REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Interim evaluation of the 2021-2025 Euratom research and training programme
Date: 2025-02-28
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission
Subjects: EAEC, EU programme, EU research policy, Framework Programme for Research and Development, innovation, nuclear research, nuclear safety, nuclear technology, research and development, vocational training

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 28.2.2025  COM(2025) 61 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Interim evaluation of the 2021-2025 Euratom research and training programme {SWD(2025) 54 final} - {SWD(2025) 55 final}  
 
 
1.  INTRODUCTION 

This report sets out the results of the interim evaluation of the 2021-2025 Euratom research 
and training programme (‘the programme’) accompanied by the Commission’s observations as 
required by the Council Regulation establishing the programme1. This programme is the EU’s 
main source of funding for nuclear research, with a budget of nearly EUR 1.4 billion. It funds 
the development of fusion energy and aims to maintain the highest nuclear safety, security and 
radiation protection standards, as well as Europe’s skills in the nuclear domain. 

The  interim  evaluation,  carried  out  by  the  Commission  with  assistance  from  independent 
experts, analyses the programme’s design, implementation and initial results. The outcome of 
this evaluation, provided in the attached Commission staff working document and summarised 
in this report, has been used to prepare and design the Commission proposal for the extension 
of the programme for 2026-2027. 

The  evaluation  assesses  progress  in  achieving  the  programme’s  objectives,  efficient  use  of 
resources,  and  continued  relevance,  coherence  (within  the  programme  and  with  other 
instruments) and EU added value. It covers the period from 2021 to 2024 and assesses both 
indirect  actions  implemented  by  the  Directorate-General  for  Research  and  Innovation  (DG 
RTD) and direct actions carried out by the Joint Research Centre (JRC).  

2.  STATE OF PLAY 

€812 
million  

EU contribution 
in grants and 
prizes 

54  
collaborative 
projects 
launched 

€ 3.9 
million 
average grant 
size (excl. 
Partnerships) 

982 

95% 

4  

550  

Organisations 
involved in 
research 
projects and 
partnerships 

of funding 
goes to 
research 
projects, 
partnerships 
and prizes 

co-funded 
European 
Partnerships 
launched 

staff carrying 
out and 
supporting 
nuclear 
research 

Source: European Commission 

The  programme  was  launched  in  May  2021  with  a  total  budget  of  EUR 1.38  billion.  By 
December  2024,  79%  of  the  budget  had  been  committed  and  40%  of  payments  made. The 
programme is implemented in direct management through indirect and direct actions, which 
make up 61.5% and 38.5% of the budget respectively. 

For  indirect  actions,  58  project  grants  were  signed,  with  EUR 810  million  in  Euratom 
contributions,  following  three  competitive  calls  for  proposals  and  assessments  of  proposals 
from named beneficiaries. In addition, the Commission provided funding of EUR 2.6 million 

1   Article  14(2)  of  Council  Regulation  (Euratom)  2021/765  of  10 May 2021  establishing  the  Research  and 
Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community for the period 2021-2025 complementing 
Horizon  Europe  –  the  Framework  Programme  for  Research  and  Innovation  and  repealing  Regulation 
(Euratom) 2018/1563 (OJ L 167I, 12.5.2021, p. 81). 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
for postdoctoral fellowships under Maria Skłodowska Curie Actions (MSCAs) and for prizes 
recognising excellence in fission and fusion research. 

For direct actions, the JRC budget (EUR 426 million for 2021-2024) is distributed across three 
main  categories:  permanent  and  non-permanent  staff  (making  up  over  63%  of  the  budget), 
building maintenance (29%) and operational expenses for scientific work (8%).  

3.  RESULTS OF EVALUATION 

The  programme  is  successful  in  supporting  pertinent  research  on  nuclear  safety,  security, 
safeguards, radiation protection, waste management and fusion energy. It is too early to draw 
conclusions  on the  programme’s impact  –  because  only  one project  had been completed by 
2024 and 10 more will be completed in 2025, out of 58 launched. However, available outcomes 
in terms of projects launched, their coverage and first results, as well as the JRC outputs, show 
that  the  programme’s  direct  and  indirect  actions  implemented  over  the  last  four  years  are 
relevant for achieving its objectives. The programme has delivered in terms of peer-reviewed 
publications (ca. 2 000) and the number of people who have benefited from training and access 
to research infrastructure (ca. 11 000).  

Co-funded Euratom partnerships are the cornerstone of the programme, accounting for 76% of 
budget for indirect actions and involving most Member States (21 in waste management, 23 in 
radiation protection and 26 in fusion). The programme also made use of substantial funding 
from beneficiaries (45% of the costs) through partnerships. Progress made by partnerships is 
attracting more partners from non-EU countries; for instance, in radioactive waste the number 
of partners doubled. 

Euratom-funded safety research is not limited to Member States  that use nuclear power; 21 
Member States are involved in different projects in this area. The programme also involves the 
Horizon Europe widening countries (14 out of 15 countries), benefiting from 13% of Euratom 
funding in fission research (an increase from 10% in 2014-2018). ‘Widening countries’ now 
account for 24% of participants in Euratom projects (an increase from 21% in 2014-2018). 

Finally,  reporting  shows  that  projects  launched  in  2021  and  2022  reached  53%  of  their 
milestones. The  data  available  at  the  time  of  writing  shows  that  progress  is  being  made  in 
achieving the programme’s objectives as explained in the sections below. 

3.1. 

Nuclear safety 

Between 2021 and 2024, the Euratom programme funded a portfolio of 34 research projects, 
as well as JRC research activities, addressing a broad spectrum of safety challenges for current 
and future nuclear systems. The direct actions also focus on specific policy support aiming to 
strengthen nuclear safety standards within and outside the EU. The safety of current nuclear 
systems  remains  a  priority,  and  there  were  11  projects  in  this  field  supported  by  grants  of 
EUR 50 million. These were complemented by the JRC’s research on design basis analysis and 
on  materials  and  components.  This  mainly  addresses  safety  issues  linked  to  the  long-term 
operation  of  existing  nuclear  power  plants,  such  as  structural  integrity,  non-destructive 
assessment  of  materials,  model  validation  and  severe  accident  simulation.  Such  research  is 
more crucial than ever, as the average age of EU power plants is 38 years and they play an 
important role in the decarbonisation of the EU’s power sector and in security of energy supply. 
The evaluation concluded that the programme needs to support more research on degradation 
and ageing of existing nuclear power plants.  

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The programme addressed the growing interest in small modular reactors (SMRs) by funding 
research  with  a  particular  focus  on  their  safety  features  and  passive  safety  systems.  Five 
research projects, as well as research at the JRC, aim to verify potential advantages of SMRs 
in terms of design simplification and inherent safety features. They also address new challenges 
with regard to safety, security and safeguards. By supporting design improvements, Euratom-
funded research facilitates the work of the European Industrial Alliance on SMRs. In addition, 
it  should  help  put  in  place  a  consistent  approach  among  regulators  to  safety  requirements, 
improving safety across the EU. The evaluation concluded that, for the preparation of the safety 
case  for  SMRs,  further  work  is  needed  on  a  wide  range  of  research  data  as  well  as  the 
verification and validation of simulation tools. More emphasis should also be put on responding 
to regulators’ needs in this area. 

In the area of the nuclear fuel cycle, Euratom’s support focuses on the development of fuel for 
Russian-designed reactors in EU Member States (and in Ukraine), accident-tolerant fuel and 
fuel for research reactors. Nine projects supported by grants of EUR 45.6 million addressed 
three main issues: (i) security of supply; (ii) increasing performance; and (iii) improving safety 
under accident conditions. In this area, the JRC’s experimental research particularly contributes 
to fuel behaviour analysis. The above actions are complemented by a new co-funded European 
Partnership for nuclear materials (CONNECT-NM) launched in October 2024, which aims to 
boost the safety, efficiency and economy of nuclear energy by improving the performance of 
materials and monitoring and predicting materials’ behaviour in operation.  

3.2. 

Radioactive waste management 

The successful  conclusion of  European Joint Programme on  radioactive  waste management 
(EURAD) and launch of its succesor, a co-funded European Partnership (EURAD-2) show that 
joint programming and implementation of research on radioactive waste management is well 
established in the EU. Member States have shown strong commitment to EURAD-2, and there 
is  increasing  interest  from  non-EU  countries.  The  partnership  is  an  important  tool  for 
transferring knowledge and experience from Member States that are at an advanced stage in 
terms of expertise and implementation to those that are only starting to develop management 
methods  and  disposal  facilities,  which  helps  fulfil  the  requirements  set  by  Directive 
2011/70/Euratom (Radioactive Waste Directive). The evaluation underlined the need to adapt 
the partnership to the changing situation with more deep geological facilities approved or under 
construction. In line with its participation in EURAD and EURAD-2, the JRC contributes to 
waste characterisation in its specialised testing facilities, while also providing expert reviews 
to  support  the  Commission’s  monitoring  of  Radioactive Waste  Directive  implementation  in 
Member States. Together with projects supporting decommissioning, the programme funded a 
spectrum of actions covering the specific objective of safe radioactive waste management.  

3.3. 

Radiation applications and protection 

The Commission launched nine projects, four of which involved the JRC, with EUR 50 million 
in grants. These cover all areas of radiation application and protection set out in the Council 
Regulation  (non-power  applications  of  ionising  radiation,  risks  from  low  doses,  emergency 
preparedness,  environmental  monitoring).  PIANOFORTE, 
the  co-funded  European 
Partnership for radiation protection, made good progress and involved beneficiaries from most 
of  the  Member  States  and  from  non-EU  countries.  It  therefore  shows  strong  potential  to 
continue playing a leading role in radiation protection research in Europe. Recommendations 
from  the Euratom  Scientific and Technical  Committee  (STC) propose improvements  to this 

3 

 
 
action in coming years. The JRC’s research, enabled by dedicated European infrastructure and 
long-standing expertise, makes an essential contribution to emergency preparedness through 
environmental  radioactivity  monitoring  activities.  It  also  contributes 
to  non-power 
applications, particularly in medicine with the development of novel radioisotopes for targeted 
alpha therapy.  

A substantial number of proposals submitted to calls show potential for innovative applications 
of  ionising  radiation  in  medicine,  the  circular  economy,  deep  space  exploration  and 
environmental  monitoring. This  potential  could  be  further  realised  in  synergy  with  Horizon 
Europe, as recommended by the STC. 

3.4. 

Nuclear security, safeguards and non-proliferation 

In light of ongoing geopolitical changes, more attention is being paid to non-proliferation and 
security  issues  in  the  EU.  From  2021  to  2024,  the  JRC  provided  training  to  support  law 
enforcement,  civil  protection  and  customs  in  combating  the  illicit  trafficking  of  nuclear 
material and to strengthen nuclear safeguards. The JRC also directly contributes to building 
capacity against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN)2 threats and supporting 
nuclear security-related projects outside the EU. Direct actions research focuses on developing 
and  improving  analytical  techniques  and  methodologies  for  safeguarding  nuclear  materials. 
This research makes the JRC a key player in monitoring and preventing the proliferation of 
nuclear  materials.  The  JRC  also  carries  out  a  substantial  amount  of  research  on  nuclear 
safeguards to support the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as part of the European 
Commission support programme, and provides policy support on safeguards.  

3.5. 

Expertise and competence in the nuclear field  

The programme actions provide direct support to students and researchers and bring stability 
and predictability for users of nuclear research facilities. Euratom direct and indirect actions 
provide specialised training and access to research infrastructure – through both the OFFERR 
project and the JRC Open Access programme – and support researchers’ mobility and studies 
at  MSc,  PhD  and  postdoctoral  level.  By  2024,  more  than  3 000  people  had  benefited  from 
training and almost 1 000 PhD and other students had used mobility support. The first outcomes 
are promising, and it is expected that the European Partnerships and the JRC will achieve most 
of the objectives. The European Nuclear Skills Initiative, planned for 2025, should bring further 
guidance for Euratom action and closer involvement of industry. While the number of MSCA 
postdoctoral fellowships granted is low, they demonstrate an existing potential for synergies 
between Euratom and Horizon Europe. This could be expanded into other MSCA instruments, 
for  example  PhD  networks,  if  funding  is  available.  The  evaluation  underlined  the  need  to 
continue  developing  an  infrastructure  ecosystem,  including  Member  States  and  the  JRC 
facilities, to provide a practical and sustainable means of access to research infrastructure for 
collaborative projects and partnerships.  

3.6. 

Fusion energy 

The co-funded European Partnership EUROfusion3 has made tangible progress from 2021 to 
2024 in its experimental campaigns and research addressing the roadmap’s eight missions to 

2   Chemical,  biological,  radiological  and  nuclear  materials  and  agents  that  could  potentially  harm  society 

through their accidental or deliberate release or dissemination. 

3   Euratom grant of EUR 549 million (55% of total costs).  For more details see  https://euro-fusion.org/ and 

https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101052200 

4 

 
 
 
develop  fusion  energy.  Various  indicators  show  that  EUROfusion  delivers  on  achieving 
research  milestones  set  in  2021,  supporting  mobility  and  access  to  research  facilities  and 
training a new generation of researchers and engineers. Despite this, an independent evaluation 
has raised doubts about the adequacy of the research programme to reach its main long-term 
goal of delivering electricity from fusion. These doubts are shared by the Commission. 

The strategy for fusion research in the EU is currently set out in the EUROfusion roadmap, 
which  was  published  in  2012  and  updated  in  2017. This  roadmap,  based  on  the  sequential 
development  and  exploitation  of  JET4,  ITER5  and  DEMO6  facilities,  is  considered  overly 
complex  with  an  unrealistic  timeline.  The  main  concern  is  that  the  ITER  organisation  is 
currently re-examining the project baseline, which may result in  a 10-year delay to the first 
experiments and leave the industrial supply chain idle. The second concern is the lack of focus 
on addressing the critical key enabling technology gaps for the development of fusion power 
reactors,  such  as  radiation  resistant  materials,  breeding  blankets  and  the  tritium  fuel  cycle, 
plasma heating technologies and advanced magnet systems for improved plasma confinement. 
This concern is aggravated by the lack of specialised facilities for testing and the qualification 
of components in a relevant fusion environment. A further concern is that the costs of a first 
fusion  power  plant  have  not  yet  been  quantified  and  are  probably  very  high.  Although 
EUROfusion is an impressive collaborative effort from the European laboratories, risks and 
uncertainties in their respective missions have not been fully assessed or quantified. Significant 
technological challenges remain and it is currently unclear how much time and resources will 
be required to resolve the issues.  

The  fusion  landscape  is  changing  fast,  becoming  more  dynamic  thanks  to  several  private 
initiatives  in  Europe  and  worldwide. There  is  a  significant  risk  that  EUROfusion,  as  a  co-
funded  public-public  partnership,  may  fail  to  systematically  include  these  dynamic 
developments.  EU  fusion  engineering  knowledge  and  industrial  potential,  developed  over 
decades with significant public investment, might be lost and move to countries outside the EU 
with a more favourable economic and regulatory landscape. 

There  is  a  growing  consensus,  notably  captured  at  events7  and  in  a  public  consultation 
organised by the Commission in 2024, that Euratom’s approach today to fusion development 
should move away from seeing ITER and other initiatives in a sequential way. There is deemed 
to be an urgent need to develop an EU strategy that provides the right conditions and proper 
framework to address the technological bottlenecks on the path to the commercial deployment 
of fusion energy.  

3.7. 

Efficiency and simplification 

The interim evaluation shows good overall efficiency in the Commission’s management and 
implementation  of the programme. For indirect  actions, the administrative expenditure is  at 
5.4%, below the 6% ceiling set in the Council Regulation. Due to the staff cut of 20% resulting 
from  the  programme’s  budget  cuts,  the  JRC  has  implemented  efficiency  measures  in  the 
existing  research  areas.  These  are  reflected  in  a  new  strategy  for  the  nuclear  activities  and 

4   The Joint European Torus, https://euro-fusion.org/devices/jet/  
5   https://www.iter.org/ 
6   https://euro-fusion.org/programme/demo/  
7   High-Level  Roundtable  on  Fostering  Innovation  for  Fusion  Energy  in  Europe  (14 March 2024)  and  ‘EU 

blueprint for fusion energy’ expert meeting (23 April 2024) 

5 

 
 
 
 
management of its infrastructure. The programme is doing well on its performance metrics. 
Average time-to-grant is 230 days, similar to Horizon Europe and an improvement over the 
2014-2020 programme (238 days) and the 2007-2013 programme (313 days). 

To  simplify  implementation,  the  programme  relies  on  the  rules  and  measures  for  Horizon 
Europe.  The  introduction  of  simplified  cost  options  under  Horizon  Europe,  in  particular 
optional unit costs for personnel, brings further simplification and helps to reduce errors. Unit 
costs  for  personnel  could  already  be  used  for  new  grants  from  the  2023-2025  call.  Other 
measures, such as a single, simpler corporate approach for charging personnel costs and the 
shift of Horizon Europe’s control strategy towards identifying and addressing high-risk areas, 
could reduce irregularities and facilitate the work of beneficiaries. 

3.8. 

Relevance and added value  

With the accelerating development and expanding use of nuclear technologies worldwide, the 
Euratom  programme  provides  the  knowledge  and  solutions  needed  to  benefit  from  these 
advancements,  and  to  address  societal  concerns  about  radiation  risks. Thematic  evaluations 
confirmed  the  relevance  of  the  current  Euratom  actions  in  their  fields.  However,  they  also 
emphasised the need to advocate for improvements to the organisation and operation of co-
funded European Partnerships to ensure that the research remains relevant and that it addresses 
the most pressing challenges. According to the evaluations, the JRC’s scientific and technical 
expertise to the Commission and Member States, as well as the use of specialised tools and 
facilities, helps to strengthen the safe and secure use of nuclear technologies. 

Embedded budget flexibility and some unspent ITER funds and non-EU country credits from 
the 2014-2020 programme enabled the current programme to tackle new challenges, such as 
energy  security  (alternative  fuel  for  VVER  reactors8)  and  strategic  autonomy  in  nuclear 
materials  and  data,  and  to  support  researchers  in  Ukraine.  While  the  Council  Regulation 
provides flexibility in terms of implementation modes and instruments, the main limiting factor 
today  is  the  small  budget,  aggravated  by  the  lack  of  third-party  income  as  no  association 
agreement has so far been concluded with either Switzerland or the UK. The association of 
Ukraine to the Euratom programme has strong scientific and political value but no significant 
budgetary impact. The JRC direct actions provide tools that  can be activated and redirected 
quickly, such as  the  tool for  the diagnosis  and prognosis of hazards in  nuclear  emergencies 
(DAPHNE),  which  has  been  used  in  Ukraine  to  assess  radiological  risks  for  nuclear  power 
plants under wartime conditions. 

The  evaluation  clearly  shows  the  EU  added  value  of  the  programme,  namely  the  joint 
development of knowledge on various applications of radiation and reducing risks. Subsequent 
public consultations show that the main added value for researchers includes better sharing of 
knowledge and best practices across borders, greater cross-border collaboration and mobility, 
and wider dissemination of results. 

3.9. 

Coherence and synergies 

The  Commission  aims  to  increase  consistency  between  the  programme  and  other  EU 
programmes. Internally, DG RTD and the JRC work closely to coordinate the indirect and direct 

8   Series of pressurized water reactor designs originally developed in the Soviet Union, and now Russia. Twenty 
Russian-designed VVER reactors exist in the EU (Bulgaria, Czechia, Finland, Hungary and Slovakia) and 
fifteen in Ukraine.  

6 

 
 
 
actions,  for  example,  by  co-drafting  the  work  programmes.  Consistency  with  ITER  and 
Member States’ fusion strategies is assured by coordination between DG RTD and DG ENER, 
supported by the Fusion Expert Group9. The programme’s partnerships support Member States 
in implementing the Euratom Directives on Basic Safety Standards and on Radioactive Waste 
and Spent Fuel Management. The JRC participates in 47% of the project consortia funded by 
the Euratom grants, providing expertise and access to specialised research infrastructure. This 
ensures synergies with research organisations and academia across the nuclear field. Synergies 
with Horizon Europe include MSCA postdoctoral fellowships for nuclear researchers funded 
by  Euratom.  The  evaluation  indicated  that  further  synergies,  in  particular  in  non-power 
applications of ionising radiation, could be much better harnessed if the budget were increased 
and joint actions with Horizon Europe were easier to implement. 

4.  CONCLUSIONS 

The actions funded by the programme over four years help Member States to work together to 
develop nuclear technologies, regardless of their national choice as to whether to generate or 
consume nuclear power. This enables Member States to harness the opportunities offered by 
the  technologies  in  the  interest  of  all,  while  reducing  the  risks  associated  with  ionising 
radiation. The recent Euratom actions deliver results and provide a supportive framework for 
developing, sharing and maintaining expertise and skills in nuclear safety and security, the safe 
management of radioactive waste and radiation protection. They also bring the EU closer to 
achieving fusion energy. This knowledge will be essential for those Member States that want 
to pursue nuclear energy as part of their energy mix (whether the technology is domestic or 
imported),  and  for  those  that  need  reassurance  that  nuclear  power  plants  in  neighbouring 
countries meet the highest safety standards. The public also stands to benefit from Euratom-
funded research on other applications of ionising radiation, in particular in medicine. 

The  Council’s  decision  in  2021  to  reduce  the  budget  for  the  programme  by  20%  limited 
possibilities to fund excellent research proposals. It also hampered the JRC’s efforts to address 
the emerging challenges with the necessary flexibility and capacity at a time of renewed interest 
in nuclear technologies. 

This evaluation provided the important findings described below for the Commission proposal 
for the extension of the Euratom Programme for 2026-2027. These include: 

−  The programme addressed new challenges such as research on alternative fuel for Russian-
designed reactors used in some Member States, increased strategic autonomy in nuclear 
materials  and  data,  and  support  for  researchers  in  Ukraine.  The  results  of  the  call  for 
innovative  applications  of  ionising  radiation  show  a  high  interest  within  medicine,  the 
circular  economy,  space  exploration  and  environmental  monitoring,  which  could  be 
developed  further  in  synergy  with  Horizon  Europe.  These  new  actions  attracted 
newcomers.  However,  the  limited  budget,  together  with  the  need  to  maintain  the 
programme’s focus on the core activities of nuclear safety, radioactive waste and radiation 
protection, means that there will be very limited possibilities to continue funding these new 
actions in 2026-2027. 

9   Commission 

expert  group  on 

fusion 

research 

and  development, 

for  more  details 

see 

https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/expert-
groups/consult?lang=en&groupId=3929  

7 

 
 
 
−  The  programme’s  implementation  relies  on  Horizon  Europe’s  rules  and  measures.  The 
public consultation showed that the programme’s beneficiaries are largely satisfied with the 
current instruments, practices and support received from the Commission. The Commission 
will continue to simplify in 2026-2027 while ensuring continuity in the application of the 
rules.  

−  The  evaluation  concluded  that  maintaining  the  same  programme  scope  and  budget  for 
fission  research  as  for  2021-2025  would  provide  continuity  in  research  for  the  safe 
operation of existing nuclear power plants in Europe and for the safety assessment of new 
reactor  technologies.  However,  funding  for  research  projects  in  this  area  will  be  highly 
selective as most of the fission budget will be absorbed by co-funded partnerships. Nor will 
the present scope and level of funding be sufficient if Europe wants to: (i) catch up with 
international competitors; (ii) address key issues for the development of SMRs, advanced 
fuels and fuel cycles; and (iii) substantially increase nuclear skills in the EU. 

−  The  programme  should  continue  to  provide  funding  in  2026-2027  for  the  co-funded 
European Partnerships in fission research: PIANOFORTE (radiation protection), EURAD-
2  (radioactive  waste  management)  and  Connect-NM  (nuclear  materials).  These 
partnerships are the result of long-term efforts by the research community, stakeholders and 
Member States to advance on a common research agenda and to address key challenges in 
all the fields concerned. While scientific progress has already been made, the Commission 
will push to further improve the organisation and operation of the partnerships to ensure 
that the research funded by the Euratom programme remains relevant and that it tackles the 
most pressing challenges. The Commission will pay particular attention to the partnerships 
so as to systematically consider the long-term perspectives of a broad range of stakeholders 
and Member States. 

−  The results of Euratom-funded fusion research are impressive, but they are not sufficient to 
bring fusion energy to the market in time to support the EU’s decarbonisation efforts and 
to  boost competitiveness.  Fusion power will only become a  reality  if based on accurate 
assumptions  about  technical  complexity  and  realistic  investment  in  industrial  supply 
chains. The programme must evolve to remove the technological bottlenecks that require 
additional focus and investment, involve more private financing and industry experience 
and increase international collaboration with reliable partners where there is a clear added 
value  for  the  EU.  The  Commission  has  already  started  to  prepare  a  co-programmed 
European Partnership in this field which will bring together public and private stakeholders. 
The  2026-2027  actions  will  pave  the  way  for  this  partnership  and  for  supplementary 
innovation  actions. A  new  partnership  of  this  kind  also  means  rethinking  the  role  and 
activities of EUROfusion, which will play a major part in developing the fundamentals of 
fusion science. Further details will be provided in the Communication on the EU fusion 
strategy, which is currently being drawn up. 

−  The  JRC  plays  a  particular  role  in  the  programme.  Its  four  nuclear  sites  have  provided 
expertise and facilities to half of the Euratom research projects launched since 2021. They 
also carry out their own  highly relevant research, deliver training and produce analyses. 
This benefits Member States and provides policy support to the Commission on the whole 
spectrum  of  activities,  from  nuclear  safety  to  security  and  safeguards.  The  evaluation 
highlighted the efforts to improve the JRC’s overall efficiency, with the introduction of a 
new  way  of  working  based  on  portfolios. This  has  led  to  better  integration  of  scientific 
activities.  It  also  noted  the  implementation  of  a  new  nuclear  strategy  to  improve 

8 

 
 
stakeholders  and  enhance 
infrastructure  management,  better  cooperate  with 
communication. For 2026-2027, the JRC will continue to address its research challenges 
on nuclear security and safety, emergency preparedness and strategic energy autonomy, and 
to contribute to maintaining nuclear expertise in the EU. 

9