COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 1ST SITUATION REPORT ON EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE NUCLEAR ENERGY FIELD IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
Date: 2011-09-16
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: continuing education, nuclear industry, scientific education, technical education, technical profession, university

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 16.9.2011 
COM(2011) 563 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

1ST SITUATION REPORT ON EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE NUCLEAR 
ENERGY FIELD IN THE EUROPEAN UNION 

{SEC(2011) 1046 final} 

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1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Education and Training (E&T) is a centrepiece in ensuring welfare in the EU. Consequently, 
"An Agenda for New Skills and Jobs" is one of the seven Flagship Initiatives put forward by 
the  European  Commission  in  its  Europe  2020  strategy.  It  aims  at  better  matching  labour 
supply and demand, including through labour mobility. This issue is of particular importance 
in the field of nuclear energy in the EU. 

The  role  of  nuclear  energy  is  currently  undergoing  an  intense  debate  at  national  and 
international level and it is finally up to the Member States to make their decision, be it "as 
planned"  or  long-term  operation,  power  upgrade,  new  build  or  phase  out.  The  recent 
Fukushima  events  (Japan,  earthquake  and  tsunami,  11  March  2011)  suggest  continuing  to 
improve  the  various  information  and  training  policies  on  nuclear  matters  and  to  coordinate 
them on a global scale. 

Whatever the chosen option would be, the availability of a sufficient number of well trained 
and experienced staff is key for the responsible use of nuclear energy. This is true in all areas: 
design, construction, operation, decommissioning, fuel cycle and waste management as well 
as radiation protection. 

Chapter  1  of  the  Euratom  Treaty  refers  explicitly  to  the  obligation  for  the  Commission  to 
carry out training actions1. Article 33 of the Euratom Treaty requests also that each Member 
State  "shall  take  the  necessary  measures  with  regard  to  teaching,  education  and  vocational 
training". 

Actually,  the  demand  of  hiring  skilled  employees  is  rising,  given  the  high  average  age  of 
existing experts leading to a significant retirement rate in the coming years. 

The  Council  of  the  European  Union,  in  its  conclusions  on  the  need  for  skills  in  the  nuclear 
field 15406/08 of 13 November 2008, points out that there is a real risk of the loss of nuclear 
competencies for the European Union if no measures are taken and emphasises strongly that 
the  preservation  of  skills  in  the  nuclear  field  requires  a  general  effort  involving  public  and 
private players and in particular the nuclear industry. 

Therefore  the  Council  encourages  the  Member  States  and  the  Commission  to  establish  a 
"review of professional qualifications and skills" in the nuclear field for the European Union 
and invites the European Commission and the Member States to provide regular information 
about existing programmes awarding degrees in Europe. 

It also invites the Commission to report to the Council on a regular basis regarding the follow-
up to these Council Conclusions. 

The challenge of ensuring a sufficient number of qualified staff in the nuclear sector has been 
acknowledged  widely  among  the  different  stakeholders,  in  particular  the  nuclear  industry, 
national  regulatory  authorities  and  Technical  Support  Organisations  (TSOs).  The  issue  is 
increasingly addressed in several national and international forums. In 2007, the OECD/NEA 
Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy issued a statement on the government role in ensuring 
qualified  human  resources  in  the  nuclear  field2  and  requested  that  governments  should  take 

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Consolidated Version, 2010/C 84/01, OJ 30.3.2010 
http://www.oecd-nea.org/press/2007/2007-05.html 

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action to monitor the situation and to ensure national and international cooperation to enhance 
nuclear education and research and to attract students and young professionals to become the 
nuclear experts required for the future. 

Also the IAEA regards the establishment of sustainable E&T programmes as fundamental to 
safety.  This  view  is  supported  by  several  General  Conference  Resolutions,  dating  back  to 
1992, by which the Agency was requested, inter alia to intensify postgraduate educational and 
specialized  training  courses  in  appropriate  official  languages  of  the  Agency,  and  to  develop 
syllabuses and training material for specific target groups. 
The  objective  of  this  1st  situation  report  is  to  provide  –  to  the  extent  possible  –  a 
comprehensive picture of the situation, to identify the current challenges, and to present the 
spectrum  of  both  current  or  planned  EU,  national  or  international  initiatives  which  could 
address  the  identified  challenges  in  the  most  efficient  and  systematic  manner  possible.  The 
report  thus  responds  to  the  Europe  2020  strategy  as  well  as  the  Council  Conclusions 
15406/08. 

2. 

PRESENT SITUATION IN THE EU AS TO HUMAN RESOURCES 

Nuclear safety is a paramount condition for the responsible use of nuclear energy. That is why 
in  2008  the  Commission  launched  a  study  titled  "Nuclear  Safety  in  a  Situation  of  Fading 
Nuclear  Experience"  published  in  2008.  It  did  not  cover  the  overall  situation  of  the  nuclear 
sector, but analysed the EU situation for a critical group, namely the availability of nuclear 
safety  relevant  personnel  with  Nuclear  Power  Plant  operators  and  regulatory  bodies. 
While  the  study  did  not  identify  an  acute  threat  of  a  shortage  in  any  of  the  Member  States, 
some  concern  was  raised  for  the  years  up  to  2020.  It  was  noted  that,  as  a  consequence, 
Member States, organisations and the EU started initiatives to improve the situation. 

The study came up with a number of recommendations, incl. a better cooperation between key 
players  and  universities  as  well  as  operators  and  regulatory  bodies  in  order  to  mutually 
optimise  their  training  programmes,  a  better  reporting  on  the  staff  situation  under  the 
Convention on Nuclear Safety, an increased international and bilateral information exchange 
on  operating  experience,  the  establishment  of  a  post  graduate  nuclear  academy  capable  to 
educate graduated engineers in  Europe-wide valid principles of nuclear safety, and finally a 
regular screening of the staff situation in the EU. 

While  this  study  was  performed  with  a  view  on  nuclear  safety,  the  recommendations  and 
subsequent discussions identified two essential needs: 

•  A regular and comprehensive supply and demand analysis at EU level. On the demand side 
it  should  identify  the  qualitative  and  quantitative  needs  for  new  staff  as  well  as  the 
experienced  or  expected  shortages  at  the  various  stakeholder  groups  concerned.  On  the 
supply  side,  it  should  analyse  the  capacities  to  educate  new  professionals,  as  well  as  the 
type of qualification required. 

•  A continuous monitoring of the challenges identified and how well they are addressed by 
already existing or planned initiatives in order to achieve early action to cover gaps and to 
ensure a better coordination of initiatives to maximise their effectiveness. 

Although several actions have been already taken as described in chapter 3, it appears that a 
number of challenges should still be tackled at EU and international level. 

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•  In many  Member  States the  number of university students and graduates with a strong 
background  in  nuclear  sciences  is  insufficient,  possibly  caused  by  the  perceived  lack  of 
professional career perspectives at national level. 

•  There is an increasing difficulty to interest graduates from technical and other studies 

to take up a job in the nuclear sector. 

•  There are increasing needs to ensure mobility and multicultural skills as response to the 

globalisation of the nuclear industry. 

•  Maintaining  and  continuously  improving  the  expertise  of  those  professionals  already 

working in the nuclear sector is a constant challenge. 

While it is mainly the task of Member States and their industry and research organisations to 
address these challenges, international cooperation and initiatives at EU level can continue to 
improve the situation. The EU provides an ideal platform to create synergies, to collect and 
disseminate knowledge and expertise, to assist in post-graduate and professional training and 
to promote and support mobility. Initiatives at EU level are recommended in particular when 
providing an added value to the actions at national level. 

There are already quite a number of initiatives at EU level, an outline of which is provided in 
the following chapters with particular emphasis on the challenges they address. More details 
are provided in a Staff Working Paper. 

3. 

INITIATIVES AT EU AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 

3.1. 

Enhancement of university studies in nuclear sciences 

When choosing a curriculum, students are interested mainly in promising career possibilities. 
Thus, this issue needs to be addressed, although mainly at national level. However, initiatives 
at  EU  level  have  been  identified  to  facilitate  and  strengthen  the  efforts  of  national 
stakeholders.  It  is  worth  stressing  here  the  new  governance  in  knowledge  and  education  & 
training in the EU policy with emphasis on the free movement of knowledge. 

Today, it is mainly the European Nuclear Education Network (ENEN) Association, created 
in  2003  as  a  non-profit  international  organization  and  composed  today  of  60  universities, 
study centres and industries from 17 EU Member States, which endeavours to ensure the free 
movement  of  nuclear  knowledge,  in  particular,  through  higher  education  and  training  at  the 
EU level. It is co-financed by the registration fees of their members and by their participation 
in the Community Framework Programmes. 

ENEN  endeavours  to  achieve  a  harmonisation  of  European  Master  of  Science  curricula  in 
nuclear disciplines, to promote PhD studies as well as the exchange of students and teachers 
in  the  frame  of  this  network.  It  also  seeks  to  increase  the  number  of  students  by  providing 
incentives, to establish a framework for mutual recognition, and to foster and strengthen the 
relationship between universities, research organisations, regulatory bodies, the industry and 
any other organisations involved in the application of nuclear science and ionising radiation. 

ENEN  has  also  recognised  the  need  for  post-graduate  and  continuous  professional  training 
(lifelong  learning)  and  has  widened  its  field  of  activities  accordingly  as  provided  for  in 
chapter 3.4 below. 

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3.2. 

Incentives  for  university  graduates  and  graduates  working  in  other  sectors  to 
take up jobs in the nuclear sector 

Creating incentives for university graduates and graduates already working in other sectors to 
chose a career in the nuclear sector is mainly a task for private organisations and companies. 
Nevertheless, cooperation at EU level can strengthen the efforts in this regard. 

That  is  why  six  of  Europe's  leading  nuclear  companies  (AREVA,  Axpo,  EnBW,  E.ON 
Kernkraft,  URENCO  and  Vattenfall)  established  in  January  2010  the  European  Nuclear 
Energy Leadership Academy (ENELA) to train future leaders in the nuclear industry. The 
European  Commission  supported  launching  the  Munich-based  academy  whose  idea  was 
created in European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF)3. ENELA offers to young graduates, but 
also managers with already some years of experience and a potential for top-level functions, 
to provide them with the skills and expertise they will need to become future leaders and to 
ensure  the  further  development  of  sustainable  European  nuclear  energy  solutions.  It  thus 
offers highly attractive perspectives for young people leaving university or working already in 
other sectors. The European Commission provides in-kind assistance in form of e.g. speakers 
and advice but not financial support. 

3.3. 

Post-graduate and professional training, improving of expertise, mobility 

The  EU  institutions  are  since  long  very  active  to  collect  and  disseminate  knowledge  and 
expertise,  to  assist  in  post-graduate  and  professional  training  and  to  promote  and  support 
mobility.  But  also  the  industry,  TSOs  and  international  organisations  are  recognising 
increasingly the need and advantages of cooperation at EU level. 

3.3.1.  EU Initiatives 

One of the new challenges for knowledge creation and competence building in the EU is to 
integrate  the  requirements  of  borderless  mobility  and  lifelong  learning,  with  the  aim  to 
produce, for example, "European Skill Passports", wherever appropriate. 

To this end, and like in other industrial sectors in the EU such as aeronautics and automobile, 
it  is  appropriate  to  use  the  "European  Credit  system  for  Vocational  Education  and 
Training (ECVET)" (see Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 
18  June  20094),  the  objective  of  which  is  promoting  mutual  trust,  transparency  as  well  as 
recognition of competencies and qualifications in VET across the 27 EU Member States. 

Euratom  training  programs  are  usually  addressed  to  research  and  industry  workers  with 
higher education and are being adapted to the recent developments in the nuclear industry and 
regulation, 
towards 
internationalisation,  deregulation  and  privatisation,  a 
outsourcing of activities, and new approaches for the management of advanced technologies 
and human resources. 

trend 

i.e. 

Financially  supported  by  the  current  7th  Euratom  Research  and  Training  Framework 
Programme (2007 – 2013) the European Nuclear Education Network (ENEN) Association 
is organising a number of "European Fission Training Schemes" (EFTS) addressing the need 
of specific competencies in some selected domains, using the tools provided by ECVET. The 
projects  and  training  programmes  are  providing,  for  example,  basic  nuclear  knowledge  as 

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http://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/forum/forum_en.htm 
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well as specialised training schemes on nuclear design and construction challenges of present 
and future nuclear power plants. They also cover Nuclear Safety Culture as a key issue for the 
responsible use of nuclear energy. 

A  further  objective  is  developing  European  standards  in  radiological  protection  in  synergy 
with  the  competent  authorities  and  setting  up  an  EU-wide  recognised  "European  radiation 
protection training scheme" (ERPTS). 

The  responsible  use  of  nuclear  energy  does  not  only  entail  the  operation  of  nuclear  power 
plants  but  also  the  management  of  the  resulting  radioactive  waste  including  its  disposal  in 
geological repositories. To this end, a dedicated EFTS aims at building competencies required 
by radioactive waste management organisations. 

The Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) has a number of nuclear facilities for research 
and E&T purposes. Over the years E&T has been an integral part of the JRC work in form of 
trainee programmes and grant holders schemes at PhD and post-graduate levels. In addition, 
training  of  students  and  professionals  has  been  realised  through  periodic  training  courses, 
dedicated  schools  and  workshops  in  nuclear  safety  and  security.  Within  the  European 
Safeguards  Research  and  Development  Association  (ESARDA),  academically  recognised 
nuclear safeguards and non-proliferation courses are organised by the JRC. A training centre 
for  safeguards  and  nuclear  security  has  been  ongoing  since  2009  in  synergy  with  other 
Commission's  global  security  initiatives.  In  the  context  of  a  "European  school  for  Nuclear 
Safety  and  Security",  the  JRC  is  developing  an  integrated  concept  to  offer  specialisation  in 
fields  of  nuclear  technology  related  to  safeguards  and  nuclear  security,  nuclear  materials, 
nuclear  data,  and  actinide  science  in  support  to  European  graduate  programmes.  It  has  a 
unique  opportunity  to  enable  the  students  to  get  hands-on  experience  in  JRC's  specialised 
nuclear laboratories and participating to cutting-edge research. 

Under  the  Euratom  JRC  programme  on  nuclear  safety  and  security,  implemented  at  the 
Institute of Energy in Petten, a special project CAPTURE is dedicated to nuclear knowledge 
management  in  nuclear  reactor  safety.  The  project  is  based  on  three  pillars:  Evaluation  of 
Human  Resources  Trends  in  the  Nuclear  Energy  Sector  (EHRO-N,  see  chapter  3.4.), 
Contribution to Nuclear E&T (through ENEN, see chapter 3.1.) and Knowledge Preservation, 
which  contributes  to  maintaining,  consolidating  and  transferring  EU  knowledge  in  nuclear 
technology in support to DG RTD Euratom FP7 relevant projects and the IAEA core activities 
on knowledge management. 

Moreover,  cooperation  with  third  countries  under  the  EU's  Instrument  for  Nuclear  Safety 
Cooperation5  (INSC)  also  covers  activities  to  increase  the  technical  knowledge  and 
capabilities of the nuclear safety authorities in third countries. This is addressed under INSC 
both  in  the  bilateral  cooperation  tracks  as  well  as  through  specific  projects  with  a  global 
scope,  e.g.  on  Training  and  Tutoring  for  experts  of  the nuclear  regulatory  authorities  and 
their  technical  support  organisations  for  developing  or strengthening  their  regulatory  and 
technical capabilities (Project MC.03/10). 

E&T  is  also  part  of  the  Sustainable  Nuclear  Energy  Technology  Platform  (SNE-TP), 
composed  of  all  stakeholders  of  nuclear  fission  and  radiation  protection  (over  75 
organizations). It aims at being a driving force, amongst others, in programmes for education 

5 

Established  by  the  Council  Regulation  (Euratom)  No.  300/2007  of  19  February  2007  establishing  an 
Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation 

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and  training  as  well  as  knowledge  management  (ETKM  group).  In  December  2010,  they 
produced together with FORATOM a report entitled: "Nuclear Education and Training: Key 
Elements of a Sustainable European strategy". 

3.3.2.  Other Initiatives at EU level 

Four European TSOs, located in France, Germany, Czech Republic and Lithuania, created in 
2010 the European Nuclear Safety Training and Tutoring Institute (ENSTTI). 

It  is  open  to  TSOs  and  nuclear  safety  authorities  that  wish  to  offer  their  experience  and 
competence, and covers the whole spectrum of competences in nuclear safety. ENSTTI offers 
short applied training sessions and tutoring periods for university graduates and for those with 
some professional experience in the nuclear sector, adapted to the profile of each individual. 

On the industry side, the European Atomic Forum – FORATOM – has set up in November 
2010 an Education, Training and Knowledge Management Task Force (ETKM TF) to provide 
a gateway for the nuclear industry to exchange ideas and information with the EU institutions 
and various initiatives in the ETKM across the EU. 

It  will  promote  actions  undertaken  by  nuclear  industry  and  will  be  a  reference  point  for 
questions directed to the industry on ETKM issues. 

3.3.3. 

International initiatives 

The  European  Nuclear  Education  Network  (ENEN)  is  a  partner  of  the  World  Nuclear 
University (WNU), a global public-private partnership committed to enhancing international 
education  and  leadership  in  the  peaceful  applications  of  nuclear  science  and  technology. 
Central  elements  of  the  WNU  partnership  are  global  organizations  of  the  nuclear  industry, 
inter-governmental nuclear agencies and leading institutions of nuclear learning in some third 
countries. 

The IAEA has many projects concerning knowledge management on nuclear energy. It offers 
a  selection  of  information  in  nuclear  energy  publications,  manages  over  20  databases  on 
different nuclear issues as well as an Internet Directory of Nuclear Resources. It is also active 
in organising frequent meetings, conferences and workshops in the area of nuclear education 
and knowledge management. One significant activity of the IAEA is the International Nuclear 
Information System – INIS. 

The  OECD/NEA  established  at  the  end  of  2009  an  Ad-hoc  expert  group  on  Education  and 
Knowledge Management, involving 23 experts representing 15 countries, EC and IAEA. Its 
main task is to produce a snapshot of the current situation in nuclear education, facilities and 
training  and  provide  a  "blueprint"  for  assuring  nuclear  competence.  The  publication  of  the 
results  is  foreseen  at  the  end  of  2011  in  a  report  entitled  "Nuclear  Education  and  Training: 
Assuring a Competent Workforce". 

The International School of Nuclear Law (ISNL), established in 2001 by the OECD/NEA 
and the University of Montpellier, benefits from the support of the IAEA. Its objective is to 
provide a high quality, intensive course in international nuclear law, addressing, in particular, 
nuclear law students at doctoral or masters level and young professionals in the nuclear sector. 
Participants enrolled in the ISNL programme have the possibility of applying for a University 
Diploma  (Diplôme  d'université  -  D.U.)  in  International  Nuclear  Law.  This  Diploma  is 
recognised within the ECTS (European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System). 

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3.3.4.  National initiatives 

A  number  of  National  Education  Networks  have  been  established  in  several  EU  Member 
States and are collaborating under ENEN. Quite a number of big national initiatives increase 
the number of students and enhance qualifications. 

Several EU Member States have ongoing or commencing programmes on the area of national 
nuclear education networks, including the following ones: 

BELGIUM 

CZECH REP. 

DENMARK 

FINLAND 

FRANCE 

GERMANY 

ITALY  

NETHERLAND 

ROMANIA 

SWEDEN  

U.K. 

BNEN 

CNEN 

NKS 

FINNEN 

INSTN 

Kompetenzverbund Kerntechnik  

CIRTEN  

KINT 

RONEN 

NKS 

NTEC  

http://www.sckcen.be/BNEN/  

http://www.cenen.cz/kontakt.html  

http://www.nks.org/en/welcome.htm  

http://www.tkk.fi/en/  

http://www-instn.cea.fr/Page-Home.html  

http://nuklear-
server.ka.fzk.de/Kompetenzverbund/start.htm 

http://www.cirten.it/  

http://www.kint.nl/  

http://www.ronen.ro/  

http://www.nks.org/en/welcome.htm  

http://www.ntec.ac.uk/  

While  in  the  past  the  initiatives  often  focused  mainly  on  the  university  level,  the  new 
developments  lead  to  a  widening  or  re-orientation  of  existing  approaches  and  also  to  new 
initiatives covering post-graduate programmes as well. 

3.4. 

Continuous monitoring of the situation 

While  the  general  concerns  as  to  the  timely  availability  of  sufficiently  qualified  and 
experienced  staff  are  obvious  in  many  Member  States,  and  while  numerous  activities  have 
been launched already or are planned for the near future, it is not possible at present to get a 
comprehensive view of the situation in the EU in order to arrive at a proper decision making 
on the coverage of E&T needs. 

ENEF recognised this challenge and recommended an initiative at EU level. 

Therefore  in  2009,  a  European  Human  Resource  Observatory  in  the  Nuclear  Energy 
Sector (EHRO-N) was established to regularly provide qualified data and analyse the short-, 
medium- and long-term needs and trends in supply and demands of human resources for the 
different  stakeholders  in  nuclear  energy  sector.  Thorough  analysis  of  strengths,  gaps  and 
deficiencies in the European nuclear E&T infrastructure allows elaborating recommendations 
for remedial actions and optimisations in support to the development of a European scheme of 
nuclear qualifications and mutual recognitions and to policy decisions to ensure adequate EU 
capacities. Relevant outcomes and data will be regularly communicated to the Member States 
governmental, academic and private organisations involved in nuclear education and training 
and  be  reviewed  by  a  Senior  Advisory  Group  with  members  from  the  EU  major  nuclear 
stakeholders. 

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4. 

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

In  summary,  it  can  be  noted  that  the  challenge  of  ensuring  the  availability  of  sufficiently 
qualified  and  experienced  staff  for  the  further  responsible  use  of  nuclear  energy  has  in  the 
meantime been well recognised at national, EU and international level. The initiatives taken 
already appear to be promising and are highly appreciated. While it is obvious that challenges 
at university and post-graduate level have to be addressed mainly at national level, the added 
value  of  EU  initiatives  is  increasingly  acknowledged  at  governmental,  regulatory  and 
industrial level. All opportunities and options available to increase effectiveness through the 
use  of  synergies  and  cooperation  should  be  used  to  further  improve  the  situation.  In  this 
context,  the  "European  School  for  Nuclear  Safety and Security"  initiative  of  JRC  should  be 
complementary,  stimulating  new  synergies  and  enhancing  existing  graduate  programmes  in 
collaboration with leading academic universities in Europe. 

EU  institutions  are  providing  a  wide  range  of  offers,  ensuring  continuity  of  knowledge 
creation  and  competence  building  at  EU  level.  The  European  Nuclear  Education  Network 
(ENEN)  and  other  EU  initiatives  contribute  to  render  university  studies  more  attractive,  to 
harmonise  European  Master  of  Science  curricula  in  nuclear  disciplines  and  to  establish  a 
framework  for  mutual  recognition.  They  also  aim  at  fostering  and  strengthening  the 
relationship between universities, research organisations, regulatory bodies, the industry and 
any  other  organisations  complementing  national  activities.  They  also  stimulate  lifelong 
learning actions, taking advantage of operational feedback from industry and exploring new 
scientific disciplines such as nuclear risk and safety governance. 

In this context and as a consequence of the Fukushima events, further training initiatives will 
be  brought  forward  under  the  Euratom  Framework  Programme  in  the  near  future  to  further 
strengthen  the  nuclear  safety  culture  throughout  Europe,  with  particular  emphasis  on  the 
human  element  in  crisis  situations,  and  to  aid  public  understanding  of  nuclear  fission 
technologies and radiation protection issues in general. 

The  initiatives  ongoing  on  different  levels  well  respond  and  even  exceed  the  2008  Council 
Conclusions and are fully compatible with the Flagship Initiative "An Agenda for New Skills 
and  Jobs"  of  the  EC.  It  is  therefore  recommended  to  continue  on  this  promising  route  in  a 
spirit of close cooperation between all stakeholders involved. 

However,  despite  all  this  welcomed  initiatives  there  is  still  no  comprehensive  assessment 
available  whether  the  initiatives  undertaken  either  on  national  or  international  level  match 
fully the needs either in quantity or quality. Furthermore, the impact of the Fukushima event 
on  supply  and  demand  trends  of  human  resources  in  the  nuclear  energy  sector  is  yet  not 
assessed.  EHRO-N  is  therefore  the  initiative  to  fill  this  gap,  especially  as  it  can  provide  a 
continuous  monitoring  and  scanning  of  future  challenges.  EHRO-N  will  be  the  central 
information source for all stakeholders in the EU interested in the optimisation and rounding 
up  of  the  initiatives  taken.  Member  States  are  therefore  invited  to  fully  support  the 
Commission in developing this promising tool. 

The  Commission  intends  to  provide  a  follow-up  report  and  further  recommendations  once 
EHRO-N  has  fully  taken  up  its  work  -  by  the  end  of  2011  -  and  has  arrived  at  a  more 
comprehensive picture on the needs and their coverage at EU level. A report from EHRO-N 
to  the  Commission  is  foreseen  to  take  place  at  the  end  of  2012.  Based  on  this  report,  the 
Commission will issue its 2nd situation report to the Council and to the Parliament. 

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