REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE Interim evaluation of the Euratom Research and Training Programme 2014-2018
Date: 2017-12-01
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission
Subjects: EAEC, EU financing, EU programme, Framework Programme for Research and Development, Joint Research Centre, nuclear research, nuclear safety, nuclear technology, scientific cooperation, vocational training

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 1.12.2017  COM(2017) 697 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE Interim evaluation of the Euratom Research and Training Programme 2014-2018 {SWD(2017) 426 final} - {SWD(2017) 427 final} - {SWD(2017) 440 final} - {SWD(2017) 441 final}  
 
 
1  Introduction 

1.1  Purpose of the evaluation 

The  interim  evaluation  of  the  research  and  training  programme  of  the  European  Atomic  Energy 
Community 2014-2018 (the ‘Euratom programme’) is a requirement in accordance with Article 22(1) 
of the Council Regulation1. The Commission is required to carry out this interim evaluation with the 
assistance of independent experts selected on the basis of a transparent process. The interim evaluation 
of  the  Euratom  programme  covers  the  achievements  and  results  of  the  programme,  progress  and 
impact.  The  evaluation  also  looks  at  the  objectives  and  continued  relevance  of  all  the  measures,  the 
efficiency  and  use  of  resources,  the  scope  for  further  simplification,  and  European  added  value.  In 
accordance with Article 22(2) of the Regulation, direct and indirect actions are the subject of separate 
evaluations. For this reason, two Commission groups of independent experts (CEG), one for indirect 
and another for direct actions, were set up in 2016. They submitted their reports to the Commission in 
May 2017. The present Commission report sets out the findings and recommendations of these groups 
and the   Commission’s  observations.  In  line  with  ‘Better  Regulation’2  requirements,  the  report  is 
accompanied  by  two  staff  working  documents  for  direct  and  indirect  actions  which  present  a  fuller 
assessment of the activities of the Euratom programme. 

While  the  Horizon  2020  framework  programme  for  research  and  innovation  covers  a  seven  year 
period  2014-2020, the Euratom programme has a duration  of only 5 years (2014-18) because of the 
limit set in Article 7 of the Euratom Treaty. To continue supporting nuclear research for the remaining 
2  years  of  the  present  financial  framework,  the  Commission  has  adopted  together  with  this  report  a 
proposal  for  a  Council  Regulation  for  the  Euratom  research  and  training  programme  for  2019-2020 
(COM(2017) 698 final). 

1.2  Euratom research and training programme (2014-2018) 

The  Euratom  programme  funds  research  and  training  in  nuclear  safety  and  security,  radiation 
protection, radioactive waste management and fusion energy. The programme is implemented through 
direct actions in fission — i.e. research performed by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), 
and  indirect  actions  in  fission  and  fusion  —  i.e.  via  competitive  calls  for  proposals  (fission  safety, 
waste management and radiation protection), and a comprehensive named-beneficiary co-fund action 
(fusion energy) managed by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Research & Innovation (RTD). 

Euratom fission research falls under both direct and indirect actions, while all Euratom fusion research 
falls under indirect actions managed by RTD.  

The 2014-2018 Council Regulation provides a budget of EUR 1 603 329 000 for the implementation of 
the Euratom programme. This amount is distributed as follows: 

   indirect actions for fusion research: EUR 728 232 000 

   indirect actions for fission, safety and radiation protection: EUR 315 535 000 

   direct actions for fission safety, safeguards and security: EUR 559 562 000. 

1   Council  Regulation  (Euratom)  1314/2013.  The  Euratom  programme  complements  the  Horizon  2020 

framework programme for research and innovation. 

2 

 
 
                                                            
 
2  Key findings on the Euratom research and training programme (2014-

2018) 

2.1  Programme relevance 

Indirect and direct actions of the Euratom programme address research challenges relevant for future 
economic development and the safety and wellbeing of European citizens. For the actions to continue 
to  be  relevant,  work  programmes  are  developed  in  close  consultation  with  Member  States.  The 
Commission, represented by JRC and RTD, is a member of several European technological platforms 
and associations to ensure that the Euratom programme is in line with the needs of relevant research 
and  industry  players  in  Europe.  To  ensure  that  direct  actions  are  in  line  with  and  complement  the 
research and training needs of Member States, JRC is continuously interacting with the main research 
and scientific institutions in the Member States. Regarding nuclear safeguards in particular, JRC is a 
member  of  the  European  Safeguards  Research  and  Development  Association  (ESARDA)3.  At 
international level, the Euratom programme supports the role of the EU as a global player in the field 
of nuclear safety, safeguards and security through agreements with international organisations and 3rd 
countries. 

Indirect actions 

Euratom  fusion  research  focuses  on  the  long-term  challenge  of  developing  magnetic-confinement 
fusion energy as a safe and secure carbon-free base-load source of electricity that is both sustainable 
and  competitive.  This  is  a  Europe-wide  endeavour  with  strong  international  cooperation  links, 
especially  in  view  of  the  importance  of  the  global  ITER  project.  Since  commercialisation  of  fusion 
energy  is  not  expected  until  the  second  half  of  the  century,  most  of  the  financial  support  today 
currently  comes  from  public  funds.  This  is  reflected  in  the  fact  that  the  fusion  part  of  the  Euratom 
programme accounts for 70 % of the budget for indirect actions. 

In  ‘fission’  research,  more  than  two  thirds  of  resources  have  been  assigned  to  three  main  fields  of 
research,  namely  nuclear  safety,  radiation  protection  and  radioactive  waste  management.  The 
remaining part of the resources has been assigned to research infrastructures and education & training. 
The  programme  provides  a  balance  between  support  for  the  safety  of  current  and  future  nuclear 
technologies. Euratom waste management projects help in better understanding issues relevant to the 
effective management of radioactive waste in the EU, such as the safety of future geological disposal 
facilities, the conditioning of radioactive waste, the long-term behaviour of spent fuel in a repository 
and  the  clean-up  of  decommissioned  sites.  Euratom  research  on  radiation  protection  will  lead  to 
improved knowledge of the effects of low doses of ionising radiation on the human biota, which will 
translate into a more effective and safer use of radiation and radionuclides in medical diagnostic and 
therapeutic practices. 

With regard to the programme's relevance, the possible areas of improvement for indirect actions as 
underlined by the CEG include: increasing synergies between radiation protection research associated 
with medical exposure and health research supported under Horizon 2020, and setting more specific 
objectives for education and training actions in the nuclear field4. 

3   https://esarda.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ 
4 Detailed information on specific areas of improvement is provided in section 3 and 4 of this report. 

3 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
Direct actions (JRC) 

The  nuclear  research  activities  carried  out  by  JRC  help  to  improve  nuclear  safety,  security  and 
safeguards in Europe and globally. They are designed to complement the activities developed either by 
Member States or under indirect actions and provide an independent scientific basis for EU policies. 
JRC  is  also  an  important  provider  of  nuclear  references  materials  and  data.  JRC  supports  the 
development and maintenance of nuclear skills and competences in Europe through dedicated training 
in nuclear safety, security, safeguards and non-proliferation. JRC’s unique nuclear facilities are open 
access for use by European researchers and young scientists. 

The activities also support the implementation of Council directives and conclusions on nuclear safety, 
waste  management  and  radiation  protection  and  give  priority  to  the  highest  standards  for  nuclear 
safety  in  the  Union  and  internationally.  JRC  is  also  providing  support  to  the  Commission  for  the 
implementation  of  the  Euratom  nuclear  safeguards  system  in  Europe.  The  JRC  helps  to  improve 
nuclear security in Europe by supporting EU Member States with nuclear detection technologies and 
nuclear  forensics.  Dedicated  training  is  provided  to  Member  States'  officers  and  experts  at  the  JRC 
nuclear training facilities. 

2.2  Programme effectiveness 

Evidence from 3 years of Euratom programme implementation (2014-2016) indicates that progress is 
being made in delivering on all Euratom objectives in direct and indirect actions as set by the Council 
Regulation5. 

Indirect actions 

In fusion research, the Euratom programme has contributed to some progress in all roadmap missions 
aimed  at  demonstrating  the  feasibility  of  fusion  as  a  future  energy  source.  This  progress  has  been 
achieved thanks to the new organisational structure established in 2014 involving all national fusion 
labs in Europe. This EUROfusion consortium receives co-fund support from the Euratom programme 
(EUR 316 million during 2014-20176) for implementing a joint programme in line with the European 
fusion  roadmap,  based  on  shared  planning  and  exploitation  of  research  infrastructures,  mobility  of 
researchers, and competitive allocation of funds.  

On fission research, 48 projects7 have been launched following the two competitive calls for proposals 
(2014/15 and 2016/17) with a EUR 199 million contribution from Euratom. The projects selected for 
funding  address  specific  objectives  set  out  in  the  Council  Regulation.  Data  available  for  the  nuclear 
safety  projects  launched  since  2014  indicate  that  progress  is  generally  as  expected  with  most 
deliverables  and  milestones  being  achieved.  Output  from  projects  in  the  other  technical  areas  also 
indicates that the Euratom programme is delivering, even though delays were encountered in the case 
of a few projects. These were delays due to the nature and unpredictability of cutting-edge scientific 
research, in particular the unavailability of key and often unique research infrastructures. 

Direct actions (JRC) 

JRC activities on the safety of current nuclear reactors include helping to develop codes, standards and 
test methods for reactor materials and software tools for accident modelling and management. These 
activities also support the assessment of ageing of nuclear power plants for their long-term operation. 

5 For more details see accompanying Staff Working Documents 
6 Budgetary commitments, payments amount to EUR 207 million 
7  Including  2  projects  addressing  cross-cutting  issues  in  fission  and  fusion  research  (materials  research  and 

tritium management). 

4 

 
 
                                                            
The  research  on  nuclear  fuels  provides  tools  and  data  for  the  safety  analysis  of  fuel  behaviour  to 
understand better fuel performance during normal and incidental conditions. Underpinning and applied 
research  on  the  safety  of  fuels  for  Generation-IV  systems  is  carried  out.  Having  a  well-established 
programme  on  the  nuclear  safety  of  advanced  nuclear  technologies  is  important  if  the  EU  is  to 
maintain its leading role in promoting globally the highest standards in nuclear safety and security. 

For  radioactive  waste  management,  JRC  provides  technical  support  to  implement  the  Directive  on 
nuclear  waste  and  spent  fuel  management,  reviewing  the  national  programmes  and  national  reviews 
and contributing to the development of an inventory report of spent fuel and radioactive waste. 

For  nuclear  emergency  preparedness  and  environmental  monitoring,  JRC  activities  include  the 
harmonisation  of  measurements  of  radioactivity  carried  out  by  national  laboratories  and  the  related 
training  of  personnel  to  ensure  a  coherent  monitoring  programme  across  Europe.  This  also  supports 
the Member States in fulfilling their obligations to provide information on radioactivity levels in the 
environment. 

The Commission’s activities on nuclear safeguards support the EU’s strategic objective to reduce the 
risk  of  nuclear  proliferation.  For  this,  JRC  provides  the  necessary  technical  support  and  related 
training  courses  for  Euratom  inspectors  to  ensure  an  effective  implementation  of  EU  safeguards 
systems.  Similar  support  is  provided  to  the  IAEA  through  the  Commission’s  safeguards  support 
programme.  The  Commission,  through  the  JRC,  is  one  of  the  main  players  in  developing  a  strong 
international safeguards regime. 

JRC also carries out dedicated activities on nuclear non-proliferation focused mainly on concepts and 
methodologies in areas such as open source information collection, strategic trade analysis and studies 
on  export  control  of  dual-use  goods.  These  activities,  developed  to  serve  EU  policies,  are  also 
supporting the IAEA and the global non-proliferation regime. 

Direct actions in the field of nuclear security focus on detecting and responding to the illicit trafficking 
of  nuclear  and  other  radioactive  materials.  JRC’s  capability  in  this  area,  and  its  support  to  nuclear 
security through related scientific and technical expertise, is in high demand by several Member States 
and international organisations. 

JRC produces and supplies state-of-the-art nuclear reference materials and measurements, conformity 
assessment tools, and nuclear training and education in all its areas of activity. 

In the area of education and training, JRC provides nuclear courses and hands-on vocational training 
for  professionals  and  students  in  Member  States  and  Commission  departments.  Moreover,  the  JRC 
allows  open  access  to  its  nuclear  research  infrastructures  and  offers  complementary  research 
possibilities  to  external  users  from  EU  Member  States  e.g.  through  its  EUFRAT  open  access  pilot 
project. 

2.3  Programme efficiency 

The  interim  evaluation  shows  a  good  overall  level  of  efficiency  in  the  Commission’s  management 
(e.g.  grant  management  and  proposal  evaluation  for  indirect  actions)  and  implementation  of  the 
programme. 

Indirect actions 

The Commission is keeping its own administrative expenditure for indirect actions below the target of 
an  average  of  7 %  of  the  operational  budget  for  2014-2018  and  remains  confident  that  the  planned 
target  of  6 %  for  2018  will  be  met.  Simplification  measures  introduced  since  the  start  of  the 
programme have greatly improved efficiency, notably for the time-to-grant (TTG). The average TTG 

5 

 
 
for the Euratom 7th Framework Programme (FP7) was 315 days, whereas it was 261 days for the 23 
projects  launched  following  the  2014-2015  call,  and  decreased  further  to  only  229  days  for  the  25 
projects from the 2016-17 call. 

Direct actions (JRC) 

Since  the  beginning  of  the  Euratom  sixth  framework  programme  (FP6),  the  JRC  introduced  a 
corporate-wide  yearly  review  to  evaluate  the  previous  year’s  results.  The  exercise  assesses  two 
aspects: productivity defined as the number of outputs delivered, such as the number of times technical 
support  was  provided  for  policies,  and  the  number  of  scientific  publications.  The  second  aspect 
concerns  the  impact  of  the  policy  support,  which  is  predefined  according  to  a  generic  set  of  impact 
indicators.  The  results  of  this  evaluation  are  essential  data  for  deciding  the  priorities  and  strategic 
alignment of the work programme. 

Although the number of policy support outputs delivered cannot be easily benchmarked with another 
comparable institution, the importance and the quality of the JRC scientific achievements/outputs were 
recognised and underlined several times by the Commission expert group that carried out the interim 
evaluation  of  direct  actions.  Remarks  such  as  ‘comparable  with  more  advanced  research  teams’, 
‘achievements comparable with the best in class’ and ‘worldwide leadership’ were typically used by 
the expert panel to characterise the quality and performance of the work done. 

In the period  2014-2016, a large number of outputs (678 reports, 68 technical systems, 117  training 
sessions, …) were delivered to specific users, in support of EU policies. These outputs resulted in the 
provision of support to EU policies (137 impacts acknowledged), ad-hoc support (10 impacts), support 
to  specific  countries  or  international  bodies,  mainly  IAEA  (79  impacts)  and  43  contributions  to 
standardisation and harmonisation. 

In 2014-2016, the programme’s direct research activities produced 658 scientific publications in peer 
reviewed  journals  of  high  reputation,  and,  in  addition,  9  books,  157  articles  contributing  to 
monographs and other periodicals, and 15 PhD theses were also completed. A bibliometric analysis8 
was  carried  out  for  the  period  2007-2015,  focused  on  peer-reviewed  items  and  based  on  widely 
accepted  impact  metrics.  It  showed  that  the  performance  of  JRC’s  research  publications  on  nuclear 
science and technology is well above average; hence JRC ranks well among peer organisations. 

JRC’s participation in the programme of indirect actions helps to improve the interaction with Member 
State organisations and ensure better alignment with their needs and priorities. This also ensures that 
both parts of the Euratom programme are relevant and more effective. A clear example is the synergies 
obtained between the direct research projects on advanced nuclear systems and JRC’s participation in 
indirect  research  in  this  field.  JRC  provides  additional  in-kind  contribution  to  these  projects  and  is 
instrumental  for  the  effective  representation  of  Euratom  in  the  Generation  IV  International  Forum, 
where JRC is the Euratom implementing agent. 

2.4  Programme Coherence and EU added value 

The  Euratom  programme  is  coherent  internally  and  with  the  other  EU  programmes  and  policies. 
Regarding internal coherence, the  Commission ensures links between  fission  and fusion research by 
supporting  projects  addressing  topics  relevant  for  both  fields  such  as  materials  research  and  tritium 
management.  Synergies  between  direct  and  indirect  actions  are  ensured  by  participation  of  JRC's 
institutes  in  consortia  implementing  indirect  actions'  projects,  where  they  provide  access  to  research 
infrastructures.  Regarding  coherence  of  the  Euratom  programme  with  other  EU  programmes  and 

8   Bibliometric  analysis  of  the  research  performance  of  the  JRC  under  the  Euratom  research  and  training 

programme (2007 - 2015), JRC 103578. 

6 

 
 
                                                            
policies, through the cooperative research, the Euratom programme enables a Europe-wide approach 
to  improving  nuclear  safety  and  radiation  protection  in  all  areas  of  application,  which  complements 
implementation  of  the  Euratom  Directives  on  nuclear  safety9,  radioactive  waste  management10  and 
basic  safety  standards11.  Possible  areas  of  improvement  include  the  need  to  exploit  synergies  with 
other  thematic  areas  of  Horizon  2020  in  order  to  address  cross-cutting  aspects  such  as  health  and 
energy systems. The Commission also notes the need to seek synergies in application of some Horizon 
2020 instruments in nuclear field such as Marie Curie Skłodowska Actions.  

A key part of the added value of indirect actions is the Euratom’s ability to mobilise a wider pool of 
excellence,  expertise  and  multi-disciplinarity  in  nuclear  research,  than  is  possible  at  the  level  of 
individual Member States. This is demonstrated by a diverse portfolio of 22 projects launched in 2014-
2017  addressing  important  aspects  of  nuclear  safety  (for  example  accident  tolerant  fuels,  core 
monitoring  techniques, assessment  of structural integrity of NPP  elements,  ageing management  etc.) 
as  well  the  launch  of  the  European  Joint  Programmes  in  fusion  and  radiation  protection  research. 
Another example is a joint exploitation of fusion research infrastructures, in particular JET, which rely 
on the collective endeavours of researchers and engineers from all across Europe (about 350 persons 
per  year),  supported  by  Euratom  funding  for  mobility.  This  broad-based  coordination  throughout 
Europe  of  education  and  training,  the  use  of  research  facilities  and  international  cooperation  is  of 
particular  benefit  to  smaller  Member  States,  which  can  take  advantage  of  the  economies  of  scale 
afforded  by  the  Europe-wide  pooling  effect  –  in  fusion  research  this  is  exemplified  by  smaller 
laboratories  that  can  specialise  in  scientific  topics  or  subsystems  for  fusion  research  facilities  in 
Europe and make important contributions while maintaining visibility in the European consortium.  

With regard to JRC activities, the following can be highlighted: 

  The  scientific  and  technical  support  provided  by  JRC  to  other  Commission  departments  to 
prepare,  implement  and  monitor  EU  policies  is  provided  thanks  to  in-house  expertise  developed 
through the direct research of the Euratom programme. 

 

 

 

JRC helps to develop necessary nuclear knowledge and expertise used by the Commission to fulfil 
its  legal  obligations  and  competences  in  fields  such  as  nuclear  safeguards,  safety,  waste 
management and monitoring and measurement of radioactivity on the environment. 

JRC  provides  support  for  standardisation,  open  access  for  EU  scientists  to  unique  nuclear 
facilities,  training  activities  in  fields  such  as  safeguards,  nuclear  forensics  or  decommissioning, 
and the operation of the Clearinghouse on Operational Experience Feedback12, all of which could 
not easily be carried out elsewhere. 

JRC  coordinates the European  research  effort on advanced reactor technology, through  Euratom 
membership  of  the  Generation  IV  International  Forum,  covering  contributions  from  direct  and 
indirect actions as well as from Member States. 

9   Council  Directive  2009/71/Euratom  of  25  June  2009  and  its  revision  2014/87/Euratom,  establishing  a 

Community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations. 

10   Council  Directive  (2011/70/Euratom)  of  19  July  2011  establishing  a  Community  framework  for  the 

responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste. 

11   Council  Directive  2013/59/Euratom  laying  down  basic  safety  standards  for  protection  against  the  dangers 

arising from exposure to ionising radiation. 

12 https://clearinghouse-oef.jrc.ec.europa.eu/  

7 

 
 
                                                            
3  Recommendations by the Commission expert group for indirect actions 

and Commission response 

This section provides the response to the recommendations addressed to the Commission by the CEG 
for indirect actions. The information and views set out in the CEG report are those of the authors and 
do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission. 

Recommendation  1  on  the  programme’s  excellence  and  inclusiveness:  For  future  Euratom 
programmes  the  Council  should  recognise  that  even  if  the  level  of  excellence  remains  the  key  for 
applying  for  research  funding,  the  dominance  of  the  established  organisations  can  lead  to  the 
exclusion  of  emerging  contributors  who  have  the  potential  to  provide  new  ideas  and  innovation. 
Hence consideration should be given as to how this source of innovation can be captured rather than 
lost from European programmes. 

The  Commission  agrees  with  the  spirit  of  the  CEG  recommendation  while  emphasising  that  it 
concerns  a  generic  issue  affecting  all  research  funding  programmes,  including  at  EU  level.  The 
dominance  of  incumbents  and  the  potential  difficulty  for  smaller  players  to  obtain  funding  are  a 
concern  also  in  Horizon  2020,  though  the  latter  programme  has  many  more  calls  and  options  (e.g. 
specifically  for  small  and  medium-sized  enterprises)  than  is  possible  in  the  much  smaller  Euratom 
programme. However, data on participation show that the fission programme still manages to attract a 
significant number and variety of players. A further obstacle in the case of nuclear research is the high 
cost  and  complexity  of  research  facilities,  which  may  bias  participation  in  some  fields  toward  the 
larger incumbents. For this reason, the Commission pays particular attention to supporting the access 
of all researchers from across Europe to key nuclear research facilities. Nonetheless, the Commission 
also  remains  committed  to  maintaining  scientific  excellence  as  a  key  factor  for  granting  financial 
support  under  the  Euratom  programme.  The  Commission  also  observes  disparities  in  the  level  of 
participation of Member States in the fission projects supported by the programme. This is particularly 
the case with Member States that joined in 2004 or later, although to a lesser extent than in other areas 
of  Horizon  2020.  To  improve  this  situation,  in  2015  the  Commission  supported  projects  involving 
regional initiatives aimed at nuclear research and training capacity-building. 

On  the  fusion  programme,  one  of  the  conditions  imposed  by  the  Council  before  establishing 
EUROfusion was to safeguard the level of participation of all fusion labs in Europe, in particular the 
smaller ones in the new Member States. Though this was intended as a temporary ‘safety net’ to give 
labs time to adjust to the requirements of the joint programme (e.g. more focus on technology-related 
tasks),  the  information  from  EUROfusion  shows  that  most  of  the  smaller  labs  have  been  more  than 
capable  of  maintaining  a  presence  alongside  the  bigger  national  programmes.  Many  have  even 
benefited  from  the  new  structure  by  increasing  their  share  of  the  overall  effort  and  the  available 
Euratom funding. However, it should  be understood that the distribution of research and  other tasks 
within the joint programme is the exclusive responsibility of EUROfusion in line with the Consortium 
Agreement.  It  is  based  on  a  system  of  internal  calls  for  participation  issued  to  all  beneficiaries  and 
linked third parties, and this arrangement will need to come increasingly under the spotlight in future 
Euratom  programmes  to  ensure  it  remains  fit  for  purpose  during  a  more  formal  ‘DEMO’  CDA 
(conceptual design activity), particularly if there is to be more participation by industry. 

Recommendation  2  on  the  co-funding  rate:  For  post-2020  Euratom  programme  the  Commission 
should review the impact of 100 % funding on the level and scope of research being delivered. 

Euratom  programme  is  implemented  on  the  basis  of  the  Horizon  2020  rules  for  participation.  As  a 
result  of  these  rules,  the  average  funding  rate  in  the  current  Euratom  programme  (fission  indirect 
actions)  is  76 %,  whereas  in  the  7th  Euratom  framework  programme  (FP7)  it  was  56 %.  This  would 

8 

 
 
suggest that in the current Euratom programme, the Commission is reimbursing a higher percentage of 
the  total  project  costs  than  in  the  past,  with  less  leverage  to  attract  co-funding  from  national 
programmes and industry. However, such a comparison is misleading because it does not consider the 
different treatment of indirect costs in each programme. The Euratom contribution is now based on a 
single reimbursement rate of direct costs (100 %, or up to 70 % for innovation and programme co-fund 
actions) and a single flat rate of project indirect costs (25 % of direct costs). However, in FP7, direct 
costs were reimbursed based on a matrix of organisation categories and activity types. There were four 
different  methods  of  calculating  indirect  costs,  which  included  ‘real’  (i.e.  actual)  indirect  costs  that 
were  usually  substantially  higher  than  the  current  25 %  flat  rate.  Calculations  by  the  Commission 
show that once the indirect costs are taken into account, the total funding rates in the current Euratom 
programme and in FP7 are substantially similar. This recommendation will be further analysed in the 
impact  assessment  of  the  Euratom  programme  (post-2020)  under  the  next  multiannual  financial 
framework. 

Recommendation 3 on JET13: In view of the importance of JET for ITER the JET campaigns should 
be extended up to 2024. 

The current Euratom Programme provides financing for JET via a bilateral contract with the Culham 
Centre for Fusion Energy which will expire at the end of 2018. The financial envelope for support to 
fusion research for the period  2019-2020 will need to be decided by the Council when adopting  the 
regulation extending the current programme. All decisions concerning the funding of concrete fusion 
activities,  are  to  be  taken  by  the  Commission  as  part  of  the  Euratom  work  programme  2019-2020, 
once  the  new  regulation  is  adopted.  Any  future  Euratom  support  to  fusion  research  and  Euratom 
support  to  all  relevant  research  facilities  beyond  2020  will  be  the  subject  of  an  impact  assessment 
accompanying the Commission proposal for the future Euratom research programme. 

Recommendation  4  on  DEMO  preparations:  EUROfusion  should  not  delay  the  DEMO  CDA  and 
should start the DEMO EDA around 2025 in order to maintain the industrial know-how generated by 
the ITER construction. 

Recommendation 5 on the fusion roadmap: EUROfusion to maintain the original roadmap focus on 
DEMO as an ITER-like tokamak to be built as soon as ITER achieves the Q=10 target. 

Recommendation  6  on  education  in  fusion:  EUROfusion  should  use  its  educational  resources  to 
promote educational programmes that will deliver the nuclear engineers and technologists as foreseen 
in the roadmap. 

The three recommendations above are addressed principally to EUROfusion, and the Commission will 
interact  directly  with  EUROfusion  to  ensure  they  are  addressed  to  the  extent  possible.  On 
Recommendation 4 in particular, the Commission agrees that the ‘DEMO’ engineering design phase 
and  formal  EDA  (engineering  design  activity)  should  start  as  soon  as  possible  to  benefit  from  the 
momentum  to  reach  ITER  ‘first  plasma’  and  therefore  capitalise  on  the  industrial  involvement  and 
experience acquired in ITER’s construction. 

Recommendation 7 on funding for the mobility of researchers: EUROfusion and the Commission 
should review the impact of unit costs on mobility and make any necessary changes. 

The  Commission  is  interacting  directly  with  EUROfusion  on  this  issue.  Following  a  request  from 
EUROfusion, the Commission has already approved an amendment to the grant agreement on the use 
of unit costs. The Commission will continue to adapt the rules to the evolving needs of EUROfusion. 

13 The Joint European Torus, https://www.euro-fusion.org/jet/ 

9 

 
 
                                                            
Recommendation  8  on  launching  the  European  joint  programme  (EJP)  in  waste  management 
research: For Euratom work programme 2018 or the extension of Euratom programme 2014-18 the 
Commission  and  Member  States  should  carefully  consider  if  there  is  sufficient  evidence  to 
demonstrate  that  the  EJP  instrument  can  be  applied  to  research  on  the  geological  disposal  of 
radioactive waste at this point in time. 

This recommendation is based largely on feedback received by the CEG in 2016 from the on-going 
JOPRAD  project14.  The  Commission  has  already  sought  reassurances  from  participants  in  JOPRAD 
and from the Member States on the maturity of the  proposed action. As a result, the Commission is 
now satisfied that, in the period since the CEG made its assessment, the preparations within JOPRAD 
for an EJP have made substantial progress and there is sufficient evidence, and support from Member 
States, to proceed. The Commission acknowledges that the EJP is a new funding instrument and that 
experience to date in Member States is relatively limited. For this reason, the Commission encouraged 
fruitful  exchange  between  JOPRAD,  CONCERT  and  EUROfusion,  which  has  by  far  the  greatest 
experience in the use of this joint programming instrument. 

Recommendation  9  on  specific  objectives  for  education  and  training:  For  the  implementation  of 
future  Euratom  research  and  training  programmes  the  Commission  should  ensure  that  there  are 
specific objectives for the delivery of education and training in the work programme. 

The Commission is already taking steps to address this recommendation. In the 2018 Euratom work 
programme, the Commission is proposing that for each research action at least 5% of the total action 
budget  must  be  dedicated  to  education  and  training  activities  for  PhD  students,  postdoctoral 
researchers and trainees supported through the action. Furthermore, in the case of dedicated education 
and  training  actions,  projects  will  be  required  to  provide  quantitative  information  on  the  number  of 
persons benefitting from the education and training schemes. In the longer term the Commission will 
aim to develop more comprehensive actions for maintaining and developing nuclear skills in Europe, 
ensuring  at  the  same  time  synergies  with  the  EU  framework  programme’s  actions  supporting 
education and training. 

Recommendation  10  on  synergies  between  Euratom  radiation  protection  research  and  the 
Horizon 2020 health programme:  The Commission and the Member States should make continued 
efforts  to  link  future  Euratom  research  programmes  in  radiation  protection  associated  with  medical 
exposure with other EU medical research programmes. 

To address this recommendation, the Commission will work with research stakeholders and Member 
States  to  exploit  synergies  between  Euratom  research  in  radiation  protection  and  medical  research 
carried  out  in  other  EU  funding  programmes.  The  aim  will  be  to  develop  joint  research  actions  on 
radiation protection aspects of medical practices as well as innovative nuclear medicines, including as 
yet unexploited radioisotopes. 

Recommendation  11  on  CONCERT  —  European  joint  programme  in  radiation  protection 
research: The Commission should carry out a review of  how CONCERT is working, to satisfy itself 
that the aims of the European joint programme (programme co-fund action) in relation to the effective 
and efficient management of research in the field of radiation protection are being delivered. 

The Commission intends to carry out a mid-term review of the CONCERT project in 2018 to assess 
the progress made. 

14 The JOPRAD project is a Coordination and Support Action funded by the Euratom programme. The goal of 
JOPRAD  is  to  prepare  the  conditions  for  the  setting  up  of  a  Joint  Programme  on  Radioactive  Waste 
Disposal (http://www.joprad.eu/ ) 

10 

 
 
                                                            
Recommendation 12 on management of conflict of interests by EUROfusion: EUROfusion should 
put in place explicit provisions to manage conflicts of interest. 

Recommendation  13  project  management  by  EUROfusion:  EUROfusion  should  continue  to 
strengthen  its  project  management  arrangements  and  ensure  that  the  programme  manager  is 
responsible for the implementation strategy. 

Recommendation 14 on DEMO’s design authority: EUROfusion should as a matter of urgency set 
up the design authority for DEMO. 

Recommendation 15 on the role of EUROfusion’s Scientific and Technical Committee (STAC): 
EUROfusion should look at ways of reducing the burden on STAC from its role in the project selection 
process for enabling research. 

The  four  recommendations  above  are  addressed  principally  to  EUROfusion  and  have  already  been 
raised  during  the  mid-term  review  of  EUROfusion  and  during  the  assessment  of  its  management 
system, both of which were completed in July 2016. Their consideration is currently on-going, and the 
Commission will monitor this process as part of its routine activities of oversight and management of 
the Euratom programme. 

Recommendation  16  on  application  of  the  Marie  Skłodowska-Curie  (MSCA)  scheme  to  the 
Euratom programme: The Council should consider extending the Marie Skłodowska-Curie scheme 
to Euratom’s fission research programmes. 

The  Commission  is  aware  that  expertise  in  the  field  of  nuclear  science  and  technology  needs  to  be 
maintained and will consider all possible ways to ensure access by all researchers, irrespective of the 
field, to education and training grants. In this context, the idea proposed by the CEG of extending the 
MSCA  programme  will  be  considered  in  the  ex-ante  impact  assessment  of  the  post  2020  Euratom 
programme. 

Recommendation  17  on  coordination  between  EUROfusion  and  the  ‘Fusion  for  Energy’  Joint 
Undertaking:  To  improve  the  coherence  of  the  research  needs  of  the  roadmap  the  coordination 
between the top level management of F4E and EUROfusion should be strengthened 

The  Commission  has  already  taken  steps  to  address  this  recommendation  by  setting  up  regular 
meetings  between  the  management  of  EUROfusion,  F4E15  and  representatives  of  the  Commission. 
Two meetings have already taken place, and the Commission is eager to ensure that they continue to 
take  place  approximately  every  six  months.  The  Commission  and  the  other  parties  are  keen  to 
formalise and strengthen this framework as necessary to provide the appropriate oversight of progress 
on the roadmap and manage the key areas of joint responsibility between EUROfusion and F4E. 

Recommendation  18  on  revision  of  the  fusion  roadmap:  The  Commission  should  introduce  a 
formal fusion roadmap revision procedure to ensure that any revision to the original fusion roadmap 
is owned by all relevant stakeholders. 

The roadmap is the fundamental guiding strategy of the fusion research effort in Europe. The strength 
of  this  strategy  is  that  the  roadmap  is  approved,  or  at  least  accepted,  by  all  players  as  the  most 
appropriate path to fusion electricity in a realistic yet ambitious time horizon. The Commission is keen 
to  ensure  there  is  continued  widespread  acceptance  of  the  roadmap  in  the  future,  while  also 
understanding that reviews and revisions of the roadmap will remain a feature of the evolving strategy. 
The  present  revision,  the  first  in  5  years,  is  necessary  in  view  of the  new  ITER  baseline,  with  ‘first 

15 Fusion for Energy (F4E) is the Euratom's Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy, 

http://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/  

11 

 
 
                                                            
plasma’  now  5  years  later  than  planned  in  the  original  roadmap.  It  is  also  necessary  in  view  of  the 
results of research carried out under the various roadmap missions. Though the present revision was 
initiated by EUROfusion, this was a transparent process with many other players (including F4E and 
also industry) involved in the process. The draft revised roadmap was also included in the scope of the 
mid-term  review  of  EUROfusion  in  2016.  The  revised  version  retains  the  same  structure  (missions, 
critical  path)  as  the  original,  while  updating  the  implementation  plan  in  line  with  the  new  ITER 
baseline.  Both  the  EUROfusion  General  Assembly  and  the  F4E  Governing  Board  are  expected  to 
adopt the revision in second quarter of 2018. 

4  Recommendations by the Commission expert group for direct actions 

and Commission response 

This section provides the response to the recommendations addressed to the Commission by the CEG 
for direct actions. 

Recommendation 1 on education and training: The panel recommends that the JRC continues and 
where  possible  reinforces  its  education  and  training  activities.  The  hands-on  practical  training  and 
work  experience  that  the  JRC  offers  in  its  laboratories  to  students,  young  researchers,  trainees  and 
PhD students is essential to ensure that the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineers in the 
EU has the necessary skills and knowledge in key areas of nuclear technology. 

The new JRC 2030 strategy16 was adopted in the spring of 2016; this led to a restructuring of JRC in 
July 2016 establishing, under the new Directorate for Nuclear Safety and Security, a new unit dealing 
with knowledge for nuclear safety, security and safeguards. 

The  CEG  remarked  that  ‘The  achievements  of  the  JRC  in  this  field  (training  and  education)  are 
probably  the  best  in  the  world.’  JRC  will  continue  to  strengthen  its  role  by  providing  access  to  its 
research  infrastructure,  disseminating  knowledge,  offering  courses  and  coordinating  knowledge 
management,  education  and  training  in  the  nuclear  field  for  both  Member  States  and  the  relevant 
Directorate-Generals in the European Commission. 

An  example  is  the  recently  launched  ELINDER  project  (European  Learning  Initiatives  for  Nuclear 
Decommissioning  and  Environmental  Remediation)  investigating  the  opportunities  to  stimulate  the 
development, coordination and promotion of adequate education and training programmes at EU level 
in  nuclear  decommissioning.  Attention  will  be  paid  to  a  sustainable  interaction  with  interested 
industrial  players.  Additionally,  JRC  is  strengthening  its  collaboration  with  the  European  Nuclear 
Education Network (ENEN). 

JRC  will  continue  managing  the  European  Human  Resources  Observatory  for  the  Nuclear  Energy 
Sector  (EHRO-N)  and  helping  to  define  qualifications  in  the  European  credit  system  for  vocational 
education and training (ECVET). It will continue organising and delivering training courses on nuclear 
safety,  security  and  safeguards  and  classroom  lectures  and  involve  MSc  and  PhD  students  in  JRC’s 
research  programmes.  To  strengthen  its  contribution  to  European  education  and  training  efforts  in 
various  fields,  and  in  agreement  with  its  strategy  2030,  JRC  opens  its  research  infrastructure  up  to 
external users through several projects and initiatives. 

One  example  of  a  course  with  academic  recognition  in  the  area  of  nuclear  safeguards  and  non-
proliferation  is  the  highly  successful  annual  ESARDA  course,  which  will  also  be  exported  outside 
Europe in the coming years. 

16 The European Commission’s science and knowledge service: JRC Strategy 2030. 

12 

 
 
                                                            
The  European  nuclear  security  training  centre  EUSECTRA  is  now  fully  operational  and  providing 
support to Member State authorities in the field of nuclear safeguards and nuclear security. 

The new Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships initiative is an instrument  to stablish partnerships with 
higher education Institutions on specific PhD subjects. This will allow to overcome the challenge of 
the  cancellation  of  previous  grant-holder  schemes  for  PhD  students  and  post-doc  researchers, 
maintaining the same high level of quality in the education and training provided in the past. 

Recommendation  2  on  communication  and  reaching  out:  The  panel  recommends  that  the  JRC 
reaches out to become more visible as a public expert organisation in this field. The JRC knowledge 
management activities should focus their efforts on good communication of nuclear matters, not only 
to the nuclear organisations, but also to the other stakeholders, notably the politicians and the general 
public. De facto the JRC is the voice of the EU in technical matters, and it should be more ambitious 
in this respect. There is no other body within the EU Institutions that can address the different aspects 
of nuclear energy with such a high level of expertise and knowledge. 

The new organisation of JRC and in particular the new unit for nuclear knowledge management will 
support and improve the visibility of JRC nuclear and technical expertise. Its mission is to manage and 
disseminate knowledge generated by the scientific units of the Nuclear Safety and Security Directorate 
by mapping, collating, analysing, quality checking and communicating in a systematic and digestible 
way relevant scientific data, methods, tools. Its job is also to monitor knowledge available worldwide 
and facilitate open access to JRC nuclear facilities including training and education. Attention will be 
given to anticipating knowledge needs, mapping knowledge gaps and suggesting research to be carried 
out by JRC. 

Recommendation  3  on  programming:  The  panel  recommends  that  the  JRC  should  systematically 
introduce  project-management  techniques  in  the  implementation  of  the  Euratom  programme.  The 
panel  found  an  improved  programming;  clearer  objectives,  clearer  reporting,  but  the  JRC  has  not 
achieved the rigorous programming and execution of its Euratom activities envisaged in the previous 
evaluations.  The  JRC  should  build  a  project-management  culture  in  order  to  achieve  the  greatest 
impact and ensure maximum efficiency in the programme. 

JRC  is  introducing  project  management  techniques  to  manage  its  work  programme.  The  phases  of 
initiation  and  planning  have  already  been  implemented  and  are  showing  results,  as  the  panel 
acknowledged  (clearer  objectives,  clearer  reporting  and  improved  transparency  of  the  programme). 
After defining its 2030 strategy and modifying its organisation in 2016 to strengthen its governance, 
JRC is working to better monitor and manage the implementation of the programme execution phase 
and closing phase of the project management cycle. 

The increasing number of JRC staff attending training courses on project management, some of whom 
are being certified as practitioners, highlights the attention that is being given to further developing a 
project management culture at JRC . 

Recommendation 4  on  resources:  The  panel  recommends  that the  JRC  should  establish  a  detailed 
documented view of the capabilities, staff resources and infrastructure of its nuclear directorate, with 
an inventory of its technical teams, the critical limit for the size of each team and the priority class (1, 
2, 3) of these teams. All this, to take action to maintain a certain capability or, if needed, to achieve an 
informed decision on which capability to suppress. 

In  September  2016,  JRC  concluded  an  assessment  of  all  its  research  infrastructure  and  laboratories, 
including  Euratom  laboratories.  The  assessment  describes  in  detail  laboratories  and  research 
infrastructure, including use, status or refurbishment needs, running and staff costs, the experimental 

13 

 
 
work  carried  out,  and  the strategic  plans  for  the  development  of  JRC  infrastructure.  The  assessment 
concluded that the development of JRC’s research infrastructure needs to focus on optimising the use 
and complementarity of the facilities. Such development has to respond to the challenges of having the 
laboratories spread over different sites across Europe optimising the use of resources, maximising the 
use of laboratories infrastructure, addressing the obsolescence of some of them, maintain state-of-the-
art  instruments  and  equipment,  increasing  synergies,  etc.  Complying  with  the  nuclear  safety  and 
security  requirements  of  the  regulatory  authorities  in  the  host  countries  is  the  underlying  utmost 
priority. A dedicated JRC steering board has being set-up to follow the recommendations of the 2016 
review 

This  study  is  the  basis  for  building  the  strategy  determining  the  priorities  of  JRC  research 
infrastructure and for setting up the teams to run it. It is evidently linked to the priorities established by 
the JRC strategy, the Euratom programme, and ultimately the Member States. The strategy for further 
developing  the  JRC  Euratom  research  infrastructure  will  take  into  consideration  the  diversity  of  the 
research infrastructure and the teams. Thus, the future development and upgrade of the infrastructure 
will be driven by its better integration and optimisation, bearing in mind the complementarity of the 
different experimental capacities to ensure comprehensive wide-scope nuclear laboratories suitable for 
carrying  out  JRC’s  work  programme.  The  open  access  dimension  and  the  complementarity  with 
external laboratories in the Member States will be further emphasised. 

Recommendation  5  on  organisation:  The  panel  recommends  the  JRC  to  introduce  a  contractual 
relationship between the programme directorate with its Euratom coordination unit and the nuclear 
directorate responsible for research implementation  to ensure an excellent  relation between the two 
cross-functional parts responsible for the achievement of its Euratom tasks. 

The  new  JRC  organisation  chart,  published  in  July  2016  puts  together  under  a  single  directorate  all 
nuclear  activities.  Thanks  to  the  new  organisational  structure,  there  are  now  clear  links  between  the 
Directorate  for  nuclear  safety  and  security  (in  charge  of  executing  the  work),  the  Directorate  for 
strategy and work programme coordination (coordinating the implementation of the work programme 
in  agreement  with  the  defined  strategy)  and  the  resources  Directorate  (in  charge  of  providing  the 
necessary  resources).  A  coordination  mechanism  between  the  Directorates  for  strategy  and  work 
programme coordination and for nuclear safety and security has been put in place to clearly streamline 
the role and mandate of each party. Further actions will be considered if needed. 

Recommendation  6  on  cost  effectiveness:  The  panel  recommends  that  the  JRC  should  take  on  the 
burden  of  proof  of  its  cost-effectiveness  and  for  a  future  external  assessment  provide  convincing 
information that the work is carried out in a cost-effective way 

The  JRC  acknowledges  the  recommendation  and  will  work  to  provide  more  comprehensive  and 
benchmarked information. 

In  scientific  nuclear  research,  cost-effectiveness  is  always  difficult  to  assess,  especially  for  new  and 
cutting-edge  research  activities,  and  for  complex  or  long  duration  projects  using  one-of-a-kind 
facilities, as is often the case in the nuclear field. The lack of adequate benchmarking and/or reference 
options makes it very difficult to quantify cost-effectiveness in a traditional way. Moreover, the impact 
of the results obtained is often difficult to evaluate within a short period. 

Nonetheless,  JRC  carries  out  a  yearly  exercise  to  evaluate  the  results  obtained  in  the  previous  year. 
The  exercise  assesses  two  aspects:  productivity  in  terms  of  number  of  outputs  delivered  for  policy 
support or scientific publications, and the policy support impact generated by the outputs provided and 
analysed  against  a  predefined  generic  set  of  impact  indicators.  The  results  of  this  evaluation  are 
essential  data  for  the  basic  and  mandatory  needs  of  the  Commission’s  strategic  programming  and 

14 

 
 
planning  cycle.  They  are  also  essential  for  determining  the  priorities  and  strategic  alignment  of  the 
JRC work programme. 

The reorganisation of JRC Directorates puts together under a single directorate all nuclear activities. 
The  same  goes  for  most  administrative  functions  (human,  financial,  logistics,  security,  etc.)  that  are 
grouped under a single directorate. This has allowed efficiency gains by optimising the use of human 
resources  avoiding  duplication  of 
the  various  JRC  sites,  streamlining  of 
managerial/reporting  lines  and  simplifying  key  procedures.  The  assessment  of  all  JRC  research 
infrastructures, identified opportunities for synergies and complementarities and improvements in the 
management  of  ICT  infrastructure  is  being  realised  through  a  new  coherent  governance  and 
architecture.  

functions  on 

Recommendation  7  on  the  Euratom  programme:  The  panel  is  in  favour  of  a  strong  Euratom 
programme to help put Europe at the forefront of nuclear generation and to maintain its technology 
leadership  as  proposed  in  the  Energy  Union  package.  The  panel  recommends  that  this  programme 
should: 

a)  Support  the  EU’s  need  to  maintain  the  capability  to  manage  nuclear  safety,  security  and 
safeguards by the JRC and the relevant research and training institutions in the Member States. 

b)  Bring a ‘rapprochement’ between the direct and indirect actions in fission research, which means 

that the Commission: 

i.  Implements  a  coherent  programming  of  the  two  parts  with  a  well-defined  governance  and 
decision-making processes, making full use of the competence and the unmatched position of 
the JRC, which no longer competes for funding under the indirect actions and participates in 
every project where this has an added value, albeit only for nuclear knowledge-management 
purposes. 

ii.  Proposes in the Euratom extension (2019-2020) one ex-post evaluation of the nuclear fission 

activities in the programme, to be conducted in 2022. 

For this purpose, the JRC should start preparing a long-term vision for its own activities as part of an 
integrated, coherent proposal for the direct and indirect actions in the ninth Euratom programme for 
research  and  training,  coordinated  with  the  Member  States  and  managed  consistently  by  the 
Commission services. 

JRC  fully  acknowledges  the  recommendation  on  having  a  strong  Euratom  research  and  training 
programme  supporting  the  needs  of  the  EU  and  Member  States.  It  will  continue  complying  with  its 
mandate  which  is  focused  on  nuclear  safety,  safeguards  and  security,  and  supporting  the 
implementation of EU policies in these areas. 

JRC’s  work  is  instrumental  in  ensuring  that  the  Commission  can  fulfil  its  obligations  and 
commitments in the fields of nuclear safety, radioactive waste management, radiation protection, and 
nuclear security. This is shown by the scientific and technical support JRC provides to implement the 
Council  Directives  on  nuclear  safety  (amended  in  2014),  radioactive  waste  management,  and  basic 
safety standards. It is also demonstrated by the JRC scientific and technical support provided for the 
EU outreach activities through the implementation of the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation, 
and the Instrument Contributing to Stability and Peace. 

It should be noted that nuclear safeguards and to some extent nuclear security (nuclear detection and 
forensics)  are  areas  where  JRC's  scientific  and  technical  competences  have  a  long-standing 
international recognition. The JRC is therefore in the best position to continue supporting the Member 
States and policies, as long as its expertise is preserved and deepened. 

15 

 
 
JRC also acknowledges the relevance of the recommendation on the need for a coherent and integrated 
approach  to  direct  and  indirect  actions.  Efforts  to  strengthen  synergies  between  indirect  and  direct 
actions  will  continue.  In  recent  years,  discussions,  to  ensure  the  coherence  of  both  types  of  actions, 
were held with the Directorate-General for Research & Innovation, responsible for implementing the 
programme  of  indirect  action.  JRC  is  participating  in  different  ways  (boards,  working  groups,…)  in 
existing  European  technological  platforms  which  aim  to  develop  a  European  Research  Area.  These 
efforts to strengthen synergies between indirect and direct actions will continue in future in order to 
ensure consistency and effectiveness across the full Euratom programme. 

Recommendation  8  on  synergy  between  nuclear  and  non-nuclear  activities:  The  panel 
recommends  the  JRC  to  create  more  synergy  between  its  nuclear  and  non-nuclear  activities  and 
include  the  results  in  its  proposals  for  the  next  Euratom  research  programme  (2021-2025)  and  the 
ninth  framework  programme.  The  panel  welcomes  the  intention  of  the  JRC  strategy  to  exploit  the 
potential for knowledge transfers in areas like energy policy, climate change, sustainable development 
goals  (SDGs),  security  and  emergency  preparedness.  Nevertheless,  the  panel  strongly  recommends 
that the JRC should maintain a clearly defined nuclear part in its work programme. 

The JRC 2030 strategy, published in June 2016 by JRC, defines its vision and mission. Putting high 
emphasis on breaking down silos between the different strands of JRC scientific expertise. The new 
JRC strategy is based on three broad dimensions: competitiveness and fairness, which reflect the EU’s 
long-standing aim to create a prosperous social market economy; and resilience, which has become an 
important  issue  since  the  last  financial  and  economic  crisis.  Within  its  strategy,  the  JRC  will 
streamline  its  activities  around  ten  priorities:  (i)  economy,  finance  and  markets;  (ii)  energy  and 
transport  (iii)  education,  skills  and  employment;  (iv)  food,  nutrition  and  health;  (v)  environment, 
resource  scarcity,  climate  change  and  sustainability;  (vi)  people,  governance  in  multicultural  and 
networked  societies;  (vii)  civil  security;  (viii)  migration  and  territorial  development;  (ix)  data  and 
digital transformations; (x) innovation systems and processes. 

In  this  context  more  synergy  between  nuclear  and  non-nuclear  activities  and  nuclear  science 
applications will be considered for the future in the following areas: 

-  security of energy supply — loss of considerable part of energy generation capacity in Europe (e.g. 

political decision, lack of investment framework, Nuclear Power Plant ageing) 

- 

financing of the back-end of nuclear fuel cycle (risk profiles of funds) 

-  public involvement in decision-making 

-  security  of  supply  of  medical  radioisotopes  —  economic  structure  of  the  market,  long-term 

investments in new production facilities, full-cost recovery 

-  nuclear sciences applications in support of the sustainable development goals. 

5  Conclusions 

The interim evaluation concluded that the Euratom programme is highly relevant across the full scope 
of  activities,  including  nuclear  safety,  security  and  safeguards,  radioactive  waste  management, 
radiation protection and fusion energy. Action at EU level continues to be instrumental in addressing 
challenges  faced  by  all  Member  States  in  these  areas.  The  Euratom  programme  ensures  that  public 
financing  is  used  in  an  optimal  manner  by  avoiding  unnecessary  duplication  while  providing  the 
required  EU-added  value,  economies  of  scale,  coordination  and  harmonisation.  In  this  respect,  the 
Euratom programme remains a key part of the European nuclear research landscape. 

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Given the research results achieved so far there is no need to revise the current programme’s activities 
or  mode  of  implementation  for  the  two  years  2019-2020  during  which  the  programme  is  extended. 
Therefore, the Commission proposal for a Council Regulation which will extend the Euratom research 
and training programme to 2019-2020, adopted together with this report, is continuing with the same 
scope  and  objectives  as  in  the  current  Euratom  programme  (2014-2018),  in  line  with  the  original 
seven-year impact assessment. 

On  the  programme’s  efficiency  and  effectiveness,  the  CEG  reports  indicate  some  areas  requiring 
action  by  the  Commission  and/or  beneficiaries.  These  will  be  addressed  as  appropriate  over  the 
coming  months  to  optimise  programme  implementation  during  the  2019-2020  extension  and  better 
prepare for the post-2020 programme. Other recommendations, in particular on the long-term aspects 
of  nuclear  research  or  instruments  that  the  Euratom  programme  shares  with  Horizon  2020,  will  be 
further analysed in the ex-ante impact assessment of the Euratom programme (post-2020) of the next 
multiannual financial framework. 

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