution of JRC Cooperation by Country 
With the setting up in 1989, at the initiative 
of the JRC, of the European Association of 
Structural Mechanics Laboratories and the 
subsequent opening in 1992 of the ELSA 
reaction wall facility at Ispra, a new 
dimension was given to earthquake 
engineering research in Europe, and 
Community-wide and well co-ordinated 
projects in seismic design of structures were 
set up around the new facility. At present, 
more than 20 specialised laboratories in 
Member States are involved with the JRC in a 
major programme of pre-normative research, 
in support of Eurocode 8 (EC8), the 
provisional European standards for designing 
civil engineering structures in seismic areas. 
Established at the initiative of DG III 
(Industry) of the Commission and with the 
advice of the CEN experts in charge of EC8, 
the research project covers those priority 
topics which have to be addressed in order to 
improve the proposed European seismic 
design rules, and addresses new aspects of 
earthquake engineering insufficiently 
covered in the current, provisional version of 
the code. For the practical implementation of 
this Community-wide project, the 
institutional activity at ELSA is a key element 
allowing the implementation of validation experiments on large - and full - scale models 
of buildings and bridges. 
However, equally important is the significant 
support which has been obtained, firstly, 
from the Human Capital and Mobility (HCM) 
programme and, more recently, from the 
new Commission programme on Training 
and Mobility of Researchers (TMR). This 
support, added to ELSA's own institutional 
funding, has made it possible to set up two 
research networks, grouping respectively 18 
and 11 European laboratories with the ELSA 
facility of the JRC. Moreover, substantial 
funding has also been obtained from the 
"Large installations" chapter of HCM and 
TMR to let researchers to have access to a 
consortium of shaking tables (NTUA, Athens; 
ISM ES, Bergamo; University of Bristol; LN€C, 
Lisbon; CE A, Saclay) and to the ELSA reaction 
wall. 
In addition to the projects in support of 
Eurocode 8, organisations from the Member 
States grouped with the JRC in the European 
Association of Structural Mechanics 
Laboratories are participating jointly with 
the ELSA team in shared cost actions, 
competitive support activities for the 
Commission and work for third parties. 
Industry is involved in research actions aimed 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
14 
Reaurcb 
Activai» \GtittpnttonSnppvR 
Acoviri» 
|ELSA- Laboratory 
StraccnraMichtiiiicf 
A 
Earthquake Engnittnng Träning tad Mobility 
iofRf tr trdiert (TMR) 
Program* 
b)LMf4«aU Sund-Coit 
Action» 
FacOttte 
«BWwTiblti 
iUAUKSBftJOlL 
Basic Research 
in 
Structural #-• Thud-ftsty 
TIT.-1. 
•-• EASML 
European AssodaticQ 
gfStracogtlMechutta 
LtbuiMuucf 
Qhàftxwauaé; 
NaamalLabs) 
Brfte / Euram 
Envtonmant 
Inco-Coperoicus 
Support to Co&ftrsctiosilitâuray 
EURDCODES 
SnnulanonTooli 
fYo . Svppostto hdufiijr, 
Ninonal/Regio&al 
-Uieof 
NewMaKàb& 
Construction 
Tedmoloyw 
Fig. 3 • European Collaboration 
at developing and validating new 
construction technologies and introducing 
new materials with better durability 
properties for new constructions as well as 
for repair and strengthening purposes. 
Figure 3 shows the operation in 1995 of 
European collaboration on earthquake 
engineering around the ELSA facility. 
1.1.2 Institutional Scientific and Technical 
Support for Community Policies 
The JRC provided, Scientific and Technical 
Support to Union Policies at the request of the 
relevant Commission services, in conformity 
with the Council Decisions of 15 December 1994 
(which adopted the actual specific programmes 
of the JRC). These Scientific and Technical 
activities accounted for 27% of the JRC's 
Institutional activities. 
The support activities are customer driven, in 
fulfilment of impartial and neutral scientific 
and technical requirements arising from E.C. 
directives, decisions of the Commission and the 
Council, or obligations stemming from the 
Euratom Treaty. 
The effective customer/contractor relationship 
between the requesting services of the in 1995 around the ELSA Facility 
Commission and the JRC Institutes is expressed 
in the elaboration and signing of inter-DG 
collaboration agreements. 
General monitoring of such JRC services to the 
other Directorates General of the Commission 
has been exercised by an official inter-DG 
Committee, established by a Commission 
decision. This group met twice in 1995, with a 
high attendance. Its role is twofold: monitoring 
the work performed, so as to ensure a smooth, 
mutual exchange of information on the 
activities (over 100 abstracts related to these 
support activities were communicated in 1995 
to all DGs), and planning activities for the 
following year, taking into account priorities, 
new requests and budget limitations. 
These Scientific and Technical Support activities 
were related to the following Framework 
programme lines: Information Technologies, 
Environment and Climate, Agriculture and 
Fisheries, Targeted Socio-Economic Research 
and Nuclear Safety and Safeguards. 
Table 1 shows the distribution of this support 
between the JRC Institutes and the Framework 
Programme lines. 
The three main JRC support activities are: 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
15 
1. JRC Support for the Environmental Policy, 
which accounts for 46% of the scientific and technical support budget, provides DG XI 
with scientific and technical assistance for the 
Table 1 - JRC institutional S&T Support Activities 
Institutes 
Framework Programme Unas 
Information Technologies 
Safety and Reliability of Systems 
Environment and Climate 
European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution (ERLAP) 
European Chemicals Bureau (ECB) 
European Centre for the Validation of Alternative 
Methods (ECVAM) 
Support to the European Environment Agency (EEA) 
Quality Control of Consumer Products 
(Consumer Protection) 
Alpine Observatory 
industrial Reliability: Major Hazards 
Biotechnology Safety 
Foodstuff Analysis in Support of Industrial Policy 
European Community Pharmaceutical Information 
Network (ECPHIN) 
Methodologies for UCLAF 
Agriculture and Fisheries 
v remote Sensing for Agriculture 
Animal Identification 
European Office for Wine, Alcohol and Spirit Drinks 
(BEVABS) 
Reference Measurements and Materials for Quality 
Control of Foodstuffs 
Targeted Socio-Economic Research 
Prospective Technological Studies 
Nuclear Fission Safety 
European Networks on Component Ageing and 
Inspection Techniques 
Euratom Safeguards Support: General 
Euratom Safeguards Support: On-Site laboratories and 
ECSAM 
IAEA Safeguards Support IRMM 
• 
• 
• 
• ITU 
-
• 
• IAM 
• ISEl 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• El 
9 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• IRSA 
• 
/ 
• 1ST 
/ 
• 
• m 
\ 
• ' 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
16 
implementation of the legislation on 
chemical pollutants, atmospheric pollution, 
water quality, chemical waste, industrial risks 
and nuclear safety. The inter-DG 
collaboration agreement for the period 
1995-1998 was signed in December 1995. This 
work is part of the 5th EC Action Programme 
in the field of the Environment, and includes: 
- The European Reference Laboratory for 
Air Pollution (ERLAP) which was 
particularly active in the harmonisation of 
current EC Directives on air pollution, in 
the organisation of Quality Assurance 
Control programmes and in the 
development and validation of new 
monitoring techniques. 
- The European Tracer Experiment (ETEX), 
aimed at verifying the capability of 
atmospheric modellers to forecast the 
evolution of a cloud of an atmospheric 
pollutant in real time. ETEX was co-
sponsored by the EC, the World 
Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and 
the International Atomic Energy Agency 
(IAEA). 
- The European Chemicals Bureau (ECB), 
which is now handling all the technical 
and scientific tasks required for the 
notification of new chemicals, the risk 
assessment of existing chemicals, 
classification and labelling and 
export/import control of dangerous 
chemicals and testing methods for 
chemicals. 
- The European Centre for the Validation of 
Alternative Methods (ECVAM), which, in 
collaboration with its advisory Committee, 
has defined criteria for identifying the 
Centre's priorities. Activities included pre-
validation of non-animal test protocols, 
vaccine potency and safety testing, and 
integrated alternative approaches in 
toxicity testing studies which focussed on 
metabolism-mediated toxicity, and on in-
vitro tests for teratogenicity in blood 
forming tissues. 
- The European Technical Office for 
Medicinal Products, established at El after 
a Memorandum of Understanding was 
signed between the European Agency for 
the Evaluation of Medicinal Products and 
the Joint Research Centre. This office is 
established in both London and Ispra and 
is part of the European Technical Office for 
Medicinal Products (ETOMEP) Unit of the Environment Institute of the JRC; it is 
dedicated to the development of technical 
systems necessary for the implementation 
of European Union legislation on 
medicinal products. 
- The Major Accident Hazards Bureau, in 
support of the "Seveso" Directive. The 
activity of the Bureau resulted in the 
preparation of a second report on lessons 
learned from accidents notified to the 
Commission; in the distribution of a pilot 
data base of the Documentation Centre on 
Industrial Risk to the Competent 
Authorities; and in substantial progress 
made by the working groups established 
to produce guidance for safety reports and 
safety management systems. 
- Support for the elaboration of 
methodologies for E.U. antifraud policy 
(UCLAF). 
- Support services related to the Alpine 
Observatory (Alpine Convention), initiated 
in 1995. / 
/ 
The JRC also offers institutional support to 
the European Environment Agency (EEA-
Council Regulation 1210/90). 
2. JRC Support for the Common Agricultural 
Policy, accounts for 16.5% of the Scientific 
and Technical Support budget. The inter-DG 
collaboration agreement for the period 
1995-1998 was signed on 17July 1995. The 
work is mainly in the following research 
areas: 
- application of remote sensing to 
agricultural statistics, with the aim of 
developing and demonstrating 
methodologies which can integrate 
remote sensing data into the collection of 
statistics for the monitoring of crop 
acreage and agricultural production in the 
EC 
- monitoring and control of the Common 
Agricultural Policy: research and 
development of new remote sensing 
techniques allowing for improved 
monitoring and control of the Common 
Agricultural Policy. 
- implementation of Community wine 
sector legislation through the operation of 
the "European Office for Wine, Alcohol 
and Spirit Drinks" (BEVABS); some 4000 EU 
NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) wine 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
17 
data have been validated to be stored in 
the pertinent data bank. 
research and development of new 
methods for improved animal 
identification in order to prevent fraud. 
- quality control of foodstuffs, by supplying 
certified reference materials, by providing 
suitable analytical procedures and by 
supplying and/or coordinating laboratory 
intercompansons. 
3. JRC Support for Nuclear Safeguards 
(Euratom Safeguards DG XVII, IAEA 
Safeguards support programme DG I) 
accounts for 32% of the scientific and 
technical support budget. The inter-DG 
collaboration agreement for the period 
1995-1998 is expected to be signed early in 
1996. 
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; examination of the purchase and testing 
of major equipment including the 
construction of two analytical boxes and 
the training of analysts; 
- work on non destructive assay, sealing and 
identification techniques, surveillance 
techniques, testing of safeguards 
equipment, data information treatment, 
health physics and training. 
Other institutional Scientific and Technical 
Support activities deal with: 
Safety and reliability of informatics systems 
Foodstuff analysis in support of the Industrial 
Policy 
Quality control of consumer products 
(Consumer Protection) 
Techniques for inspecting ageing nuclear 
components in support of DG XI and DG XVII. 
Table 1 of Annex 1 shows how these support 
activities are customer driven, )h fulfilment of 
impartial and neutral scientific and technical 
requirements arising from E.C. directives, 
decisions of the Commission and the Council, or 
obligations stemming from the Euratom Treaty. 
Progress made in these programmes is reported 
in more detail in Chapter 2, dedicated to the 
activities of the individual JRC Institutes 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
18 
1.2 COMPETITIVE ACTIVITIES 
The introduction, back in 1988, of Work for 
Third Parties, where the JRC carried out 
research on a contractual basis for external 
clients, was meant to provide a measure of the 
relevance of the JRC's work and its competitive 
position, to enhance the flow of technology 
transfer to the end users, and to let the 
European industry and research communities 
benefit from JRC specialised facilities and 
competences. This was the first step in opening 
the JRC up to competition. The discussions in 
the Council and the European Parliament 
leading to the decisions on the Fourth 
Framework Programme and the EURATOM 
Framework Programme emphasised 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 as stated in the Council Conclusions 
on the role of the JRC in April 1994. 
As noted by the Council, the implementation of 
its conclusions implied several measures and 
decisions on legal, budgetary, financial and 
administrative matters which, ideally, should 
have been in force from 1 January 1995. 
The main decision concerned the modification 
of the Financial Regulation. This always involves 
a lengthy procedure, prior to the Council 
decision, and was only achieved in September 
1995. 
It is intended that this transition be introduced 
gradually; around 20% of the global JRC 
budget for 1995-1998 should be earned 
through competitive activities. As of the 1st of 
January, 1995, JRC competitive activities 
included: 
- Participation in shared cost actions, where 
the JRC, in association with partners in the 
Member States, submits proposals in the 
context of call for proposals, or contributes to 
proposals submitted by other laboratories 
under the Framework Programmes; 
- Competitive scientific and technical support 
activities under the Fourth Framework 
Programme, where the JRC may respond to 
specific requests from Commission 
Directorates-General which are allocated on 
a competitive basis in the context of 
invitations to tender; 
- Other competitive activities outside the 
Framework Programmes, where the JRC (alone or in a consortium arrangement) will 
be able to participate in various actions 
sponsored by the Community (e.g. PHARE, 
TACIS, assistance to developing countries, 
etc.) and in the context of a competitive 
approach, will seek Community funding in 
relation to those actions; 
- Research under contract, the original Third 
Party Work mode of operation mentioned 
above, now part of the overall JRC compe­
titive portfolio. 
Although preparations for this surge in 
competitive activities had already started early 
in 1994, 1995 has been for the JRC a year of 
learning from experience: learning to cope with 
new administrative and legal issues, learning to 
redeploy creatively its resources and personnel 
to face the competitive challenge, and adapting 
to a totally new internal and external 
environment. The JRC Institutes have shown a 
highly motivated, flexible and keen response to 
the competitive approach, stimulated by an 
internal task force on competitive activities. 
As far as JRC participation in shared cost actions 
is concerned, the JRC together with partners in 
the Member States submitted a total of 338 
project proposals in response to the first calls 
for proposals from 15 specific Programmes; by 
December, 1995 the Commission had accepted 
95 of those proposals for funding, bringing the 
overall success rate to 28%. The financial 
outcome for the JRC, although difficult to 
calculate precisely due to the ongoing contract 
negotiations on several outstanding projects, 
will be in excess of 10.5 Mioecu. It is important 
here to underline how both the proposal 
activity and the subsequent evaluation results 
have revealed to its full extent the relevance of 
the JRC's work and its deep roots in the 
European industrial and research communities. 
In the area of competitive scientific and 
technical support activities, of the 128 Mioecu 
earmarked within the 4th FWP for funding, this 
activity over the 4-year period, 26.5 Mioecu 
were made available to the services of the 
Commission early in 1995, but only 20 MioEcu 
have been committed in 1995. Of these, the JRC 
Institutes have managed to win about 11.9 
Mioecu of contracts, either alone or in a 
consortium arrangement. 
Other competitive activities outside the 
Framework Programmes like TACIS, PHARE, 
etc., have seen a good 1995 level of activity on 
the part of the JRC institutes. In this highly 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
19 
competitive sector of the market, the JRC has 
won around 2.3 Mioecu. 
The record for Third Party work shows, for 1995, 
new contracts (obtained on the market at large) 
in excess of 18 Mioecu. Considered in the 
context of the outstanding effort on the other 
fronts, this represents a remarkable hold on the 
previous positions. (Third Party work earned in 
1994 amounted to 18 Mioecu). 
Table 2 provides a summary of the amounts 
earned in 1995 for competitive activities: 
Table 2 • Competitive activities 
Amounts earned in 1995 (Mioecu) 
Earned Inscribed 
during as 1995 
1995 credits (*) 
Shared Cost Actions 10.8 3.9 
Competitive Support 11.9 » 4.8 
Competitive Activities 2.3 J 1.3 
outside the FWP 
Third Party Work 18.5 18.5 
TOTAL 43.5 28.5 
(*) The balance, will be, after conclusion of 
procedures, inscribed as 1996 credits. 
HFR Supplementary Pogramme 
The High Flux Reactor (HFR) at Petten is 
operated by the Commission in accordance with 
the Euratom/Netherlands agreement of 25 July 
1961. On 29 April 1992, the Council adopted a 
four-year supplementary research programme 
to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre 
for the European Atomic Energy Community 
(1992-1995) concerning the operation of the 
High Flux Reactor (HFR) at Petten. Under the 
supplementary programme which was drawing 
to a close on 31 December 1995, the activities of 
the HFR were essentially the outcome of co­
operation between two partners, Germany and 
the Netherlands, which provided its financing. 
Additional financing, which has steadily 
increased, came from external contracts. It is 
intended to pursue the operation of HFR under 
a new supplementary programme, which would 
see an even greater proportion of income 
coming from the industrial sector and a drastic 
reduction in costs. 1.3 JRC INFORMATION DAYS - PUBLICATIONS 
AND CONFERENCES 
The new approach to the JRC activities calls for 
a closer collaboration between industry, 
research centers and universities in the Member 
States and the JRC. In order to stimulate this 
and to increase the awareness of the JRC, 
Information Days have been organised at the 
initiative of Members of the Board of Governors 
in London, Athens, Copenhagen, Milan and 
Vienna. JRC members have presented the 
Centre and in parallel workshops representing 
the Institutes have found grounds for new 
collaboration with the participants. These 
information days have thus supplemented the 
numerous presentations of the JRC given to 
visitors to the sites, visits made to national 
laboratories, representations of the JRC at 
specialised fairs and exhibitions, distribution of 
JRC literature, etc 
The JRC offers a vast array of publications on 
scientific matters ranging from papers and 
articles in scientific magazines, conference 
papers, EUR reports and reviews/ 
In 1995 the JRC published in total around 1.000 
papers and their distribution by Institute is 
shown in Table 3. 
The detailed list of JRC publications is published 
each year in the "Publications Bulletin". The last 
issue, No. 15, published in March 1995, gives all 
publications in 1994. 
Most of these publications are available upon 
request to the Public Relations Unit, Ispra. 
In addition to publications, the above 
mentioned Bulletin lists all patents obtained by 
the JRC. There were 26 patents granted in 1995. 
Each year the JRC organises a number of 
conferences, workshops and seminars at its five 
sites in Europe. In 1995 there were 9 
conferences, 94 international workshops and 
meetings and 135 visits to the various sites. The 
resulting total of more than 11.000 visitors 
shows the constant interest of the scientific 
community to the contributions in research and 
development made by the JRC. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
20 
Table 3- JRC Publications in 1995 
Institute 
General Management 
Institute for Reference Materials and 
Measurements 
Institute for Transuranium Elements 
Institute for Advanced Materials 
Inst, for Systems Engineering and Informatics 
Environment Institue 
Institute for Remote Sensing Applications 
Institute for Safety Technology 
Institute for Prospective Technological Studies 
Total EUR 
Reports 
5 
5 
2 
16 
14 
22 
17 
19 
17 
117 Conf. 
Papers 
1 
66 
96 
136 
115 
129 
111 
114 
4 
772 Articles 
Published 
1 
40 
15 
49 
26 
37 
23 
16 
1 
208 Provis. 
Total 
7 
111 
113 
201 
155 
188 
151 
149 
22 
1097 
1.4 HUMAN RESOURCES 
The JRC statutory staff is made up of officials 
and temporary agents, including both scientific-
technical and administrative staff. By the end of December 1995 the Statutory staff 
numbered 1.786 agents, compared with 1.845 
in December 1994. Table 4 gives the distribution 
of statutory staff in 1995. 
Table4- Distribution of statutory staff as of December 1995 
Institute Staff 
Directorate General 25 
Programmes Directorate 13 
Resources Coordination-Scientific & Technical Support Ispra \ 347 
Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements 169 
Institute for Transuranium Elements 194 
Institute for Advanced Materials 250 
Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics 187 
Environment Institute 219 
Institute for Remote Sensing Applications 101 
Institute for Safety Technology 246 
Institute for Prospective Technological Studies 26 
JRC seconded staff 9 
Total 1.786 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
21 
In addition to statutory staff, 319 scientists are 
also active in the JRC under various hosting 
schemes: 
senior scientists hosted as visiting scientists, 
national experts seconded to the JRC by 
Member States, to participate in selected 
scientific work; 
post-doctoral scientists and post-gratuate 
students trained through a programme of 
fellowships. Table 5 gives the distribution, by Institute, of 
these scientists, working at the JRC at the end of 
December 1995. 
In addition about 20 scientists each year come 
from a third country assisted by a grant within 
the framework of a Commission agreement 
with their countries or with the International 
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 
Besides the above mentioned scientists, several 
senior scientists and about 150 trainees work at 
the JRC Institutes at no cost to the EU budget, 
in general for short periods of time. 
Table S - Visiting scientists/seconded experts. 
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 
2 
2 
4 
1 
5 
7 
4 
2 
27 Seconded 
Experts 
2 
-
-
2 
4 
5 
-
-
13 3 rant holders 
Post-
Doctoral 
Scientists 
16 
14 
32 
26 
17 
21 
17 
8 
151 as of December 1995 
Post-
Graduate 
Students 
16 
10 
15 
15 
34 
17 
13 
8 
128 Total 
36 
26 
51 
44 
60 
50 
34 
18 
319 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
22 
1.5 FINANCES 
The budget (commitments credits) as 
implemented by the JRC in 1995 is given in 
Table 6. 
Table 6 -1995 Budget implementation in 
Mioecu 
(Commitments Credits) 
Institutional activities 
EC Specif ic Programme 152.761 
EAEA Specific Programme 75.301 
Subtotal 228.062 
Competitive activities 
Participation in shared cost — 
actions 
Competitive Scientific and 0.027 
Technical Support activities 
Participation in Community 0.045 
activities outside the FWP 
Work for third parties 10.460 
Subtotal 10.532 
HFR Reactor 18.548 
Total 257.142 To these commitment credits one must add 
0.564 Mioecu of credits carried over from the 
1994 Budget for the execution of contracts 
related to research on the environment and on 
remote sensing from space, authorised in March 
1995 (SEC(95) 400 final). 
Total JRC committed financial resources 
amounted to slightly lower than 258 Mioecu: 
for the execution of the JRC specific 
programmes (Research and Institutional 
support activities for the services of the 
Commission) 
for the execution of JRC competitive activities 
within the framework of the EU budget 
(participation in shared cost actions, 
competitive support activities for the services of 
the Commission, JRC participation in other 
Community activities, contributions from the 
Dutch and German governments for the 
operation of the HFR and from JRC customers 
for the execution of work at their request. 
It should be underlined that the figures in Table 
6 refer to expenditure on work7 performed by 
the JRC in 1995. Shared cost actions and 
competitive scientific and technical support 
activities, as well as participation in other 
Community activities, were new types of JRC 
activity in 1995. In rnost cases contracts were 
only entered into at the end of 1995. As a result, 
only limited work was carried out during that 
year. Figures on contracts entered into during 
1995 are provided in Table 2. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
23 
2. ACTIVITIES OFTIIE JRC INSTITUTES IN *995 
2.1 THE INSTITUTE FOR REFERENCE 
MATERIALS AND MEASUREMENTS 
The IRMM promotes European standards, 
reference materials and methodologies at the 
European level. In 1995, the institute 
implemented its specific programme under the 
heading of Measurements and Testing and 
contributed to the Framework Programme line 
Industrial Technologies. Early in 1995, IRMM 
took over responsibility for managing the BCR's 
(Community Reference Bureau) reference 
materials: this includes storage, stability 
control, distribution, sales administration and 
recertification of exhausted batches. 
IRMM is engaged in support activities for 
Community policies, related to nuclear 
safeguards, the safety and quality control of 
consumer products, and reference 
measurements and materials for quality control 
of foodstuffs. It also provides services and 
reference materials to various customers from 
the European Member States. 
A. Institutional Activities 
Institutional Research Activities 
One of the objectives of the work at the IRMM, 
within the Measurements and Testing 
programme, is harmonisation and standard­
isation in analytical measurements. To this end 
the available measurements expertise and the 
refined analytical techniques of the Institute 
have been applied to prepare, characterise and 
certify high quality reference materials for both 
nuclear and appropriate non-nuclear fields, to 
be used for establishing a coordinated 
analytical measurement system at European 
level. Within this framework, responsibility for 
the management of reference materials under 
the standards, measurement and testing 
programme (formerly BCR) has been taken over 
by IRMM. 
Research on biological and environmental 
materials included attempts to isolate and 
stabilise chloroplast material suitable for the 
bio-assay of pesticide traces in drinking water 
control. Analytical research was pursued on 
metallothionein characterisation by 
electrochemistry and liquid chromatography, 
and on heavy metal traces of environmental or 
bio-medical relevance. The modern Ultra Clean 
Chemical Laboratory was used for the sub-boiling preparation of batches of high purity 
water anctof acids for high accuracy analytical 
work. 
The IRMM also contributed to the improvement 
of the neutron interaction standards data sets 
(which serve to determine, inter alia, partia! 
cross-sections) as collected in the High Priority 
Request List by the NEA Working Party ©n 
Evaluation Cooperation, under th® auspices of 
the NEA Nuclear Sciene© Committee and in 
collaboration with SAEA. 
For quality control in fe preparation ©f 
certified reference materials, a neutron 
activation analysis facility was set up m 
collaboration with the SCK/CEN at Mol 
(Belgium). 
The proceedings of the International Multiple 
Group Analysis Users' Workshop were 
published. 
Work related to nuclear matters included, inter 
alia, the supply of targets for neutron cross-
section measurements, fission fragment studies 
and other applications; the preparation and 
characterisation of 10B reference layers to be 
used in high accuracy neutron flux 
measurement; the setting up of an improved 
electrodeposition method for the preparation 
of thin uranium and plutonium layers; the 
determination of uranium in environmental 
samples. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
24 
Also at the LINAC, high energy resolution 
measurements of the inelastic scattering cross-
section of iron were made using a 60 m flight 
path. The spontaneous fission processes of 
plutonium isotopes and of 252Cf have been 
further investigated. 
At the 7 MV van de Graaff accelerator, neutron 
inelastic scattering was measured on natural 
molybdenum. In collaboration with KFA Julien 
(Germany), cross-sections for various activation 
reactions were measured on chromium 
isotopes. Improved experiments to determine 
the ratio of the reference cross-sections 
235u(n,f) and H(n,n) have been initiated. 
In radionuclide metrology, an intercomparison 
of computer codes used for the analysis of 
239pu/24opu alpha particle spectra has been 
pursued. Ultralow-background (3 spectrometry 
was used to characterise human bones for low 
radionuclide content in the underground 
laboratory of HADES (High Activity Disposal 
Experimental Site) at Mol (Belgium) in a 
European effort to obtain a natural matrix 
reference material. Similarly, detection limits 
for 2iopb in a biological matrix were 
determined. 
For the materials research projects two 
complementary experimental setups for 
hydrogen profiling have been installed at the 7 
MV van de Graaff. At the 3.5 MV van de Graaff 
machine, the stopping power for helium ions 
and protons of polyimide and VYNS (trade 
name of vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate co­
polymer) foils has been determined, as well as 
the uniformity of trace metals on filters for an 
aerosol reference material. 
Institutional Support Activities 
IRMM's support activities in 1995 were mainly 
related to Nuclear Safeguards, on request from 
DG I (External Relations), for the International 
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and DG XVII 
(Energy, Euratom Safeguards Directorate). Non-
nuclear certified reference materials were also 
prepared for other DGs. 
IRMM acted in general as a Commission 
laboratory offering scientific/technical support 
to services which do not dispose of their own 
measurement back-up. 
Work on dried nitrate or metallic spike material 
was continued to improve safety at large 
reprocessing plants, and uranium and 
plutonium isotopic reference materials were 
prepared on behalf of DG I for IAEA. Low 
concentrations implied meticulous chemical 
work in IRMM's ultra clean chemical laboratory. IRMM provided DG XVII with solutions for 
detector calibration needed in non-destructive 
assays of uranium and plutonium. Certified 
reference materials of soils, sediments and 
foodstuffs were prepared for DG III (Internal 
Market) and DG VI (Agriculture), for quality 
control to assist enforcement of European 
legislation. These activities were complemented 
by providing suitable analytical procedures and 
by initiating and/or coordinating laboratory 
intercomparisons. For DG VI, new activities were 
initiated on selenium speciation and sugar 
analysis. Cosmetics analyses and a product 
safety data bank were under development for 
DG XXIV (Consumer Policy). 
B. Competitive Activities 
Shared- Cost Actions 
In its field of competence, IRMM has 
contributed in 1995 to 8 SCA proposals, 3 of 
which have been accepted so far; these deal 
with: 
• the design, production and certification of 
sets of synthetic polymer reference materials 
consisting of a polyolefinic base material 
doped with heavy elements Cd, Cr, Hg and Pb 
at two different concentration levels; 
• the preparation and certification of calibrant 
solutions and fly ash samples for measure­
ments of polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins 
(PCDD) and polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDF) 
contaminations in emissions at levels of 0.1 
ng/m3; 
• the preparation and characterisation of 
catalytic converters with respect to Pt, Rh, Zr 
and Ce. . 
Work for third parties 
IRMM services and reference materials are 
available on a commercial basis. As IRMM now 
manages the BCR's reference materials, tfrjese 
are also being made commercially available for 
non-nuclear applications. 
The International Measurement Evaluation 
Programme (IMEP) is arousing interest in a 
growing number of laboratories. The most 
recent IMEP round on trace elements in water 
attracted about 250 laboratories in 28 
countries. The Regular European 
Interlaboratory Measurement Evaluation 
Programme (REIMEP), an external quality 
control exercise, recently brought together 20 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
25 
laboratories worldwide in rounds on uranium 
oxide powder and two uranyl nitrate solutions. 
The supply of nuclear samples to external 
customers, in particular for reactor neutron 
dosimetry, was continued. Four new neutron 
dosimetry reference materials for reactor 
pressure vessel surveillance (titanium metal and 
three Al-Co alloys) have been prepared. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
26 
2.2 THE INSTITUTE FOR TRANSURANIUM 
ELEMENTS 
ITU performs activities in the field of the safety 
of the nuclear fuel cycle. The Institute 
contributed to the Framework Programme line 
Nuclear Fission Safety with a particular 
emphasis on the safety of actinides in the 
nuclear fuel cycle. Other research themes were 
the safety of nuclear fuels, through the 
measurement and modelling of fuel properties, 
and the characterisation of spent fuel with a 
view to its long term storage. 
ITU also provided scientific and technical 
support for Community policies in the area of 
Nuclear Fission Safety, mainly in on-site 
laboratories at Sellafield and La Hague 
(Euratom Safeguards) and for the IAEA 
(International Atomic Energy Agency). In 
addition, it is engaged in several contracts at 
the request of various customers. 
A. Institutional Activities 
ITU performs its activities under the "Safety of 
nuclear fuels" part of the programme; it 
contributes to the Commission's sectorial 
policies on "Safeguards" and "Fissile Material 
Management", through research and 
development of techniques and instruments, 
analytical services and expertise, and direct in 
field measurement support. 
Institutional Research Activities 
Fuel Cycle Safety: Basic actinide research is 
being carried out to elucidate the electronic 
structure of actinide elements and their interest 
for chemistry and solid-state physics. Important 
results have been obtained in the 
understanding of uranium-based heavy-
fermion superconductors doped with 
neptunium (Np) and plutonium (Pu). Other 
themes include the theory of light/solids 
interactions; neutron experiments with Np 
compounds and neutron inelastic scattering, to 
better understand electron interactions in the 
5f and 3d electron shells; X-ray synchrotron 
experiments on uranium oxide single crystals 
and uranium arsenide crystals, to help 
understand magnetic behaviour. 
In the area of safety nuclear fuel, ITU is 
measuring and modelling fuel properties and 
fuel/cladding interactions in order to be able, 
in a few years, to design very high burn-up MOX 
(mixed U- Pu oxide) fuel pins that would be as 
reliable as present-day uranium fuel. Fission 
product release from irradiated fuel as used in the PHEBUS reactor safety programme was 
measured up to complete evaporation of the 
fuel. The TRANSURANUS code was successfully 
used to describe high burn-up phenomena (rim 
effect). For the first time, the use of high 
resolution electron microscopy clearly revealed 
dislocation lines in U02 and the subgrain 
boundary formation as the first step in the 
formation of the rim-structure. 
In the area of the mitigation of long-lived 
actinides and fission products, in order to help 
further minimise the radiotoxicity of spent fuel 
and highly active waste, ITU collaborates with 
leading national laboratories, nuclear industry 
and Member State authorities to prepare 
samples for fuel irradiation, transmutation and 
recovery of actinides for example, technetium 
(Tc) samples for irradiation, pins with high Pu 
and Np content and a Pu-cerium inert matrix 
based pin within the EFTTRA (Experimental 
Feasibility of Targets for Transmutation) and 
TRABANT (Transmutation and Burning of 
Actinides in Triox) programmes. The feasibility 
of recovering actinides from irradiated fuel 
targets with 20% Am (americium) and 20% Np 
was demonstrated. Extraction chromatography 
was investigated for the separation of U and Pu 
from such fuels. A patent application was made 
for a method burning weapon-grade Pu in a 
Light Water Reactor with high proliferation 
resistance. Studies were carried out on 
fabrication procedures and the physical and 
chemical properties of inert matrix materials for 
the transmutation of actinides. Pellets of mixed 
oxide reference material and fuel pins with 
metallic fuel have been fabricated and 
characterised. 
In the area of spent fuel characterisation with a 
too long term storage, analyses were per­
formed to provide reactor operators, the fuel 
cycle industry and licensing authorities with the 
necessary, relevant safety data, including those 
on radiotoxicity. For instance, the leaching and 
corrosion behaviour of natural uranium oxide 
and irradiated high burn-up fuel was investi­
gated using solutions simulating groundwater 
and salt brine, with attention paid to the 
mechanisms and kinetics of leaching. The 
structure of oxidised layers on leached uranium 
oxide was determined by the Rutherford 
backscattering/channeiing techniques. The 
porosity in the outer rim of irradiated high 
burn-up fuel was quantitatively analysed in 
detail. 
Institutional Support Activities 
In support of the energy policy (DG XVII), in the 
area of "Safeguards and Fissile Materials 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
27 
Management", on-site laboratories were 
designed for safeguards analysis at reprocessing 
plants such as Sellafield and Cap de la Hague, 
and major analytical equipment such as robots, 
titrators, alpha- spectrometers, non-destructive 
measurement devices and detectors, was 
purchased and tested. In addition, two 
analytical boxes were constructed, analysts 
were trained and routine analyses of nuclear 
material samples were performed. Some other 
examples of 1995 support activities: a 
performance evaluation of the MGA method 
(Multiple Group Analysis) for K-edge and 
neutron-gamma counting applications; a 
comparison of plutonium assay techniques; a 
detailed evaluation of isotope correlation 
techniques for the determination of Pu-242; 
samples preparation and measurements 
technology for safeguards samples with trace 
amounts of radionuclides in soils, vegetation 
and sediments from contaminated areas. 
As before, ITU staff provided significant 
analytical in-site support to the Safeguards 
Directorate in reprocessing and in fuel 
fabrication plants. The characterisation of 
vagabonding nuclear materials was continued 
whenever necessary. 
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B. Competitive Activities 
Shared-Cost Actions 
8 proposals (made with EU partners) for the 
Nuclear Fission Safety programme were 
accepted in 1995. The projects concern: 
• evaluation of partitioning and transmutation 
strategies • new partitioning techniques 
• impact of accelerator based technologies on 
nuclear fission safety 
• thorium cycles as a nuclear waste manage­
mentoption 
• revaporisation tests on samples from PHEBUS 
FP 
• source term for performance assessment of 
spent fuel as a waste form 
• supporting nuclear data for advanced MOX 
fuels 
• joint experiment on Americium transmuta­
tion 
These Cost-Shared Actions will contribute about 
1 Mioecu. 
Competitive Support for Community Policies 
Following a call for tender from DG XIII, ITU has 
submitted, together with other partners, a 
project on "Enhanced Gas Cleaning by Infra-
Sonic Particle Agglomeration and Deposition". 
The project was accepted at the end of 1995; 
the Institute's share is about 0.1 Mioecu. 
/ 
Work for Third Parties 
As in previous years, the Institute has carried 
out work for third parties, with major contracts 
in the areas of post irradiation examination of 
irradiated fuels, fabrication and characterisa­
tion of fuels for transmutation, and examina­
tion of high burn-up uranium oxide and mixed 
oxide fuels for different customers. 
During 1995, new contracts worth about 2.1 
Mioecu have been signed, while work from 
previous contracts continued. 
Other Competitive Activities 
The following offers submitted to the 
TACIS/PHARE programmes were accepted 
during 1995: 
• Measurement of radionuclide release from 
Chernobyl reactor debris samples (TACIS-
Ukraine) 
• Transfer of the nuclear safety code 
TRANSURANUS to the Bulgarian licensing 
authorities (PHARE-Bulgaria) 
A study proposal, concerning the establishment 
of a data bank on nuclear materials in the 
framework of illicit trafficking, was accepted by 
DG I. The contract will permit collaboration 
with two Russian experts at ITU for 12 
months.The overall scope of the approved 
projects is about 0.6 Mioecu. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
28 
2.3 THE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED 
MATERIALS 
IAM performs research on advanced materials. 
The Institute contributed to the Framework 
Programme lines "Industrial Technologies and 
Materials Technologies" and "Measurements 
and Testing", with an emphasis on standards 
for applications, development of new and 
improved coatings, structural component 
integrity and materials for clean technologies 
and fusion materials. IAM also contributed to 
the Framework Programme lines, Non-nuclear 
Energy, Nuclear Fission Safety and Controlled 
Thermo-nuclear Fusion. 
It also operated in 1995 the High Flux Reactor 
(HFR) for the Dutch and German authorities and 
was engaged in work on a contractual basis for 
industry. 
A. Institutional Activities 
Institutional Research Activities neutron scattering, joining of ceramics and 
brittle materials. Also, activities linked with 
information technologies: high temperature 
materials data bases; the Information Centre 
on Materials Activities. 
The typical end-users are the energy 
production and aeronautics industries. 
• "Development of New and Improved 
Coatings": wear and corrosion resistance 
improvement, chemical sensors, fatigue 
resistance, superhard surfaces and biome­
dical applications; new composite materials, 
with an emphasis on interfaces in fibre 
composites, and electrophoretic processing 
of ceramic matrix composites. Exploratory 
research projects included laser spallation 
testing methodology and high temperature 
superconductors. 
The typical end-users are in manufacturing 
industry, the car industry, aeronautics and 
electronics. 
Within the Industrial Technologies and 
Materials Technologies programme, research 
activities performed in 1995 can be sorted 
approximately into four clusters: 
TheWXEKA tPACERC Project 
< 
Helicopter engines are usually submitted to 
extremely hard erosion condäk>nst leading 
to rapid failures of their components. The 
engine manufacturer Turbomeca has deve­
loped a new type of muMayer coating 
deposited by Physical Vacuum Deposition, 
showing an improvement by a factorof over 
SÖV compared to conventional hard coatings 
already available* The new challenge is to 
apply this coating to the very complex shapes 
to be protected in a helicopter engine* 
Accordingly* the JRC has proposed/ in the 
frame of a EUREKA project, the development 
of a new Induction Plasma Assisted Chemkat 
Vapor Deposition (t-PACVD) machine 
specially designed for this application. 
Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition wilt allow 
deposition at low temperatures* induction 
plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition will 
ensure good process homogeneity, which is 
an absolute must in this case. 
"Standards for Applications" area: research 
on mechanical performances of materials, 
corrosion, components' integrity testing, • A new line for IAM will be support for 
industry through the provision of informa­
tion and prenormative know-how on eco-
friendly materials, materials studies and an 
ECO materials database. 
Research work was done on coatings for 
waste incineration and coatings for dry 
machining in manufacturing technologies. 
The end-users are the waste management 
industry, the recycling industry and, in 
particular, the car industry and manufac­
turing industry. 
• Two projects focused on "Structural Compo­
nent Integrity": application and qualification 
of non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techni­
ques to assess defective and/or deteriorating 
industrial components; NDE and testing of 
structural components. 
The end-users are mostly the energy 
production industry, both conventional and 
nuclear, and the transport industry including 
aeronautics, rail and car manufacturers. 
Within the Non-Nuclear Energy programme, a 
new topic was introduced in 1995: "Materials 
for Clean Technologies". Two projects were 
carried out: microstructural engineering and 
ceramic catalyst support, both focusing on 
automotive catalytic converters. The potential 
users are the car industry, but also energy 
producters using conventional fuel sources. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
29 
The Btmpean Pressar* Equipment 
we Mwopeen Pressure Equipment Research 
Council {£J*£äO & ** association of 
fadustrim, labû&toriesr engmeerlng esso-
ciatiom end government bodies, the 
purpose of wh&h h to promote Zoropeen 
coopérative research in the domain" of 
pressure equipment. &BHC •&- concerned 
with research end development problems 
Uriked to construction end in-service 
activities, ft deaf s with all types ofpressure 
equipment, nuclearequipmentexduded* 
&&K itfy es a clearing-house to define 
and coordinate the research programmes 
end exchange experience. It has en 
Important role In the dissemination of die 
results of research to industry, and works in 
dose contact with the Commission of the 
European Communities with regard to 
shared*costaction proposals and support to 
cmandOGUL 
JRC IAM Petteh isthe operating agent 
in tftewtematfonaldomafaz thereereptafis 
to cooperate with the American Pressure 
Vessel Council and the Japanese Pressure 
Vessel Council. 
Within the Nuclear Safety and Safeguards 
programme, and specifically the section on 
reactor safety, IAM is the operating agent for 
the already established European networks 
dealing with "Nuclear Components and Inspec­
tion". Projects in operation include an experi­
mental study on ageing, degradation of steel 
properties and subsequent annealing, and the 
Networks Reference Laboratory. 
Within the Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion 
programme, the development of fusion 
technology focused on the design of the 
International Thermonuclear Experimental 
Reactor (ITER). The IAM contributed to this 
effort and supported ITER'S technological needs 
through its selection and characterisation of 
adapted materials. IAM also participated in the 
European longer term programme for the 
development of low activation materials. In 
parallel, irradiation experiments were perform­
ed in the HFR in support of NET/ITER. Institutional Support Activities 
Projects with the same range of scientific 
content as above were carried out in support of 
DG XI (Environment) through the European 
networks AMES, ENIQ and NESC, and DG XVII 
(Energy). An information and management 
transfer structure was set up to improve the 
technology transfer process. 
71** European Hetwork for Inspection 
Qu*tmcatmii£NlQ} 
the Steering committee of &V7Q, in whkh 
0te £Vnvtie&rpower plant operators are the 
voting members, has approved e reference 
methodology for inspection qualification. 
Thk methodology has aroused grett interest 
.from industry m its field end h considered of 
prime importance for future development . 
B. Competitive Activities 
Shared- Cost Actions 
IAM took part in 49 proposals, of/Which 17 have 
been accepted so far. 9 of these will have 
immediate funding. The distribution of pro­
posals among the programmes is: 33 to 
Brite/Euram, 6 to Standard Measurement and 
Testing, 4 to Nuclear Fission Safety, 2 to 
Biomed-2, 1 to Environment and Climate, 1 to 
Esprit, 1 to Training and Mobility of Researchers 
and 1 to Joule. 
Competitive Support for Community Policies 
Two successful proposals were made to the 
Valorisation programme of DG XIII (Tele­
communications, Information Industries and 
Innovation). The first deals with an "Autono­
mous Solar System", the second with neural 
network techniques for non-destructive evalua­
tion (NDE) applications. This last proposal is a 
joint venture of both IAM and ISEl. 
Work for Third Parties 
New contracts signed in 1995 deal with the 
following topics: PC based High Temperature 
Materials Data Base Software, Non Destructive 
Evaluation Techniques, Aero-engine compo­
nents, coatings, corrosion studies on advanced 
materials for power generation. 
The overall turnover was comparable to last 
year's. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
30 
Other Competitive Activities 
IAM is a partner in a PHARE consortium dealing 
with the installation of a qualification system 
for in-service inspection of Nuclear Power Plants 
in the Czech Republic. IAM is also a partner in 
proposals made to TACIS in the fields of NDE, 
inspection and materials ageing. 
High Flux Reactor (HFR) 
The High Flux Reactor at Petten continued its 
operation in 1995 and its utilisation reached 
about 75% of the practical limits. The HFR 
noticeably strengthened its leadership as a 
supplier of radioisotopes for the radiopharma­
ceutical industry: nearly 65% of European 
production took place at HFR. The recent launching of the on-site molybdenum factory 
will further enhance HFR's role as a key facility 
for nuclear medicine, vital for millions of 
patients. 
The HFR also maintained its role as irradiation 
test bed for the Fusion community: six new 
experiments on first wall structural materials 
(mainly martensitic steels) and plasma facing 
components have started. The irradiation 
embrittlement project, part of the European 
Network AMES (Ageing of Materials and 
Evaluation Studies), was launched. A new 
experiment series was started on the 
transmutation of actinides and fission products 
to reduce the long term radiological impact of 
high level waste, as part of the European 
collaboration EFTTRA (Experimental Feasibility 
of Targets for TRAnsmutation). 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
31 
2.4 THE INSTITUTE FOR SYSTEMS 
ENGINEERING AND INFORMATICS 
The ISEl performs research on systems 
engineering and informatics. It contributed in 
1995 to the Framework Programme lines 
Environment and Climate, Non-nuclear Energy, 
Nuclear Fission Safety and Controlled 
Thermonuclear Fusion, carrying out research on 
methodologies for environmental management 
and assessment of environmental quality, on 
solar energy by photovoltaics, on fission reactor 
safety and fissile material control as well as on 
fusion reactor operational safety. 
In addition, ISEl provided scientific and 
technical support for Community policies: in the 
field of the environment, among others on 
industrial safety and the reliability of systems 
including biosafety; in the field of agriculture, 
on animal identification; and in the energy 
sector, on nuclear safeguards for the Euratom 
safeguards and for the IAEA. ISEl is also 
currently engaged in work carried out at the 
request of external customers. 
A. Institutional Activities 
The Institute carries out research on the 
reliability and performance of complex systems; 
on socio-technical systems and risk manage­
ment; on expert systems; on parallel comput­
ing; on data bases; and it operates a major 
computer and network facility. Areas of 
expertise include: aviation safety, human 
factors, non-nuclear energies, fusion, fissile 
materials safeguard, industrial safety, environ­
mental risk assessment and emergency 
planning. 
Institutional Research Activities 
Within the Environment and Climate 
programme, ISEl contributed to studies on: 
• "Global Change": an on-line information 
service called "European Wide Service Ex­
change" (EWSE) was developed for the 
Centre for Earth Observation (CEO). Other 
contributions include software engineering, 
user interface, quality assurance, satellite 
image compression techniques and network 
support. A pilot study related to a specific 
decision maker and the availability of data 
through EWSE was carried out. 
• The "Integrated Assessment of Environ­
mental Quality" approach: aims to provide 
decision makers with alternative options for 
action, via a synthesis of information and understanding from a wide range of sources 
and perspectives. A set of criteria for "good 
practice" in the field is now being developed. 
WREKA^ADAGE 
A&AG£ is a £UR}£KA project between French 
end Portuguese companies and the JRC-HiK 
\ Zhe mm of the project is to develop a 
décision-support system for integrated 
environmental management Its principal 
objective Is to provide a thorough assess* 
ment of alternative decisions related to 
environmental matters. The main features of 
\ the project Jim? the development of a 
distributed ^formation system networking 
mrïous sources of information represented 
by the stakeholders concerned with the 
decision process; the integration ami fusion 
of different types of informadon; the 
integration of diverse perspectives including 
environmental constraints, socio-economical 
factors and technical issues; a highly inter* 
active system for information updating and 
navigation, as well as scenarioAestiog. The 
project is scheduled over a three-yearperiod. 
• "Innovative Environmental Technologies": 
the application of decision support systems 
has been refined and a promising new 
method based on object-oriented program­
ming has been implemented, which will also 
be of use in ongoing work for external 
clients. ISEl joined the EUREKA project 
"Adage", which aims to develop a decision 
support system for comprehensive environ­
mental management via the thorough assess­
ment of alternative decisions. 
Within the Non-Nuclear Energy programme, 
the following activities were performed: 
• Photovoltaic: using a climatically controlled 
solar simulator, irradiation was carried out at 
various temperatures to study the effects of 
light-induced degradation on amorphous 
silicon modules. Results have been leading to 
a revision of the CEC ESTI 701 specification. 
An analysis of the spread in the character­
isation results for World Photovoltaic Scale 
samples (WPVS) has also been performed. 
Within the Nuclear. Fission Safety programme, 
work was carried out on: 
• Nuclear fission safety and reactor safety: a 
benchmark exercise has been launched on 
expert judgment in probabilistic safety 
assessment (PSA), level 2. A questionnaire has 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
32 
been distributed to a network of more than 
50 European institutions (research labora­
tories, regulators, industries, etc.). The first 
phase, parameter estimation, also involves 
the Institute for Safety Technology (1ST), 
whose facility FARO has been adopted as a 
reference experiment. 
^^^umj^tt^^t^u^tà 
fame* ':måterfé&f' '#föjafop*r 
M^~^^Apf$he; retoffäenient |ft^;^ 
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hmimte "vm produced at ^-^4'>^ 
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: fiphdp^k strain transducers embedded in it} 
êttâ^màç ,x*ptf dynamic ta^^were 
parfwmd and mutts \<rnnpa,red to 
thepretketpredictiomand to stram vaktes 
0^mùi^^;x<mvenkmal àû^/èmtgaé 
;f^no^^^ ^msi^m^mm: 
ifif^f^ l&m wr^^n^iém'^fé^^eqf/ 
Vi$ùmfjWdàikriy h êie oynamk response, 
^esum supplied by ft*Mtafcfor sanstoo 
^àf'-'^offMres^ tmtfirhieé^ H&' dfc&wstfc 
Impaiilitjy and allowed the penning of 
future research steps. 
Several types of activity have been carried-
out within the research on Nuclear 
Safeguards. The activities on remote 
verification and surveillance included: 
distributed surveillance systems based on 
smart digital cameras and industrial field bus; 
remote control of a robotic arm for simple 
manipulation tasks; and the application of 
new compact laser range finders. In the field 
of international remote monitoring systems, 
various methods for digital image 
compression and encryption over public 
communications networks were tested. 
The LaSCo (Laboratory for Surveillance and 
Containment) has been equipped with test­
ing equipment for electromagnetic studies, 
to check the compliance of instruments with 
the new European legislation in this area. The SILab (Seals and Identification Tech­
niques Laboratory) has successfully helped 
develop specific ultrasonic boards and soft­
ware to be used in the next generation of 
ultrasonic sealing systems at JRC Ispra. 
A design study was performed in collabora­
tion with ITU for the establishment at 
Obninsk of the "Russian Methodological and 
Training Centre" in the field of nuclear 
safeguards. This study has led to the 
conclusion of a TACIS contract. 
• Research activities related to Controlled 
Thermonuclear Fusion have been focused on 
ITER (International Thermonuclear Experi­
mental Reactor) as follows : 
Remote handling: computer simulation and 
tests on the ROBERTINO facility of the 
maintenance by remote operation of the 
blanket components placed inside the 
reactor have been completed. 
Safety studies: the mechanicai integrity of 
the vacuum vessel of the reactor and blanket 
components under plasma disruptions has 
been investigated. Thermal transient anal­
yses after a reactor accident have been 
pursued. 
Institutional Support Activities 
• For the Commission Secretariat General, 
scientific and technical projects were 
completed in support of UCLAF, the 
Commission antifraud service: a study of 
UCLAF's customers and the services they 
require; a requirement study of the 
investigative process; .an inventory of 
information resources; and an exploratory 
data analysis of fraud case data. New projects 
are under way: a feasibility study for IRENE 
95 (the integrated information management 
system of the UCLAF); pattern recognition in 
databases of fraud cases; estimating the rates 
of commission vs detection/communication 
of fraud; harmonising fraud case 
information flows across all sectors. 
• Support to DG III (Industry) included a 
contribution to the Information and 
Communications Technologies programme 
through R&D projects, industrial workshops, 
seminars and conferences (SAFECOMP 95). 
• Support to DG VI (Agriculture): research, 
development of new methods and 
performance tests were carried out for the 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
33 
identification of animals by means of tags 
and their measurement systems, in the 
framework of a major (antifraud) European 
animal tagging project. 
• Support to DG XI (Environment): the 
memorandum of understanding for the 
creation of the Major Accident Hazard 
Bureau in support of the "Seveso" Directive 
has been implemented. This Bureau, linked 
mainly to DG XI and subsequently to 
national authorities and industry, operates a 
Major Accident Reporting System (MARS) 
and a Community Documentation Centre for 
Industrial Risk (CDCIR). 
In 1995 the Bureau dealt with the production 
of reports on lessons learned from accidents 
notified to the Commission, with distribution 
of a data base on accidents as well as with 
coordination of technical groups on safety 
reports and management systems. The 
Bureau also organised a seminar on the 
implementation of the Seveso Directive, 
"Accident Scenarios and Emergency 
Response". 
In the field of safe applications of 
biotechnology, a high level EU-US meeting 
took place in June, dealing with field tests of 
genetically modified organisms. 
• In support of the Nuclear Safety Unit of DG 
XI, a first version of the European earthquake 
catalogue has been prepared and its further 
development is under consideration. 
• Support provided to the EURATOM 
Safeguards Directorate, DG XVII (Energy): 
ISEl contributed to the fulfilment of Treaty 
requirements in the following areas: sealing 
and identification techniques, surveillance 
techniques, testing of safeguards equip­
ments, data and information treatment, 
health physics and training. A new system for 
the automatic reviewing of recorded 
surveillance images has been developed. A 
remote monitoring link between the JRC 
Ispra and the EURATOM Safeguards Directo­
rate in Luxembourg has been installed. A 
contribution to long-term energy scenarios, 
including the evolution of the nuclear energy 
industry, has been considered. 
• Technical support is provided to the 
EURATOM Safeguards Directorate and IAEA 
for the procurement and measurement of 
several hundred ultrasonic sealing bolts, 
installed on spent fuel transport and storage containers at a European fuel reprocessing 
plant. 
B. Competitive Activities 
Shared-Cost Actions 
ISEl has been selected for 17 projects under the 
following lines: advanced communication 
technologies & services (ACTS); environment 
and climate; industrial and materials techno­
logies (BRITE-EURAM III); non-nuclear energy 
(JOULE R&D); nuclear fission safety; technology 
validation and technology transfer; telematics; 
training and mobility of researchers (TMR). 
Competitive Support for Community Policies 
ISEl has been selected for 36 projects launched 
by various DGs, namely: three projects from the 
Secretariat General, Antifraud Unit; three from 
DG lll-F on High Performance Computer ing 
Networks; two from DG XI on Environmental 
problems; twelve from DG XIIl-D on Technology 
transfer; thirteen from DG XVII on solar and 
rational use of energy; three from EUROSTAT 
on neural networks and other applications to 
statistical problems. The effective work will 
begin early in 1996. 
Work for Third Parties 
Four institutes from trie JRC (ISEl, 1ST, IRSA and 
El) are taking part, together with 79 
departments from the universities of Catania, 
Messina and Palermo, in a vast regional 
development project for Sicily which started in 
December 1994. ISEl was granted the general 
management and technical leadership of the 
project. A first six months report has been sent 
in July 1995 to the Sicily Region, and the second 
one is in preparation. Results have been 
achieved in all major sub-projects. They deal 
with: a decision support system for water 
supply management; winter and summer 
campaigns for N02 monitoring with 300 
detectors in Catania, Messina and Palermo; a 
mobile unit to measure pollution and' the 
erosion of the soil; safety and reliability of 
chemical and petrochemical installations; 
optical inspection methods for an historic 
building in Palermo with 3-D representation 
and structural analysis; sampling the Sicilian 
population for an analysis of trace elements in 
human body tissues. 
Three new contracts have been established on 
risk analysis and information to the public A 
project to analyse the causes and consequences 
of stress at work in air traffic control has been 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
34 
carried out for the Consiglio Nazionale delle 
Ricèrche (Italy). 
The European Solar Test installation has landed 
10 new contracts, 8 for photovoltaic module 
qualification testing and 2 for reference device 
calibrations. 
In a contract with PNC Japan (Power Reactor 
and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation), 
good results have been obtained with new 
ultrasonic identification equipment and 
associated compact instruments, for among 
other things, the sealing of plutonium 
transport containers at the PNC facility at Tokai 
Mura. Other Competitive Activities 
Portable equipment has been provided to IAEA 
for volume/mass determination in large tanks in 
bulk handling facilities. 
A design study is being performed for the 
establishment at Obninsk of the Russian 
Methodological and Training Centre, in the 
field of nuclear safeguards. It has led to the 
conclusion of a TACIS contract. 
Two 1994 actions in the Copernicus programme 
have started. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
35 
2.5 THE ENVIRONMENT INSTITUTE 
Ei research contributed to the Framework 
Programme lines "Environment and Climate" 
and "Life Sciences and Technologies". The 
emphasis of El's research was on global change, 
e.g. biogenic emissions and aerosols, and on the 
management of soil and groundwater pollution 
sources, together with contributions in the field 
of the working environment, such as indoor air 
quality and trace metals impact on human 
health in the EU. 
A large part Of the Institute's work has been 
devoted to support activities for Community 
policies: environmental policies, the agricultu­
ral policy, quality control of medicinal products 
and quality control of foodstuffs. 
A.lnstitutional Activities 
The Environment Institute is actively involved in 
the research programmes, Environment and 
Climate, and Life Sciences and Technologies. 
The respective proportions of R&D activities vs. 
support for the Commission's sectoral policies 
are approximately 30 and 70 percent. 
Institutional Research Activities 
• "Climate Change": Understanding the 
formation of tropospheric ozone (an 
important greenhouse gas) and its impact on 
atmospheric pollution is of major importance 
for the Mediterranean region. The BEMA 
project (Biogenic Emissions in the 
Mediterranean Area) intends to assess the 
role of plant biogenic emissions in that area 
and is being developed at El, in collaboration 
with 17 European laboratories, under JRC 
coordination. Two major research campaigns 
were led in 1995, focused on citrus fields near 
Valencia (Spain) and on the natural 
vegetation near Montpellier (France).. El 
participated also in the EUPHORE project to 
build and exploit a large outdoor 
photochemical reactor, completed in 1995 at 
CEAM (Centro de Estudios Ambientales del 
Mediterraneo) in Valencia, Spain. 
The role of natural and anthropogenic 
aerosols in the mitigation of the greenhouse 
effect was investigated, both in the field and 
on models. Field studies involved 
characterising the aerosol pollution drifting 
from the European continent, in preparation 
for the 1997 campaign of the ACE-2 (Aerosol 
Characterisation Experiment-2), in which 
over 40 European and US laboratories will 
participate. Laboratory experiments were also begun, to 
investigate isotopic effects on the uptake by 
soils of methane, a greenhouse gas. 
Analytical techniques and sampling devices 
are also being developed for field 
measurements on N20 and CH4. 
Aerosols and Climate Project 
7ba Project aims at understanding the 
chemical and physical processes leading to 
aerosols in both the dean and antnropo* 
genically influenced marine environment 
These aerosols are thought to have an 
Important effect on the £a radiative 
balance and climate* The : ogmrnme 
combines modelling, held work and 
laboratory studies, in collaboration with 
other European and international research 
Warns, 
Most aerosols effectively scatter sun light 
back into spacet ieading to a cooling of the 
Bank A study has been undertaken into the 
role of black carbon (wo) aerosols in the 
global radiative balance. Slack carbon * the 
main fight-absorbing aerosol and would thus 
enhance greenhouse warming* BC is mainly 
emitted by fossil fuel burning and by biomass 
burning* 
A major aspect of the Project is the study of 
aerosol dynamics of sulfate aerosols, le. the 
study of formation and growdt processes 
that determine the size distribution of these 
aerosols. 
The basic mechanisms of aerosoi formation 
are studied in the laboratory^ A facility, 
unique in Bvrope, Has been built m which 
SÖ2 is photochemkaliy transformed into 
sulfuric acid4 whitft subsequently nucleates 
and grows to form a sulfate aerosol. . 
• "Pollution": Work on the management of 
soil and groundwater pollution sources was 
scaled up to include catchment areas. The 
evaluation of several alternative land use 
management strategies should allow the 
identification of critical subareas in an 
agricultural ecosystem. 
The MITO project aims, inter alia, to monitor 
algal blooms in the Mediterranean sea. The 
performance of fast, easy-to-use flow 
cytometers was tested in order to detect, 
enumerate and characterise phytoplancton 
populations at the cellular level. This will lead 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
36 
to a real-time monitoring system which 
quantifies the algal species responsible for 
red and green tides. 
Test materials were prepared (AQUACON 
project) for laboratory performance tests for 
waste (sewage sludge) and soil analysis, 
waste water analysis and the determination 
of metals in surface waters. 
The European Collaborative Action (ECA) on 
"Indoor Air Quality and its Impact on Man" 
now involves 15 countries, and El participates 
in its management and scientific secretariat. 
Research activities have included experiments 
on human exposure to volatile organic 
compounds (VOCs), for the first time in a 30 
m3 test chamber (Indoortron). A study of the 
impact of ad-/desorption phenomena, and 
the scaling up of small to large test chamber 
experiments have also been carried out. 
Wfr* ipntmuous:kutomatk mmmremmtof 
jutants h iftryfàpottant fdr two reason?. \ 
å?;**^^^/^'*^^ variations 
i&£lpefi&ds+ and in order to 
iMf iåM^å^^^drn%m4 such as 
W^antfflcatbn ofthemurce ofthea&uai 
no Instrument 
^ppl^r'a^' widespread pbfhtmt\ used 
*wÊ$& ty industry: The gap has now been $$Ètf%te ïfntfrortmfm tnsdtuta, where a leafed *szy**.<j. ,_.^_^ samMng^zand 
andk&one&hasbeen setup. Thkinstrutmmt 
can ^ap&at* unattendad, far on* waaK 
carrying out sampling : ana analysis of 
ambient air lavery iS-minutes. A"Mary 
Interesting feature of this instrument is that 
fy&dtëvseé ffrthamœitormç of different 
poUuUnts, Negotiations are underway wftha 
^#o)jipany^4f> 0a commercial oroduttion of 
mè^moskptf taûtichlms received much 
attention at two exhlbltiom: HÊtiCO 'Ê5 in 
AthemandMCH'9$mMtlar>< *' 
Establishing baseline values for trace metals 
in human body tissues for clinical, 
epidemiological and toxicological assessment 
studies, and studying the impact of trace 
metals on the health of EU human 
populations in their living/working 
environment, are the objectives of the EURO 
TERVIHT project. Prenormative research was 
carried out on exposure impact on health. Attempts were made to further understand 
the biochemical mechanisms of trace metal 
toxicity at low exposure, by identifying 
critical organs and molecular targets, with 
emphasis on the potential impact on 
cardiovascular, immunological and repro­
ductive systems, which might show up later 
in life. 
Institutional Support Activities 
In 1995, El has been involved in issues of 
concern to Directorate General XI (Environ­
ment), DG III (Industry), DG VI (Agriculture) and 
DG XXIV (Consumer policy), and has organised a 
large number of relevant meetings, workshops 
and task forces. 
The European Reference Laboratory for Air 
Pollution (ERLAP) has been particularly active in 
the harmonisation of current EU directives on 
air pollution, organising Quality Assurance 
Control programmes and developing and 
validating new monitoring techniques. 
Activities included field intercomparison 
("round robin") exercises, as/well as the 
development and validation of diffusive 
sampling techniques for measuring benzene 
and ozone in the air. 
ETEX, the European Tracer Experiment, aims at 
selecting atmospheric models able to forecast 
the evolution of a pollutant cloud in real time. 
Several thousand previously collected air 
samples were analysed at El via a special 
chromatographic technique. Results show that 
only a few diffusion models, even when 
coupled with meteorological models, are 
accurate enough to describe the pollutant 
cloud's evolution. ETEX was co-sponsored by 
the EC, the World Meteorological Organization 
(WMO) and the International Atomic Energy 
Agency (IAEA). 
The European Chemicals Bureau (ECB) has 
become fully operative 9 months ahead of 
schedule. It is now handling all the technical 
and scientific tasks required of the Commission 
for the notification of new chemicals in the 
areas of "Classification and Labelling", "Testing 
Methods" "Risk Assessment of Existing 
Chemicals" and "Export/import of Certain 
Dangerous Chemicals" (Directives 67/548/EEC 
and 92/32/EEC; Council Regulations (EEC) 
2455/92 and (EEC) 793/93). A second phase of 
data collection for the Council Regulation on 
the Risk Assessment of Existing Chemicals was 
concluded, data was transmitted to competent 
authorities in the Member States, and a public 
version of IUCLID (International Uniform 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
37 
Chemicals Database) (excluding confidential 
data files), was made available on CD-ROM to 
the industry and general public. 
The European Centre for the Validation of 
Alternative Testing Methods (ECVAM), 
inaugurated in October 1994, has defined its 
priority criteria with its advisory Committee. 
Studies have been launched on the pre-
validation of non-animal testing protocols, 
vaccine potency and safety testing, and 
integrated alternative approaches in toxicity 
testing, focusing on metabolism-mediated 
toxicity and on in vitro tests for teratogenicity 
in blood-forming tissues. 
The feasibility of collaboration with the 
European Environment Agency's Topic Centres 
on Air Quality (RIVM, NL) and on Inland Waters 
(Water Research Centre, UK) has been explored, 
preliminary activities (mainly on Air Quality 
Monitoring, Alpine Observatory, Inland Waters, 
Contaminated Sites and Mobile Laboratories) 
having been carried out. 
A European Technical Office for Medicinal 
Products was established at El after a 
Memorandum of Understanding was signed 
between the European Agency for the 
Evaluation of Medicinal Products and the Joint 
Research Centre. This office is now called the 
ETOMEP Unit of the Environment Institute of 
the JRC, and is dedicated to the development of 
technical systems necessary for the 
implementation of European Union legislation 
on medicinal products. 
Other work carried out by El included analytical 
work related to wine, food and cosmetics, and 
preparatory work in support of the Ecological 
Directive for surface bodies of water. B. Competitive Activities 
Shared-Cost Actions 
22 proposals have been accepted so far. The 
majority of these concern the Environment and 
Climate Programme, covering a wide range of 
activities closely related to the ongoing JRC 
Research Programme. However, projects within 
the Standard, Measurement and Testing, the 
Telematics Applications and the Nuclear Fission 
Safety programmes have been approved as 
well. 
Competitive Support for Community Policies 
El has answered calls for tender issued by 
several DGs of the Commission, and 11 
proposals have been selected for funding, 
which may reasonably be expected to start early 
in 1996. The topics covered include: 
• Prenormative research, standardised as well 
as special analytical methods for foodstuffs 
analysis (DG III); 
/ 
• Information and communication systems 
within the framework of the European 
Medicinal Evaluation Agency (DG III); 
• Development of analytical methodologies 
for dairy products (DG VI); 
• Support to CORDIS information system (DG 
XIII); 
• Analytical procedures for custom control of 
special products, and for products classified 
according to their chemical composition (for 
DG XXI). 
Work for Third Parties 
A series of activities has been performed, mainly 
to provide local and regional authorities with 
appropriate tools for the management of 
surface bodies of water, toxic waste pollution 
problems and air pollution monitoring 
techniques. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
38 
2.6 THE INSTITUTE FOR REMOTE SENSING 
APPLICATIONS 
The IRSA performs research activities on 
applications of remote sensing and contributed 
to the Framework Programme line Environment 
and Climate with its specific activities on the 
Centre for Earth Observation (CEO), remote 
sensing techniques and monitoring, and 
advanced Earth observation techniques. 
Through the use of satellite Earth observation 
data it also provides important scientific 
support for agricultural statistics. 
A. Institutional Activities 
Institutional Research Activities 
One of IRSA's important R&D fields is the 
exploitation of satellite data for the mapping of 
land cover and land degradation in Europe and 
in the world, and for the monitoring of bush 
and forest fires, under the research programme, 
Environment and Climate. IRSA is also develop­
ing and validating capabilities for remote 
detection, e.g., of oil slicks or antipersonnel 
landmines. 
The Centre for Earth Observation (CEO) project 
completed its "pathfinder phase" in 1995. 
Throughout the year the project ran a number 
of studies and workshops aimed at defining a 
final CEO concept and at establishing a design 
and implementation plan for the coming years. 
This involved in-house research and 
consultation with present and future Earth 
observation data users and service providers 
throughout the European Union (EU) and the 
European Economic Area (EEA). The CEO 
project worked in close collaboration with a 
Pathfinder Phase steering committee, consisting 
of experts from all EU and EEA countries, 
nominated by the Board of Governors. The 
work was done in cooperation with European 
and global partners, including the European 
Space Agency (ESA), EUMETSAT, the European 
Environment Agency (EEA), the United States' 
NASA and National Océanographie and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the 
National Space Development Agency (NASDA) 
of Japan. The concept should include the 
promotion of access, to Earth observation data 
and services to scientific, commercial and 
governmental customers. 
Monitoring the state and evolution of 
terrestrial vegetation cover involved the 
creation of vegetation maps, which indicate 
both land cover change and functional vegetation parameters, such as seasonality or 
fire on a continental and, ultimately, global 
scale. 
w< forestMformation System 
,? 
à$9$ saw^Me completion of the Forest 
" "$nm Ramote sensing (&&$} 
Phase, in cooperation with 
•^^oW^^'ol^h^a^oos from Prance, 
'Germany/ -Sweden, the Czech Republic, 
Russia, Poland* Spain* traiand and Finland, 
The major objective of the project is to 
\ contribute to the development of a Unified 
European forest information System, 
pTOvMr% both .production related and 
environmental forest information* In t$9& 
the project developed a régionalisation and 
fmai stratification of iïuropemn forest 
ecosystems and finalised the unified 
Muropmn forest Nomenclature System > , 
Using a ten year archive of satellite images, land 
cover maps and daily fire counts were prepared 
for Africa, and the same work has begun for 
South-East Asia. Portable stations receiving 
satellite data were also used in Central Africa 
and Madagascar to map and monitor bushfires, 
as part of local and regional environmental 
management programmes. Data obtained from 
instruments on the European remote sensing 
satellites ERS-1 and ERS-2 are being evaluated 
as aids to detection of fire scars and to 
measurement of burned areas. A database 
describing the entire tropical forest belt was 
interfaced with remote sensing data to provide 
the Tropical Forest Information System, which 
will be produced as an interactive CD-ROM for 
general dissemination. 
The mapping of land degradation linked to fire, 
soil erosion and land use changes in the 
Mediterranean Member States of the EU, and 
the monitoring of forests on a pan-European 
scale under the FIRS project (Forest Information 
from Remote Sensing) were associated with 
fundamental research on image understanding 
techniques, which will facilitate the use of data 
from future European space borne sensors. 
The bidirectional reflectance properties of the 
Earth's surface have been studied thanks to 
advanced models of surface radiation 
interactions, to help in developing the next 
generation of satellite image processing 
algorithms and in exploiting data from future 
high performance sensors. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
39 
Satellite based observations of sea surface 
-temperatures and ocean colour over large areas 
provided information for the study of the 
marine biosphere. Image interpretation, data 
processing and the use of dynamic models were 
developed as means of assessing biomass 
production and carbon dioxide exchange by 
phytoplankton, ocean thermal dynamics, and 
the implications of both on the global climate 
system. The use of Earth observation data 
archives was coupled with new approaches to 
data management and analysis, and to strategy 
development for processing data from new 
sensors. Neural networks and virtual reality 
systems were tested as means of extracting 
information from future multidimensional data 
sets. 
In the European Airborne Remote Sensing 
Capability (EARSEC), tests on sensors and the 
development of the Synthetic Aperture Radar 
geophysical processor were finalised. The 
validation of EARSEC focused on developing oil 
slick detection at sea and ship routing 
applications. 
Advanced experiments defined by the 
European Microwave Signature Laboratory 
(EMSL) user group included in 1995 test series 
on "The scattering properties of non-vegetated 
soils" and "Imaging techniques". 
Plastic antipersonnel land mines are numerous 
in some heavily populated regions of the world, 
and detection of these dangerous objects is a 
high risk, yet vital, operation. In addition to the 
humanitarian threat, these objects can be seen 
as an environmental threat as their presence 
prohibits effective land use in 'contaminated' 
areas. A 1995 report based on EMSL results 
evaluated possible improvements in the 
capacity to detect dangerous objects 
manufactured from plastics by the application 
of remote sensing techniques using, for 
instance, remote sensing devices on land based 
vehicles or low flying remote controlled 
platforms. 
Institutional Support 
• Support for the European Environment 
Agency (EEA) focused on the creation of 
EEA's Land Cover Topic Centre, in 
collaboration with various European 
organisations active in the field of Earth 
observation. 
• Support for DG VI (Agriculture) consisted in 
the application of remote sensing to agricultural statistics, with the aim of 
developing and demonstrating method­
ologies for integrating remote sensing data 
into the collection of statistics for the 
monitoring of crop acreage and agricultural 
production in the EU (Council Decision 
94/753/EC No. L299 of 22.11.1994). 
The Monitoring of Agriculture with Remote 
Sensing (MARS) project includes two 
components. Firstly, MARS STAT, involving 
research on the development of an advanced 
agricultural information system which 
in, t ; rates the various methods of crop 
pr:jauction monitoring developed by the 
MARS project, the development of 
techniques for agricultural production 
monitoring in non European Union 
countries, and the development of new 
techniques for monitoring Europe's 
agricultural land, using data from the 
European remote sensing satellites ERS-1 and 
2. Secondly, MARS CAP, which deals with the 
verification of farmers' land use declarations, 
as governed by the Common Agricultural 
Policy. In 1995 MARS CAP devolved to 
individual Member States. For MARS STAT, 
IRSA provided both technical support and a 
research programme, and for MARS CAP, 
technical support centred on quality control, 
and training and assistance for Member 
States' personnel and national companies. 
B. Competitive Activities 
Shared-Cost Actions 
IRSA submitted 40 proposals, together with 
national partners, on a range of specific 
scientific subjects, of which 10 have been 
accepted. A proposal on imaging spectroscopy 
was also made, under the programme Training 
and Mobility of Researchers. If it is successful, 
IRSA will host 20 post-doctoral researchers over 
the next three years. 
Competitive Support for Community Policies 
IRSA answered calls for tender issued by several 
DGs of the Commission. Proposals were 
accepted in a number of key areas. For 
example: 
• Application of the MARS project for wine 
and olive production modelling (for DG VI); 
• An operational tropical forest monitoring 
programme, submitted by the Monitoring of 
Tropical Vegetation Unit (for DG XI); 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
40 
• Two joint bids with ISEl dealing with neural 
network applications, one to EUROSTAT 
concerning neural networks for land use 
classification, the other to DG III for the 
benchmarking of neural network systems. 
Work for Third Parties 
Five contracts were carried out for customers in 
Belgium, France and Italy, on topics ranging 
from microwave measurements to regional environmental resource inventories and marine 
pollution monitoring. 
Other Competitive Activities 
A four year multi-country project for rapid 
environmental and agricultural monitoring and 
statistics was accepted by the PHARE 
programme. Another project, on the 
development of systems for crop assessment 
and monitoring in Russia, was accepted by 
TACIS. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
41 
2.7 THE INSTITUTE FOR SAFETY 
TECHNOLOGY 
Research on Safety Technology» performed at 
1ST, contributed to the Framework Programme 
lines Measurement and Testing, Environment 
and Climate, Nuclear Fission Safety, and 
Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion. The overall 
mission of 1ST is to perform research 
contributing to safe civil engineering structures, 
nuclear reactors, fusion tests as well as relating 
to particular problems of the chemical 
industries and power utilities. 
The Institute is also engaged in several support 
activities related to Community policies in the 
field of energy, in the area of Nuclear 
Safeguards (Euratom Safeguards and IAEA). 
A. Institutional Activities 
Under the Nuclear Fission Safety programme 
the ISTs investigations deal essentially with 
defining safe operation conditions for industrial 
installations and for research, existing or 
planned. In particular, the Nuclear Safety and 
Safeguards programme covers a major part of 
ISTs activity. Major support is provided to the 
Euratom Safeguards Directorate of DG XVII and 
of DG I for the International Atomic Energy 
Agency (IAEA). IST's support activity is generally 
closely blended with institutional research. 
New results were obtained from an important 
corium melt experiment on melt quenching in 
the TERMOS test vessel. The experiment 
simulated an in-vessel situation during a severe 
accident. 
The first version of the COMETA code for 
calculating fuel/coolant interactions is now 
completed and is used for routine pre- and post-
test calculations of the FARO tests. External 
users include IKE, ENEA, and the University of 
Wisconsin. IKE introduced the fuel breakup 
model into the code. 
The experimental programme on the STORM 
facility started in June 1995. The advanced 
instrumentation for characterising aerosols was 
validated. The thermohydraulic behaviour in 
the mixing vessel and the deposition in pipes of 
Sn-aerosols under varying thermohydraulic 
conditions were tested (four tests with pre­
calculations, analysis, and post-tests calcula­
tions). The documentation of these tests is 
nearly complete. The 4th and 5th meetings of 
the international STORM user group were held 
in March and December. Five sets of aerosol 
problems are proposed as benchmarks for codes currently used for modelling thermohydraulics 
and aerosol physics in nuclear plants. Large 
discrepancies have been highlighted in the 
results for turbulent aerosol deposition and 
resuspension as calculated by various codes. To 
improve and assess these mathematical models, 
reliable measured data are needed for 
comparison purposes. 
Work in support of, Phebus FP was jointly 
performed by a team of 1ST analysts and on-site 
staff at CEA Cadarache (F), to interpret the 
wealth of on-line and post-test measurements 
available from a first test (late 1993) with lightly 
irradiated fuel, and to prepare for the next test 
with irradiated fuel. The first test yielded some 
unexpected results, such as the advanced state 
of degradation - the fuel rods, the low 
deposition in th< xperimental circuit, and the 
persistence of gaseous radioactive iodine in the 
containment vessel. 
New and updated models were added to the 
ESTER (European Source Term Research Code) 
system. A new, extended version of ESTER was 
formally released at a User Group meeting in 
October. An extensive validation was carried 
out with the User Group. 
Non destructive testing instruments are being 
developed: a new PIN monitor now used in Mol 
(Belgium); a scanner for MTR fuel plate 
inspection at Romans sur Isère (France); a new 
gamma detection device to control fuel 
elements stored under water; and a new 
Plutonium scrap monitor. An unattended 
system for safeguarding low enriched U installa­
tions includes specific software and a novel 
neutron collar. 
Under the Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion 
programme, 1ST participated to the world-wide 
development of fusion technology focused on 
the design of the International Thermonuclear 
Experimental Reactor (ITER). The overall system 
testing for the ETHEL tritium safety laboratory 
was completed. The various laboratory systems 
were tested and the necessary documentation 
prepared to carry out the necessary cold 
commissioning phase prior to nuclear tests with 
tritium. The Fifth Topical Meeting on Tritium 
Technology was hosted and the proceedings 
were published in the Fusion Technology 
Journal. 
R&D activity focused on fusion materials, waste 
studies, tritium control approaches and new 
measurement techniques. 1ST hosted a number 
of experiments on tritium, e.g. on the 
behaviour of inbuilding characteristics, the 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
42 
reduction of tritiated water on regenerate hot 
iron beds, and the performance of a tritium gas 
monitor based on scintillation principles. Within 
ETHEL, work continued on: characterising 
tritium recycling and outgassing from potential 
first wall materials under fusion reactor 
conditions; studying large scale gaseous 
detritiation techniques; and measuring the 
performance of various permeation barriers. An 
experimental plant for detritiating and 
conditioning activated/ tritiated solid fusion 
wastes is being assembled. 
Work under the Measurements and Testing 
programme concentrated on assessing the 
reliability of structures. Major pseudodynamic 
tests were performed in the ELSA facility on a 
large composite steel/concrete frame under 
conditions simulating severe earthquakes, in 
support of the validation and further 
improvement of Eurocode 8 (which applies to 
the design of civil engineering structures in 
seismic areas) and Eurocode 4. The dynamic 
properties of materials and critical structural 
components were studied in the LDTF facility, 
mainly in collaboration with industry. 
Tools were developed to simulate the seismic 
behavior of complete civil engineering 
structures. Significant progress was made in 
model prediction and comparison with 
experimental results, on the behaviour of 
masonry infills, and of reinforced concrete 
beam-to-column joints. A full documentation 
set (manuals and model description reports) has 
been completed for PLEXIS-3C, a large 
computer code for transient dynamic analysis of 
general 3D coupled fluid-structure systems, 
developed in collaboration with CEA (France). 
Facilities and calculation tools for industrial 
reliability research within the Environment and 
Climate programme became fully operational. 
The FIRES facility was used for, amongst other 
things, complex polymerization tests as a 
service to the chemical industry. Control system 
development was supported and experimen­
tally verified, in collaboration with TU Stuttgart 
(Germany), to demonstrate Kalman filter based 
control and for the application of neural 
network control algorithms. Venting tests were 
performed in the COLUMBUS facility to 
simulate horizontal vessel discharge and 
situations in heat exchangers. The DRACULA 
facility produced reference data for the design 
of emergency pressure relief systems in large 
plants. 
The first commercial version of the RELIEF code 
for emergency pressure relief design was completed, including industrial verification. It 
combines complex modelling with extreme user 
friendliness. In an application test, a plant 
manager was able to install the software on his 
PC and to simulate various venting scenarios for 
his plant in less than two hours. 
The advanced simulation software for 
detonation/deflagration modeling, REACFLOW, 
was released in a 2D version. New software 
modelling of two-phase flow and for the 
dispersion of heavy gas releases was further 
developed. 
Institutional Support Activities 
In the way of support activities for the 
harmonisation of in-service nuclear safeguards 
inspection practices, training courses were 
given in PERLA to safeguards inspectors, 
including Russian inspectors and operators and 
industrial experts, and in-field support was 
given to safeguards inspectors during physical 
inventory verifications (PIV). State of the art 
equipment and reference analyses of nuclear 
materials samples were also provided. Non 
destructive assays were also performed. 
B. Competitive Activities 
Shared-Cost Actions 
18 out of 52 proposals were successful. They 
refer to the B RITE programme, the Environment 
and Climate programme, the ESPRIT HPCN 
programme, the Nuclear Fission Safety 
programme and the Technology Transfer 
programme. ELSA, the European Laboratory for 
Structural Assessment, has been recognised as a 
Large-Scale Facility for European users within 
the Training and Mobility of Researchers 
programme. A research network of 12 
European organisations has been approved for 
research in support of Eurocode 8. 
Competitive Support for Community Policies 
1ST has answered calls for tender from several 
Directorates-General. Some proposals are at an 
advanced stage of discussion, in particular, 
support for the development of EUROCODE 8 
for DG III. 
Work for Third Parties 
Work was requested from 1ST by various 
industries, authorities and associations. 
Developments include simulation of the 
response of plain and reinforced concrete 
structures to impulsive loading. Major contracts 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
43 
were also signed with the USNRC, for severe 
accident studies with FARO, and with the 
Portuguese General Directorate for Monuments 
(DGEMN) for an experimental investigation of 
the structural reliability of the monastery Säo 
Vicente de Fora in Lisbon. Sizeable marketing efforts focused on 
advancing new competitive activities and 
promoting the results achieved on industrial 
reliability. 
1ST activities were displayed at three 
exhibitions: the Loss Prevention Symposium in 
Antwerp, INCHEM 95 in Tokyo, and RICH in 
Milan. Initial sales and third party contracts 
point to a successful and positive trend for the 
future. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
44 
2.8 THE INSTITUTE FOR PROSPECTIVE 
TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES 
The role of IPTS is to be constantly aware of all 
relevant, significant and outstanding scientific 
and technological events and trends in Europe, 
particularly those that call for action at EU level. 
The Institute contributed to the Framework 
Programme line, Targeted Socio-Economic 
Research. The essential tasks of IPTS are: to 
harvest available information; to analyse, 
process and integrate it impartially; and to 
identify clear trends or calls for action for 
decision makers. 
The main current tasks at IPTS are setting up the 
European Science and Technology Observatory 
(ESTO), and carrying out technological 
prospective studies. 
A. Institutional Activities 
IPTS moved to Seville in 1994 and under the 
Targeted Socio-Economic Research line of the 
Fourth Framework Programme was given a 
reinforced objective and corresponding human 
and financial resources. A large part of 1995 
has thus been devoted to the preparation of an 
operational work plan. The general purpose is 
to harvest available contributions from experts, 
consultants, research organisations and 
institutes in the Member States where possible, 
also in third countries, to be able rapidly to 
analyse, process and integrate them impartially 
and in depth and, even more importantly, to 
distil clear trends or calls for action in a form 
usable by decision-makers. 
Although IPTS's activities and resources are 
formally broken into specific research on the 
one hand, and support of EU policies on the 
other, all projects address directly or indirectly 
the public need for knowledge and 
understanding. Unavoidably, the distinction 
between the two types of activities may be 
somewhat blurred. 
Institutional Research Activities 
The Observatory at IPTS forms an integral part 
of the Institute's work and is currently focused 
on selected fields, but a network of similar 
organisations operating at national level is 
being set up to extend its range and to satisfy 
the much broader function of a truly European 
Science and Technology Observatory. All 
interested partners share the responsibility of 
carrying out a "technology watch" as a joint 
venture. The technology watch function has 
been designed to support decision making and is complemented by specific in-depth prospect­
ive analyses aimed at shedding light on the 
interface between scientific & technical aspects, 
on the one hand, the economy & society, on the 
other. 
Since employment is one of the major 
preoccupations of EU institutions and society, 
the driving force behind all of IPTS' activities is 
the compound notion "Technology-Competi­
tiveness-Employment" (TCE). 
In 1995, IPTS undertook prospective studies on 
specific subjects related either to a technology 
(e.g. biotechnology), a field (e.g. individual 
mobility) or a cross-cutting issue or aspect. For 
instance, work relevant to the regional 
dimension more specifically, the Mediterranean 
area was carried out, within the framework of 
both integrated development and specific 
sectors (renewable energies, water problems). 
Institutional Support Activities 
Prospective technological studies on materials, 
chemical feedstock recycling and energy 
recovery from municipal plastics waste, 
launched in 1994 on behalf of DG XI 
(Environment), resulted in four preliminary 
surveys: 
• current projects on mechanical recycling of 
municipal plastics waste; 
• current legislative activity in plastics waste 
management; 
• current projects on plastics recycling by 
chemolysis; 
• current projects on energy recovery from 
municipal plastics waste. 
Three new families of energy technologies were 
studied in 1995 and joined the series of 
prospective analyses launched in 1994 for DG 
XVII (Energy): photovoltaics, CO2 disposal and 
storage technologies, and C02 biological 
sequestration. 
A new update of the report on Climate Change 
Research and Policy (Forward Studies Unit and 
DG XVII) covers the monitoring and assessment 
of recent research results on climate sensitivity, 
with emphasis on past climate changes and on 
modelling as well as a synthesis of the results of 
the Climate Change Convention in Berlin, in 
1995. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
45 
Two new case studies for the "Business and the 
Environment" series have been completed for 
the Forward Studies Unit, one on "Waste 
Minimisation", the other on "Cleaner Techno­
logies in an SME". This series is designed to give 
an accurate measure of some aspects of 
competitiveness and employment in companies 
eager to respond to environmental pressures. 
In the context of work carried out for DG XVI 
(Regional Policy), cooperation with the 
Japanese agency NISTEP has continued, aimed 
at comparing the European and Japanese 
experiences in regional development from an 
RTD policy perspective. This project will be 
completed in 1996. 
In response to requests from the STOA 
(Scientific and Technical Option Assessment) 
panel of the European Parliament, IPTS has 
launched the three following projects: 
• "The role of biotechnology in the competi­
tiveness of the European pharmaceutical 
industry": Scientific, economic, legal and 
social considerations are to be reviewed in 
comparing the EU position with its major 
competitors. The project provides a factual 
overview of R&D and innovation efforts in 
the pharmaceutical sector, and a prospective 
description of the priorities in research for 
new drugs and the prospects and 
expectations for new medical therapies. The 
expected socio-economic benefits of new 
drugs in the context of European health care 
systems are analysed. 
• "The Car of The Future, the Future of the 
Car": Key issues for future transport systems 
are linked to achieving sustainable condi­
tions from an environments, social and 
economic point of view. The project focuses 
on technological, social and economic 
aspects of issues related to individual 
mobility. Its objectives are to develop 
strategies for solving the conflict between 
demand for mass individual mobility on the 
one hand, and ecological pressure, safety 
problems and congestion on the other hand. 
Its first stage concentrates on technological 
aspects such as new engine concepts, with 
focus on zero-emission/e-cars and the related 
potential energy storage systems, light­
weight materials, recycling aspects and 
telematics for increased road use efficiency. 
The results are presented in a set of reports. 
Socio-economic-political aspects are also dealt with, e.g. driver behaviour/mentality 
and acceptance problems related to various 
technological options. 
THE 
m iiiiiiii rrz— 
i j $ i =— 
Fig. 4 - The Monthly Report of IPTS 
/ 
• "Multimedia Information Superhigh-ways": 
The project focuses mainly on issues arising 
from the rapid development of these 
technologies and the services they provide, 
such as access devices, pricing/billing to 
users, priority systems, interconnection and 
interoperability issues, contents and security 
concerns, etc A first report also deals with 
the direct and indirect effects on 
employment: as with most innovative 
technologies, a loss of jobs will be felt in the 
short term while in the medium/long term, 
the increased general economic per­
formance will have positive effects. This 
entails recycling the labour force, the costs of 
which are, at this stage, difficult to estimate. 
Aspects linked to social and individual 
aspects such as exclusion or changes in 
human relations are also discussed. 
B. Competitive Activities 
For the first time IPTS has entered the 
competitive market for research contracts. Its 
proposals relate mainly to non-nuclear energy 
(5 proposals submitted, 3 funded), agro-food, 
the environment, international cooperation on 
water resources, and biomass (for various 
Mediterranean programmes managed by DG I 
B). Most of the work will be carried out in 1996. 
JRC Annual Report 1995 
Table 1 of Annex 1 
JRC INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES 
DECISIONS, DIRECTIVES, REGULATIONS OF THE COUNCIL AND COMMUNICATIONS 
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ON 
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OF THE JRC 
Environment and Climate 
European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution (ERLAP) Work in support of Directives 80/779 EEC, 89/427 EEC, 82/884 EEC, 85/203 EEC and 
92/72 EEC 
Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament 
European Chemicals Bureau (ECB) (93/C1/02), OJ No. CI/3 of 5.01.1993 on the European Chemicals Bureau (ECB). 
Work in support of Directives 67/548 EEC, 92/32 EEC 
Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament 
European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods SEC(91)1794 final of 29.10.1991. Establishment of a European Center for the 
(ECVAM) Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM). 
Work in support of Directive 86/609 EEC 
t ———————•-—•——————-———-—--—-—---—_____________________________________________ 
Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1210/90 of 7.5.1990 on the creation of the European 
Support to the European Environment Agency (EEA) Environmental Agency (OJ No. L120/1,11.5.1990) (see in particular Article 15 and 
Annex A Cooperation with the JRC) 
European Community Pharmaceutical Information Network Work in support of Directives 93/39 EEC, 93/40 EEC and Council Regulations 
(ECPHIN) 93/2309 EEC and EEC 2377/90 
Quality Control of Consumer Products (Consumer Protection) On Cosmetics: 6th modification of Regulation EC/76/768 on Safety of Products: 
General Safety Directive 92/59/EEC of 29.6.1994 
_«—; • 
Industrial Reliability: Major Hazards Biotechnology Safety Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament; 
Work in support of Directive 82/501 EEC 
Methodologies for UCLAF \x 
™^•"•""—""~M•—•—'__•__—____•—' _^_»__^__^_____^^____^______»»_»_™_________—»_—«____i_____«______________i 
Agriculture and Fisheries 
Decision of the Council of 14.11.1994 on Remote Sensing applications to 
Remote Sensing for Agriculture Agricultural Statistics for the period 1994-1998 (94/753/ EEC, OJ No. L299/27, 
22.11.1994) 
.____--_---_---•___—____________________-•__——_________—___—_—__^ 
DECISIONS, DIRECTIVES, REGULATIONS OF THE COUNCIL AND COMMUNICATIONS 
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ON 
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OF THE JRC 
Animal Identification 
Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament 
European Office for Wine, Alcohol and Spirit Drinks (BEVABS) (COM(93)360/3). Work in support of Council Regulations (EEC) No. 2048/89,2348/91 
and 2347/91 and Commission Regulation No. 2676/90 
Reference Measurements and Materials for Quality Control of 
Foodstuffs 
Nudear Safety and Safeguards 
Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament of 
24.3.1992 (SEC (92)515 final, concerning the Commission Decision on on-site 
laboratories, for the period 1991-1996 (see in particular Art 16 Cooperation with 
Euratom Safeguards Support: Genera I the JRC) 
Euratom Safeguards Support: On-Site laboratories and ECSAM Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament 
COM(94)383 final, of 7.9.1994 concerning the illicit circulation of radioactive 
material 
Communication from the Commission to the Council COM (80) 681 final, concerning 
an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the International 
IAEA Safeguards Support Atomic Energy Agency on the one hand and the Commission on behalf of the 
European Atomic Energy Community, on the other, on cooperation in the field of 
research and development in Safeguards 
*fc 
Annex 2 
GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 
ADAGE Aide à la Décision Aménagement Gestion de l'Environnement 
AQUACON Analytical Quality Control 
ARTINA Analysis of Radioisotope Traces for the Identification of Nuclear Actinides 
BRITE-EURAM Basic Research in Industrial Technologies for Europe- European Research 
on Advanced Materials 
CEA Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (Paris - France) 
CEN Comité Européen de Normalisation 
CORDIS Community Research and Development Information Service 
ELSA European Laboratory for Structural Assessment 
ENIC European Network for Inspections Qualification 
ESPRIT-HPCN European Strategic Programme for Research and Development in 
Information 
ESTI European Solar Test Installation 
EURATOM European Atomic Energy Community 
EUREKA European Research Coordination Agency 
EUROSTAT European Statistical Office 
FWP Framework Programme 
IPACERC Induction Plasma Assisted CVD of Erosion Resistant Coatings 
JOULE Joint Opportunities for Unconventional or Long-Term Energy Supply 
MITO Microphyte Toxins 
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
NEA Nuclear Energy Agency (Paris - France) 
NESC European Network for Evaluating Steel Components 
NET/ITER Next European Torus / International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor 
PHARE Poland - Hungary: Assistance for Economic Restructuring 
PHEBUS French Test Reactor (Cadarache - France) 
RIVM Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (The Netherlands) 
ROBERTINO Facility for the Blanket Handling Device Development in 1:3 Scale 
SCK/CEN Studiecentrumm voor Kernenergie/Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires 
(Mol-Belgium) 
SPOT Système Probatoire pour l'Observation de la Terre 
TACIS Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States and 
Georgia 
THERMIE Technologies Européennes pour la Maîtrise de l'Energie 
USNRC United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
ISSN 1024-4506 
KOM(96) 158 slutlig 
DOKUMENT 
SV 01 15 
Katalognummer : CB-CO-96-170-SV-C 
ISBN 92-78-02641-7 
ByrAn för Europeiska gemenskapernas officiella publikationer 
L-2985 Luxemburg