COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT EVALUATION Interim evaluation of the 2021-2025 Euratom research and training programme Accompanying the document 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  SWD(2025) 54 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT  EVALUATION  Interim evaluation of the 2021-2025 Euratom research and training programme Accompanying the document 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 {COM(2025) 61 final} - {SWD(2025) 55 final}  
 
 
Table of contents 

GLOSSARY ........................................................................................................................ 3 

1. 

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 5 

1.1. 

Purpose and scope of the evaluation .................................................................. 5 

2.  WHAT WAS THE EXPECTED OUTCOME OF THE INTERVENTION? ............. 7 

2.1.  Description of the intervention and its objectives .............................................. 7 

2.2. 

Points of comparison ........................................................................................ 16 

3.  HOW HAS THE SITUATION EVOLVED OVER THE EVALUATION PERIOD?
 ................................................................................................................................... 17 

3.1.  Current state of play ......................................................................................... 17 

4.  EVALUATION FINDINGS (ANALYTICAL PART) ............................................. 24 

4.1. 

To what extent was the Euratom Programme successful and why? ................. 24 

4.1.1. 

4.1.2. 

4.1.3. 

4.1.4. 

4.1.5. 

4.1.6. 

Effectiveness of the Programme ............................................................... 24 

Research for nuclear safety ...................................................................... 26 

Safe spent fuel and radioactive waste management, decommissioning ... 31 

Ionising radiation applications and protection ......................................... 34 

Nuclear security, safeguards and non-proliferation .................................. 40 

Nuclear data radioactivity measurements and standardisation ................. 42 

4.1.7.  Maintaining and further developing expertise and competence in the 
nuclear field ............................................................................................................... 43 

4.1.8. 

4.1.9. 

Development of fusion energy ................................................................. 51 

International cooperation .......................................................................... 55 

4.2. 

Efficiency ......................................................................................................... 56 

4.2.1. 

4.2.2. 

4.2.3. 

4.2.4. 

Costs and benefits of Euratom Programme .............................................. 56 

Administrative efficiency of Programme implementation ....................... 58 

Simplification measures for Euratom Programme 2021-2025 ................. 60 

Coherence ................................................................................................. 61 

4.3. 

EU added value................................................................................................. 63 

4.4.  Relevance of Euratom Programme ................................................................... 66 

4.4.1. 

4.4.2. 

4.4.3. 

Responding to the needs of society .......................................................... 67 

Response to emergencies and changing priorities .................................... 68 

Critical role of JRC ................................................................................... 69 

5.  WHAT ARE THE CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED? ....................... 70 

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5.1.  Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 70 

5.2. 

Lessons learned ................................................................................................ 71 

ANNEX I:  PROCEDURAL INFORMATION ................................................................ 74 

ANNEX II. METHODOLOGY AND ANALYTICAL MODELS USED ....................... 76 

ANNEX  III.  EVALUATION  MATRIX  AND,  WHERE  RELEVANT,  DETAILS  ON 
ANSWERS TO THE EVALUATION QUESTIONS (BY CRITERION) ............... 78 

ANNEX IV. OVERVIEW OF BENEFITS AND COSTS ................................................ 86 

ANNEX V. STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTATION - SYNOPSIS REPORT ................. 89 

ANNEX  VI.  IMPLEMENTATION  OF  EUROFUSION  CO-FUNDED  EUROPEAN 
PARTNERSHIP ........................................................................................................ 99 

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GLOSSARY 

Term or acronym 
AMR 
CBRN 

DONES 
DG RTD 

Divertor 
ENEN 
ENSREG 
ERC 
ESFRI 
ESNII 
EUROfusion 

F4E 

FIIF 
FP 

Fusion energy 

Generation- II/-III 
HALEU 

High-power deuterium-tritium (D-
T) campaign  

HLW 
IA 
IAEA 
IRRS 

ITER 

JRC 

KPI 

LWR 
Magnetic confinement fusion 

MELODI 

MFF 
MSCA 
NPP 

Meaning or definition 
Advanced Modular Reactor 
Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials and 
agents that could potentially harm the society through their 
accidental or deliberate release, dissemination, or impacts. 
DEMO-oriented neutron source 
European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and 
Innovation 
Part of a tokamak where the power exhaust takes place  
European Nuclear Education Network 
European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group  
European Research Council 
European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures 
European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative 
The EUROfusion consortium, launched in 2014, carries out 
research funded jointly by Euratom and the Member States. 
EUROfusion implements fusion research in line with the 
European roadmap to fusion electricity 
Joint undertaking for the ITER research facility and the 
development of fusion energy in Barcelona, Spain 
Fusion Industry Innovation Forum  
Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and 
Innovation 
Energy released by the fusion process, a process that merges 
together or ‘fuses’ the cores of atoms and that powers the sun 
and stars in our solar system 
Current generations of nuclear power plants 
High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium  

A type of fusion experiment in which the highest amount of 
fusion energy is released, and the best fusion performance 
obtained 
High-level (radioactive) waste 
Impact assessment; innovation action 
International Atomic Energy Agency 
Integrated Regulatory Review Service missions carried out by 
IAEA 
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, fusion 
energy research facility under construction in Cadarache, France 
(https://www.iter.org/)  
Joint Research Centre, a Directorate-General of the European 
Commission 
Key performance indicator for measuring the performance and 
impacts of the Euratom programme  
Light Water Reactor 
A fusion technology in which an extremely hot hydrogen gas, a 
plasma, is held together or ‘confined’ with strong magnets 
Multidisciplinary European Low Dose Initiative 
(http://www.melodi-online.eu/) 
Multiannual Financial Framework 
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action 
Nuclear power plant 

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Plasma 

Power (energy) exhaust 

RIA 
RWM 
SME 
SMR 
SRA 
STC 
Success rate  

Third country 

Time to grant 

Tokamak 

TSO 
TRL 
VVER 

Plasma is a state of matter alongside solid, liquid and gas. Our 
sun and stars are made of plasma. Plasma is produced in fusion 
experiments 
A technology to control the power (energy) outflow of a fusion 
plasma 
Research and Innovation Action  
Radioactive Waste Management 
Small or medium-sized enterprise 
Small and Medium Reactor 
Strategic research agenda 
Scientific and Technical Committee of the Euratom Treaty 
The number of proposals that are retained for funding over the 
number of eligible proposals  
A country that is not a Member State of the EU. For the purpose 
of this document, the term ‘third country’ does not include 
associated countries (see above) 
The time that elapses between the closing date for the call and 
the signing of the grant agreement, which marks the official start 
of the project  
A torus-shaped device which uses a strong magnetic field to 
confine a plasm. The main device used by fusion researchers for 
fusion experiments 
Technical Support Organisation 
Technology Readiness Level 
The water-water energetic reactor is a series of pressurized water 
reactor designs originally developed in the Soviet Union, and 
now Russia, 

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1. 

INTRODUCTION 

1.1. 

Purpose and scope of the evaluation 

This Staff Working Document provides support and evidence for the Commission’s report 
on the interim evaluation of the Euratom Research and Training Programme 2021-2025 
(the ‘Programme’) as required by the Council Regulation establishing this Programme1. 
The Programme is the EU’s main funding programme for nuclear research with a budget 
of nearly EUR 1.4 billion. The Programme funds the development of fusion energy, a long-
term option for largescale, low- carbon- electricity production, which could contribute to 
the EU energy mix in the future. In parallel, the Programme aims at maintaining the highest 
nuclear safety, security, safeguards and radiation protection standards, as well as Europe’s 
skills in the nuclear domain through the funding of nuclear fission as well as non-power 
applications of nuclear science and technology research. 

The interim evaluation analyses the Programme’s design, implementation and first results. 
The  outcome  of  this  evaluation  has  been  used  in  the  preparation  and  design  of  the 
Commission proposal for the extension of the Programme for 2026-2027. The evaluation 
assesses  progress  in  achieving  the  Programme’s  objectives,  its  efficiency  in  use  of 
resources,  its  continued relevance,  the  coherence  within  the Programme  and  with  other 
instruments and its EU added value. It covers the period 2021-2024 and provides a joint 
assessment of indirect actions implemented by DG Research & Innovation (DG RTD) and 
of direct actions carried out by the Joint Research Centre (JRC).  

For the direct actions, the evaluation was conducted by the Commission services with the 
support of an external panel of nine independent experts who provided an assessment2 of 
the JRC’s performance and contribution to the Programme’s objectives.  

For the indirect actions (research grants and prizes), the evaluation was carried out with 
assistance of eight independent experts who provided an assessment of the Programme’s 
thematic  areas  (nuclear  safety,  radiation  protection,  radioactive  waste  management  and 
fusion energy)3. The feedback from a call for evidence and public consultation carried out 
in  the  context  of  this  evaluation  has  also  been  used  to  assess  both  direct  and  indirect 
actions4. 

The main limitation of this evaluation is that, at this point, the picture of the Programme’s 
implementation and results can only be partial. Evaluation is taking place during the fourth 

1   Art. 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, 12/05/2021, p. 81). 

2   Heuer,  R.,  Florea,  A.M.,  Herranz  Soler,  M.,  Janowski,  T.,  Keskitalo,  E.C.H.,  Maas,  R.,  Oddou,  J., 
Pálinkás, J. and Wegener, H., Interim evaluation of the  activities of the Joint Research Centre under 
Horizon Europe and Euratom 2021-2025 - Final report of the evaluation panel, Publications Office of 
the European Union, Luxembourg, 2023, doi:10.2760/63710, JRC134811. 

3   Further details on the methodologies adopted for this evaluation are provided in Annex 1. 
4   An analysis of the public consultation is provided in Annex V.  

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year  of  the  Programme’s  implementation  when  only  one  of  the  58  projects  launched 
between 2021 and  2024  had been closed.  In  financial terms,  as  of  December  2024, the 
cumulative implementation rates are 79% for commitments and 40% for payments.  

Data limitations include issues related to data availability and measurability of outcomes 
(e.g.  most  Euratom  Key  Performance  Indicators  (KPI)  focus  on  outputs  from  research 
projects such as publications and deliverables), aggregation (e.g. difficulty in aggregating 
data covering the Programme’s whole spectrum coming from various data sources) and 
reliability of certain data (e.g. data on publications are based on self-reporting by project 
coordinators). Only partial data is available to the evaluation on the financial support to 
third  parties  (“cascading  grants”).  These  grants  are  not  managed  through  standard 
Commission IT tools: basic information about participants is submitted in periodic reports 
by the “first level” beneficiaries arranging the calls but only with a significant delay. For 
the Euratom co-funded European Partnerships (accounting for 70% of indirect actions), 
integration in Commission monitoring systems takes place with a considerable time delay. 

This limited and, possibly, distorted some of the analysis, especially on the distribution of 
the  funding.  Another  limitation  is  the  lack  of  benchmarks  to  compare  performance. 
Nowhere in the world is there a nuclear research programme similar to the Programme in 
terms of thematic coverage and depth. To overcome and mitigate these limitations, this 
SWD is transparent in indicating its data sources and all underlying sources are available. 

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2.  WHAT WAS THE EXPECTED OUTCOME OF THE INTERVENTION? 

2.1.  Description of the intervention and its objectives 

The Programme deals with power and non-power applications of nuclear technology in the 
EU and aims to address challenges and issues in the nuclear field (see diagram below) by 
means  of  a  community-based  research  programme,  complementary  to  Member  States’ 
efforts  in  these  areas5.  Detailed  analysis  of  research  challenges  is  provided  in  impact 
assessment for Commission proposal for 2021-2025 Programme6. 

Source: European Commission 

The general objective of the Programme (Article 3 of the Council Regulation) is to pursue 
nuclear research and training activities, with an emphasis on the continuous improvement 
of  nuclear  safety,  security  and  radiation  protection,  as  well  as  to  complement  the 
achievement  of  Horizon  Europe’s  objectives,  inter  alia  in  the  context  of  the  energy 
transition.  This  objective  is  implemented  by  four  specific  objectives  using  direct  and 
indirect actions (see diagram on next page).  

5   Article 4 of the Euratom Treaty 
6   See section 2.1.2 of SWD(2018)307, Part 3, 

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52018SC0307  

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Source: European Commission 

Figure 1 on next page shows the Programme’s intervention logic. The main elements of 
each specific objective as implemented during 2021-2025 are explained below. 

Specific  objective  (Article  3(2)a)  of  the  Council  Regulation):  improve  and  support 
nuclear safety, security, safeguards, radiation protection, safe spent fuel and radioactive 
waste management and decommissioning, including the safe and secure use of nuclear 
power and of non-power applications of ionizing radiation;  

Nuclear safety7 8 

The Programme focuses on the safety of operating nuclear power plants, research reactors 
and other nuclear installations and, where appropriate, of advanced nuclear concepts, fuels 
and materials, in line with the requirements of the Nuclear Safety Directive9 and IAEA10 
safety standards. Nuclear Safety Directive introduced EU-wide safety objectives to prevent 
accidents and radiological releases.  

7   More details about research directions in this area are provided in the section (1) ‘Nuclear safety’ in 
chapter  on  strategic  orientations  for  indirect  actions  in  Euratom  Work  Programme  2023-2025 
(C(2024)3263)  https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/euratom/wp-
call/2023-2025/wp_euratom-2023-2025_en.pdf  

8   See point (a) of section 2.1.2 of impact assessment for Commission proposal for 2021-2025 Programme 
(SWD(2018)307 Part 3, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52018SC0307  
9   Council  Directive  2009/71/Euratom  of  25  June  2009  establishing  a  Community  framework  for  the 
nuclear safety of nuclear installations ((OJ L 172,  2.7.2009, p.18), as amended by Council Directive 
2014/87/Euratom  of  8  July  2014  amending  Directive  2009/71/Euratom  establishing  a  Community 
framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations (OJ L 219, 25.7.2014, p. 42). 

10   See https://www.iaea.org/resources/safety-standards  

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9 

1 Financial support to for R&D actions: grants, prizes, procurement Research carried out JRC  (diret actions) Financial costs incurred for expert groups, studies, events Programme management (IT, technical and administrative expenses incurred by EC services, incl. for communication) ACTIVITIES INPUTS Direct and indirect actions Conferences, events Expert contracts/ groups Public procurement for studies Technical/ scientific services    +                        GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF EURATOM PROGRAMME  To pursue nuclear research and training activities, with an emphasis on the continuous improvement of nuclear safety, security and radiation protection, as well as to complement the achievement of Horizon Europe’s objectives inter alia in the context of the energy transition NEEDS •Improve nuclear safety for existing systems and provide safety assesment for future technologies  •Solutions for nuclear waste management  •Improve and develop nuclear security and safeguards •Reinforce nuclear skills and competencies •Provide access to nuclear infrastructures •Enhance radiation protection and develop safe use of ionizing radiation •Create sustainable long-term carbon free energy sources EXPECTED IMPACTS Contributing to well-being of Europan citizens Contributing to decarbonisation of the energy sector EU world-class excellence in nuclear safety, science and innovation Source: European Commission EXPECTED OUTPUTS Human capital development Researchers and engineers trained   Research partnerships Scientific collaboration across disciplines on new, high-risk ideas  Cross-country and cross-disciplinary research and innovation networks   Early outputs for subsequent innovation Research tools & techniques, models and simulations Capabilities, methods, systems, infrastructures and technologies Ideas, products, designs, processes, services and business models  Outputs for research or market integration Joint databases, platforms, test beds New common methodologies New or improved standards  Closer to market outputs Proof of scientific & technological feasibility Awareness on market and end-user needs Demonstrators of innovative solutions   Outputs for knowledge transfer Study results and reports Formal publications Research data provided in open access Intellectual property (incl. patents) Conferences/ workshops papers and proceedings Project's websites Information material for user communities  Policy outputs Recommendations for policy making in nuclear field Nuclear safety   improved designs for future nuclear power plants guidance for nuclear power plants operators and for safety authorities development of retrofitting of safety features into existing NPPs  Radioactive waste management development of safety case for deep geological storage of medium and high level waste development of safe solutions for other waste streams and for interim storage of waste  Radiation protection Better understanding of low dose impact on public health Improved availability of research reactors Development of medical and other applications of radiation  Nuclear security and safeguards More effective and efficient safeguards implementation & reduction of nuclear security risks  Fusion energy development demonstration of feasibility of fusion as energy source  Education and Training Maintaining skills in nuclear field in Europe   Innovation in policy-making Better informed decision-making by authorities & companies at the EU and global levels Better alignment/synergy of regional/national/EU and international R&I efforts  International cooperation Enhanced position and role of the EU in the international nuclear R&I Eurarom leading multilateral initiatives and working with international organizations to tackle global societal challenges  EXPECTED RESULTS   - Improve and support nuclear safety, security, safeguards, radiation protection, safe spent fuel and radioactive waste management and decommissioning, including the safe and secure use of nuclear power and of non-power applications of ionizing radiation;   - Maintain and further develop expertise and competence in the nuclear field within the Community;   - Foster the development of fusion energy as a potential future energy source for electricity production and contribute to the implementation of the European fusion roadmap;   - Support the policy of the Union and its Member States on continuous improvement of nuclear safety, safeguards and security.  SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES Research and innovation  for safety of  current and future nuclear systems Support to nuclear security and safeguards implementation (JRC) European Partnership in fusion research European Partnership in Radiation Protection research European Partnership for radioactive waste management Education and training actions in nuclear field Support for accessing nuclear research infrastructures Diffusion of innovation in the economy, generating jobs, growth and investments Strengthened competitive position of European industry  Stronger global role of the EU in setting standards for nuclear safety  INTERVENTION LOGIC OF EURATOM PROGRAMME 2021-2025 EXTERNAL FACTORS 2. Socio-economic conditions affecting the availability of funding at EU, national, regional, local level (public and private) 3. Changes in the legislative and/or regulatory framework  OTHER EU POLICIES  1. EU international cooperation 2. EU nuclear policy  Figure 1: Intervention logic of the Euratom Programme  
 
For nuclear power plants in operation this implies significant safety improvements and for 
future  nuclear  installations,  those  safety  enhancements  have  to  be  planned  for.  Nuclear 
research priorities are defined around the need to enhance safety assessment methods, to 
implement a multi-physics multi-scale safety approach, to focus on ageing of materials for 
a long-term operation perspective, as well as defence in depth requirements, emergency 
preparedness and modelling under severe accident conditions. This knowledge supports a 
science-based assessment of the safety margins and allows for the timely implementation 
of  safety  improvements.  The  predictive  tools  and  assessment  methods  benefit  periodic 
safety reviews of existing nuclear installations. They also help the regulators in assessing 
new designs. 

Nuclear security, safeguards and non-proliferation11 12 

In  the  face  of  geopolitical  changes,  attention  to  non-proliferation  and  security  issues  is 
essential, as well as the support provided to EU Member States’ authorities. This includes 
research and training to support law enforcement, civil protection and customs officers in 
dealing  with  CBRN  threats  and  developing  and  improving  analytical  techniques  and 
methodologies for safeguarding nuclear materials. Innovative concepts are continuously 
needed as threats evolve and development of nuclear security technologies, in particular 
related  to  detection  and  nuclear  forensics,  serve  to  strengthen  defence  against  illicit 
trafficking. Direct actions implemented by the JRC are developing techniques and methods 
aimed at reducing nuclear security risks and supporting nuclear non-proliferation efforts. 
In  addition,  the  JRC  works  in  developing  nuclear  standards  and  supporting  the 
implementation of Euratom policies in these areas.  

Nuclear science and ionizing radiation applications, radiation protection, emergency 
preparedness13 14 

Outside the power sector, the Programme addresses societal concerns regarding radiation 
protection. Research plays a key role, providing for better understanding of harmful effects 
of radiation from natural and artificial sources, and expanding beneficial applications of 
radiation technologies. The growing number of different applications of ionising radiation 
requires protecting people and the environment from unnecessary exposure to radiation. 
Ionising  radiation  technologies  are  used  daily  in  fields  such  as  health,  industry  and 
research, providing significant benefits to European citizens and the economy. Radiation 
technologies in particular are increasingly used in the health sector including for diagnosis 
and treatment, leading to a direct impact on the level of exposure. 

11   See https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/scientific-activities-z/nuclear-safeguards_en  
12   See point (e) of section 2.1.2 of impact assessment for Commission proposal for 2021-2025 Programme  
13   More details about research directions in this area are provided in the section (3) ‘Nuclear science…’ in 
chapter  on  strategic  orientations  for  indirect  actions  in  Euratom  Work  Programme  2023-2025 
(C(2024)3263)  https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/euratom/wp-
call/2023-2025/wp_euratom-2023-2025_en.pdf 

14   See  section  point (b)  of  section  2.1.2  of  impact  assessment  for  Commission  proposal  for  2021-2025 

Programme 

10 

 
 
 
With  clinical  applications  of  imaging  techniques  using  ionising  radiation  cover  a  large 
spectrum,  therapeutic  clinical  applications  using  radioisotopes  are  expected  to  grow, 
contributing prominently to the fight against cancer. The main uncertainties in radiation 
health risk evaluation are in the magnitude of cancer risk at low and protracted doses, the 
magnitude of non-cancer effects and the variation in disease risk between individuals in 
the  same  population.  Therefore,  the  key  research  questions  are  the  dose  and  dose-rate 
relationship for cancer, non-cancer health effects and individual radiation sensitivity. 

Research at low dose rates or low doses presents significant challenges in the investigation 
of both radiation-related health effects and underlying biological mechanisms because the 
magnitude of health risk and biological effects is expected to be low. A multidisciplinary 
approach  is  therefore  essential  to  provide  more  detail  on  radiation  benefits,  risks  and 
effects, including their interaction with other risk factors. These could pave the way for 
better recommendations and innovative solutions for health and environmental protection 
against  the  dangers  of  ionising  radiation.  Research  should  also  provide  insights  into 
innovative and optimised medical procedures and their application in clinical practice. By 
supporting  this  research,  the  Programme  helps  Member  States  and  stakeholders  in 
implementing the Basic Safety Standards Directive15. 

Safety concerns over potential nuclear and radiological incidents, especially in the wake 
of  the  Russian  war  of  aggression  in  Ukraine  and  associated  security  threats,  have 
heightened the need for strengthening emergency preparedness in the EU. This is grounded 
in the continuous environmental radiation monitoring (REM) guaranteed by both the 
European Radiological Data Exchange Platform (EURDEP) and the European Community 
Urgent  Radiological  Information  Exchange  (ECURIE)  system.  The  JRC  provides 
technical support to keep these systems active and continuously improve their efficiency 
and operability. Specialised tools and methods used  to forecast and model radioactivity 
releases,  including  transport  and  dispersion  models,  also  provide  additional  support  to 
emergency preparedness in the EU. 

Radioactive waste management and decommissioning16 17 

An  integrated  and  robust  radioactive  waste  management  system  is  a  prerequisite  to  all 
nuclear activities. All Member States generate radioactive waste through activities ranging 
from non-power applications to electricity generation and to research. In 2019 this stood 

15   Council  Directive  2013/59/Euratom  of  5  December  2013  laying  down  basic  safety  standards  for 
protection  against  the  dangers  arising  from  exposure  to  ionising  radiation,  and  repealing  Directives 
89/618/Euratom,  90/641/Euratom,  96/29/Euratom,  97/43/Euratom  and  2003/122/Euratom  (OJ  L  13, 
17.1.2014, p. 1). 

16   More details about research directions in this area are provided in section (2)’Spent fuel and radioactive 
waste  management’  in  chapter  on  strategic  orientations  for  indirect  actions  in  the  Euratom  Work 
Programme 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-
(C(2024)3263) 
tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/euratom/wp-call/2023-2025/wp_euratom-2023-2025_en.pdf 
17   See point c) of section 2.1.2 of impact assessment for Commission proposal for 2021-2025 Programme 

2023-2025 

11 

 
 
 
at 55 600 tonnes of heave metals of spent fuel from both power and non-power reactors18. 
Owing to the potential radiological hazards it poses to workers, the general public and the 
environment,  radioactive  waste  and  spent  fuel  must  be  safely  managed  through 
characterisation,  minimisation  of  the  amount  of  radioactive  waste  generated  and 
containment and isolation from humans and the living environment. The main challenge 
today  remains  the  implementation  of  disposal  options  for  spent  fuel  and  high-level 
radioactive waste over exceptionally long timescales. In line with the Council regulation 
establishing  the  Programme19,  research  should  focus  on  optimising  safety  margins  and 
minimising practical  uncertainties around disposal  technologies, while ensuring reliable 
knowledge  management  and  transfer  to  next  generations  in  the  case  of  geological 
disposals. The issue of storing and disposing of other types of waste such as legacy waste 
or  waste  originating  from  experimental  and  fuel  cycle  developments  also  needs  to  be 
addressed by research.  

Over the past five decades, the concept of a deep geological repository (DGR) for high-
level radioactive waste has evolved from an abstract idea into a tangible reality. In the EU, 
repositories  in  Finland,  Sweden  and  France  are  at  various  stages  of  licensing  for  their 
respective  concepts,  while  the  remaining  Member  States  continue  to  explore  diverse 
options. 

Ongoing research, development, and demonstration are crucial for evaluating alternatives 
such as deep boreholes, diverse host rocks, innovative construction technologies for DGRs, 
and  advanced  materials  for  predisposal  operations.  Additionally,  novel  approaches  for 
monitoring  waste  packages  and  the  behaviour  of  engineered  barrier  systems  remain 
necessary. 

Council  Directive  2011/7020  Euratom  establishes  a  Community  framework  for  the 
responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste and requires Member 
States to set up appropriate national arrangements for the safe management of spent fuel 
and radioactive waste, to protect workers and the general public against the dangers arising 
from ionising radiation. The EURAD Partnerships, initiated in 2019, aim to address this 
challenge by creating a network and platform for implementors, regulators and research 
entities involved in radioactive waste management across all Member States. The focus of 
these partnerships will gradually shift toward knowledge management and transfer among 
stakeholders, countries and generations. 

18   Commission  Staff  Working  Document  Inventory  of  radioactive  waste  and  spent  fuel  present  in  the 
Community's  territory  and  the  future  prospects  Accompanying  the  document  Report  From  The 
Commission To The Council And The European Parliament on progress of implementation of Council 
Directive  2011/70/EURATOM  and  an  inventory  of  radioactive  waste  and  spent  fuel  present  in  the 
Community's territory and the future prospects - Third Report (SWD(2024)127, 22.05.2024). 

19   See point (a)(ii) of Annex I to Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/765 of 10 May 2021 
20  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, OJ L 199, 2.8.2011. 

12 

 
 
 
A growing number of the EU’s operating nuclear reactors is reaching their end of their 
lifecycle  and  need  to  be  shut  down21.  Development  of  innovative  decommissioning 
techniques and reduction of environmental impact is crucial, timely and needed. 

Specific  objective  (Article  3(2)b):  maintain  and  further  develop  expertise  and 
competence in the nuclear field within the Community22 23 

Under  this  specific  objective,  Council  regulation  foresees  a  broad  spectrum  actions  in 
education,  training  and  mobility,  promotion  of  innovation,  knowledge  management, 
dissemination and exploitation, as well as access to infrastructures. EU Member States are 
faced  with  concerns  over  an  ageing  workforce  and  difficulties  in  recruiting  the  next 
generation of qualified staff required for the nuclear sector, with a perceived risk of loss of 
competences at EU level. A wide array of skills is required to underpin the continuous safe 
operation of nuclear and related installations, which encompasses all power and non-power 
areas  of  nuclear  science,  from  safety  to  radiation  protection,  safeguards,  nuclear  waste 
management  and  ionising  radiation  applications.  Nuclear  knowledge  management  and 
transfer, as well as the provision of education and training are essential prerequisites to 
preserve the highest safety  and security standards in  the nuclear field  in the EU  and to 
maintain  technological  leadership,  especially  for  research  into  advanced  nuclear 
applications. Maintaining European nuclear infrastructures and making them available and 
accessible is critical to  ensuring research and development in most areas of the nuclear 
field. There are also essential tools for knowledge sharing, capacity building and researcher 
mobility.  

Specific objective (Article 3(2)c): foster the development of fusion energy as a potential 
future energy source for electricity production and contribute to the implementation of 
the European fusion roadmap24 25 

The Programme focuses on developing fusion energy as a possible option for low carbon 
electricity production, which could help address climate change and the growing demand 
of energy in the long term. Fusion would be a continuous source that comes without major 
safety risks or waste and proliferation issues. To prepare Europe for fusion deployment, 
the  research  and  technological  development  must  first  demonstrate  the  scientific  and 

21   74  Nuclear  Power  Plants 

are  permanently 

closed  down 

in  10  Member  States, 

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Nuclear_energy_statistics  

22   More details about research directions in this area are provided in section (4)’Maintaining…’ in chapter 
on strategic orientations for indirect actions in the Euratom Work Programme 2023-2025 (C(2024)3263) 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/euratom/wp-call/2023-
2025/wp_euratom-2023-2025_en.pdf 

23   See point (f) of section 2.1.2 of impact assessment for Commission proposal for 2021-2025 Programme 
24   More details about research directions in this area are provided in  section (5)’Development of fusion 
energy’ in chapter on strategic orientations for indirect actions in the Euratom Work Programme 2023-
2025 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-
2027/euratom/wp-call/2023-2025/wp_euratom-2023-2025_en.pdf 

(C(2024)3263) 

25   See point (g) of section 2.1.2 of impact assessment for Commission proposal for 2021-2025 Programme 

13 

 
 
 
technical  feasibility  of  fusion  energy  before  going  into  its  commercial  and  economic 
viability. 

While these scientific  and technological  challenges are immense,  considerable progress 
has been made in understanding the behaviour of self-sustaining plasmas26, although more 
data is needed to perfect our models. Developing materials that can endure the intense heat 
and neutron exposure in a fusion reactor is another hurdle, as no current facility can test 
these materials under the exact conditions they would face. Additionally, turning fusion 
into a practical electricity source involves solving complex engineering problems, such as 
designing  components  that  can  handle  extreme  temperatures  and  are  also  maintainable. 
There are also challenges related to tritium fuel use, including supply, safety, and security 
concerns.  The  Programme  aims  at  demonstrating  the  feasibility  of  fusion  as  an  energy 
source by exploiting research facilities and developing necessary materials, technologies 
and conceptual design27. 

Specific objective (Article 3(2)d): support the policy of the Union and its Member States 
on continuous improvement of nuclear safety, safeguards and security. 

The  JRC  is  tasked28  to  provide  independent,  scientific  and  technological  support  for 
formulating,  developing,  implementing,  and  monitoring  the  nuclear  Directives  and 
Regulations (Nuclear Safety29, Basic Safety Standards30, Spent fuel and Radioactive Waste 
Directive31, Shipment Directive32 and Nuclear Safeguards33) and regulatory requirements. 
JRC  also  supports  the  implementation  of  the  European  Instrument  for  International 
Nuclear  Safety  Cooperation34  managed  by  DG  INTPA35  and  provides  technical  and 
scientific support to Euratom as party to International Conventions. 

26   For  recent  assessment  of  research  challenges  see  US  GAO  report  on  Fusion  Energy:  Potentially 
Transformative Technology Still Faces Fundamental Challenges https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-
105813  

27   See point (c) of Annex I to Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/765 of 10 May 2021 
28   See point (d) of Annex I to Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/765 of 10 May 2021 
29   Council Directive 2009/71/EURATOM establishing a Community framework for the nuclear safety of 

nuclear installations 

30   Council  Directive  2013/59/Euratom  of  5  December  2013  laying  down  basic  safety  standards  for 

protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation 

31   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 

32   Council Directive 2006/117/Euratom of 20 November 2006 on the supervision and control of shipments 

of radioactive waste and spent fuel 

33   Commission  Regulation  (Euratom)  No  302/2005  of  8  February  2005  on  the  application  of  Euratom 

safeguards 

34   Council  Regulation  (Euratom)  2021/948  of  27  May  2021  establishing  a  European  Instrument  for 
International  Nuclear  Safety  Cooperation  complementing  the  Neighbourhood,  Development  and 
International  CooperationInstrument  –  Global  Europe  on  the  basis  of  the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European Atomic Energy Community, and repealing Regulation (Euratom) No 237/2014. 

35   European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
Provisions introduced or modified in 2021-2025 Programme 

The  Programme’s  overall  scope  remains  unchanged  compared  to  the  2014-2020 
Programme, with a focus on nuclear safety and security, radiation protection, radioactive 
waste management and fusion energy. However, to address issues raised by the interim 
evaluation  of  2014-2018  Programme36,  the  Programme  introduced  a  number  of 
modifications37.  The  modifications  concern  mainly  the  structure  of  specific  objectives, 
their  content  (defined  in  Annex  I  to  the  Regulation)  and  introduction  of  provisions  on 
synergies with Horizon Europe:  

1)  Simplification of specific objectives: a single set of four specific objectives for direct 
and  indirect  actions  was  introduced  in  the  basic  act  replacing  13  separate  specific 
objectives  in  2014-2020  (8  for  indirect  and  5  for  direct  actions).  The  aim  was  to 
simplify  implementation  and  have  direct  and  indirect  actions  address  the  same 
objectives. It should also enable synergies between direct and indirect actions of the 
Programme and facilitate research consortia’s access to the JRC’s infrastructure and 
knowledge base.  

2)  Introduction  of  provisions  on  cross-cutting  actions  with  Horizon  Europe 
Framework Programme: both basic acts provide for synergies (For Euratom in the 
Article 10, for HE in Annex IV) with focus on education and training actions (MSCA 
in particular) and on joint research for cross-cutting aspects of the safe and secure use 
of non-power applications of ionising radiation in sectors such as medicine, industry, 
agriculture,  space,  climate  change,  security  and  emergency  preparedness  and 
contribution of nuclear science.  

3)  Expansion of the scope of research in radiation protection: in addition to medical 
applications  of  ionising  radiation,  the  Programme  now  also  covers  applications  in 
industrial and other research fields; 

4)  More precise definition of the research support for decommissioning: the 2014-
2020 Programme contained only a short reference to decommissioning in the specific 
objective for safety. The new Programme provides definition for actions in this field 
including the development and evaluation of technologies for decommissioning and 
environmental  remediation  of  nuclear  facilities  and  sharing  of  best  practices  and 
knowledge  on  decommissioning.  The  focus  on  decommissioning  reflects  the  early 
decommissioning demand based on the public interest, the principle of environmental 
remediation, and the current and future high number of permanently shut down nuclear 
reactors. 

5)  The Euratom Programme complements the Horizon Europe Framework Programme, 
sharing with it the horizontal provisions, instruments and rules for participation. As a 
result,  simplification  measures38  introduced  by  the  HE  regulation  are  also 
applicable to the Euratom Programme 2021-2025. 

36 

See 

Commission 

report 

COM(2017) 

697, 

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52017DC0697  

37   See  section  2.2.2.  of  impact  assessment  for  Commission  proposal  for  2021-2025  Programme 
(SWD(2018)307 Part 3, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52018SC0307 

38   Such as single cost option and administrative simplification. For more details see section 4.2.3. 

15 

 
 
 
2.2. 

Points of comparison  

Where the expected effects were quantitatively estimated or targets were set in the Euratom 
Programme  impact  assessment  or in  the legal  base, this evaluation  compares  the actual 
Programme’s  data  to  these  expectations.  This  is  the  case  for  the  analysis  of  some  key 
performance (KIP) indicators and efficiency metrics (time to grant, etc.).  

In the absence of targets, this evaluation compares the current Programme’s performance 
with data from the implementation of the previous Euratom Programme. This is the case 
for thematic coverage, participation statistics, JRC contributions to policies. If none of the 
above is possible, newly available data on the Programme’s implementation is presented, 
without any baseline nor benchmark.  

16 

 
 
 
3.  HOW HAS THE SITUATION EVOLVED OVER THE EVALUATION PERIOD? 

3.1.  Current state of play 

The  Euratom  Research  and  Training  Programme  2021-2025  (the  ‘Programme’)  was 
launched in May 2021 with a total budget of EUR 1.39 billion (see table 1). By end of 
2024,  79%  of  the  budget  had  been  committed  and  40%  of  the  payments  made39.  The 
Programme  is  implemented  in  direct  management  through  indirect  and  direct  actions, 
making up 61,5% and 38,5% of the budget, respectively.  

Figure 1: Euratom Programme’s key figures 

€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 

Between 2021 and 2024, 82 grants for projects, fellowships and awards were signed, 
with EUR 812 million in Euratom contribution (see table 3). 51 project grants for EUR 
238  million  (30%  of  the  total)  were  selected  on  the  basis  of  the  competitive  call  for 
proposals, while 7 grants for EUR 572 million Euro (70% of the total) were awarded to 
named beneficiaries, mainly the co-funded European Partnerships in fusion research and 
radioactive waste management. While funding for EUROfusion was already agreed to in 
the Council Regulation, the other beneficiaries were indicated in  the work programmes 
adopted  by  the  Commission  with  agreement  of  Member  States.  All  proposals  were 
evaluated to the same standards as in open calls for proposals.  

39   All figures in this chapter come from European Commission, cut-off date is end of 2024. 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 1 : Budget overview of the Euratom Programme 2021-2025 (commitments)  

2021 

2022 

2023 

2024 

2025 

TOTAL 

8 918 098 

46 252 776 

101 864 137 

Fusion research  
(indirect actions) 
Fission research  
(indirect actions) 
Fission research 
(JRC operational 
budget) 
Indirect actions 
(administrative 
budget) 
Direct actions 
(JRC 
administrative 
budget)  
Total 
Source: European Commission 

264 724 945 

98 984 259  

8 729 241  

106 293 454 

110 561 358 

113 764 360 

118 144 233 

550 627 542 

48 286 116 

60 054 175 

51 959 861 

53 960 162 

260 513 090  

8 130 000 

8 130 000 

8 055 381 

8 055 382 

41 288 861 

8 891 897  

9 307 305  

9 474 001  

9 696 274  

46 098 718 

98 108 880  

97 982 000  

97 982 000  

97 982 000  

491 039 139 

269 710 347 

286 010 992 

278 354 990 

287 838 051 

1 389 567 350 

The JRC direct actions, the budget is distributed across three main categories (see table 
2): staff expenses for permanent and non-permanent personnel (making up around 60% of 
the budget and covering mainly highly specialised researchers); means of execution for 
maintenance of building and operational expenses for scientific work. Both staff expenses 
and means of execution represent the administrative budget.  

Table 2: Direct actions budget distribution by expenditure categories 
Staff expenses 
Means of execution 
Operational expenses 
Source: European Commission 

63,1% 
29,1% 
7,8% 

Following  the  3  competitive  calls  for  proposals40,  96  proposals  were  received  by  the 
Commission.  The overall success  rate of proposals  was 53%, compared to 37% for the 
Euratom  Programme  2014-2020,  with  51  proposals  retained  for  funding.  Additional  11 
proposals were placed on the reserve list and an additional EUR 35.6 million would have 
been needed to fund these proposals, covering mainly research in radiation applications & 
protection (5 proposals) and safety of current systems (4 proposals). 

40  See call topics and budget allocation in the text of Euratom Work Programmes:   

Euratom Work Programme 2021-2022 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-
tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/euratom/wp-call/2021-2022/wp_euratom-2021-2022_en.pdf  
Euratom 
tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/euratom/wp-call/2023-2025/wp_euratom-2023-2025_en.pdf 

https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-

Programme 

2023-2025 

Work 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 3: implementation of indirect actions under Euratom Programme 2021-2025 

Euratom indirect actions 

Grant value 

Total costs of 
actions 

Number 
of 
grants 

Calls for proposals 

2021-2022 call for proposals 
2023-2025 call for proposals 
2022 ad-hoc for proposals for safety of VVER fuel 
Euratom contribution to MSCA post doc fellowships 
Prizes (SOFT Prize and Nuclear Innovation Prize) 

116 276 166,47 
100 913 059,86 
20 515 092,50  
2 184 468,47 
400 000,00 

150 617 232,08 
130 132 928,72 
39 634 933,75 
2 184 468,47  
400 000,00  

Grants to named beneficiaries 

European Partnership in fusion energy research 
(EUROfusion) 
European Partnership for radioactive waste management 
(EURAD-2) 
Other grants to named beneficiaries41 
TOTAL 
Source: European Commission 

549 442 000,00 

1 001 448 247,98 

20 000 000,00 

34 380 393,16 

2 699 820,00  
812 430 607,30  

3 890 068,75 
1 359 646 238,16 

29 
20 
2 
12 
12 

1 

1 

5 
82 

Most of the Euratom grants (EUR 619 million, 76% of budget for indirect actions) were 
awarded  to  the  cofunded  European  Partnerships.  The  Programme  launched  four 
Partnerships: in fusion research (EUR 549 million), radiation protection (EUR 29 million), 
radioactive waste management (EUR 20 million), nuclear materials (EUR 20 million). 

The  JRC  participates,  as  a  beneficiary  requesting  no  funding, in  27  of  the  58  consortia 
selected and contributes to 2 of the 4 co-funded European Partnerships, namely EURAD-
2 on radioactive waste management and CONNECT-NM on nuclear materials. 

The  Commission  also  published  three  calls  for  recognition  prizes:  the  Nuclear 
Innovation Prize in fission (in 2022) and the SOFT Innovation Prize in fusion (in 2022 and 
2024). 47 proposals  were received,  and  12 prizes were awarded for  a total  of EUR  0.4 
million. 

In line with provisions of the Programme (Article 10) and Horizon Europe (Annex IV on 
synergies),  Euratom  funding  was  provided  to  Maria  Skłodowska-Curie  Actions 
(MSCAs) to make nuclear researchers eligible for MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships. Since 
the 2021, 32 applications from nuclear researchers were submitted, out of which 15 were 
selected 
 following  the  same  process  as  for  all  MSCA  grants.  Grant  agreements  have 
been  signed  for  all  selected  applications  of  the  2021-2023  calls42,  to  a  total  Euratom 
contribution of EUR 2.2 million (i.e. 73% of the EUR 3 million budgeted over the same 
period). 

The average grant size for collaborative projects, excluding European Partnerships is 
EUR 3.9 million, slightly higher than the EUR 3.8 million for the 2014-2020 Programme. 
Collaborative grants now involve an average of 16 participants, compared to 18 for the 

41   Support for IFMIF-DONES, FISA/EuradWaste conferences, training support for Ukraine  
42   At the time of writing of this report, MSCA grant agreements for the 2024 were still to be signed. 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
2014-2020  Programme.  On  the  other  hand,  three  co-funded  European  Partnerships  in 
fission research, involving about 81 participants each, received EUR 23 million of Euratom 
funding on average. Average funding rate for collaborative projects is at 79% (75% 
for the 2014-2020 Programmes), with the Programme mobilising EUR 52 million from 
stakeholders.  On  the  other  hand,  the  average  funding  rate  for  co-funded  European 
Partnerships  is  55%,  with  the  Programme  mobilising  in  total  EUR  494  million  from 
stakeholders. 

The projects signed in the first four years of the Programme involve around 967 distinct 
participants from Member States and 15 from Ukraine (only country associated to the 
Programme) and 53 from third countries: Canada, China, USA, Japan, South Korea, South 
Africa, Türkiye, Norway, Switzerland and the UK. 

SMEs accounted for 9% of participations and received about EUR 13 million in grants, 
5% of the total awarded through calls. To be noted, the Programme does not offer specific 
support to SMEs.  

Member  States  account  for  98%  of  total  funding,  while  Ukraine  accounts  for  2%. 
Support for third countries was  extremely low (EUR 560 000), their participation being 
limited to cases where their participating entities were considered, by independent experts, 
essential for the implementation of project. 

There  are  no  major  differences  in  participation  rates  between  well-established 
research centres and entities from so-called widening countries. Entities from Member 
States  which  joined  since  2004  were  involved  in  90%  of  selected  projects  for  fission 
research in the 2021-2022 and 2023-2025 call. Participants from these Member States are 
also taking on the role of project coordinators more often, for 5 out of 30 projects in the 
2021-2022 and 2023-2025 call. The Programme’s financial contribution to fission research 
in these Member States went from EUR 9 million in 2014-2020 to EUR 12 million in 2021-
2025. There are no strong East-West or North-South divides with countries like Spain and 
Italy  being  strong  actors  in  the  Programme.  Member  States  not  using  nuclear  power 
participate  mainly  in  projects  concerning  radiation  protection,  medical  applications  and 
nuclear waste management. Some, like Austria, Denmark, Greece, Ireland and Portugal, 
also  participate  in  research  for  nuclear  safety  and  nuclear  data  to  maintain  domestic 
competences. 

The Programme also attracted new participants in projects launched since 2021. About 
15%  of  all  participants  are  newcomers  who  received  7%  of  total  funding.  Half  of  this 
funding went to research for radiation applications and protection. 

The highest share of participants comes from research organisations (42%), rather than 
higher education institutions (25%) and private sector entities (23%). 

In terms of grants per research field in nuclear fission (see table 4), research on safety 
received  63%  of  funds,  followed  by  radiation  applications  and  protection  (19%), 

20 

 
 
radioactive waste management (9%), actions for expertise and competences in nuclear field 
(7%), and decommissioning (2%).  

Table 4: Euratom funding (indirect actions) in million euro per research field  
Euratom 
grants 
(million 
euro) 
164,6 

Total 
costs 
(million 
euro) 
228 

Average 
funding 
rate (%) 

Research field 

72% 

34 

Number of 
grants 

Nuclear Safety (total) 
  Current nuclear systems 

  Fuel cycle 

  Advanced systems 

  Nuclear materials 

  Nuclear Data 

  Nuclear innovation 
Radiation applications and 
protection 

Radioactive waste management 

Decommissioning 

Expertise and competences  

  Education, training, mobility 

  Access to infrastructure 

  MSCA post-doc fellowships 

  Recognition prizes 

Fusion energy 

  EUROfusion 

  IFMIF Dones 
Other actions43 
Total 

Source: European Commission 

50,3 

45,6 

33,5 

28 

4 

3,2 

50,2 

22,5 

3,9 

18,4 

6,8 

9 

2,2 

0,4 

550,65 

549,4 

1,25 

2,7 

812 

59,2 

71,4 

42,2 

46,4 

4,8 

4 

67,3 

34,38 

4,2 

19,4 

7,2 

9,6 

2,2 

0,4 

1002,9 

1001 

1,9 

3,9 

1360 

85% 

64% 

79% 

60% 

83% 

80% 

75% 

58% 

93% 

95% 

94% 

94% 

100% 

100% 

55% 

55% 

66% 

70% 

60% 

11 

9 

9 

2 

1 

2 

9 

2 

2 

26 

1 

1 

12 

12 

2 

1 

1 

7 

82 

Regarding funds  received and participation of Member States and third  countries 
(see Chart 1), during 2021-2025 almost  all Member States were involved in  the fission 
research indirect actions with multiple participations in projects. Data shows that Euratom 
funding is highly concentrated in few Members States – the first three Member States in 
terms of grants awarded (France, Germany, Spain) received more than half of all Euratom 
funds  (56%  compared  to  52%  in  2014-2018),  while  organisations  in  top  10  countries 
received  93%  of  funds,  compared  to  88%  of  funds  in  2014-2018.  Note  the  prominent 
position of country associated to the Euratom Programme – Ukraine, which received more 
than EUR 5 million.  

43   Support for Fisa/EuradWaste conferences, National Contact Points, SNETP Forward project. 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
Chart 1: Funding per Member State in fission research
(Milion Euro and percentage of total funding received per Member State/Associated 
country)

Hungary 5     2%

Other 17     7%

Ukraine 5     2%

Czechia 9     3%

Netherlands 12     4%

Finland 12     5%

Sweden 17     6%

Italy 19     7%

Belgium 23     9%

Spain 26     10%

Source: European Commission 

France  88     34%

Germany 27     11%

During 2021-2024, the breakdown of activities for the JRC direct actions (see chart 2) 
has resulted in the following distribution across research areas: 33% dedicated to nuclear 
safety research (including waste management and decommissioning); 22% to research on 
nuclear  security,  safeguards  and  non-proliferation;  17%  to  research  on  standardisation, 
radiation protection (including environmental monitoring) and non-power applications of 
ionising radiation; 18% to knowledge management, education and training activities; and 
10% to directly support EU policies. 

Chart 2: Distribution of JRC direct actions

Policy support
10%

Knowlege 
management, 
education & training
18%

Standardisation, 
radiation protection 
and non-power 
applications of 
ionising radiation
17%

Source: European Commission 

22 

Nuclear safety (incl. 
waste management 
and 
decommissioning)
33%

Nuclear security, 
safeguards and non-
proliferation
22%

 
 
 
 
 
External  factors  impacting  the  JRC  performance:  the  COVID-19  pandemic  had  a 
significant  adverse  impact  on  the  JRC’s  activities  during  the  first  two  years  of  the 
programme, particularly affecting the access to research infrastructures, both for external 
parties as well as for JRC researchers, constraining the availability of human resources and 
incurring additional operational costs. Several other factors have also put a strain on the 
JRC’s activities under the direct actions. Due to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine 
and ensuing energy crisis, energy costs (electricity and gas) have increased substantially 
in all JRC sites in 2022 and in 2023. The resulting inflation has led to higher operational 
costs  for  the  research  sites,  associated  with  security  contracts  and  radiation  protection 
expenses, and higher staff costs in the short run and even more so on the long run owing 
to the compounding effect of inflation. This upward trend in costs has proved impactful as 
a  relevant  share  of  the  JRC  budget  is  characterised  by  fixed  costs  (mainly  staff  and 
infrastructure).  Against  a  fixed  and  reduced  Euratom  financial  envelop  in  the  current 
financing period, this puts even more pressure on the JRC’s research activities. 

23 

 
 
 
 
 
4.  EVALUATION FINDINGS (ANALYTICAL PART) 

4.1.  To what extent was the Euratom Programme successful and why?  

The Euratom 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 launched44. However, 
available monitoring data and outcomes in terms of projects launched, their coverage and 
first results, as well as JRC outputs, show that the programme’s direct and indirect actions 
implemented over the last four years are relevant for achieving its objectives. Reporting 
shows  that  projects  launched  in  2021  and  2022  reached  53%  of  their  milestones.  The 
programme has delivered in terms of peer-reviewed scientific publications (ca. 2000) and 
the number of people who have benefited from training, mobility and access to research 
infrastructure (ca. 11 000).  

Co-funded European partnerships in nuclear research attracted research institutions from 
most Member States (21 in radioactive waste management, 23 in radiation protection and 
26  in  fusion  energy).  The  partnerships  also  made  use  of  substantial  funding  from 
participants  as  45%  of  the  costs  are  covered  by  beneficiaries.  Progress  made  by 
partnerships is attracting more partners from non-EU countries; for instance, in radioactive 
waste management the number of partners doubled to 22. 

The data and analyses available at the time of writing shows that progress is being made 
in achieving the programme’s objectives as explained in the sections below. 

4.1.1. 

Effectiveness of the Programme 

The key performance indicators (KPIs) established by the Council regulation45 provide a 
preliminary picture of the immediate outcomes of direct and indirect actions. The KPIs46 
show that the Programme delivers in terms of peer reviewed publications, deliverables for 
nuclear  safety,  security  and  safeguards,  such  as  databases  and  information  systems, 
datasets,  reference  materials,  reference  methods  and  measurements,  as  well  as  other 
outputs like technical reports in support of Commission policy making in the nuclear field. 
Four KPIs have already reached their target. In particular, the Programme already exceeded 
target  for  the  number  of  people  having  benefited  from  upskilling  activities  under  the 
Euratom  programme  through  training,  mobility  and  access  to  infrastructure  thanks  to 
several new initiatives in this field. Recent successes in experimental campaigns in fusion 
research are reflected in the KPI showing progress in implementation of the EUROfusion 

44   List  of  projects  is  provided  on  EU  Funding  &  Tenders  Portal  -  https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-

tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/projects-
results?isExactMatch=true&frameworkProgramme=43298916&order=DESC&pageNumber=NaN&so
rtBy=title  

45   Annex II to Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/765 of 10 May 2021 
46   For  more  details  https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/eu-budget/performance-and-

reporting/programme-performance-statements/euratom-research-and-training-performance_en  

24 

 
 
 
roadmap, which reached half mark in term of milestones. Detailed analysis is provided per 
each specific objective in sections below. 

Chart 3: Key Performance Indicators 
for Euratom Programme 2021-2025

Number of peer-reviewed publications (from projects and JRC)

1966

Number of trainings to nuclear inspectors & front line officers (JRC)

Number of technical systems provided and in use (JRC)

38

Number of service agreements in support of EU safeguards (JRC)

Reference materials delivered and reference data included to libraries
(JRC)

Outputs contributing to international standards (JRC)

9

76

5

36

Number of researchers having access to research infrastructures (all
actions)

Number of people benefitting from upskilling activities (all actions)

190

10774

(out of 4000)

(out of 50)

(out of 65)

(out of 5 yearly)

(out of 42)

(out of 20)

(out of 250)

(out of 6000)

(out of 175)

Progress towards fusion roadmap

98

97

Number of policy items supported by JRC direct actions

Number of outputs with demonstrable impact on policy (JRC)

t
r
o
p
p
u
s

y
c
i
l

o
P

13

(out of 12 yearly)

(out of 172)

y
t
r
i
u
c
e
s
&
y
t
f
e
a
s

r
a
e
l
c
u
N

s
e
c
n
e
t
e
p
m
o
C

n
o
i
s
u
F

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

% achieved by 2024

Distance to 2025 target

Source: European Commission 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.2. 

Research for nuclear safety 

Research highlights  

•  The need to maintain high level of safety of the current EU nuclear fleet is well 
addressed by a considerable number (7) of projects dealing with Long-Term Operation 
and related issues. 

•  5 projects on various aspects of safety and licencing of light water Small Modular 
Reactors (total value of grants: EUR 26.9 million), facilitating SMR development and 
deployment47. 

•  2  projects  funded  aiming  at  improving  safety  and  security  of  supply  of  fuel  for 
VVER  nuclear  power  plants  in  Bulgaria,  Czech  Republic,  Finland,  Hungary, 
Slovakia, Ukraine. 

•  Launch of co-funded European Partnership (CONNECT-NM, EUR 20 million) to 

accelerate innovation in nuclear materials. 

Large portfolio of projects addressing a broad spectrum of safety issues - during 2021-
2024  the  Euratom  Programme  supported  long-term  and  exploratory  safety  research 
through  collaborative  projects  and  JRC’s  direct  actions.  The  Commission  launched  34 
projects with grants for total amount of EUR 164.6 million. JRC participates in 19 projects 
(see tables 5 to 8) providing access to research infrastructures and expertise. Together with 
its own actions, JRC devoted 33% of resources to this research field. 

Table 5 – Research projects for safety of current nuclear systems (grants in million Euro) 

Brief description 

JRC  Grant 

Project 

ASSAS 

DELISA-LTO 

EASI-SMR 

EVEREST 

FIND 

Development of severe accident simulator with use of AI  
Tools for assessment of system integrity for long term operation 

Safety Innovations for light water SMRs 
Validation of multi-physics models for pressurised water reactors 

X 

Development of monitoring for structural health of NPP piping 

GO-VIKING 

Advanced modelling for flow-induced vibrations in NPPs 

Magic-RR 

SANE 

SASPAM-SA 

SEAKNOT 

SOCRATES 

Total 

Materials ageing and structural integrity of Research Reactors 

Safety Assessment of non-electric uses of nuclear energy 

SMR safety analysis with mitigation strategies for severe accidents 

Analysis and update of current knowledge on severe accidents 

Assessment of liquid source term during severe nuclear accidents 

X 

X 

Source: European Commission 

3 

3,3 

15 

4,1 

5 

3 

3,2 

3,5 

3 

2,2 

5 

50.3 

47   For  more  information  on  Euratom  projects  supporting  research  for  SMRs,  see  https://research-and-

innovation.ec.europa.eu/document/download/74b352e3-cd1e-4b53-a341-
7f495b64ec46_en?filename=ec_rtd_smr-projects.pdf  

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Out of the 34 projects launched, eleven focus on the safety of current systems (operating 
NPPs and systems close to deployment like Light Water SMRs, see table 5), nine address 
the safety of advanced nuclear designs (see table 6), nine concerns fuel cycle (see table 7), 
and  five  concern  nuclear  materials,  data  and  new  applications  of  nuclear  technologies 
(Table 8).  

Table 6 – Research projects for safety of advanced nuclear systems (grants in million Euro) 

Project 

Brief description 

JRC  Grant 

ANSELMUS 

Safety assessment of heavy-liquid-metal systems 

ENDURANCE  Research on critical technology elements for molten salt reactors 
ESFR-
SIMPLE 
GEMINI 4.0 

Safety demonstration for high temperature reactor 

Safety design assessment for sodium fast reactor 

HARMONISE  Scientific basis to facilitate licensing of advanced reactor systems 

LESTO 

MIMOSA 

TANDEM 

TREASURE 

Total 

Safety design and tools for lead fast reactor 

Multi-recycling of spent fuel using molten salt technology 
Assessment and tools for integration of SMRs in hybrid energy 
systems 
Safety demonstration for gas-cooled fast reactor 

Source: European Commission 

X 

X  

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

3,5 

4 

3,4 

2,9 

2,5 

4 

5,8 

3,4 

4 

33,5 

Results of projects’ monitoring by the Commission – the first 20 projects launched in 
2022-2023  achieved  on  average  47%  of  milestones.  They  involve  about  62  PhD 
students48 and produced 54 peer reviewed articles49. Euratom projects cover research for 
improving  safety  assessment  methods,  including  ageing  of  materials  for  a  long-term 
operation,  as  well  as  modelling  under  severe  accident  conditions.  Based  on  the  agreed 
scope of work and progress made until end of 2024, the projects should produce knowledge 
supporting a science-based assessment of the safety margins and benefit periodic safety 
reviews of existing nuclear installations. To ensure relevance of the research work, many 
Euratom-supported  projects  involve  utilities  and/or  regulators  through  project  advisory 
boards. 

Results of independent evaluation - 20 projects were subject to mid-term evaluation by 
independent experts50. The mid-term evaluation concluded these projects are relevant 
to the safety of current and advanced nuclear systems, including fuels and fuel cycles. 
In  particular,  some  important  projects  address  the  long-term  operation  of  existing  EU 
nuclear power plants (NPPs), in particular the need to further support the understanding of 
degradation  and  aging  of  different  installations.  This  will  allow  determine  the  most 

48   Data from Commission reporting system (SYGMA) 
49   Data from Scopus, December 2024 
50   Liisa  Heikinheimo,  Stefano  Monti,  Interim  evaluation  of  indirect  actions  for  nuclear  safety  under 
Euratom  Research  and  Training  Programme  2021-2025  and  recommendations  for  2026-2027 
extension, June 2024  

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
affected  and  threatened  NPP  components  and  describe  the  effects  of  the  LTO  on  the 
material properties as well as develop simulation tools able to predict their evolution.  

The experts’ evaluation acknowledges the efforts to address HALEU and other advanced 
fuels’  supply  chain  issues  and  the  importance  of  the  project  for  early-stage  safety  and 
regulation considerations for the deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). It also 
highlights relevance of actions for maintaining knowledge on advanced nuclear systems 
and  extending  nuclear  energy  applications  beyond  electricity.  Notable  projects  address 
important issues on tritium management in fission and fusion facilities, and the need for 
well-characterized innovative materials for novel reactor concepts.  

Table 7 – Research projects for nuclear fuel cycle (grants in million Euro) 

Project 

Brief description 

JRC  Grant 

APIS 

Action to improve security of supply of fuel for VVER NPPs  

X 

10,5 

EU-CONVERSION 

Low-enriched uranium fuels for research reactors 

FREDMANS 

OperaHPC 

PreP-HALEU 

SAVE 

SCORPION 

TITANS 

TRANSPARANT 

Total 

Nitride fuels development and recycling of spent fuel 
Computer modelling for enhanced accident tolerant fuels 
Secure HALEU fuel supply for research reactors and med. 
isotopes 
Action to improve security of supply of fuel for VVER NPPs 

Development of materials for accident-tolerant fuels 
Tritium experiments and modelling in fusion and fission 
facilities  
Partitioning and transmutation of spent fuel and Myrrha 
development 

Source: European Commission 

X 

X 

X 

X 

7,6 

2,5 

3 

1,1 

10 

2,6 

2,9 

5,4 

45,6 

Most of the projects launched in 2022 are in their initial phase of implementation and the 
projects  from  2023-2025  call  started  in  second  half  of  2024.  Independent  experts51 
estimated that about 80% of the projects launched in 2022 are well-advanced and on 
track to be successful in the achievement of their goals, consistent with the Euratom 
Work  Programmes.  The  remaining  projects  show  progress,  however  there  are  specific 
challenges  due  to  lack  of  material  test  reactors  in  Europe,  unclear  goals  for  advanced 
systems  reactor  technology  in  the  EU  or  the  need  for  a  re-orientation  to  keep  up  with 
developments in SMRs and advanced systems. The evaluation noted that Euratom-funded 
severe  accident  analyses  and  prevention  work  is  world-class.  For  new  reactor  systems, 
early-stage  safety  and  regulation  issues  were  addressed  but  the  need  for  greater 
involvement of experienced industrial  partners in project  coordination was emphasised. 
Experts  also  indicated  areas  where  improvements  are  needed  in  the  organisation  of 
Euratom safety research52: (1) Cooperation at international level should be enhanced with 
a larger participation of entities from third countries and, when possible, due consideration 
of  the  analogous  R&D  work  carried  out  by  the  IAEA  and  the  OECD/NEA;  (2)  more 
efficient coordination between Euratom research actions and actions devoted to education 

51   Ibidem. 
52   Ibidem. 

28 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and  training  (ENEN2Plus  project)  and  infrastructures  (OFFERR  project)  is  needed;  (3) 
there is the need to improve risk assessment and risk management of the projects especially 
when experimental work is substantial. These recommendations will be implemented for 
on-going projects using flexibility allowed by the grant agreements.  

Table 8 – Research projects for nuclear materials, data and innovation (grants in million Euro) 

Project 

APRENDE 

iWeld 

NPHyCo 

CONNECT-NM 

INNUMAT 

Total 

Brief description 

JRC  Grants 

Action to enhance nuclear data for modelling and simulation 
tools  
Development of non-destructive welding ultrasound inspection 

Innovation for H2 cogeneration at nuclear power plants 
Partnership to accelerate nuclear materials innovation for all 
reactors 
Innovative structural materials for fission and fusion reactors 

X 

X 

X 

X 

4 

1,2 

2 

20 

7,8 

35 

Source: European Commission 

Results of the evaluation are also confirmed by public consultation (see Box 1). 

Box 1 – Results of public consultation on safety research 

•  Regarding  statement  that  the  Euratom  Programme  2021-2025  is  making  progress  towards 
delivering its objectives in nuclear safety, 45% of respondents agreed, 19% strongly agreed, 
while 18% did not know, 10% were neutral, and 8% disagreed. 

•  When  asked  if  during  the  2026-2027  extension,  the  Euratom  Programme  should 
prioritise/deprioritise its support for nuclear safety, Essential role indicated 45% of respondent, 
high priority - 28%, medium priority - 16% of respondents. 

In  the  area  of  nuclear  reactor  safety  research,  JRC’s  activities  under  the  direct 
actions  have focused primarily on design basis analysis and the study of materials 
and components for current light water reactors (LWR), SMR and advanced systems. 
For instance, experimental research on material degradation, complemented by analytical 
and numerical simulations aimed to assess component ageing and ultimately contribute to 
safety  characterisation  in  view  of  long-term  operation  of  current  reactors,  has  been 
implemented. Results of this research are then integrated in practice and procedures for 
lifetime assessment of installations, service inspections and safety standards.  

Studies conducted by the JRC on SMR design  basis also  aimed at  identifying potential 
issues  in  view  of  licensing  qualification  for  a  technology  that  is  attracting  increasing 
attention  in  Europe.  JRC’s  research  focuses  on  several  types  of  SMR  concepts  such  as 
water, gas or molten salt cooled, which postulate enhanced safety features. These activities 
have been integrated with indirect actions guaranteeing enhanced synergies with the EU 
stakeholders involved. 

In  the  area  of  fuel  safety,  JRC’s  experimental  research  mostly  contributed  to  the 
analysis of fuel behaviour, including accident tolerant fuels (ATF), in a reactor during 
normal operation and under accident conditions. These studies are primarily enabled by 

29 

 
 
 
 
 
the use of JRC’s nuclear research infrastructures and in close collaboration with a few EU 
Member  States  research  institutions  (CEA,  NRG,  SCK-CEN)  through  collaborative 
agreements.  The  JRC  developed  code  TRANSURANUS  is  also  used  for  behaviour 
modelling of fuel, and its access is readily shared with relevant stakeholders through fuel 
licensing  processes.  Overall,  direct  actions  research  in  this  field  have  underpinned  the 
licencing of fuels and reactor systems, further contributing to improve nuclear safety. 

Through the direct actions, specific policy support is also provided to partner DGs. 
The JRC supports DG ENER in the implementation of the Nuclear Safety  Directive by 
reviewing the interpretation of its requirements and safety objectives and by participating 
in topical peer reviews such as the IAEA’s Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) 
missions in  EU  Member  States,  as  the Commission’s  observer.  Another  contribution  is 
reflected  in  the  European  Clearinghouse  network53  managed  by  the  JRC,  which  issues 
topical studies and provides data and analysis on incident cases, sharing knowledge and 
best  practices  to  support  European  nuclear  safety  authorities.  Technical  and  scientific 
expertise is also provided by JRC to DG INTPA for the management of projects in third 
countries  funded  under  the  INSC.  Together,  these  activities  play  an  important  role  in 
reinforcing nuclear safety standards in and outside of the EU. 

Another notable contribution of the JRC to EU policy support and knowledge management 
during  the  period  was  the  technical  assessment  of  the  environmental  impact  of  nuclear 
energy54 and its compatibility with the “do no significant harm” criterion in the context of 
the  taxonomy  regulation.  The  report  released  in  2021  contributed  in  large  part  to  the 
scientific  basis  for  the  Complementary  Climate  Delegated  Act,  which  included  nuclear 
energy as a transitional activity towards climate neutrality. 

The  experts’  evaluation  of  Euratom  projects  provided  a  comprehensive  set  of 
recommendations  for  directions  of  research  in  nuclear  systems  in  view  of  the 
Programme’s extension for 2026-2027 (see Box 2 below). Commission services agree that, 
as Member States  extend the operational  lifetimes of nuclear reactors, there is  need for 
research on LTO, focusing on plant safety, material ageing, modelling and nuclear data. 
Collaborative projects with industry, regulators and their TSOs are essential, along with 
access to experimental infrastructures. However, LTO investments should be financed by 
the owners of the refurbished nuclear facilities. R&D on severe accidents at existing plants 
should  be  strengthened,  with  greater  European  coordination,  to  identify  weaknesses  in 
refurbished units and reduce uncertainties. 

Box 2 – Experts recommendations for safety research (excerpt) 
•  Maintaining the Programme scope and budget for fission research at the same level as 
they were in 2021-22 and 2023-25 would be the minimum to maintain the current capacities, 

53   Clearinghouse - European Commission (europa.eu) 
54   Abousahl, S., et al., Technical assessment of nuclear energy with respect to the ‘do no significant harm’  
criteria of Regulation (EU) 2020/852 (‘Taxonomy Regulation’), EUR 30777 EN, Publications Office of  
the European Union, Luxembourg, 2021, ISBN 978-92-76-40538-2, doi:10.2760/207251, JRC125953. 

30 

 
 
 
to ensure safe operation of nuclear power plants in Europe and to be able to assess the new 
reactor technologies in terms of nuclear safety. Present scope and level of funding are however 
not sufficient if Europe has ambition to catch up with international competitors and to address 
the key issues for the development of SMRs, Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs), advanced 
fuels and fuel cycles and to dramatically increase nuclear skills in the EU 
In  many  EU  countries,  there  are  programmes  to  extend  the  lifetime  of  operating  NPPs, 
currently set at 40 to 60 years, up to 80 years. To address this challenge, the Programme needs 
to further support the understanding of degradation and ageing of Gen-II and Gen-III 
NPPs. 

• 

•  Preparation of the safety case for SMRs and AMRs requires a wide range of research data 
as well as the verification and validation of simulation tools which are currently missing. The 
analysis of the most mature SMR and AMR designs, including in terms of fuel design, safety 
and security concepts, as well as proliferation resistance is essential to better inform Member 
States prior to deployment in Europe. These elements are on the critical path to licensing these 
advanced technologies and, therefore, the Euratom Programme should address these issues as 
early as possible.  

•  The area of nuclear fuel covers safety research on ATFs as well as development of European 
VVER fuels. There is the need to support both manufacturing and characterisation of fuels for 
licensing and operation. Attention should also be paid to fuel behaviour compliant with safety 
requirements,  including  for  SMR.  For  the  future,  it  will  be  necessary  to  well-define  ATF 
requirements and features. Establishing common criteria for ATFs would provide clear 
goals for the research. 

•  The needs of the EU’s safety authorities for scientific data and validated tools to assess 
new reactor concept safety issues are already recognised in the Euratom research goals but 
should be further emphasised in future actions, amongst others by systematically setting up 
end-user groups that gather representatives from both the relevant industries and the regulators 
and TSOs. 

Source: Liisa Heikinheimo, Stefano Monti, Interim evaluation(…) 

4.1.3. 

spent 

Safe 
decommissioning 

fuel 

and 

radioactive  waste  management, 

A  co-funded  European  Partnership  EURAD-255  is  the  main  Euratom  action  for 
supporting radioactive waste management in the EU accompanied by smaller projects 
(see table 9) and JRC direct actions. EURAD-2 builds on the achievements of the EURAD 
European Joint Programme, completed in 2024 and funded by the Euratom Programme 
2014-2020.  As  highlighted  by  the  ex-post  evaluation  of  2014-2020  Programme56, 
EURAD’s joint programming allowed to foster cooperation between Member States by 
defining upfront the needs for research through a consensus-based decision process, strong 
knowledge  management  and  enhanced  interaction  between  the  different  scientific  and 
technical  disciplines.  EURAD  had  achieved  important  objectives  such  as  generation  of 
new  or  deeper  scientific  knowledge,  and  transfer  of  knowledge  and  experience  from 

55   For more details see EURAD-2 website https://www.ejp-eurad.eu/ as well as CORDIS website on this 

project https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101166718  

56   Commission report on ex-post evaluation of Euratom  Research and Training Programme 2014-2020, 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

SWD(2024)272 

COM(2024)549 
by 
content/FR/TXT/?uri=COM:2024:549:FIN  

accompanied 

31 

 
 
 
 
Member States that are in an advanced stage of expertise and implementation to those that 
are only starting to develop management methods and disposal facilities, helping fulfil the 
requirements set by Directive 2011/70/Euratom (‘Waste Directive’)57. Another important 
EURAD’s accomplishment is the transfer of knowledge between generations, in particular 
through the specialised training and the funding of 132 PhD students58. 

Table 9 – Euratom projects in radioactive waste management and decommissioning (million euro)  
JRC  Grants 
Project 

EURAD-2 

HARPERS 

DORADO 

XS-ABILITY 

Total 

Brief description 
Co-funded European Partnership for radioactive waste 
management 
Development of harmonised application of the international 
regulatory framework for nuclear waste management 
Development of AI-based robot assisted decommissioning 
applications 
Advanced robotic solutions to investigate hard-to-access areas and 
characterise difficult-to-measure radionuclides.  

X 

X 

20 

2,5 

1,9 

2 

26,4 

Source: European Commission 

Results of independent evaluation - according to the proposal for Partnership evaluated 
by  independent  experts,  the  EURAD-2  will  address  the  large  inventory  of  radioactive 
waste across European Union Member States, with a comprehensive approach covering all 
materials  from  very-low-level  and  low-level  waste  (>  90%)  through  high-level  waste 
(0.2% in volume). The partnership should produce better technologies and tools, enabling 
Member States to demonstrate their developments in safe waste management practices for 
surface, shallow and deep geological disposal facilities, as well as pre-disposal and interim 
storage. The priorities for each Member State depend notably upon the national radioactive 
waste inventory, host rock geology, national context and legislation, and the stage of the 
national programme’s lifecycle  - with priorities changing as the programme  progresses. 
Key role of EURAD-2 and its potential impacts are underlined by the evaluation59, which 
also emphasised the need to keep adapting the Partnership to the evolving situation (see 
box 3 below).  

Box 3 – Findings from independent evaluation of EURAD and EURAD-2 (excerpt) 

−  The vision and goals of EURAD-2 are clearly entirely valid but they must be adapted to 
the current radioactive waste management situation as experienced by the Member States 
and the national programmes. 

−  Consequently, the Member States and end-users should clearly formulate their needs and make 
the logic and rationale  of  the  joint  research  programme consistent  with the  diverse  state  of 
development of the national programmes.  

57   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. OJ L 199, 2.8.2011. 

58   https://www.ejp-eurad.eu/news/eurad-numbers  
59   Jean-Paul  Minon,  Interim  evaluation  of  Euratom  Programme  2021-2025  and  ex-ante  evaluation  of 
Euratom Programme 2026-2027 in the field of spent fuel and radioactive waste management, March 
2024 

32 

 
 
 
 
 
−  The  Commission  should  ensure  that  the  governance  of  the  Partnership  is  adapted  to 
enable this process to take place in full transparency at an early stage in the development of its 
programme  of  research  actions,  guaranteeing  a  real  European  added  value  towards  the 
implementation of safe RWM and disposal across the EU. 
In light of the EURAD success, and the call for greater inclusivity by welcoming new entities, 
in particular from underrepresented Member States, the EURAD-2 grant of 20 million euro 
proves insufficient to ensure the success of Joint Programming and to effectively address 
the upcoming challenges facing the community […]. 

− 

Source: Jean-Paul Minon, Interim evaluation (…) 

Commission’s  assessment  of  EURAD-2  –  Commission  is  responsible  for  steering 
EURAD-2 work in line with the Euratom Work Programme 2023-202560. The Partnership 
will need to: (1) build on the structure, network and tools that EURAD EJP has established 
to maintain a sound and efficient knowledge management system; (2) improve, innovate 
and develop science and technology for the management and disposal of radioactive waste 
and address the different radioactive waste streams; (3) consolidate the knowledge for a 
safe start to operating the first geological disposal facilities and support all Member States’ 
national programmes in line with the requirements under Directive 2011/70/Euratom and 
Commission report COM(2017)236; (4) provide input to the next set of Member States 
with mature site selection programmes, and thus with construction and operation in sight, 
in order to promote broadly accepted industrialisation of nuclear waste disposal in the EU.  

More efforts should also be made to engage regulators in EURAD-2 work, in formats and 
ways  that  are  suitable  for  the  range  of  regulators  in  different  Member  States  with  their 
various  country  specific  arrangements.  Knowledge  management  is  also  important  for 
regulators since regulatory organisations have fewer staff members and may be vulnerable 
during periods of increased staff turnover. Partnership’s action should also be linked to the 
results of monitoring the implementation of the Waste Directive by Member States.  

Regarding  funding  for  EURAD-2,  the  Commission  indicated  in  the  Euratom  Work 
Programme 2023-202561 that it envisages providing top-up funding to the Partnership, to 
be determined later, subject to adoption by the Council of a Regulation establishing the 
Euratom  Research  and  Training  Programme  2026-2027,  and  adoption  of  the  Euratom 
Work Programme 2026-2027.  

60   See 

pages 

63-73 

in 

the  Euratom  Work 

Programme 

2023-2025 

(C(2024)3263)

https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/euratom/wp-call/2023-

2025/wp_euratom-2023-2025_en.pdf 

61  See 

footnote 

82 

in 

the  Euratom  Work 

Programme 

2023-2025 

(C(2024)3263)

https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/euratom/wp-call/2023-

2025/wp_euratom-2023-2025_en.pdf 

33 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Box 4 - Public consultation on Euratom research for radioactive waste management 

11% of respondents strongly agreed, and 36% agreed that the Euratom Programme 2021-2025 is 
making  progress  towards  delivering its  objectives in  RWM.  7%  disagreed  and  1%  strongly 
disagreed with the statement. 31% of respondents did not know, while 15% were neutral.  

JRC’s direct actions research carried out in 2021-2024 contributed to investigating and 
improving characterisation of conventional fuels, including ATF and other compounds for 
innovative systems, in view of the safe and cost-effective management of interim and long-
term  storage,  transportation  and  disposal  of  spent  fuel.  Other  radioactive  waste  forms, 
including  actinides  and  their  recycling,  are  investigated  in  the  JRC’s  unique  testing 
facilities. Research also comprised studies, in collaboration with IRSN, on the properties 
and  ageing  behaviour  of  corium  generated  under  severe  accident  conditions,  especially 
relevant for the remediation processes of the Fukushima Daiichi site. The JRC actions in 
this  area  are  also  strongly  aligned  with  the  research  conducted  within  the  European 
partnerships EURAD and EURAD-2 in which the JRC participates. 

In support to the implementation and monitoring of the safe management of spent 
fuel and radioactive waste directive, the JRC provides expert reviews of EU Member 
States  national  programmes  and  reports,  contributing  largely  to  the  Commission’s 
report  on  implementation.  This  policy  support  activity  gives  an  essential  and 
comprehensive  overview  of  the  various  national  situations  in  the  EU  and  allows  the 
identification of challenges and weak points in national policies and programmes. The JRC 
also  supports  the  implementation  of  Directive  2006/117  Euratom  on  shipments  of 
radioactive waste and spent fuel by elaborating a detailed analysis of shipments, trends and 
challenges of imports, exports and transits in the EU based on the corresponding national 
reports  submitted  by  the  Member  States  to  the  Commission.  In  the  framework  of  the 
IAEA’s Integrated Review Service for Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management, 
Decommissioning  and  Remediation  (ARTEMIS)  missions  in  EU  Member  States,  JRC 
participates in the peer-review as observer and provides feedback to DG ENER and IAEA.  

4.1.4. 

Ionising radiation applications and protection 

Outputs 2021-2023 

23 

27%  

41 

69 

Member States 
involved in 
PIANOFORTE 
co-funded 
European 
Partnership 

of Euratom 
grants 
awarded for 
R&D in non-
power 
applications 
of ionising 
radiation  

researchers 
granted 
mobility 
support  

PhD, Post-
Doc and 
MSc 
students 
involved in 
Partnership 
and projects 

>500 

Patients 
treated 
between 
2021 and 
2024 with 
Targeted 
Alpha 
Therapy 
developed 
by the JRC 

212 

Participants in 
trainings by 
PIANOFORTE 

34 

 
 
 
 
Broad portfolio of actions addressing radiation protection - during four years of the 
Programme’s  implementation  the  Commission  launched  PIANOFORTE,  a  co-funded 
European Partnership for radiation protection research, complemented by eight research 
projects in medical applications ionising radiation, supply of radioisotopes and alternative 
applications of nuclear technologies for a total amount of EUR 50 million (see table 10). 
JRC  supports  four  of  these  projects  by  providing  a  specialised  know-how  and 
infrastructures.  It  also  carries  out  its  own  research  in  this  field  (using  17%  of  total 
resources),  pioneering  the  development  of  a  novel  type  of  radionuclide  treatment  with 
targeted  alpha  therapy,  supporting  standardisation  efforts,  the  optimisation  of  clinical 
practices and knowledge transfer, as well as radioactivity environmental monitoring.  

Table 10: Overview of Euratom-funded research projects in radiation applications and protection 

Project 

Description 

Research for protection of the public, workers, patients and the 
environment from environmental, occupational and medical 
exposure to ionising radiation. 
Development of alternative technologies for production of 
therapeutic radionuclides (selected alpha and beta emitting 
isotopes) for improved patient treatment 
Development of risk assessment tools (biological extended 
models and digital twins) for severe side effects after breast 
radiotherapy  
Investigation of a potential of palladium extracted from spent 
nuclear fuel as a catalyst to convert CO2 from industry into CO, 
and to produce chemical intermediates to manufacture 
pharmaceuticals and esters. 
Climate science research using radon as an atmospheric tracer 
to provide a precise baseline for European greenhouse gas 
levels and assist in environmental studies. 
Development of technology for the selective recovery of rare-
earth metals (lanthanides) from nuclear waste. 
Development of smart sensor system to monitor radon levels in 
earthquake-prone regions of Europe, as a potential precursor for 
earthquakes and volcano eruptions.  
Project aims to apply radiation from accelerators to produce 
bioactive peptides from different food proteins to use as 
nutraceuticals. 
Development of radioisotope power systems as enabling 
technology for deep space exploration, using plutonium-238 
and Stirling engine. 

PIANOFORTE  

SECURE 

TETRIS 

PARCOVAL 

NUCLIM 

MaLaR 

artEmis 

RADOV 

PULSAR 

Total 

Source: European Commission 

JRC  

Grants 
(million 
EUR) 

29,5 

X 

X 

X 

X 

3,6 

3,5 

2,9 

2,6 

2,3 

2 

2 

1,8 

50,2 

First results of PIANOFORTE and other projects - Euratom support for research in 
radiation protection is centred around the PIANOFORTE Partnership (59% of all funding), 
a  long-term  partnership  (2022-2027)  which  is  based  on  experience  and  outcomes  of 
CONCERT European Joint Programme supported by Euratom in 2015-2020.  

35 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
According  to  project  monitoring62  and  independent  evaluation63,  PIANOFORTE  should 
substantially expand scientific knowledge that supports implementation of the Basic Safety 
Standards  Directive  and  helps  to  harmonise  radiation  protection  practices  throughout 
Europe. It should also lead to advances in radiobiology and in developing tools, methods 
and best practices to cope with issues related to radiation exposure. Partnership supports 
research through competitive open calls, and call priorities are set in a consensual process 
to align them with the priorities of participating Member States and radiation protection 
stakeholders. The first 2023 call attracted 23 proposals and resulted in 9 projects64 with a 
total funding of EUR 13 million involving 86 entities in 3 topical areas (understanding of 
disease pathogenesis of ionising radiation-induced cancer, optimisation of the benefit/risk 
ratio for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures;  radiation  protection from  threats  due to 
war or armed conflicts or natural disasters). The selected projects are addressing areas such 
as the implementation of personal and real-time dosimetry, advancements in the diagnosis 
and treatment of breast cancer, management of pregnant patients. While still in the initial 
phase (all started in 2024), independent evaluation indicates65 that these projects are highly 
relevant  for  improving  health  care  when  using  ionising  radiation  in  line  with  the  BSS 
requirements. The third topic on radiation protection threats due to war or armed conflicts 
or  natural  disasters  became  relevant  in  light  of  the  ongoing  war  in  Ukraine  and  the 
associated  concerns  regarding  the  potential  use  of  nuclear  weapon.  All  three  selected 
projects for this topic should bridge the knowledge gap regarding consequences stemming 
from armed conflicts. PIANOFORTE also provided an analysis of modern proton therapy 
for the European Investment Bank66. PIANOFORTE plays significant role in maintaining 
competences by involving  69 PhD, post-doc and  MSc students,  and providing  mobility 
support scheme (41 researchers supported). It also organises training courses to enhance 
competences in radiation protection and related fields.  

Topics in 2021 and 2023 call for proposals concerning supply of radioisotopes, innovation 
in radiation protection and new applications of nuclear technologies attracted 24 proposals 
and the Commission was able to fund 8 projects, with 5 proposals left on reserve list, which 
would require additional EUR 16 million of funding. Strong interest of stakeholders and 
substantial  number  of  newcomers  brought  by  accepted  projects  show  potential  for 
innovative  ionising  radiation  applications.  This  potential  could  be  further  realised  in 
synergy with actions funded under Horizon Europe as indicated by recommendations from 
STC and experts. 

62   For more details see https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101061037/results  
63   Helena Janžekovič, Interim Evaluation and Ex-ante Evaluation for Euratom in the Field of Radiation 

Protection, June 2024. 

64   For more details https://pianoforte-partnership.eu/research-projects  
65   Helena Janžekovič, Interim Evaluation and Ex-ante Evaluation for Euratom in the Field of Radiation 

Protection, June 2024. 

66   Report  with  the  review  on  recommended  clinical  and  research  practices  in  modern  proton  therapy  - 

https://pianoforte-partnership.eu/web_object/d37.pdf  

36 

 
 
 
An independent evaluation67 concluded that, in addition to PIANOFORTE, other Euratom-
funded  projects  in  this  area  (see  table  10),  some  of  which  are  also  supported  by  JRC’s 
expertise and infrastructures, will contribute to better treatment of cancer patients, and as 
such should provide support to operators and regulators in the medical  area, along with 
other stakeholders such as laboratories and suppliers. They will also foster innovation and 
contribute  to  advancements  in  the  supply  chain  for  new  radiopharmaceuticals  and 
equipment for detection of ionising radiation. In particular, SECURE project68 is going to 
decrease EU’s dependence on source material and expertise from the third countries.  

The  added  value  of  the  JRC’s  research  into  non-power  applications  of  ionising 
radiations has been highlighted by the external evaluation of experts. Particularly in the 
medical field, the JRC dedicates its research to the development of radionuclides, with the 
pioneering  of  targeted  alpha  therapy  using  actinium-225  for  the  treatment  of  prostate 
cancer69.  Since  2021,  two  specific  projects  have  been  implemented,  resulting  in 
collaboration  with  hospitals,  cancer  research  centres  and  international  organisations 
around the development of alpha-emitters for therapeutic use in oncology. The JRC also 
explores novel production paths for ac-225, as part of collective Commission efforts under 
the Strategic Agenda of Medical Ionising Radiation Applications (SAMIRA)70 action plan 
to support security of supply of medical radionuclides in the EU and therefore contribute 
to strategic autonomy in this field. The effectiveness of JRC’s research on targeted alpha 
therapy can be attested by the 42 related peer-reviewed publications since 2021, three of 
which  feature  amongst  the  JRC’s  five  most  cited  scholarly  publications  in  the  nuclear 
research field. Two of these papers also received the EANM Springer Prize award in 2023 
and 202471.  

STC review of Euratom actions in radiation applications and protection – the Euratom 
Scientific and Technical Committee (STC) reviewed PIANOFORTE and acknowledged 
the progress made by the Partnership in advancing radiation protection research in Europe. 
It also provided number of recommendations for improvements during the extension (see 
box  5  below),  which  underline  the  need  for  improvements  and  simplification  of  the 
Partnerships organisation. The Commission services emphasise that to effectively address 
key challenges, PIANOFORTE needs to further develop open calls with  relevant topics 
and  maintain  a  mechanism  for  integrating  new  participants  through  these  calls.  

67   Ibidem 
68   For more details https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101061230  
69   For more details: https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/alpha-emitters-based-
therapy-prolongs-life-patients-advanced-prostate-cancer-2024-04-26_en  
70   Commission Staff Working Document on a Strategic Agenda for Medical Ionising Radiation  

Applications 

(SAMIRA), 

SWD 

(2021)14, 

https://energy.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-

02/swd_strategic_agenda_for_medical_ionising_radiation_applications_samira_0.pdf  
71   The two awarded publications: Sathekge, M., Bruchertseifer, F., Knoesen, O. et al. 225Ac-PSMA-617 
in  chemotherapy-naive  patients  with  advanced  prostate  cancer:  a  pilot  study. Eur  J  Nucl  Med  Mol 
Imaging 46,  129–138  (2019)  and  Handula  M,  Beekman  S,  et  al.  First  preclinical  evaluation  of 
[225Ac]Ac-DOTA-JR11 and comparison with [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-JR11, alpha versus beta radionuclide 
therapy of NETs. EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem. 2023 Jun 30;8(1):13. 

37 

 
 
 
Development  of  PIANOFORTE  collaboration  with  Horizon’s  Partnerships  will  require 
further support from the Commission. 

Box 5 - STC recommendations for PIANOFORTE co-funded European Partnership 

1.  Further improvements in the Partnership's organisation and operations are needed to ensure 

Euratom-funded research stays relevant and addresses pressing societal challenges. 

2.  Enhancements  in  stakeholder  networking  are  needed  to  incorporate  the  long-term 

perspectives of diverse stakeholders in a susta inable manner. 

3.  Simplification  of  the  application  process  is  recommended  to  increase  involvement  of 

universities and hospitals. 

4.  To advance understanding of risks of ionising radiation, PIANOFORTE should take advantage 
of  transdisciplinary  approaches  by  establishing  a  dedicated  funding  mechanism  in 
collaboration with HE partnerships and clusters where radiation protection is relevant, such 
as health, energy-climate, civil security, space (including ESA), and environment. 

5.  The  STC  emphasises  the  importance  of  co-funding  various  dynamic  research  types 

according to specific topics and ensuring suitable funding through open calls. 
Source: Report from STC working group 1 on radiation protection and non-power applications 

An  independent  expert  commissioned  for  the  interim  evaluation  provided  further 
recommendations for Euratom actions in radiation applications and protection (see Box 6). 
Some are relevant for the PIANOFORTE, which could carry out a systematic analysis of 
relevant  national  programmes  as  part  of  the  call  preparation  process.  Launch  of  the 
Euratom calls for proposals outside the Partnership, in particular in the area of medical 
radioisotopes, will depend on the consultation with stakeholders, Programme Committee 
as well the outcome of on-going work under SAMIRA72. 

Box 6 – Recommendations from independent experts 

•  The Commission should continue launching large projects addressing specific challenges, 
in  particular  for  strategic  autonomy  in  supply  of  radioisotopes,  while  maintaining 
PIANOFORTE to  advance radiation protection research with due attention to not duplicate 
research already covered by the Partnership. 

•  The  Commission  should  continue  launching  calls  for  proposals  with  broad  topics  in 
radiation  applications  and  protection,  attracting  the  newcomers  and  innovative  ideas  that 
extend beyond the scope of the roadmaps established by PIANOFORTE and EURAD.  

•  A  systematic  analysis  of  national  programmes  may  reveal  new  elements  of  research 
landscape  related  to  radiation  protection,  non-power  applications,  and,  where  relevant,  the 
nuclear research arena in Member States in the coming year. The outcomes of such an analysis 
could support the establishment of future Euratom programmes and calls.  

•  Synergies with several other areas beyond classical radiation and nuclear field should be 
also  encouraged,  e.g.  development  and  technological  transfer  of  state-of-the-art  medical 
equipment supporting justification and optimisation. As such Euratom actions could be linked 
to other research areas, e.g. health screening programmes. Unnecessary duplication should be 
avoided,  and  clear  mechanism  should  be  in  place  that  scientists  from  several  different 
disciplines are coming together and cooperate. […] The mechanism should clearly be focused 
on specific goals, e.g. development of measurement equipment based on European technology 

72   For  more 

details 
technology-health/samira-action-plan_en  

https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/nuclear-energy/radiological-and-nuclear-

38 

 
 
 
for quality assurance and control in medical exposure in screening programmes and nuclear 
medicine or development of measurements of radon.  

Source: Helena Janžekovič, Interim Evaluation (…). Note: text of recomendations amended for clarity. 

The direct actions also participate in the development of non-power applications of 
radionuclides for space exploration. JRC’s research in americium oxide stabilisation as 
an alternative to plutonium-238 currently imported from Russian, has contributed to the 
design basis for a future radioisotope power source retained by the European Space Agency 
(ESA).  Since  2022,  the  Euratom-funded  PULSAR  project,  which  includes  JRC’s 
participation, also aims to build-up a European production capacity and radioisotope power 
source based on plutonium-238. 

JRC also  provides  scientific and technical support  for  continued development and 
maintenance of the EU emergency information exchange  systems like the European 
Community  Urgent  Radiological  Information  Exchange  (ECURIE)73,  the  official 
information exchange network for early notification of nuclear accident by Member States, 
which contributes to reinforce nuclear emergency preparedness and response in the EU. 
Additionally,  the  JRC  has  developed  a  tool  for  diagnosis  and  prognosis  of  hazards  in 
nuclear  emergencies  (DAPHNE),  which  provided  numerical  simulation  to  evaluate 
accident  scenarios  and  radiological  dispersion.  The  tool  has  been  extensively  used  in 
support for Ukraine, producing a clear assessment of radiological risks for nuclear power 
plants under wartime conditions. In complement to these activities, the JRC contributes 
significantly to enhancing environmental monitoring and radiation protection. It manages 
the European Radiological Data Exchange Platform (EURDEP)74, which provides real time 
information about environmental radioactivity in EU Member States and the Radioactivity 
Environmental Monitoring database (REMdb)75, which stores data gathered since 1980’s. 
JRC’s  research  in  this  area  also  comprised  the  provision  of  reference  materials  for 
hundreds of laboratories in the EU and the conduct of proficiency tests in over 100 facilities 
in  Member  States  on  environmental  monitoring.  On  the  whole,  the  combination  of 
expertise  on  emergency  information  exchange,  atmospheric  dispersion  forecast,  and 
radioactivity monitoring allows the JRC’s work to underpin decision-making process in 
the  event  of  a  radiological  accident  and  to  establish  best  practices  and  optimise 
measurements and standards.  

In conclusion, research actions launched and carried out by the Commission under 2021-
2025 Programme cover all areas of ionising radiation applications and protection set out 
in  the  Council  Regulation.  PIANOFORTE  made  a  satisfactory  progress  and  involved 
beneficiaries  from  most  of  the  Member  States  and  from  non-EU  countries.  Open  calls 
organised by the Partnership allow for including new participants. Available results show 
that  Euratom  projects  should  substantially  expand  scientific  knowledge  that  supports 

73   87/600/Euratom: Council Decision of 14 December 1987 on Community arrangements for the early  

exchange of information in the event of a radiological emergency 

74   https://remon.jrc.ec.europa.eu/About/Rad-Data-Exchange  
75   https://remon.jrc.ec.europa.eu/About/Environmental-Monitoring/REMdb  

39 

 
 
 
implementation of the Basic Safety Standards Directive and helps to harmonise radiation 
protection practices throughout Europe. It will also provide insights into innovative and 
optimised medical procedures and their effective transfer into clinical practice. Euratom 
projects concerning innovative applications of ionising radiation in circular economy, deep 
space  exploration  and  environmental  monitoring  show  potential  for  supporting  EU 
competitiveness and strategic autonomy.  

Evaluation also indicated areas of concern: (1) the need for simplification of Partnership’s 
administration and calls; (2) lack of real synergies with other EU programmes, in particular 
Horizon Europe, which could expand membership of the Partnership and its scope.  

4.1.5. 

Nuclear security, safeguards and non-proliferation 

Outputs 2021-2024 
76 

Trainings in nuclear 
security and 
safeguards delivered 
through the 
EUSECTRA 

13  

200-400 

5 

Remote e-
learning courses 
developed by 
JRC during the 
COVID-19 
pandemic 

People from Member 
States, the European 
Commission and partner 
countries trained on 
average every year 
through the EUSECTRA 

Yearly agreements in 
force between JRC 
and partner DGs to 
provide services in 
support to EU 
safeguards 

According to the Council regulation, the JRC is responsible for strengthening EU nuclear 
security  and  nuclear  safeguards,  including  non-proliferation  aspects  and  research  into 
combatting illicit trafficking and nuclear forensics. JRC uses about 22% of resources for 
Euratom direct actions in this field. 

The JRC’s research provides expertise, R&D, tools, technologies and approaches to 
increase  the  efficiency  and  effectiveness  of  the  implementation  of  Euratom  based 
safeguards  obligations  in  the  EU.  The  JRC  carries  out  essential  tasks  in  the  area  of 
Euratom  safeguards  and  non-proliferation,  such  as  R&D  of  methods  and  concepts  for 
safeguards analytical measurements, with a view to reduce uncertainty and increase result 
precision. This involves the development of instrumental upgrades and advanced software 
and the application of artificial intelligence for data evaluation.  Improved measurement 
techniques and results led to further verification credibility for safeguards inspectors and 
enhanced  inspection  efficiency.  JRC’s  research  also  focused  on  advanced  verification 
technologies  and  equipment  for  containment  and  surveillance,  sealing,  localisation 
technologies  and  novel  approaches  for  secure  data  transfer.  The  development  of  those 
methods  and  verification  technologies  established  the  JRC  as  a  key  player  in  the 
monitoring  and  prevention  of  nuclear  proliferation.  JRC  also  dedicates  a  substantial 
amount  of  nuclear  safeguards  research  in  support  to  the  IAEA,  under  the  EC  Support 

40 

 
 
 
 
 
Programme to the IAEA safeguards76 in close interaction with other support programmes 
of EU Member States and international partners.  

the  Neighbourhood,  Development  and 

The JRC supports the European Commission in the project management activities 
under 
International  Cooperation 
Instrument77, including by contributing to the steering, development, implementation 
and  coordination  of  CBRN  risk  mitigation  actions.  On  nuclear  security,  the  JRC  is 
involved in capacity building activities outside Europe, in support to DG INTPA and the 
Foreign  Policy  Instruments  service  of  the  Commission.  In  the  frame  of  the  CBRN 
(Chemical,  Biological,  Radiological  and  Nuclear)  Centres  of  Excellence78,  the  JRC 
supports the implementation of nuclear security related projects to strengthen mitigation 
and  preparedness  capacities  against  CBRN  risks  in  various  countries,  e.g.  Ukraine, 
Moldova, Georgia or Azerbaijan, as well as nuclear forensic activities in Armenia and the 
Western  Balkans.  Specifically  in  the  area  of  nuclear  forensic,  research  focused  on  the 
continuous development of characteristic parameters and analytical methods, providing a 
solid  scientific  basis  and  enabling  the  JRC  to  directly  support  Member  States  and 
international organisations like the IAEA with the analysis of samples, the provision of 
reference materials and the participation in virtual exercises. All these activities contribute 
to the Security Union, reinforcing capacities of national authorities in and outside the EU, 
as well as the European Commission, to deal with nuclear security threats and properly 
respond to incidents. 

The JRC also contributes to improved strategic trade control activities to support the 
EU  response  to  the  risk  of  proliferation  of  weapons  of  mass  destruction  and 
improving  nuclear  forensic  techniques  and  material  databases.  In  support  to  DG 
Trade, JRC’s expertise has been extensively used in dual use export control analysis to 
define and monitor compliance with the waves of sanctions against Russia.  

Through  the  direct  actions,  the  JRC  develops  and  provides  training  courses  on 
nuclear safeguards and nuclear security to front line officers and law enforcement 
bodies  of  the  EU  Member  States  and  collaborating  third  countries  through  the 
European  Nuclear  Security  Training  Centre  (EUSECTRA)79.  Those  trainings  have 
resulted  in  capacity  building  for  Euratom  safeguards  inspectors.  The  EUSECTRA, 
managed by the JRC, is  a valuable complement  to  Member States training capabilities, 
particularly  for  detection  of  nuclear  and  radioactive  material,  as  participants  have  the 
opportunity to train with nuclear and radioactive materials embedded in realistic scenarios. 
During the COVID-19 pandemic, necessary restrictions to nuclear infrastructure led to the 
development of interactive remote e-learning courses, with 2 sessions in 2021 and 11 in 

76   https://www.iaea.org/topics/safeguards-and-verification/programmes/member-states-support-

programmes 

77   Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing  

the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe 

78   https://cbrn-risk-mitigation.network.europa.eu/eu-cbrn-centres-excellence_en 
79   For  more  details  -  https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/laboratories-z/european-nuclear-security-

training-centre/about-eusectra_en  

41 

 
 
 
2022. Since 2021, 76 training sessions were delivered to nuclear inspectors and frontline 
officers from the European Commission and Member States, including third countries, in 
a  sustained  effort  to  support  capacity  building  and  training  in  this  field.  At  the  urgent 
request of Ukrainian authorities, EUSECTRA also joined efforts with the US and Interpol 
to  organise  a  joint  training  on  radiological  crime  scene  management  for  Ukrainian  law 
enforcement officers.  

Moreover,  the JRC provides  technical and scientific expertise  in support to policy 
implementation  in  the  areas  of  nuclear  security  and  safeguard  through  capacity 
building,  consulting  and  training  activities.  This  directly  supports  the  Euratom 
safeguards inspectors of DG ENER and the IAEA, as part of the European Commission 
Support Programme (EC-SP). For instance, the JRC performs in-field measurements, using 
the mobile COMPUCEA instrument during physical inventory verification at uranium fuel 
production facilities. This exercise carried out in Spain and Sweden during the evaluated 
period,  was  done  jointly  with  DG  ENER  and  IAEA  inspectors.  The  JRC  also  assures 
operational support at the on-site laboratory (LSS) of the reprocessing facility of La Hague 
in France at the request of DG ENER. Support activities comprise timely analysis of highly 
radioactive  samples  taken  for  safeguards  purposes,  transportation  of  swipe  samples  for 
particle analysis at the JRC Karlsruhe site and the provision, certification, and delivery of 
reference  materials.  These  analytical  results  and  scientific  products  directly  support  the 
Commission’s obligations in relation to nuclear safeguards. They constitute an essential 
input for DG ENER’s annual safeguards implementation report and form part of the active 
cooperation and analytical support to the IAEA. Overall, this ensures non-proliferation of 
nuclear material and detection and prevention of illegal acts. Interim evaluation provided 
recommendations  for  improving  JRC  actions  in  this  field  which  will  be  implemented 
during the extension of the Programme (see Box 6).  

Box 6 – Recommendations from evaluation of JRC activities by panel of experts 

•  The JRC should contribute to analysing the security concepts and proliferation resistance 
of SMR/AMR designs to better inform Member States and the European Commission in view 
of their deployment.  

•  The JRC’s contribution is especially valuable in the area of training on CBRN threats and 

should be maintained. 

•  Cutting-edge R&D in nuclear safeguards is still needed to further improve methodologies, 
test new technologies or materials and detect and counter potential new pathways of diversion. 
•  Ways should be found to better communicate about JRC safeguards activities, especially 

emphasising their impact for worldwide peace and security. 

Source: Heuer, R. et al., Interim evaluation of the activities of the Joint Research Centre (…) 

42 

 
 
 
 
 
4.1.6. 

Nuclear data radioactivity measurements and standardisation 

Outputs 2021-2024 
22 
Reference 
materials 
delivered by 
JRC 

14  

Reference methods and 
measurements validated 
by JRC laboratories 

9  
JRC contributions 
to nuclear 
standards 

21 

Scientific information 
systems, databases and 
dataset collections 
provided by JRC 

Largely  contributing  to  support  nuclear  security  and  safeguards,  but  also  nuclear 
safety,  the  JRC  provides  reference  data,  materials  and  measurements  for 
harmonisation and standardisation80. Nuclear applications require reliable nuclear data 
to validate physical models on which are based subsequent engineering developments and 
licensing  requirements.  The  provision  of  nuclear  data  by  the  JRC  feeds  European  and 
international libraries such as the Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion library hosted by the 
OECD-Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)81 and are used as reference for nuclear standards. 
Similarly, JRC also provides accurate decay data, which has been integrated in both the 
Decay  Data  Evaluation  Project  (DDEP)  and  the  Evaluated  Nuclear  Structure  Data  File 
(ENSDF)82  libraries.  This  data  contributes  to  establish  decay  characteristics  of 
radionuclides,  relevant  for  nuclear  medicine,  environmental  monitoring,  nuclear  safety, 
security, safeguards and nuclear waste management. Finally, JRC’s expertise in metrology 
leads to the production of certified nuclear reference materials, reference measurements 
and  conformity  assessment  tools,  all  used  as  quality  assurance  instruments  to  improve 
nuclear safety, security and safeguards. 

80   Point  (b)(vi)  of  Council  Regulation  2021/765  states  that:  ‘for  fostering  nuclear  science as  a  base  to 
support  standardisation,  direct  actions  will  provide  state-of-the-art  reference  data,  materials  and 
measurements  related  to  nuclear  safety,  safeguards  and  security,  as  well  as  other  applications  as 
nuclear medicine’ 

81   JEFF Nuclear Data Library - NEA (oecd-nea.org) 
82   Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File | IAEA 

43 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.7. 

Maintaining and further developing expertise and competence in 
the nuclear field 

Outputs 2021-2024 

3324 

People 
trained by 
JRC since 
2021 

962 

190 

167 

150 

12 

PhD/MSc 
students and 
researchers 
benefitted 
from 
mobility 
support from 
Euratom 
projects 

Number of 
researchers 
who had 
access to JRC 
nuclear 
infrastructures 
to conduct 
experiments 

PhD, Post-Doc 
and MSc 
students 
supported in 
fission projects 
and 
Partnerships 
launched 

researchers 
supported to 
carry out 
experiments in 
24 research 
facilities 
(OFFERR) 

Post-doc 
MSCA 
fellowships 
awarded 
with 
Euratom 
funding 

Under  the  2021-2025  Programme,  the  Commission  launched  number  of  actions  for 
developing expertise and competencies in nuclear field. These actions provide specialised 
training,  access  to  research  infrastructure,  support  researchers’  mobility  and  studies  at 
MSc, PhD and post-doc level.  

In  nuclear  fission,  the  Commission  provided  trainings  and  mobility  opportunities  via 
various JRC initiatives as well as long-term indirect actions, offering support to students 
and researchers and bringing stability and predictability for stakeholders and users. Other 
Euratom  actions  concerned  promotion  of  innovation  in  nuclear  research,  knowledge 
management and support for technology transfer from the research to industry. Assessment 
of progress made in each field specified by the Council regulation83 is explained below on 
the  basis  of  available  reporting  and  assessment  by  independent  experts.  Education  and 
training actions for fusion energy are discussed in section 4.1.8.  

4.1.7.1.  Support for education, training and mobility 

In the field of nuclear fission, support for PhD students is provided through research 
projects giving financial assistance, hands-on experience and mentoring - currently 105 
PhD students are involved in 30 projects launched in 202284. More PhD students will be 
supported  through  20  projects  launched  in  2024.  Co-funded  Partnerships  also  play 
significant role - PIANOFORTE85 supports 40 PhDs and Post-Doc researchers. EURAD-

83   Point (b) of Annex I to Council Regulation 2021/765 
84   Data from periodic reports submitted by projects. 
85   https://pianoforte-partnership.eu/training-education/competence-building  

44 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
286,  launched  in  October  2024  is  also  expected  to  provide  substantial  support  as  its 
predecessor supported 132 PhD students. 

ENEN2Plus  project  (2022-2026,  grant  of  6.8  million  euro)87  is  the  main  Euratom 
instrument for supporting mobility in nuclear field. 921 students have been supported 
until September 2024, mainly through MSc internships, study exchanges and PhD research 
visits. This action is supplemented by specific mobility actions of the Euratom Partnerships 
in  radiation  protection  (41  travel  grants  under  PIANOFORTE)  and  radioactive  waste 
management (95 mobility grants under EURAD (2019-2024).  

With 3324 persons trained since 2021, JRC is one of the main providers of specialised 
training in nuclear field. During 2021-2024 about 18% of all direct actions were focused 
on knowledge management, education and training activities. Over the reporting period, 
the JRC has deployed 119 training courses for students and professionals from EU Member 
States and Commission services in presence, online or in hybrid format88 in the areas of 
nuclear  safety,  nuclear  security  and  safeguards  (including  for  Euratom  inspectors), 
strategic trade control, nuclear decommissioning and waste management and nuclear non-
power  applications.  For  nuclear  safeguards  and  security  in  particular,  76  trainings 
delivered since 2021 have resulted in capacity building for nuclear inspectors and frontline 
officers89. JRC also provided, jointly with US and Interpol, training on radiological crime 
scene management for Ukrainian law enforcement officers.  

In relation to the assessment of skills and competences in nuclear field in EU, the JRC 
operates the European Human Resources Observatory in the Nuclear sector (EHRO-N)90 
to provide methods and analysis of the nuclear workforce capabilities and needs in the EU, 
as well as long term prospects. In 2021-2024 EHRO-N has focused its activities on national 
nuclear workforce assessment and the analysis of human resources supply based on the 
European higher nuclear education offer in the EU91. These results, as well as the offer of 
support  and  methodology,  help  EU  Member  States  to  produce  their  own  national 
assessment of the needs and supply of nuclear skills. The JRC’s work in this area remains 
strongly  connected  with  the  relevant  stakeholders  through  the  participation  in  the 

86   https://euradschool.eu/  
87   https://www.enen2plus.eu/home and https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101061677  
88   Eirini Michailidou, et al., Nuclear education and training activities of the Joint Research Centre of the  

European Commission: Maintaining and enhancing nuclear skills and competences, Nuclear  
Engineering and Design, Volume 423, 2024, 113087, ISSN 0029-5493 

89   The  European  Nuclear  Security  Training  centre  (EUSECTRA),  managed  by  the  JRC,  is  a  valuable 
complement to Member States training capabilities, particularly for detection of nuclear and radioactive 
material, as participants have the opportunity to train with nuclear and radioactive materials embedded 
in  realistic  scenarios.  See  https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/laboratories-z/european-nuclear-
security-training-centre_en 

90   EHRO-N - European Commission (europa.eu)  
91   ERIKSSON, A. and ERIKSEN, B. Job Classification and Taxonomy in the Nuclear Sector, European  
reports  are  available  at  https://joint-research-

Commission,  Petten,  JRC132572.  EHRON 
centre.ec.europa.eu/ehro-n/documents_en  

45 

 
 
 
ENEN2Plus  project.  ENEN2Plus  also  prepared  studies92  on  human  resources  needs  in 
nuclear research and non-power applications, as well as a report on benchmarking existing 
E&T programmes. 

Euratom financial support for MSCA post-doc fellowships resulted in 12 grants – 7 in 
fusion  and  5  in  fission  –  awarded  during  the  first  three  MSCA  calls  supported  by  the 
Programme (i.e. the 2021, 2022 and 2023 MSCA calls). Three more grants and 5 Seals of 
Excellence are expected to be awarded to nuclear researchers for the 2024 call. 

The  number  of  fellowships  supported  by  Euratom  are  still  too  low  to  discern  trends. 
However,  applicants  in  nuclear  field  appear  to  have  a  good  success  rate  (38%)  in 
comparison to that of MSCAs in general (15.8% for the 2023 call). There might be room 
for improvement in the number of applications and awarded grants, especially as, it would 
seem, many nuclear researchers are not yet aware of their eligibility to the MSCAs. While 
awarded fellowships in the 2021-2023 calls consumed 73% of the EUR 3 million initially 
budgeted,  flexible  arrangements  allow  for  using  Euratom  funding  over  coming  years. 
Limited Euratom budget did not allow to launch other MSCA actions such as Doctoral 
networks. 

While  the  2021-2025  Programme  focused  resources  on  larger  and  longer-term  actions 
(OFFERR,  ENEN2Plus,  Partnerships),  in  complement  to  the  JRC  direct  actions  in 
education  and  training,  stakeholders  and  Member  States  underlined  the  urgent  need  to 
address  more  thoroughly  the  lack  of  specialised  skills  in  nuclear  technologies  and  the 
radiological field in the EU’s workforce. The Commission launched in 2024 a European 
Nuclear Skills Initiative93, which provides for preparing and testing a strategy, drawing 
on approaches from different industries, the European Human Resources Observatory for 
the  Nuclear  Sector  (EHRO-N)  and  Member  States.  The  strategy  should  enable  the 
development of skills necessary for EU strategic autonomy in the nuclear field and for the 
safe use of current and future nuclear technologies. This includes Small Modular Reactors 
(SMRs), which is why the call topic mentions that the strategy should also cover aspects 
relevant to the recently established SMR Industrial Alliance. 

92   https://www.enen2plus.eu/documents  
93   Call 

topic 

-  HORIZON-EURATOM-2024-NRT-01-02, 

https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-
tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-EURATOM-2024-NRT-01-
02?order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=100&sortBy=relevance&keywords=Euratom&isExactM
atch=true  

46 

 
 
 
 
4.1.7.2.  Promotion  of  innovation,  knowledge  management,  dissemination 

and exploitation of nuclear science and technology; 

The Commission uses recognition prizes to promote innovation in nuclear field. Two 
editions of SOFT Prize in fusion energy between 202294 and 202495 saw a steady increase 
of in quality of applications from outstanding researchers or companies trying to find novel 
solutions, possibly with broader applications, to the challenges of fusion development. The 
winner researchers get visibility and high international profile with potential for spin-offs 
and highly skilled jobs. They are acting as role-model for the fusion research community 
and  are  also  better  recognised.  Following  success  of  SOFT  innovation  prize,  the 
Commission expanded scope of recognition prizes under the current Programme to 
cover fission research. The Nuclear Innovation Prize aims to stimulate the fission research 
community  to  strengthen  innovation  and  foster  an  entrepreneurial  culture  in  fission 
research. In 2022, the prize was awarded in 2 categories – safety of nuclear systems and 
safety  of  radioactive  waste  management96.  The  European  Commission  received  28 
proposals that were evaluated by an independent jury composed of experts in technology 
transfer  from  business  and  academia.  In  nuclear  safety,  prizes  were  awarded  for  new 
cladding  for  nuclear  fuel,  development  of  new  safety  monitoring  system  for  reactors, 
improved  modelling  of  reactors,  development  of  passive  safety  system  for  SMRs  for 
district  heating.  In  radioactive  waste  management,  prizes  were  awarded  for  innovative 
methods  for  non-destructive  waste  characterisation,  robotic  solutions  for  cleaning  and 
reducing  radiation  exposure.  2025  edition  of  the  Nuclear  Innovation  Prize  also  covers 
radiation protection97.  

Knowledge  management  is  supported  via  JRC  actions  and  by  European  Partnerships, 
EURAD-298 and EUROfusion in particular. Specific attention has been dedicated by JRC 
to  knowledge  management,  leading  to  defining  and  implementing  a  methodology  of 
regular  horizon  scanning  for  nuclear  foresight  with  the  involvement  of  partner  policy 
DGs99. Additionally, in the frame of a pilot action on knowledge management in the area 
of nuclear safety (PIKNUS)100, the JRC has been developing a collaborative web-platform 
aiming  at  improving  accessibility  to  Euratom  funded  research  results  for  the  European 
research community and improving synergies between direct and indirect actions.  

94   For details about 2022 edition of SOFT Prize see https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-

research-and-innovation-news/soft-innovation-prize-three-researchers-awarded-2022-09-19_en 

95   https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-research-and-innovation-news/three-

outstanding-projects-win-2024-fusion-innovation-prizes-2024-09-25_en 

96   For  more  details  see  https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-research-and-innovation-

news/nuclear-innovation-prize-seven-applications-awarded-2022-05-31_en  

97   https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/prizes/nuclear-innovation-

prize_en  

98   See section 4.1.3 and https://www.ejp-eurad.eu/implementation/knowledge-management  
99  For  more 

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC131993 

details 

- 

and 

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC136139  

100   G. Pavel et al., Education, training and mobility, knowledge management: towards a common effort to  

ensure a future workforce in Europe and abroad, EPJ Nuclear Sci. Technol. 9, 21 (2023)  

47 

 
 
 
Dissemination  and  exploitation  of  results  -  like  in  Horizon  Europe,  focus  is  put  on 
beneficiaries’ efforts and the responsibility of the project consortium in disseminating and 
exploiting results101. Projects are requested to identify and to declare ownership projects 
results in the reporting and to list their key exploitable results. Overall, Euratom co-funded 
European Partnerships (PIANOFORTE, EURAD, EUROfusion) performed generally well 
in  disseminating  results  although  there  is  still  room  for  improvement  in  view  of 
exploitation. To support beneficiaries’ efforts,  the Commission offers specific tools and 
services shared with Horizon Europe: 

1.  The Horizon Results Platform, set up in 2019, provides a space for beneficiaries to 
give their results visibility beyond the end of the project and to express their needs for 
further results uptake.  

2.  The  Horizon  Results  Booster  (2020-2024)  and  re-enforced  Horizon  Results 
Booster-II102  (from  late  2024)  also  provide  free  support  and  guidance  services  to 
beneficiaries for disseminating and/or exploiting their results.  

Open access to publications and other research products allows researchers to build on 
existing work, industry to access scientific knowledge to innovate, and public sector to use 
for evidence-based policy making. Therefore open access supports indirectly objective of 
the Euratom Programme to create and share high quality new knowledge for improving 
nuclear  safety,  radiation  protection,  waste  management  and  for  development  of  fusion 
energy. The Commission integrated open access to scientific peer reviewed publications 
in  the  rules  for  Euratom  Programme  and  promoted  it  with  Member  States  and  with 
stakeholders. For Euratom-funded research, the data103 shows open access to 76% of peer 
reviewed  scientific  publications  from  projects  launched  since  2021,  an  improvement 
compared to 66% publications from 2014-2020 projects. 

4.1.7.3.  Support for technology transfer from the research to industry 

In support of technology transfer and the promotion of non-power applications of fusion 
research, EUROfusion implements the Technology Transfer Programme with Open Calls 
for  Demonstrators  since  2022  and  executes  together  with  F4E  an  European  Fusion 
Technology  Marketplace104.  The  Technology  Transfer  Programme  provides  funding 
opportunities for recipients of EUROfusion-based technology or know-how, encouraging 
innovation  and  supporting  feasibility  studies  for  non-fusion  applications.  The 
entrepreneurs are assisted by the FUTTA III Consortium, a group of specialised brokers 

101   As per the Article 39 of the Horizon Europe regulation (applicable to Euratom programme) ,  

beneficiaries of the EU's research and innovation framework programmes are legally obliged to  
disseminate and exploit results. The beneficiaries are best placed in maximising the impact of their own  
research by communicating, disseminating, exploiting during the project’s lifetime and after the project's  
completion. 

102   https://www.horizonresultsbooster.eu/  
103   Data retrieved from Scopus (December 2024) 
104   https://fusion-technology-transfer.europa.eu/  

48 

 
 
 
 
organised  by  an  external  consultancy  (InExtenso  Innovation  Croissance)  chosen  by  the 
EUROfusion  consortium.  The  broker  team  covers  Austria,  Belgium,  France,  Germany, 
Greece,  Italy, the Netherlands, Spain  and Portugal.  FUTTA is  able to attract  additional 
projects  and  showcase  fusion  applications  in  various  sectors  to  SMEs,  startups  and 
universities105.  Moreover,  relevant  industrial  actors  are  engaged  through  EUROfusion 
grants for industry involvement (EUR 2,46 million in subcontracting and EUR 6,03 million 
in activities of the affiliated entities over 2021-2022). 

4.1.7.4.  Support  for  the  preparation  and  development  of  a  competitive 

European fusion industrial capacity 

Commission actions focused on supporting involvement of European industry in fusion 
R&D and cofunding industry-driven innovation in nuclear fusion and fission in line with 
legislation in force (NZIA106 and STEP107). For the former, a dedicated framework contract 
for the provision of industrial expertise to EUROfusion (EUR 10.14 million in 2020-2024) 
with 15 specific contracts was managed by the Commission to support EUROfusion in the 
conceptual design of DEMO and DONES. Services included provision of an industry best 
practice-based assessment of power plant system architecture, overall configuration and 
system  engineering  processes  with  a  focus  on  design  and  technology  options  and 
feasibility, manufacturing options as well as risk identification, evaluation and mitigation. 
Collaboration  with  industry  is  also  promoted  through  the  Fusion  Industry  Innovation 
Forum (FIIF)108, consisting of 16 members from the EU industry involved in the fusion 
sector.  

Regarding  support  for  an  industry-driven  innovation  in  nuclear  fusion  and  fission, 
European  Innovation  Council  provides  funding109  to  accelerate  and  grow  nuclear 
innovations via EIC support schemes. Euratom coordination and support action concerning 
the European Fusion Industry Platform is described in section 4.1.8. 

105   https://fusion-technology-transfer.europa.eu/success-stories/  
106   Regulation  (EU)  2024/1735  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  13  June  2024  on 
establishing a framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s net-zero technology manufacturing 
ecosystem and amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1724  

107   Regulation  (EU)  2024/795  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  29 February  2024 
establishing  the  Strategic  Technologies  for  Europe  Platform  (STEP),  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202400795  

108   https://www2.euro-fusion.org/fiif/  
109   For details see https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-2025-work-programme_en  

49 

 
 
 
 
 
4.1.7.5.  Support  for  the  provision,  availability  and  appropriate  access  of 
European  and  international  research  infrastructures,  including 
JRC’s infrastructures 

Euratom support for access to research infrastructures is provided through the OFFERR 
project110 (225 facilities) and through the Open Access programme of the JRC (11 labs over 
3 sites)111. OFFERR project112 (EUR 9 million of Euratom funding) set up a European User 
Facility  Network  (EUFN)  and  established  an  operational  scheme  facilitating  access  to 
nuclear  science  infrastructure.  The  financial  support  is  granted  to  proposals  jointly 
prepared  and  agreed  by  the  visiting  team  and  the  user  facility  after  an  independent 
evaluation of proposals. The co-operation has been established with European Partnerships 
(PIANOFORTE, Connect-NM, EURAD), ENEN2plus and the JRC. Most of the facilities 
offered are in FR, DE, HU, CZ, PL, SK, ES and in the JRC research centres. OFFER’s 
initial results after two years are positive – project awarded support to 31 teams and 24 
research facilities. First data shows that the Member States most represented in projects 
granted access to EUFN include: FR, CZ, DE, BE, FI. Research fields covered include: 
LWR  reactors  (34%  of  total  financial  support),  advance  nuclear  fuels  (22%),  waste  & 
decommissioning (20%), advanced reactors (9%), nuclear science applications (8%) and 
innovation in nuclear instrumentation (4%).  

In parallel, the JRC also provides open access to its nuclear infrastructures in Karlsruhe, 
Geel, Ispra and Petten113, playing a vital role in stimulating research, sharing expertise, and 
enhancing skills. 11 nuclear facilities made accessible to researchers allow experimental 
research  to  assess  structural  materials  for  nuclear  systems,  to  safely  investigate  the 
properties  of  actinide  materials,  including  under  extreme  conditions,  or  to  analyse  the 
behaviour  of  nuclear  spent  fuel  and  radioactive  waste.  Through  a  joint  pilot  project 
between direct and indirect actions, financial support has been provided to external users 
and allowed 190 researchers from EU Member States and third countries associated to the 
Programme to access the facilities and perform experiments in its nuclear laboratories since 
2021.  

Assessment of Euratom actions for developing expertise and competences by experts 
and  feedback  from  public  consultation  –  independent  experts  favourably  noted 
Euratom’s long-term support for capacity building and for the access to nuclear research 
facilities in a form of two large projects ENEN2plus and OFFERR114.  

110   https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101060008 
111   For  more  details  see  https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/tools-and-laboratories/open-access-jrc-

research-infrastructures_en#nuclear-laboratories  

112   https://snetp.eu/offerr/  
113   European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Jenet, A., Acosta-Iborra, B., Aldave de la Heras, L. et  

al., Open access to JRC research infrastructures, Publications Office, 2021 

114   Liisa  Heikinheimo,  Stefano  Monti,  Interim  evaluation  of  indirect  actions  for  nuclear  safety  under 
Euratom  Research  and  Training  Programme  2021-2025  and  recommendations  for  2026-2027 
extension, June 2024 

50 

 
 
 
Box 7 - Recommendations from independent experts 

•  JRC  should  enhance  its  education  and  training  activities  by  expanding  cooperation  with 

research institutions and universities of EU Member States. 

•  Commission should consider developing an infrastructure ecosystem inside the Euratom 
research activities. The ecosystem should include co-operation with international projects and 
enable Euratom projects with different schedules to benefit fully of these infrastructures.  
•  As regards EHRO-N, the panel acknowledged the strengthened collaboration with European 
networks and organisations and enjoined the JRC to continue coordinating EU Member States 
efforts to collect information at state level to analyse human resources needs in the nuclear 
field. 

Source: Heuer, R. et al., Interim evaluation of the activities of the Joint Research Centre (…) and Liisa 
Heikinheimo, Stefano Monti, Interim evaluation(…) 

Similarly,  experts  also  commended  the  JRC’s  education  and  training  actions  for  its 
effectiveness  and  relevance,  including  the  open  access  to  the  nuclear  research 
infrastructure,  which  is  essential  to  maintain  high  level  of  skills  in  the  EU115.  Experts’ 
recommendations  for  improvements  are  shown  in  Box  7  and  feedback  from  public 
consultation is provided in Box 8.  

Box 8 - What messages emerged from public consultation? 

1.  Education and training (E&T) matters are important for the Programme’s stakeholders. 
More than half of respondents (58%) said that they are engaged in E&T activities. This was 
also reflected in the respondents’ strong support for E&T actions in the Programme: 50% 
strongly agreed and 33% agreed with the statement that the Programme’s E&T priorities are 
relevant.  

2.  Respondents seem to generally approve of the Programme’s direction regarding E&T. 36% 
said they agree and 26% said they strongly agree with the statement that the Programme was 
delivering in its objectives on E&T. 

3.  Respondents also noted the relevance of JRC’s actions in the area of nuclear knowledge 
and  competences  (E&T,  capacity  building  and  open  access  to  research  infrastructure)  to 
address  current  challenges  of  the  nuclear  field:  35.9%  of  respondents  strongly  agreed  and 
34.36% agreed with the statement. 

4.  When  asked  about  specific  Euratom  E&T  initiatives,  45%  respondents  said  ENEN2Plus 
increases impact to a great extent and 27.69% said that it does this somewhat. 26.67% said 
they were satisfied and 20% said they were very satisfied with the support ENEN2Plus gives 
to  E&T.  Respondents  were  also  positive  about  the  opening  of  post-doctoral  fellowships 
under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCAs) to nuclear researchers. 37% agreed that 
this  opening  increased  the  Programme’s  relevance  and  strengthened  its  impact  “to  a  great 
extent” and 32% said it was “somewhat”. 

5.  The open access programme to the JRC’s nuclear infrastructure was underlined as 
one of three areas (out of 11) where the JRC brings the most added value to the Euratom 
programme, together with expertise in current and innovative nuclear technologies. 

115   Heuer,  R.,  Florea,  A.M.,  Herranz  Soler,  M.,  Janowski,  T.,  Keskitalo,  E.C.H.,  Maas,  R.,  Oddou,  J., 
Pálinkás, J. and Wegener, H., Interim evaluation of the activities of the Joint Research Centre under 
Horizon Europe and Euratom 2021-2025 - Final report of the evaluation panel, Publications Office of 
the European Union, Luxembourg, 2023, doi:10.2760/63710, JRC134811. 

51 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Commission services’ views are similar to the experts’ conclusions and recommendations. 
Euratom  projects  face  risks  of  research  reactors’  availability  and  unexpected  costs.  For 
example,  scheduling  the  irradiation  campaigns  is  depending  on  the  research  reactor 
operations  and  requires  long  term  planning  that  an  individual  project  cannot  provide. 
Euratom projects will need to develop closer links with infrastructure through expanded 
user facility network or Partnership for research in nuclear materials (CONNECT-NM). 
Similarly  in  training  and  mobility,  individual  projects  could  benefit  from  closer 
cooperation with ENEN2Plus. 

4.1.8. 

Development of fusion energy 

Outputs 2021-2023 

55% 

2051 

6842 

564 

470 

8  

Peer review 
publications 
since 2021 

of the fusion 
roadmap’s 
milestones 
reached by 
EUROfusion 

Researchers 
supported to 
access fusion 
research 
facilities 

PhD degrees 
in fusion 
sciences 
completed 
by students 
supported 
by 
EUROfusion 

MSc degrees 
in fusion 
sciences 
completed 
by students 
supported 
by 
EUROfusion 

Shared research 
facilities in 
Europe (tokamak, 
stellarators, 
supercomputers) 
jointly managed 
by EUROfusion 

The Programme’s cornerstone, the cofunded European Partnership EUROfusion has made 
a substantial progress in terms of experimental campaigns, preparations of research 
facilities and research addressing 8 roadmap’s missions116 to develop fusion (see box 
9, see also Annex VI for a detailed overview). Different indicators show that EUROfusion 
delivers  in  terms  of  research  milestones  set  in  2021,  supporting  mobility  &  access  to 
research facilities and training of new generation of researchers and engineers. In 2023, it 
successfully  achieved  the  research  goals  of  the  final  deuterium-tritium  experimental 
campaign  at  the  Joint  European  Torus  (JET)  device.  The  experiments  explored  fusion 
processes and control techniques under conditions similar to and in preparation of future 
fusion  power  plants,  directly  supporting  the  preparatory  phases  for  ITER’s  future 
experiments. The first fusion power plant is now in the concept design phase, which will 
entail the assessment of technical feasibility studies, addressing safety and licensing issues 
and evaluating life cycle costs. Although there is a strong continuity among most of the 
activities  funded  by  the  2014-2020  and  2021-2025  Programmes,  EUROfusion  also 
launched reviews to make adjustment in some areas – the consortium carried out in 2023 
human resources survey117 and fusion facilities review.  

116   https://euro-fusion.org/eurofusion/roadmap/  
117   The 2023 Human resources survey for the European Union fusion research programme,  

EUROfusion, 
content/uploads/2024/05/EUROfusion_2023HumanResourceSurveyandDevelopmentReport.pdf  

https://euro-fusion.org/wp-

2024, 

April 

52 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Box 9 - Scientific highlights from Euratom-funded research 

1.  In 2022, EUROfusion started conceptual design activities for the Europe's first demonstration 
fusion power plant to demonstrate the net production of 300 to 500 megawatts of clean and 
safe fusion energy to the grid118. 

2.  In 2023, EUROfusion’s experimental campaign in JET produced 69 megajoules of fusion 
energy  using  deuterium-tritium  fuel  while  sustaining  fusion  during  a  six  second  pulse, 
improving upon its record from 2021119.  

3.  In 2023 construction started of IFMIF-DONES in Granada, Spain, a research infrastructure 
for testing, validation and qualification of the materials to be used in future fusion power plants 
like DEMO. The engineering design and the safety report of IFMIF-DONES were completed 
by EUROfusion. The Programme provided in 2023 a grant for consolidation of preparations 
of this facility120.  

4.  In 2024 EUROfusion started  experimental campaigns in two important research facilities: 

Wendelstein 7-X Stellarator (Germany) and JT-60A Tokamak (Japan).  

Source: European Commission 

These achievements are substantial, however the EUROfusion actions must be assessed 
also in a broader context of evolution of fusion research landscape worldwide.  

Among the different existing fusion technologies, the tokamak-based fusion is currently 
considered  as  the  most  mature  for  attaining  commercial  production  of  electricity. 
Tokamaks, defined by the doughnut shape of their inner chamber, are the most studied and 
best understood concept for ‘magnetic confinement’ fusion121. The EU is therefore leading 
ITER122,  a  unique  international  collaborative  research  project,  which  objective  is  to 
demonstrate  the  scientific  and  technological  feasibility  of  tokamak-based  fusion 
energy. Its results will be fundamental in the design of a first fusion power plant that will 
produce electricity to be delivered to the grid in the second half of this century. This will 
pave the way to industrial development of fusion power plants and commercialisation of 
fusion power generation. 

ITER has however been subject  to  a number of  serious challenges in  recent  years. The 
ITER Organization is currently re-examining the baseline of the project in line with the 
initial objectives123. The aim is to achieve the fastest path to the start of the ITER plasma 
phase, during which the most significant experiments are planned, while minimizing the 
technical and licensing risks.  

In parallel, the world is already in a race to industrialise fusion technology, even before 
achieving power generation. Several breakthroughs in fusion energy production have been 

118   For  more  details  see  https://euro-fusion.org/eurofusion-news/horizon-eurofusion-event-announces-

start-of-conceptual-power-plant-design/  

119   For more details see https://euro-fusion.org/eurofusion-news/dte3record/  
120   For more details see https://ifmif-dones.es/ and https://euro-fusion.org/related/ifmif-
dones/international-materials-facility-ifmif-dones-starts-construction-phase/ 
121   https://euro-fusion.org/fusion/fusion-on-earth/  
122   https://www.iter.org/few-lines  
123   https://www.iter.org/node/20687/updated-baseline-presented  

53 

 
 
 
 
 
 
recently announced124 in the world, among them some promises for fast commercialisation 
of fusion-based power generation. Various start-ups around the world, in particular in the 
US, are making headlines and attracting investments for demonstration projects targeting 
a variety of concepts (from variants of the tokamak to radically alternative approaches) 
that should become operational over the next decade125.  

The  EUROfusion  has  delivered  well  on  its  high-end  scientific  research  mission  in  the 
2021-2024 period. However, based on independent  expertise126, the Commission judges 
that EUROfusion is not fit to achieve commercial exploitation of fusion power generation 
(see Box 10).  

Box 10 - Key findings on Euratom-funded fusion research from independent experts 

   The  current  EUROfusion  roadmap,  based  on  the  sequential  development  of  JET-ITER-
DEMO, is considered overly complex and unrealistic from a timeline perspective.  

   The main concerns relate to the lack of testing and qualification of components under relevant 

fusion conditions and the means to address these issues. 

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  JET,  ITER  and  DEMO  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  that 
EUROfusion  does  not  sufficiently  address  some  key  enabling  technologies,  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 

124   National Ignition Facility in the United States made headlines in 2021-2023 by achieving a world first  
burning plasma state of ‘ignition’, in which the plasma is predominantly self-heated by the fusion  
reactions. Fusion records in temperatures and sustained plasmas have also been achieved by the KSTAR 
(Korea) and EAST (China) tokamaks. 

125   European Commission: Directorate-General for Energy, Foresight study on the worldwide developments 
in  advancing  fusion  energy,  including  the  small  scale  private  initiatives,  Publications  Office  of  the 
European Union, 2023, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2833/967945 

126   European Commission, Summary report - Interim Evaluation of Euratom Fusion Programme 2021-2025 

and Ex-ante Assessment of Extension of EURATOM Fusion Programme 2026-2027 

54 

 
 
 
  
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. 

It is important to acknowledge that difficult scientific and technological questions remain 
to be solved before fusion can be brought to the market. There is a growing consensus, 
notably captured at events127 and in a public consultation organised by the Commission in 
2024 (see Box 11), 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. 

Box  11  –  Results  of  public  consultation  –  respondents  views  on  how  to  accelerate 
development of fusion energy in Europe: 

1.  The European Commission should develop an EU Fusion Strategy with a concrete short-term 
action plan and a comprehensive, long-term roadmap to advance fusion energy development 
and to establish the necessary ecosystem for the future commercialisation of fusion energy - 
21% (42) of respondents agreed, 34% (67) strongly agreed, while 23% (45) did not know, 14% 
(27) were neutral, and 7% (14) disagreed or strongly disagreed. 

2.  The  industrial  sectors  and  potential  private  investors’  involvement  is  necessary  to 
accelerate the transition to commercial fusion energy - 28% (54) of respondents agreed, 34% 
(67)  strongly  agreed,  while  21%  (40)  did  not  know,  10%  (20)  were  neutral,  and  7%  (14) 
disagreed or strongly disagreed. 

3.  Resolving critical technological bottlenecks and demonstrating fusion technology to accelerate 
the  development  of  enabling  technologies  will  require  a  strong  partnership  between  the 
public and private sectors - 27% (52) of respondents agreed, 32% (63) strongly agreed, while 
22% (42) did not know, 14% (27) were neutral, and 6% (11) disagreed or strongly disagreed. 

The EU must clearly define the programmatic priorities, including a clear identification of 
the  major  remaining  knowledge  gaps.  Building  a  more  realistic  EU  fusion  R&D 
programme with a reasonable time frame and based on acceptable cost will substantially 
mitigate failure risks. This programme must be milestone-driven and has a strong project 
culture. It will need to tackle the technology bottlenecks which require additional  focus 
and investment while involving more private financing, industry experience and increasing 
the international collaboration with reliable partners where there is a clear added value for 
the EU. Development of such programme requires also rethinking the role, activities and 
budget of the EUROfusion Partnership.  

The Commission made first steps in this direction by launching in May 2024 a call for 
launching a European Fusion Industry Platform and for preparation for a Public-Private 
Partnership on Fusion Energy128. This action is expected to start its implementation in early 
2025 and plans to open the way to a future Public-Private Partnership (PPP). It has been 

127   High-Level Roundtable on Fostering Innovation for Fusion Energy in Europe (14 March 2024) and ‘The 

EU Blueprint for Fusion Energy’ meeting (23 April 2024) 

128  Call 

topic 

HORIZON-EURATOM-2024-NRT-01-01 

https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-

tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-euratom-2024-nrt-01-01 

55 

 
 
 
forecasted to encourage scientific development and combine efforts from both private and 
public actor. It will also engage private investors of this emerging sector who aim to enter 
the field of nuclear fusion, and it will increase the fusion technological maturity, moving 
from a purely academic to a more industrial view. In particular, it will establish an industry-
led European Fusion Industry Platform in view of a possible evolution into a long-term 
European Technology and Innovation Platform, a European fusion industry association for 
signing the PPP Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and define a Strategic Research 
and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) on Fusion Energy. It would support the creation of a PPP 
during  the  2026-2027  Euratom  programme  extension,  which  will  align  with  the 
commission's goal of enlarging the EU fusion industry to tackle the critical bottlenecks and 
supporting  innovation  in  the  development  of  key  enabling  technologies,  including 
alternative fusion concepts. 

4.1.9. 

International cooperation  

The Euratom  Programme is  open to the participation of countries having concluded 
association agreements, and is also open, at the project level and on the basis of mutual 
benefit and subject to acceptance by the consortium, to the participation of entities from 
third countries and of international organisations for scientific cooperation.  

76%  of  Euratom-funded  fission  projects  launched  during  2021-2024  involve 
participants from associated and 3rd countries129. The projects signed in the first four 
years  of  the  Programme  involve  around  36  participations  from  Ukraine  (only  country 
associated to the Programme) and 126 participations from third countries: Canada, China, 
USA, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Türkiye, Norway Switzerland and the UK. While 
Ukrainian participants received funding under the same conditions as beneficiaries from 
EU  Member  States,  financial  support  for  non-association  third  countries  is  very  low 
(EUR 560 000 in total), their participation being limited to cases where their participating 
entities  were  considered,  by  independent  experts,  essential  for  the  implementation  of 
project, mainly in nuclear materials (UK), tritium management (UK), accident tolerant fuel 
(Japan and USA), nuclear data (Switzerland). 

Associations to the Programme: the Euratom Research and Training Programme is open 
to the association of third countries with advanced nuclear research programmes meeting 
the  requirements  set  out  in  the  Regulation  establishing  the  Euratom  Programme130. 
Association  is  the  closest  form  of  international  cooperation  as  these  countries  can 
participate under the same conditions as EU Member States.  

129   Data from signed grants agreements 
130   Article 5 of Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/765 

56 

 
 
  
 
An Association agreement of Ukraine to Euratom Programme131 which entered into 
force  in  2022,  allows  for  equal  Ukraine’s  participation  in  all  parts  of  the  Euratom 
programme and provides for reduced Ukrainian financial contribution to the Programme. 
Cooperation in fission research with Ukraine is vital for sharing EU research excellence 
and  the  EU’s  nuclear  safety  culture  with  the  Ukrainian  nuclear  sector.  Ukraine’s 
association  to  the  Euratom  Programme  gives  European  researchers  access  to  Ukraine’s 
experience in operation and servicing of Nuclear Power Plants based on designs (VVER) 
common  in  Eastern  and  Central  Europe.  Ukrainian  research  institutes  and  companies 
participate in one-third of all projects launched in 2021-2025 (19 projects compared to 18 
in 2014-2020 Programme). Ukraine participates in two Euratom co-funded Partnerships: 
EURAD-2  and  EUROfusion.  Ukrainian  beneficiaries  should  receive  about  EUR  7.4 
million from 2021-2025 Programme. 

Situation concerning the United Kingdom: in 2023 the UK decided to not associate to 
the Euratom Research and Training Programme 2021-2025. However, data for the 2021-
2025 Programme show a strong interest of UK participants to be involved, at their own 
cost, in Euratom fission projects (41% of all projects) and in fusion research. UK partner, 
UKAEA is associated partner to EUROfusion that participates in 18 (of 28) research work 
packages. Besides JET, UKAEA’s contribution to the EUROfusion work is mostly based 
on the use (or future use) of three research facilities (HIVE, CHIMERA, H3AT). UKAEA 
estimated budget involvement in the action amounts to EUR 300 million, about 30% of 
total  EUROfusion  costs.  In  this  regard,  the  UKAEA  plays  a  significant  scientific  and 
financial role in the EUROfusion. Therefore, despite the fact that the UK decided not to 
associate  to  the  current  Euratom  Programme  and  to  focus  on  funding  domestic  fusion 
development,  the  Commission  decided  to  accept  EUROfusion’s  position,  according  to 
which they should keep the UKAEA as associated partner with reduced participation in 
the  governance.  This  cooperation  will  be  reassessed  in  view  of  the  extension  of  the 
EUROfusion grant for 2026-2027, subject to Council decision on the Euratom Programme, 
taking into consideration the EU’s strategic needs and contractual requirements.  

Situation  concerning  Switzerland:  The  Commission  and  the  Swiss  Government  have 
concluded in December 2024 negotiations on the association of Switzerland to Horizon 
Europe and the Euratom research and training programme. The signing of the Agreement 
is expected to take place in 2025, pending the completion of all necessary validations on 
both  sides132. Until  2024,  Swiss  entities  could  not  become  full  beneficiaries  of  Euratom 
Programme,  but  they  participate  as  third  parties  in  21  projects  without  funding  (as 
associated partners), including European Partnerships EURAD-2 and EUROfusion.  

131  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/association-agreement-on-ukraine-s-participation-

in-the-horizon-europe-programme-and-the-euratom-research-and-training-programme.html  
132   https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-research-and-innovation-news/eu-and-

switzerland-successfully-conclude-negotiations-horizon-europe-and-euratom-2024-12-20_en  

57 

 
 
 
 
4.2.  Efficiency 

This  section  reports  the  actual  costs  of  the  Euratom  Programme’s  indirect  actions  and 
presents  an  assessment  of  the  JRC  resources  and  organisation.  It  also  assesses  how 
simplification  measures  performed  relative  to  targets  and  objectives.  This  evaluation  is 
based  on  findings  of  the  interim  evaluation  of  Horizon  Europe133,  as  the  Euratom 
Programme  was  implemented  using  Horizon  Europe’s  instruments  and  rules  of 
participation134.  

4.2.1.1.  Costs and benefits of Euratom Programme 

Implementing  the  Programme  gave  rise  to  several  types  of  costs  incurred  by  different 
stakeholder groups. The operational expenditure of the Programme is EUR 852 million135. 
It is funded through the Union’s budget and allocated to research and innovation projects. 
At  the  end  of  December  2024,  EUR 671  million  have  been  committed  and  EUR  527 
million have been allocated for payments to beneficiaries. 

The  Euratom  administrative  expenditure  budget  of  EUR 537  million136 
the 
administrative  cost  of  the  European  Public  Sector  (JRC  and  RTD)  supporting  the 
programme and funded through the budget of the EU. At the end of December 2024, about  
EUR 429 million have been committed and EUR 408 million paid out.  

is 

Beneficiaries incur administrative costs to fulfil specific requirements, set out in their grant 
agreement, which they would otherwise not have spent to manage their projects. While 
beneficiaries  are  compensated  for  all  administrative  costs  through  grant  payments,  any 
avoidable part of the effort induced by the programme’s requirements reduces its overall 
efficiency.  The  HE  interim  evaluation  collected  a  robust  quantitative  evidence  base  on 
beneficiaries’ administrative costs as share of their total project costs, which will applied 
to  calculations  concerning  Euratom  Programme137.  These  costs  likely  cover  tasks  that 
would in any case have been associated with the running of the projects and only set an 
upper bound of what can be interpreted as “administrative burden”. The median and the 
most  frequent  responses  indicated  that  6%  to  10%  of  the  project  budget  is  allocated  to 
administrative tasks.  

Consequently, for all projects signed under Euratom Programme so far over their entire 
project lifetime, beneficiaries are expected to spend between EUR 122 million and EUR 
163 million in administrative costs, equivalent to 9% - 12 % of the total project cost138. 
The estimate of the total is an order of magnitude higher than that of the final Euratom 

133   Commission Staff Working Document (forthcoming) on interim evaluation of Horizon Europe 
134   Article 7(1) of Council regulation (Euratom) 2021/765 
135   The  operational  budget  for  programme’s  direct  and  indirect  actions,  see  also  section  2  on  the 

programme’s implementation 

136   Administrative budget for 2021-2025, including EUR 491 million for direct actions (JRC) and EUR 46 

million for indirect actions implented by DG RTD  

137   For details, see Annex 4.1.1. to SWD on interim evaluation of HE. 
138   Calculation on the basis of methodology, see Annex 4.1.1. to SWD on interim evaluation of HE 

58 

 
 
 
Programme 2014-2020 evaluation (EUR 12 million to EUR 20 million139) over the entire 
duration  of  the  programme).  The  differences  are  likely  driven  by  a  change  in  survey 
question design and improvements in data quality, rather than actual underlying changes 
in beneficiaries’ administrative costs.  

While the costs associated with the Euratom Programme are incurred early on, its benefits 
only  emerge  over  an  extended  period.  It  is  difficult  to  measure  in  monetary  terms  the 
scientific and technological progress made by the Programme in nuclear safety, security 
and radiation protection, which is helping to ensure that Europe meets the highest standards 
in  these  fields.  For  this  reason,  the  most  appropriate  approach  is  to  measure  the 
effectiveness of the research in terms of specific examples of results/impacts and scientific 
outputs as presented in section 4.1. of this report. 

4.2.2. 

Administrative efficiency of Programme implementation 

Two  types  of  quantitative  performance  targets  set  out  expectations  about  the 
administrative  efficiency  of  the  European  public  sector  administering  Euratom 
Programme’s  indirect  actions:  the  administrative  time  performance  targets  and  the 
percentage share of administrative expenditure overall. 

Regarding  administrative  time  performance  targets,  different  time  targets  were  set  for 
specific administrative processes140, particularly the time-to-grant target (8 months – 243 
days).  The  Average  Time-to-grant  (TTG)  is  230  days  for  Euratom  Programme,  an 
improvement  over  the  2014-2020  Euratom  Programme  (238  days)  and  the  2007-2013 
Programme  (313  days).  The  Programme  performs  well  on  other  metrics  like  Time-to-
inform (TTI = 130 days, target is 150) and Time-to-sign (TTS = 97 days, target is 92 days). 

The Euratom Regulation set out an overall efficiency benchmark for the programme’s 
administrative  expenditure  for  indirect  actions  of  no  more  than  6%  of  the  budget 
envelope for 2021-2025141. The Programme’s administrative expenditure implementation 
suggests that the Programme performed well against these benchmarks: the average for 
2021-2024 was 5.4%. 

JRC resources and organisation - for the period 2021-2025, the contribution to the direct 
actions under the Euratom  programme is  EUR  532  million,  amounting  to 38,5% of the 
Programme and 27% of the overall JRC budget. The budget is distributed across three main 
categories: staff expenses for permanent and non-permanent personal (63,1%); means of 
execution for maintenance of building and equipment (29,1%) and operational expenses 
for scientific work (7,8 %). The JRC generates revenues through financial agreements with 
other Commission services or contract work for third parties such as industry or regional 

139   See SWD(2024)271 on ex-post evaluation of Euratom Programme 2014-2020 
140   See Article 31(1) of Regulation 2021/695, Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, laying 
down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1290/2013 and 
(EU) No 1291/2013 

141   Article 4(3) of Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/765.  

59 

 
 
 
authorities. Compared to 2014-2020 Programme, the JRC does not benefit in the current 
Programme  from  grants  funded  by  indirect  actions.  It  participates  in  the  projects  as  a 
beneficiary  requesting  zero  funding.  It  bears  the  operational  costs  for  its  own  staff  and 
research infrastructure via its institutional budget.  

Similarly  to  indirect  actions,  the  budget  for  direct  actions  under  the  Euratom 
programme  2021-2025  has  been  reduced  by  19.7%  compared  to  2014-2020,  when 
considering a 2% nominal inflation. The budget cuts have caused staff reduction for the 
JRC of 129 FTE, proportional to the direct action’s budget cut in constant prices. These 
reductions are to be spread over the 7 years of the financing period and aim to reduce 96 
permanent  posts  (2021-2027)  and  33  temporary  ones  (2026-2027).  There  is  also  a 
significant overhead component associated to the infrastructure management of the JRC 
sites  covering  nuclear  research.  As  a  result,  the  JRC  has  adopted  efficiency  measures. 
These are reflected in the new strategy for its nuclear activities and the management 
of its infrastructures adopted in 2022142. The new nuclear strategy plans to align as much 
as  possible  the  available  resources  in  the  priority  research  areas  with  the  Programme’s 
budget cuts.  

The JRC strategy has defined 5 key areas of action for a reduction, realignment and 
focusing  of  activities  while  maintaining  core  added  value  and  capacities  in  high 
priority areas, in order to keep supporting a safe and secure use of nuclear and radioactive 
technologies  in  the  EU  and  anticipate  future  needs  and  challenges.  This  was  also  a 
recommendation stemming from the ex-post evaluation of the Euratom programme 2014-
2020143  to  develop  and  apply  criteria  in  relation  to  JRC  unique  strengths  and  policy 
relevance for deciding to prioritise or not an activity. 

Concerning the nuclear activities, the strategy plans a prioritisation and rationalisation of 
projects  along  screening  criteria  based  on  legal  obligation,  relevance  and  impact  while 
enhancing more integrated collaboration with non-nuclear domains within the JRC.  

In relation to the JRC’s infrastructures, the aim is to eventually concentrate and cluster 
the nuclear  experimental facilities with nuclear materials  (hot laboratories) across 
two  sites,  JRC-Geel  and  JRC-Karlsruhe,  while  the  site  of  JRC-Petten  shall  remain 
relevant with sufficient competent resources to staff laboratories that do not experiment 
with radioactive material. Currently, the JRC’s nuclear facilities are operational in Geel, 
Petten, Karlsruhe and Ispra and are subject to compliance with strict national requirements 
and  monitoring  by  the  respective  national  nuclear  authorities.  To  reduce  administrative 
burdens and pressure on the budget, efforts will also be made to identify synergies and 
efficiencies and improve interoperability across the four sites. This internal optimisation 

142   Goulart De Medeiros, M., Wastin, F., Martin Ramos, M., Lanzke, G. and Geremicca, J., Executive  
Summary: JRC Strategy for its Nuclear Activities, Publications Office of the European Union,  
Luxembourg, 2023 https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC132060  

143   Ex-post evaluation of direct actions of the Euratom Research and Training programmes 2014-2018 and  

2019-2020, COM(2024) 549 

60 

 
 
 
process is accompanied by an effort to enhance the shared use of facilities with Member 
State partner organisations and Commission stakeholders.  

Since  the  beginning  of  2021-2025  Programme,  the  JRC  has  been  going  through  a 
transformational process that included a new organisation of its research structure. A new 
way  of  working  with  portfolios  has  created  the  foundation  for  a  more  agile  approach 
towards programming the JRC’s work, responding to priorities while improving efficiency 
and facilitating the integration of work across domains. Portfolios are helping the JRC to 
strike  a  better  balance  between  the  different  areas  of  specialisation  and  the  integration 
required to best serve policy needs. Three nuclear portfolios concentrate core activities 
related  to  nuclear  safety,  including  innovative  technologies  like  SMR,  nuclear 
safeguards  and  the  policy  support  in  relation  to  compliance  with  the  regulatory 
framework. JRC’s work programme also includes so-called mixed portfolios in the area of 
health  (non-power  applications  for  medical  purposes),  in  the  area  of  security  and 
situational awareness (nuclear security and dual-use expertise), in the area of international 
cooperation (support to the INSC) and across various portfolios (knowledge management 
and foresight in the nuclear field). 

4.2.3. 

Simplification measures for Euratom Programme 2021-2025  

As  Euratom  Programme  relies  on  the  Horizon  Europe’s  rules  and  instruments, 
simplification of the Programme’s implementation is linked to measures undertaken for 
the Framework Programme144. Optimising the FP’s delivery has been one of HE’s specific 
objectives145. 

One of the main simplification measures for Euratom is implementation of a large part of 
the Programme through four co-funded European Partnerships (76% of budget for indirect 
actions, EUR 619 million), with reduction of number of collaborative projects (58 projects 
in 2021-2025 compared to 67 in 2014-2018). This allowed transition of the Commission 
to a role as a funding agency rather than an active scientific stakeholder in the coordination 
and leadership of the research. This paradigm shift promoted much greater ownership of 
the  research  fields  for  the  beneficiaries.  At  the  same  time,  it  created  more  demanding 
project management responsibilities for beneficiaries than a classic collaborative project.  

Commission  introduced  simplified  cost  options,  in  particular  optional  unit  costs  for 
personnel  (in  May  2024),  bringing  further  simplification  and  helping  to  reduce  errors. 
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,  should  reduce  irregularities  and  facilitate  the  work  of  beneficiaries.  Possible 

144   This section draws on conclusions of the section 4.2 of SWD for HE interim evaluation (forthcoming) 
145   See recital (58) of Regulation 2021/695, Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, laying 
down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1290/2013 and 
(EU) No 1291/2013 

61 

 
 
 
further  HE  simplification  measures  to  facilitate  implementation  of  the  co-funded 
partnerships will have substantial impact on Euratom programme. 

Feedback collected from stakeholders suggest there has been no substantial shift in the 
proposal preparation effort required to apply for funding and participate  in 2021-
2025 Programme compared to 2014-2020 Programme (see Box 12).  

Box 12 – Public consultation – respondents views on effort needed to participate in 
the Euratom Programme 2021-2025 compared to its predecessors with regard to: 

4.  Time:  49%  (95)  -  similar;  13%  (26)  -  greater;  10%  (20)  -  lower;  28%  (54)  -  don’t 

know/no opinion; 

5.  Resources: 50% (98) - similar; 15% (30) - greater; 7% (13) - lower; 28% (54) - don’t 

know/no opinion; 

Application  stage  and  proposal  evaluation  process  -  Horizon  Europe  applicants 
responding to open questions of the targeted survey provided a small number of specific 
suggestions for simplification of the application stage, evolving around the topics: User-
friendliness, finding the right call, IT tool for submission, application template, additional 
requirements  of  horizontal  topics146.  Evaluators  and  the  evaluation  process  were  the 
main  focus  of  concern  in  the  contributions  to  open  questions  of  the  targeted  survey. 
Topics  of  concern  included:  quality  of  expert  evaluators,  level  of  detail  of  evaluation 
report, inconsistent scores for improved resubmitted proposal in a part of the programme, 
technical glitches in online interviews. Structured qualitative responses to survey questions 
on the evaluation process hint at an overall appreciation of the process and the quality of 
the evaluation. 

The  project  implementation  phase  remains  an  area  of  focus  for  HE  simplification 
measures  (and  consequently  for  Euratom),  which  reduce  beneficiaries’  costs  without 
negatively affecting the projects’ R&I impact. Beneficiaries responded to open questions 
of the targeted survey and provided specific feedback or suggestions on related topics. 
Specific  suggestions  were  received,  including  on:  single  personnel  rate  for  SMEs, 
timesheets, helpdesk for administrative procedures and the on-boarding of new grantees147. 

4.2.4. 

Coherence 

The Euratom Programme is coherent internally and with the other EU programmes and 
policies. Internal coherence between fission and fusion indirect actions is ensured by 
supporting  projects  addressing  topics  relevant  for  both  fields:  scientific  support  for 
licensing  of  advanced  fission  and  fusion  systems148,  tritium  management149,  and 
development of radiation-resistant materials150. 

146   For details see Annex 4.3.4. of SWD for HE interim evaluation (forthcoming) 
147   See Annex 4.3.4. of SWD for HE interim evaluation (forthcoming). 
148   Project HARMONISE https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101061643  
149   Project TITANS https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101059408  
150   Project INNUMAT https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101061241  

62 

 
 
 
 
Synergies  between  Euratom  direct  and  indirect  actions  -  the  Council  regulation 
introduced a single set of four specific objectives for direct and indirect actions. The aim 
is to simplify the Programme’s implementation and to focus direct and indirect actions on 
the same objectives. It should also strengthen synergies and facilitate access of research 
consortia  to  the  JRC’s  infrastructure  and  know-how.  Coordination  between  direct  and 
direct  actions  is  ensured  at  programming  level  by  co-drafting  of  respective  work 
programmes and at operational level by coordination between RTD and JRC. The most 
important integration of RTD and JRC actions happens on the ground when JRC institutes 
participate in consortia funded by RTD by providing, without charge, expertise and access 
to nuclear infrastructures. The JRC funds its activities in collaborative projects from its 
institutional budget. For fission projects launched in 2021-2024, JRC institutes participate 
in  27  project  consortia  (52%).  This  is  a  significant  increase  compared  to  2014-2020 
Programme, where JRC participated in 40% of projects.  

Further synergy is  explored between direct  and indirect  actions with  the  set-up of pilot 
projects, like on open access to JRC’s nuclear facilities, where new collaboration methods 
are tested in the area of knowledge and infrastructure management. This pilot project to 
fund European researchers’ access to the nuclear infrastructures was launched in 2020 and 
has been extended in 2023 until 2025. 

The  overall  assessment  of  RTD  -  JRC  coordination  is  overall  good  but  faces  some 
shortcomings  reflected  in  the  differences  between  direct  actions  (aiming  at  performing 
research) and indirect actions (aiming at funding collaborative research). This results in 
different approaches in the implementation and governance of the programme, as funding 
the  indirect  actions  require  an  appropriate  management  of  the  administrative  budget, 
whereas  the  direct  actions  require  managing  research  activities  directly.  As  per  the 
governance,  the  JRC  has  a  single  Board  of  Governors  covering  all  (EU  Research 
Framework  Programme  and  Euratom  Programme)  activities,  while  the  indirect  actions 
have  a  dedicated  fission  configuration  ‘comitology’  committee  for  the  Euratom 
Programme.  

Synergies with ITER - fusion research carried by EUROfusion Partnership is cofunded 
through the Euratom Programme, while the Joint Undertaking Fusion for Energy (F4E) is 
focused  on  delivering  the  European  contribution  to  ITER’s  construction  in  Cadarache, 
France. Additionally, F4E is leading Euratom activities within the Broader Approach151. 
Research  support  for  ITER  construction  and  future  operation  is  an  integral  part  of 
EUROfusion’s work. Cross-cutting nature of EUROfusion and F4E activities underlines 
the  need  for  a  strategic  discussion  between  Commission,  EUROfusion,  F4E  and  the 
Member States to cover all strategic issues related to the fusion development and delivery 
of electricity by a first fusion power plant. In 2024 RTD and ENER launched the Fusion 

151   https://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/other-projects/  

63 

 
 
 
Expert  Group  (FEG),  an  ad-hoc  Commission  Expert  Group,  bringing  together  Member 
States and stakeholders to provide advice on strategic fusion issues.  

Synergies with Horizon Europe - basic acts establishing the Euratom Programme and 
Horizon Europe152 introduced provisions promoting synergies with focus on education and 
training actions and on joint research for cross-cutting aspects of the safe and secure use 
of  non-power  applications  of  ionising  radiation  in  sectors  such  as  medicine,  industry, 
agriculture, space, climate change, security and emergency preparedness and contribution 
of nuclear science.  

During 2021-2024, the Commission succeeded in the implementation of limited synergies 
such as use of MSCA post-doc fellowships for nuclear researchers with Euratom funding 
or use of EIC funding153 for fusion energy research via various   support schemes. 

Until  2024,  12  fellowships  were  awarded  for  a  total  Euratom  contribution  of  EUR 2.2 
million. The inclusion of synergies for non-power applications aimed to address issues like 
cancer  treatment,  medical  radioisotopes,  critical  materials  and  space,  relevant  to 
Commission initiatives like the Beating Cancer Plan and the action plan on critical raw 
materials.  However,  due  to  the  lack  of  specific  implementing  provisions  including 
systematic  screening  for  synergies  via  a  permanent  governance  structure,  or  different 
budget  level  of  HE  and  Euratom  Programmes,  more  ambitious  synergies  such  as 
complementary  funding  of  joint  calls  for  medical  or  other  non-power  applications  of 
ionising radiation or funding of MSCA PhD networks were not implemented, and at this 
moment this area of synergies is underexploited. As shown in section 4.1.4, Euratom calls 
for proposals in 2021 and 2023 showed potential for innovative applications of ionising 
radiation  applications.  This  potential  could  be  further  realised  in  synergy  with  actions 
funded  under  Horizon  Europe  as  indicated  by  recommendations  from  STC  and 
independent experts. 

Regarding coherence of the Euratom programme with EU policies, through cooperative 
research, Euratom indirect actions enable a Europe-wide approach to improving nuclear 
safety  and  radiation  protection  in  all  areas  of  application,  which  complements  the 
implementation  of  the  Euratom  Directives  on  nuclear  safety  radioactive  waste 
management  and  basic  safety  standards  (BSS).  As  underlined  by  thematic  evaluations, 
Partnerships  such  as  EURAD-2  and  Pianoforte  play  a  particular  role  in  this  process. 
Effective implementation of requirements set by BSS calls for a better understanding of 
risks associated with exposure to ionising radiation, and Euratom-funded actions address 
this  point.  In  the  case  of  radioactive  waste  management,  the  Member  States  have  to 
transpose the waste directive (directive 2011/70/EURATOM) into their national law. This 
directive emphasizes the importance of sustainability, holistic management of waste and 
spent  fuel  from  generation  to  disposal  and  long-term  safety.  In  each  Member  State,  a 

152   Article 10 of Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/765 and Annex IV to HE Regulation. 
153   For details see https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-2025-work-programme_en  

64 

 
 
 
comprehensive  waste  programme  must  be  established  on  a  solid  scientific  and 
technological  basis  to  ensure  the  necessary  knowledge  transfer.  EURAD-2  supports 
Member  States  by  defining  upfront  the  needs  for  research  through  a  consensus-based 
decision  process,  strong  knowledge  management  and  enhanced  interaction  between  the 
different scientific and technical disciplines (see section 4.1.3). 

4.3.  EU added value 

The actions funded by the Programme help Member States to work together to develop 
nuclear  technologies,  regardless  of  their  national  choice  as  to  whether  to  generate  or 
consume nuclear power. Euratom-funded research is of added value for all Member States 
as it concerns  a  broad spectrum of applications  of ionising radiation and risks, not 
only electricity production. It enables Member States to harness the opportunities offered 
by the technologies in the interest of all citizens, while reducing the risks associated with 
ionising radiation.  

The  Programme  significantly  increased  the  EU’s  ability  to  mobilise  a  wider  pool  of 
excellence, expertise and multidisciplinary in nuclear research, achieving impacts that 
extend far beyond what would have been achieved at national or regional level. This is of 
particular  benefit  to  smaller  Member  States,  which  were  able  to  take  advantage  of 
economies of scale afforded by the Europe-wide pooling effect and open access to JRC 
facilities. 

•  More  than  7200  researchers  participated  in  joint  exploitation  of  nuclear 

research facilities in the EU154 

•  Programme enabled access to about 244 research facilities155 across EU and in 

3rd countries. 

The Euratom-funded projects and JRC provide a supportive framework for developing 
new generation of researchers, sharing and maintaining expertise and skills in nuclear 
safety and security, the safe management of radioactive waste and radiation protection.  

•  986 PhD students in nuclear research benefitted from Euratom financial support 

and access to critical mass of researchers and scientific equipment156. 

•  962 students benefitted from Euratom mobility support157  
•  3324 persons provided with specialised nuclear training by JRC 

Structuring  effect  of  the  Euratom  co-funded  European  partnerships  -  European 
Partnerships in fission158 and fusion research159 deliver European added value through the 
development  of  long-lasting  knowledge  networks.  All  Partnerships  have  a  strategic 

154   Researchers who participated in experimental campaigns managed by EUROfusion, OFFERR and JRC 
155   Facilities offered through OFFER, JRC Open Access and EUROfusion.  
156   Supported by EUROfusion, PIANOFORTE Partnership and Euratom collaborative projects. 
157   Supported by ENEN2Plus and Pianoforte Partnership 
158   https://pianoforte-partnership.eu/ , https://www.ejp-eurad.eu/ , https://www.connect-nm.eu/  
159   https://euro-fusion.org/  

65 

 
 
 
 
research agenda or work programme which brings together the EU and other partners such 
as Member States, industries and foundations, in agreeing on joint priorities for funding. 
This is a key feature that distinguishes partnerships from other collaborative projects160. 
Euratom Partnerships provide national laboratories opportunities to specialise in some key 
areas,  make  meaningful  contribution,  and  maintain  visibility  within  the  European 
consortium. Partnerships also excel in providing opportunities for sharing of knowledge 
and  best  practices.  For  example,  EURAD-2,  partnership  for  radioactive  waste 
management, provides knowledge for Member States with small inventories of radioactive 
waste (e.g. from hospitals and industry). These Member States face particular challenges 
concerning access to sufficient expertise in developing disposal options. 

Data also show that the 2021-2025 Euratom programme’s grants (EUR 812 million) lead 
to a significant mobilisation of public and private funding from beneficiaries – about 
EUR 547 million. This is equivalent to a leverage factor of 0.401: in other words, each 
euro  the  EU  is  investing  in  Euratom  R&I  projects  directly  attracts  additional  R&I 
investments  for  about  40  cents.  In  principle,  due  to  their  design  and  size  (76%  of  all 
Euratom  grants),  co-funded  partnerships  leveraged  the  most  (45  cents  for  each  Euro 
invested))  compared  to  collaborative  projects  (Research  and  Innovation  Actions, 
Innovation Actions, Coordination and Support Actions) which leveraged about 21 cents 
for each Euro invested by Euratom.  

One  of  the  key  aspects  of  added  value  of  Euratom  Programme  relates  to  its  ability  to 
promote  cooperation  on  a  large  scale  across  countries.  Most  national  (or  regional) 
programmes may fund bilateral or, more rarely, trilateral collaborations, but usually they 
do  not  fund  wider  collaboration  networks161.  Of  the  EUR  812 million  signed  Euratom 
grants by December 2024, 99% are collaborative grants and Partnerships. Collaborative 
grants  involve  an  average  of  16  participants,  On  the  other  hand,  three  co-funded 
European Partnerships in fission research, involve on average about 81 participants each. 

The added value of  collaboration is  reflected in  feedback from  public  consultation  (see 
Box 13). 

Box 13 – Results of public consultation - what are the main benefits of participating in the 
Euratom  Programme  2021-2025  compared  to  national  or  regional  R&I  programmes? 
[respondents could indicate more than one answer] 

1.  79% of respondents - improved cooperation with partners from other countries (within the 

EU and beyond) 

2.  36% of respondents - improved international visibility 
3.  35%  of  respondents  -  possibility  to finance  projects  which  otherwise  wouldn’t  have  been 

supported at the national or regional level 

160 

Biennial  Monitoring 

Report 

on 

European 

Partnerships, 

2024, 

p. 

19, 

https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/991766.  

161   European Commission (2024). Align, act, accelerate, p. 20, https://op.europa.eu/s/z14n  

66 

 
 
 
 
4.  27% - respondents - improved excellence in nuclear R&I (e.g. more high impact publications 

and patents)  

The  EU  added  value  of  the  JRC’s  nuclear  activities  lays  in  the  provision  of  robust 
scientific and technical expertise to the Commission’s services and EU Member States, 
strongly contributing to the safe and secure use of nuclear technology. The specificity of 
the JRC’s scientific advice and support to EU policy is tied with its scientific excellence 
and independence from national, private and other external interests. Moreover, the high 
quality of the scientific contributions is based on multi-disciplinary in-house competences 
in nuclear safety, safeguards and non-proliferation, strategic trade control, nuclear data and 
non-energy  applications  of  nuclear  technologies  and  on  its  often  unique  research 
infrastructure at EU level. 

One  particular  asset  of  the  JRC’s  capabilities  include  facilities  and  tools  for  the 
experimental  characterisation  of  highly  radioactive  compounds,  including  irradiated 
nuclear fuel and other substances used in nuclear technologies. Thanks to state-of-the-art 
infrastructures, essential research can be performed on the safety of the nuclear fuel cycle, 
including  for  extended  storage  and  disposal  or  for  accident  prevention  and  the 
characterisation  of  nuclear  waste.  Moreover,  the  JRC’s  facilities  are  made  available  to 
Member  States’  organisations  for  joint  activities  and  through  the  JRC’s  Open  Access 
programme,  contributing  to  deliver  and  stimulate  high-quality  research.  This  is  an 
undeniable asset for the Euratom community, which grants researchers use of installations 
they  could  not  otherwise  access  to  perform  experiments.  Overall,  partnerships  and 
collaborative schemes ensure full complementarity of research activities carried out by the 
JRC with national research programmes of EU Member States. 

JRC’s research on radiation in the environment supports national public health agencies 
with data and models to assess and manage radiation risks. In addition, the operation and 
maintenance of both EURDEP and ECURIE, complements national monitoring networks 
and  provides  a  comprehensive  picture  of  radiological  conditions  across  Europe.  The 
REMdb online platform developed by the JRC also answers a need to perform mandatory 
activities under EU legislation related to environmental monitoring. This supports work on 
emergency preparedness and response to radiological  incidents,  where the JRC aims to 
integrate  nuclear  competences  in  the  broader  European  disaster  response  coordination, 
especially in view of the current geopolitical situation.  

The  JRC  also  conducts  research  that  supports  the  development  of  new  and  innovative 
nuclear technologies in the non-power fields, which can enhance the competitiveness of 
European  industry.  As  this  area  is  gaining  more  traction  at  EU  level  with  far-reaching 
societal impact, in particular on nuclear medical applications, the JRC’s research justifies 
the investment in resources.  

The education and training activities proposed by the JRC are a valuable complement to 
national efforts to maintain necessary nuclear skills and competences. The JRC is able to 
deploy and adapt its training offer in line with the needs of EU policymakers and Member 

67 

 
 
States to respond to changing societal challenges. The provision of training and education 
under the Euratom programme is a clear EU added value for beneficiary Member States.  

Research  in  nuclear  security  and  nuclear  forensics  and  the  provision  of  trainings  assist 
national law enforcement and security agencies and foster capacity-building in the event 
of illicit trafficking of nuclear materials, thus contributing to strengthen the Security Union. 
The  technologies  and  methodologies  developed  by  the  JRC  for  nuclear  safeguards  also 
complement  national  efforts  with  tools  that  Member  States  can  use  to  meet  their 
obligations under international treaties and EU regulation. This is especially beneficial for 
countries  with  smaller  nuclear  programmes  and  without  extensive  expertise  nor 
educational infrastructure in the nuclear field.  

Research results obtained from the JRC’s own research and through the funded consortia 
under indirect actions are also freely shared among Member States, ensuring a community 
of practice and knowledge. 

4.4.  Relevance of Euratom Programme 

With  the  accelerating  development  and  expanding  use  of  nuclear  technologies 
worldwide162, the Euratom programme provides the knowledge and solutions needed 
to benefit from these advancements, and to address societal concerns about radiation 
risks.  A  number  of  challenges  in  nuclear  security  and  safety,  emergency  preparedness, 
strategic  energy  autonomy  has  also  been  identified  and  addressed,  as  well  as  more 
generally a need to support the sustainability of EU nuclear skills for all future needs. 

4.4.1. 

Responding to the needs of society  

The focus of the fission part of 2021-2025 Programme on safety-related issues addressed 
key  societal  concerns  regarding  the  use  of  current  nuclear  technology,  such  as 
operational safety of nuclear power plants and safe disposal of the most hazardous forms 
of  radioactive  waste.  These  areas  constitute  major  responsibilities  for  Member  States, 
operators and waste produces, with Euratom directives setting obligations163.  

The Euratom Programme is able to provide solutions based on research shaped according 
to the needs of beneficiaries. In particular, the Euratom co-funded Partnerships show the 
advantages of developing research actions with Member States and stakeholders. Based on 

162   See reports from IEA https://www.iea.org/reports/the-path-to-a-new-era-for-nuclear-energy and IAEA 
https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/a-turning-point-first-ever-nuclear-energy-summit-concludes-in-
brussels  

163   Waste  management  -  https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/nuclear-energy/radioactive-waste-and-spent-

fuel_en 
Nuclear safety - https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/nuclear-energy/nuclear-safety_en  

68 

 
 
 
 
 
 
joint  programming164,  these  collaborations  result  in  research  better  aligned  with  their 
specific needs. 

In the area of nuclear safety, less prescriptive call topics165 allowed research stakeholders 
to propose projects addressing most relevant issues in safety, covering safety assessment 
methods,  including  ageing  of  materials  for  a  long-term  operation,  as  well  as  modelling 
under  severe  accident  conditions  (see  section  4.1.2).  Such  research  is  relevant  for 
maintaining safe operation of the current fleet of nuclear power plants responsible for 23% 
of electricity generated in EU in 2023166.  

Assessment of thematic areas of the Programme (see sections 4.1 to 4.1.8) confirmed the 
relevance of the current Euratom actions in their fields. The JRC’s scientific and technical 
expertise provided to the Commission and Member States, as well as the use of specialised 
tools and facilities, help to strengthen the safe and secure use of nuclear technologies. 

Results of the public consultation show that stakeholders consider changes introduced by 
2021-2025  Programme  as  increasing  relevance  and  strengthening  the  impact  of  the 
Programme (see Box 14). 

Box 14 –What messages emerged from public consultation on Programme’s relevance? 

1.  Introduction of co-funded European Partnerships contributed to an increased relevance and 
strengthening of the impact of the Euratom Programme: 29% (57) - to great extent; 34% (67) 
– somewhat; 5% (10) not at all; 5% (10) – a little; 2.5% (5) doesn’t make a difference; 24% 
(46) don’t know.  

2.  Launch  of the  European platform  promoting transnational  access to  nuclear  research 
facilities (OFFERR  project)  contributed to an  increased  relevance  and  strengthening  of the 
impact of the Euratom Programme: 37% (73) - to great extent; 25% (48) – somewhat; 3% (6) 
not at all; 3.5% (7) – a little; 7% (13) doesn’t make a difference; 25% (48) don’t know.  
3.  Support  for  mobility,  education  and  training  through  a  platform  established  by  the 
European Nuclear Education Network  (ENEN2Plus project): 46% (89)  - to great extent; 
28% (54) – somewhat; 0.5% (1) not at all; 4% (8) – a little; 4.5% (9) doesn’t make a difference; 
17% (34) don’t know.  

4.4.2. 

Response to emergencies and changing priorities 

Euratom  actions  launched  since  2021  clearly  demonstrate  the  Programme’s  agility  and 
flexibility. In response to the war in Ukraine, an amendment of the 2021-2022 call allowed 

164  Joint  programming  produced  common  research  agendas  and  roadmaps  –  for  radioactive  waste 
radiation  protection  https://pianoforte-
materials 
https://euro-

management  https://www.ejp-eurad.eu/roadmap; 
partnership.eu/workpackages/wp2-research-and-innovation-projects/; 
https://www.connect-nm.eu/orient-nm-documents/ 
fusion.org/eurofusion/roadmap/ 

nuclear 

energy 

fusion 

for 

for 

for 

; 

165   See for example call topics HORIZON-EURATOM-2023-NRT-01-01 to 06 in Work Programme 2023-
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/euratom/wp-call/2023-

2025 
2025/wp_euratom-2023-2025_en.pdf  

166   https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/European-Electricity-Review-2024.pdf  

69 

 
 
 
 
 
 
to launch an ad-hoc call for a safe alternative fuel for VVER reactors and to address the 
issue of security of supply of fuel for 35 Russian-designed VVER reactors operating 
in the EU and Ukraine. Two EUR 10 million projects were selected, the first co-funded 
with a consortium led by Westinghouse167; the second, co-funded with a consortium led by 
Framatome168. This was possible thanks to the transfer of unspent ITER funds on the based 
on  a  separate  amendment  to  the  work  programme.  Other  measures  introduced  in  2022 
included  that  entities  established  in  Ukraine  were  made  eligible  for  funding  under  the 
Programme as the association agreement was delayed due to war169. Additional funding 
was provided to support resources, equipment and hardware of Ukrainian beneficiary and 
associated entities in fusion energy research. 

The  Programme  also  addressed  emerging  issues  such  as  EU  strategic  autonomy  and 
growing  interest  in  SMRs170.  The  2023-2025  call  led  to  the  selection  of  projects  for 
maintaining this autonomy in the development of nuclear materials development171 and 
for  nuclear  data172  and  computer  simulation  tools  for  all  nuclear  applications.  Other 
actions support the strategic autonomy in the supply of medical radioisotopes173 and in 
the  field  of  radioisotope  power  sources  for  space  exploration174.  While  the  Council 
regulation provides flexibility in terms of implementation modes and instruments, the main 
limiting factor is the reduced budget, aggravated by the lack of third- party income.  

4.4.3. 

Critical role of JRC 

The  demand  for  JRC’s  nuclear  activities  on  security,  safety  and  safeguards  has  been 
increasing during 2021-2024 indicating a critical role for the JRC’s direct actions. The JRC 
retains  the  relevant  expertise  to  perform  assessments  of  current  and  advanced 
technologies, for example - analysis of SMR designs in terms of safety, safeguards and 
proliferation resistance can better inform Member States and the European Commission 
prior to full technology deployment in the EU.  

In the current security context, reinforced by additional requests for support to strengthen 
capabilities in the context of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, the JRC’s expertise 
in  nuclear  security  and  safeguards  will  also  remain  valuable,  particularly  given  its 
unique  mandate  at  EU  level.  In  light  of  the  foreseen  growth  for  power  and  non-power 
applications  in  the  nuclear  sector,  the  Programme’s  support  to  nuclear  skills,  through 
enduring  JRC  training  opportunities,  as  well  as  continued  access  to  JRC’s  nuclear 

167   Project APIS https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101114673  
168   Project SAVE https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101114771  
169 

‘Actions 

section 

See 

on 

for  Ukraine’Euratom  Work 

Programme 

2021-2022 

https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/euratom/wp-call/2021-
2022/wp_euratom-2021-2022_en.pdf 

170   5 projects funded on different aspects of safety and licencing of light water Small Modular Reactors 

(total value of grants: EUR 26.9 million), facilitating SMR development and deployment 

171   Launch of co-funded European Partnership for development of nuclear materials 
172   Project APRENDE https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101164596  
173   Project EU-Conversion https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101163752  
174   Project PULSAR https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101061251  

70 

 
 
 
infrastructures, is receiving multiple requests from EU Member States and remains more 
essential than ever.  

The JRC also provide tools that can be activated and redirected quickly, such as the 
tool  for  the  diagnosis  and  prognosis  of  hazards  in  nuclear  emergencies  (DAPHNE)175, 
which has been used in Ukraine to assess radiological risks for nuclear power plants under 
wartime conditions.  

175  https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/scientific-activities-z/nuclear-safety/diagnosis-and-prognosis-

hazards-nuclear-emergencies-daphne_en  

71 

 
 
 
 
 
5.  WHAT ARE THE CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED? 

5.1.  Conclusions 

The  interim  evaluation  concluded  that  the  Euratom  Programme  is  successful  in 
supporting  pertinent  research  on  nuclear  safety,  security,  safeguards,  radiation 
protection, radioactive waste management and fusion energy. The Programme’s direct 
(JRC)  and  indirect  actions  (research  grants)  continue  to  be  instrumental  in  addressing 
challenges faced by Member States in these areas.  

The  research  funded  by  the  Euratom  Programme  helps  Member  States  to  develop  a 
broad spectrum of applications of ionising radiation, while reducing the risks. Safety 
research is essential for those Member States that want to pursue nuclear energy as part of 
their energy mix, whether 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.  

Evaluation  shows  that  Euratom  financing  is  used  in  an  optimal  manner,  avoiding 
unnecessary duplication while providing the required EU-added value, economies of scale, 
and  coordination.  In  this  respect,  the  Euratom  programme  remains  a  key  part  of  the 
European research landscape. 

The Euratom Programme effectively accommodates the diverse needs of all Member 
States, from small Member States with no civil nuclear programme and almost no nuclear 
research  activities,  to  large  Member  States  that  rely  heavily  on  nuclear  power  for  their 
energy needs and are at the forefront of nuclear research. Even amongst the Member States 
with civil nuclear programmes, the level of maturity of these programmes, the technology 
underlying their reactor fleet, the strategic orientations for the future development and the 
research  needs  and  interests  can  differ  significantly.  Considering  these  boundary 
conditions, the evaluation shows that the Euratom-supported actions match these needs.  

In the area of nuclear safety, Euratom actions are well aligned with the needs of an 
ageing  reactor  fleet,  addressing  the  inherent  safety  concerns  arising  from  lifetime 
extension,  as  well  as  more  generally  improving  knowledge  of  plant  behaviour  and 
performance and refining and developing new mitigation measures to respond to new risks 
as they appear (e.g. issues raised by the Fukushima accident).  

Concerning research on advanced reactor systems, the  Euratom programme has been 
focused on better understanding of safety implications arising from the development 
of advanced reactor concepts. Research priorities have been generally well focused on 
the most promising concepts being developed on the national level. The Programme also 
addressed the growing interest in small modular reactors (SMRs), by funding research on 
SMR, with particular focus on their safety features and passive safety systems.  

72 

 
 
The Euratom programme has also responded to the need and desire of Member States to 
better  structure  cooperative  research  activities,  notably  in  the  domain  of  safety  and 
management of radioactive waste and in radiation protection, by further developing co-
funded Partnerships in these fields. 

Results of Euratom-funded research in fusion are not sufficient to bring fusion energy 
to  the  market  in  time  to  support  EU  decarbonisation  efforts  and  to  boost 
competitiveness.  It  is  necessary  to  identify  the  critical  issues  and  risks  for  making  the 
fusion  power  plant  that  should  drive  the  Euratom-funded  research  now  and  in  the  next 
years. The Programme must evolve to address the technology bottlenecks which require 
additional  focus  and  investment  while  involving  more  private  financing,  industry 
experience and increasing the international collaboration with reliable partners where there 
is a clear added value for the EU. The Commission already initiated preparations of a co-
programmed  European  Partnership  in  this  field,  bringing  together  stakeholders  in  the 
public and private sectors.  

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. Using available funds, 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 JRC plays a particular role in the Euratom 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  infrastructure  management,  better  cooperate  with  stakeholders  and  enhance 
communication. 

5.2.  Lessons learned 

The evaluation shows that there were limited effective synergies with Horizon Europe due 
to  the  lack  of  specific  provisions,  systematic  screening  via  a  permanent  governance 
structure and different budget levels. Those synergies have mostly been restricted to the 
use of MSCA fellowships for nuclear researchers and cross-references between the work 
programmes. 

In  the  future,  there  should  be  greater  focus  on  operational  provisions  to  foster  specific 
synergies in a limited number of relevant and complementary fields between the Euratom 
Programme  and  R&I  FP.  Commission  services  should  collaborate  closely  and  devote 
significant  resources  to  understanding  fully  the  two  programmes  and  finding  the  best 

73 

 
 
complementarities.  Accordingly,  the  programming  of  Euratom  and  Horizon  Europe 
actions should be closely coordinated, including a systematic screening for opportunities 
in  synergies  during  preparation  of  Horizon  Europe  and  Euratom  WPs.  The  Euratom 
Programme  should  also  be  fully  integrated  into  mechanisms  providing  for  synergies 
between EU spending programmes including with the EU Framework Programme, as well 
as supporting relevant aspects of SMR Alliance, the new Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) 
and providing science base for the implementation of Euratom legislation.  

Based on the observations or proposals for further actions put forward by the external panel 
of  experts176  who  has  assessed  the  JRC’s  performance  under  the  Euratom  programme 
2021-2025, several actions were identified as particularly relevant for the JRC to address 
and/or implement.  

As part of its strategy for its nuclear activities and aligned with recommendations from the 
experts,  the  JRC  has  started  and  will  continue  “mapping  the  state  of  its  nuclear 
infrastructures to plan for future development” with a focus on optimising their use and 
eventually  working  towards  a  concentration  of  experimental  activities  using  highly 
radioactive  materials  across  two  sites.  JRC’s  nuclear  research  infrastructures  are  a  key 
asset to the Euratom community and improving the efficiency of their use also requires a 
sound  management  of  resources.  The  implementation  of  the  nuclear  strategy  is  also  an 
opportunity for the JRC to reassess some of its activities to prioritise and rationalise work 
to further enhance impact and relevance under the Programme. 

Another  proposal  for  action  was  for  the  “JRC  to  invest  in  generalists  able  to  integrate 
competences  across  disciplines,  while  maintaining  specialist  skills  and  “blue  sky” 
research  for  innovation”.  It  was  acknowledged  that  social  sciences  had  been  gradually 
taken  up  in  the  nuclear  field,  however  there  is  a  limit  to  the  integration  capacity  in  all 
nuclear  projects  in  the  face  of  already  strained  scientific  resources.  Thanks  to  a  new 
portfolio approach to  its work programme, the JRC is able to  enhance synergies across 
various research domains leveraging both nuclear and non-nuclear activities.  

Experts also encouraged “the JRC to continue developing foresight capability and to make 
better  use  of  its  current  capacities  for  analysing  trends  and  defining  its  own  nuclear 
research”.  Increasing  anticipatory  capabilities  to  predict  future  policy  and  technology 
challenges  is  in  line  with  priorities  defined  at  European  Commission  level.  The  JRC 
already produces  regular horizon scanning  exercises and organises foresight  workshops 
with selected stakeholders, which has been highlighted as satisfactory progress towards 
meeting this recommendation.  

Communication  is  another  area  of  necessary  improvement  as  despite  the  quality  of  its 
research and its role in support to policymaking, “the JRC can remain somewhat invisible 
to Member States’ administration and the general public”. For instance, “finding better 
ways to  communicate on safeguards  activities under the direct  actions, especially their 
impact on security at global and EU level” would be beneficial. Communicating on the 
unique possibilities offered by non-power applications research would likewise give the 
JRC the opportunity to positively present its research results to policymakers in Member 

176   Heuer, R., et al., Interim evaluation of the activities of the Joint Research Centre under Horizon Europe  
and Euratom 2021-2025 - Final report of the evaluation panel, Publications Office of the European  
Union, Luxembourg, 2023, doi:10.2760/63710, JRC134811. 

74 

 
 
 
States. Enhancing communication efforts is therefore highly recommended and forms  a 
key part of the JRC’s nuclear strategy.  

Considering  the  foreseeable  large  needs  in  radioactive  waste  management  and 
decommissioning across a number of EU Member States, it was also observed that “the 
JRC could dedicate more resources into this area of research, in particular focusing on 
repository related activities”. The JRC has maintained successful long-term collaborations 
with  several  European  stakeholders  on  spent  fuel  management  and  disposal  research, 
making it an especially relevant actor in this important field of studies. A similar key role 
is expected of the JRC in the area of decommissioning. As already recommended in the 
ex-post  evaluation  of  the  Euratom  programme  2014-2020,  “the  JRC  should  provide 
Member States with scientific knowledge for the definition of their national strategies and 
assist in the sharing of experiences and good practices”.  

Equally essential and underpinning all nuclear activities in the EU is the maintenance of 
adequate  level  of  skills  and  competences.  Considering  current  investments  and 
developments in the nuclear field in the EU, education and training opportunities offered 
by  the  Euratom  programme  are  of  noticeable  importance.  The  panel  of  experts  has 
observed that  “the  JRC  should continue supporting  the efforts of  EU Member States to 
promote the collection of information for analysing the needs of human resources in the 
nuclear  sector”.  Education  and  training  activities  could  be  expanded  to  more  research 
institutions and universities in the EU thanks to a targeted communication leading to longer 
stays of students and researchers in JRC facilities and sustainable exchange of staff.  

The continued relevance of the  Programme, through both  indirect  and direct  actions, is 
grounded in a constant need to improve nuclear safety, security and safeguards in the EU 
in  view  of  long-term  operation  of  current  nuclear  installations,  waste  and  spent  fuel 
management  and  disposal  activities  and  the  foreseen  decommissioning  of  a  number  of 
facilities  across  Member  States.  The  current  geopolitical  context  with  Russia’s  war  of 
aggression in Ukraine has also led to prioritising domestic sources of energy, resulting in 
a  renewed  appeal  to  nuclear  energy  in  several  Member  States.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
overall security situation argues for enhanced nuclear security, safeguards and emergency 
preparedness  capacities.  Additionally,  development  and  envisioned  deployment  of 
innovative  technologies,  like  SMR  within  the  EU,  require  stringent  adherence  to  the 
highest nuclear safety, security and safeguards standards, adding further evidence to the 
essential role played by the Euratom research and training programme. In the face of those 
challenges, the Programme’s reduced budget limits the ability to fully address all current 
and foreseen challenges or to cope with new priorities without leaving potentially critical 
priorities uncovered. Maintaining the necessary nuclear competences and expertise at EU 
level  is  also  paramount  to  ensure  continued  management  of  unique  infrastructures  and 
quality nuclear research, to preserve European technological leadership and independence 
in the various areas of the nuclear field and to guarantee the highest levels of nuclear safety, 
security and safeguards. 

75 

 
 
ANNEX I: PROCEDURAL INFORMATION 

1.  Lead DG: DG RTD, Joint Research Centre 

2.  Decide reference : PLAN/2023/2976 

3.  Euratom Work Programme (financing decision for contracting experts): C(2022) 4240  

4.  Organisation and timing:  

Start of evaluation work by Commission services: Autumn 2022 

The interim evaluation is supported by the external assessments conducted by independent experts 
which took  place from the end of 2022  for the JRC’s direct  actions and  in  2023-2024 for the 
indirect actions managed by DG RTD.  

Call for evidence and stakeholder consultation: March 2024 - May 2024 

https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14112-Euratom-
Research-and-Training-Programme-2021-2025-evaluation_en    

Interservice  Steering  Group  (composed  of  representatives  from  ENER,  JRC,  SG,  SJ)  received 
draft SWD in November 2024 

Finalisation of SWD and launch of Inter-Service Consultation: January-February 2025 

5.  Consultation of the Regulatory Scrutiny Board (RSB):  

Evaluation of the Euratom Programme 2021-2025 was not selected for assessment by RSB. 

6.  Evidence used together with sources and any issues regarding its quality:  

The data used in this report in relation to the direct actions stem from various sources. These 
include the JRC’s internal databases of publications and other outputs (PUBSY), the JRC’s yearly 
review  of  its  projects  and  outputs  performance  called  the  Productivity  and  Impact  Evaluation 
(PRIME) and bibliometric indicators derived from the peer-reviewed scientific publications. The 
results of the interim evaluation assessment conducted by the external panel of experts, as well as 
answers to the public consultation gathered from stakeholders were also used as further evidence 
to ground the analysis in this evaluation report. In terms of quality assurance, the work culture at 
the JRC has progressively developed in line with the ISO 9001 quality standard, integrating its 
requirements  into  working  practices  and  creating  a  harmonized  framework  called  the  JRC 
Integrated Management System across the whole organisation. The IMS integrates the Internal 
Control Framework and common requirements from various ISO standards currently in use in the 
JRC, while considering sites specific requirements (national, regional and/or local regulations).  

Evidence used for indirect actions:  

   Statistics on the implementation and results of Euratom calls for proposals launched during 

2021-2024 (Commission CORDIS database https://cordis.europa.eu/); 

   Periodic  and  final  reports  from  Euratom  projects  funded  under  2021-2025  Programme 

(available in Commission CORDIS database https://cordis.europa.eu/); 

   EC assessment of projects’ periodic reports (2021-2025) 

76 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
7.  Use of external expertise: External expertise input was used to sustain the evaluation report.  

The  direct  actions  were  reviewed  by  an  external  panel  of  experts  who  assessed  the  JRC’s 
performance during the first two years of implementation of the Euratom programme 2021-2025 
and drew a series of recommendations which are reflected upon in the conclusion of this report. 
Long-term impact of the direct actions’ performance was also analysed through 13 case studies 
drawn  up  to  highlight  specific  JRC  research  activities,  independently  evaluated  by  external 
experts and subjected to the feedback of customer DGs and other stakeholders.  

For indirect actions, major part of the interim evaluation is based on the assessment made by 
external  experts, who evaluated progress made on the basis of evidence from Euratom-funded 
projects and interviews with project coordinators. The Commission services used thematic reports 
prepared by experts appointed following a call for expression of interest:  

   Helena  Janžekovič  (inspector  at  Slovenian  Nuclear  Safety  Administration)  -  Interim 
Evaluation and Ex-ante Evaluation for Euratom in the Field of Radiation Protection, June 
2024. 

   Jean-Paul Minon (former CEO of ONDRAF/NIRAS, Belgian radioactive waste management 
authority) - Interim evaluation of Euratom Programme 2021-2025 and ex-ante evaluation of 
Euratom Programme 2026-2027 in the field of spent fuel and radioactive waste management, 
March 2024 

   Dr. Eng. Stefano Monti (former Head of the Nuclear Power Technology Development Section 
of the International Atomic Energy Agency) and Liisa Heikinheimo (former Deputy Director 
General of Nuclear Energy and Fuels Section at the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs), 
Interim  evaluation  of  indirect  actions  for  nuclear  safety  under  Euratom  Research  and 
Training Programme 2021-2025 and recommendations for 2026-2027 extension, June 2024 
   European Commission, Summary report - Interim Evaluation of Euratom Fusion Programme 
2021-2025  and  Ex-ante  Assessment  of  Extension  of  EURATOM  Fusion  Programme  2026-
2027 (written on the basis of inputs from: Mohamed Abdou (Distinguished professor emeritus 
in Mechanical and aerospace engineering, Director of Fusion Science and Technology Center 
at UCLA), Attila Aszodi (Nuclear safety expert and dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences 
at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics), Steven Cowley (Director of the 
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory), Julien Vieuble (Nuclear Safety Inspector at ASN)). 

are 

available 

Reports 
opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/euratom-research-and-
training-programme_en  

https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-

at 

77 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNEX II. METHODOLOGY AND ANALYTICAL MODELS USED 

The purpose of this  interim evaluation  is  to produce  a review of the performance of the Euratom 
programme 2021-2025 during the first years of implementation and to assess it against the criteria of 
relevance,  efficiency,  effectiveness,  coherence  and  EU  added  value  as  stipulated  in  the  European 
Commission's Better Regulation Guidelines for evaluations. 

Section 2 on expected outcomes of the Programme was prepared on the basis of impact assessment 
and explanatory memorandum accompanying the Commission proposal for the 2021-2025, as well 
as 2023-2025 Euratom Work Programme’s chapter on multiannual strategy for Euratom research. It 
explains  the  intervention  logic  by  providing  a  brief  description  of  the  problems  and  needs  the 
Programme was intended to solve. It also provides description of how the Programme fitted in the 
wider policy framework in the past.  

Section  3  on  how  the  situation  has  evolved  over  2021-2024  describe  how  the  Programme  was 
implemented, what has happened in quantitative and qualitative terms using data from the calls for 
proposals. 

Section  4  on  evaluation  findings  explains  in  detail  scientific  progress  and  evolution  of  research 
organisation with particular focus on the European Partnerships. Each thematic subsection is based 
on findings from specific reports prepared by external experts, triangulated with additional sources 
such as Commission’s Project Officer reports, peer review articles summarising progress in specific 
field.  Where  relevant  these  findings  are  supplemented  by  observations  from  the  stakeholder 
consultation.  

Limits of the evaluation – The main limitation of this evaluation is that, at this point, the picture of 
the Programme’s implementation and results can only be partial. Evaluation is taking place during 
the  fourth  year  of  the  Programme’s  implementation  when  only  one  of  the  58  projects  launched 
between 2021 and 2024 had been closed. In financial terms, as of December 2024, the cumulative 
implementation rates are 79% for commitments and 40% for payments.  

Data limitations include issues related to data availability and measurability of outcomes (e.g. most 
Euratom  Key  Performance  Indicators  (KPI)  focus  on  outputs  from  research  projects  such  as 
publications  and  deliverables),  aggregation  (e.g.  difficulty  in  aggregating  data  covering  the 
Programme’s whole spectrum coming from various data sources) and reliability of certain data (e.g. 
data on publications are based on self-reporting by project coordinators). Only partial data is available 
to the evaluation on the financial support to third parties (“cascading grants”). These grants are not 
managed through standard Commission IT tools: basic information about participants is submitted in 
periodic reports by the “first level” beneficiaries arranging the calls but only with a significant delay. 
For  the  Euratom  co-funded  European  Partnerships  (accounting  for  76%  of  indirect  actions), 
integration in Commission monitoring systems takes place with a considerable time delay. 

This limited and, possibly, distorted some of the analysis, especially on the distribution of the funding. 
Another limitation is the lack of benchmarks to compare performance. Nowhere in the world is there 
a nuclear research programme similar to the Programme in terms of thematic coverage and depth. To 

78 

 
 
overcome and mitigate these limitations, this SWD is transparent in indicating its data sources and 
all underlying sources are available. 

Concerning the direct actions, the evaluation was sustained by the independent assessment submitted 
by an external panel of nine experts who analysed177 the JRC’s performance and contribution to both 
the Horizon Europe and Euratom research and training programmes in 2021 and 2022. Three Panel 
members  with  relevant  expertise,  together  with  the  Chair,  were  responsible  for  the  assessment  of 
activities under the Euratom programme. The interim assessment started at the end of 2022 and was 
completed  in  October  2023.  It  consisted  in  desk  research  studying  the  legal  bases,  programme 
documents, past evaluations, performance reports, a JRC report on basic data, and publicly available 
materials. The panel was handed a list of evaluative questions to guide their analysis and received 
case studies illustrating the impact of selected JRC activities on science, society and policymaking. 
Those  case  studies  had  been  independently  assessed  by  experts  from  academia,  governmental 
organisations  or  industry  and  sustained  with  constructive  feedback  from  relevant  stakeholders. 
Bibliometric data for benchmarking scientific performance was also presented to Panel members and 
they led a fact-finding mission comprising a series of hearings with staff and top management at JRC 
research  sites  in  Ispra  and  Karlsruhe.  Members  of  the  JRC’s  Board  of  Governors,  as  well  as  key 
stakeholders  from  other  Commission  services  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  were  also 
interviewed to complement the analysis. The experts provided their views on needed changes and 
considered the follow-up given to the recommendations of the ex-post evaluation of JRC activities 
under the preceding Euratom programme.  

In order to allow for a comprehensive evaluation, this report also considers bibliometric data, policy 
and scientific outputs from 2023. The recommendations provided by the external panel of experts 
served to draw up related conclusions and actions on the way forward that will support the design of 
the extension proposal for 2026-2027. Additionally, a public consultation was conducted in May 2024 
allowing to gather feedback from key stakeholders from the research, academia, industry and public 
authorities on the implementation of the Euratom programme 2021-2025. 

177   Heuer, R., Florea, A.M., Herranz Soler, M., Janowski, T., Keskitalo, E.C.H., Maas, R., Oddou, J., Pálinkás, J. and  
Wegener, H., Interim evaluation of the activities of the Joint Research Centre under Horizon Europe and Euratom  
2021-2025 - Final report of the evaluation panel, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2023, 
doi:10.2760/63710, JRC134811. 

79 

 
 
ANNEX III. EVALUATION MATRIX AND, WHERE RELEVANT, DETAILS ON ANSWERS TO THE EVALUATION QUESTIONS (BY CRITERION) 

Criteria 
Relevance 

Question 
Was the programme designed 
and implemented in line with 
EU 
needs 
the 
policymakers, 
in  particular 
the  political  priorities  of  the 
Commission 2020-2024?  

of 

Did  the  JRC  anticipate,  and 
react  appropriately  to  new 
policy  needs  and  societal 
challenges?  

Indicator 
Share  of 
JRC  project 
outputs  producing  policy-
relevant findings 

Data source 
Yearly PRIME exercise 

JRC  Work  Programmes 
(2021-2022; 2023-2024) 

Outcomes  of  JRC  nuclear 
foresight activities 

JRC  Horizon 
reports 

scanning 

JRC  work 
collaborative preparation 

programme 

the 

the 

Answer 
Euratom 
Under 
programme, 
external 
panel  generally  agreed  that 
the  JRC’s  work  made  a 
significant  contribution  to  a 
stronger and safer Europe.  

DGs 

other 

inputs 

The  JRC  develops  a  multi-
annual  work  programme  in 
consultation  with 
close 
and 
partner 
incorporating 
from 
Member  States  authorities 
external 
and 
stakeholders  via  formal  and 
informal consultations.  
JRC  needs 
to 
continue 
foresight 
its 
developing 
capability and is  encouraged 
to  make  better  use  of  trend 
analysis for defining its own 
research.  Yearly  horizon 
scanning 
on 
nuclear  safety  and  security 
as 
were 
satisfactory  progress  in  this 
area.  

acknowledged 

exercises 

80 

 
 
 
 
 
Efficiency 

Have  the  objectives  of  the 
Euratom research and training 
programme been met? 

Have the resources been used 
efficiently  to  generate  the 
desired changes?  

allowing 
the  capacity 

its  response 
in 
security 

JRC  has  introduced  changes 
in its organisational structure 
to  allow  more  agility  and 
focus  on 
to 
the  social, 
challenges 
political, 
and 
economic  environment.  The 
structuring  of 
the  work 
programme was altered from 
2023  around  priority  areas 
through  project 
managed 
to 
portfolios 
to 
enhance 
anticipate new challenges.  
The  JRC’s  direct  actions 
substantial 
have  made 
progress towards meeting the 
objectives  of  the  Euratom 
programme. 
Major  cuts  in  the  Euratom 
programme 
funding  have 
been  acknowledged  and  are 
particularly  impactful  in  the 
face  of  large  demand  for 
research  and  policy  support, 
as  well as  the importance of 
and 
providing 
a 
training 
competent 
skilled 
workforce. 
In the face of such cuts, JRC 
undertook a prioritisation and 

education 
to  maintain 

and 

81 

Key 
Indicators 
Programme 2021-2025) 

Performance 
(Euratom 

Euratom 
Performance Statements 

Programme 

Implementation plan of the 
nuclear strategy of the JRC 

External  panel  assessment 
report 

 
 
 
 
Has  the  JRC  attributed  the 
funding  effectively  (in  terms 
of output, quality of research 
and impact)?  

Effectiveness 

the 
To  what  extent  have 
achievements  of  the  direct 
contributed 
actions 
to 
the  overall  and 
meeting 
of 
objectives 
specific 
Euratom 2021-2025?  

of 

has 

and 

JRC 

rationalisation 
exercise 
establishing  a  new  nuclear 
strategy. 
The external panel of experts 
supports the JRC’s efforts to 
increase  its  funding  through 
the  Euratom  programme  to 
maintain 
expertise, 
its 
services and infrastructure.  
adopted 
The 
efficiency  measures  through 
a new strategy for its nuclear 
activities 
the 
its 
management 
infrastructures  in  2021  to 
align  available  resources  in 
the  existing  research  areas 
with the Programme’s budget 
cuts. 
Part of this strategy focus on 
nuclear 
prioritisation 
activities to maximise JRC’s 
strategic added value.  
the 
The  performance  of 
JRC’s direct actions has been 
satisfactory,  of  high  quality 
and 
effective 
results on the whole scope of 
nuclear  activities  defined  in 
the Programme.  

producing 

of 

82 

the 
Monitoring 
the 
implementation 
various  actions 
the 
nuclear strategy of the JRC 

of 
in 

JRC  nuclear  strategy  and 
implementation plan 

Key 
Indicators 
Programme 2021-2025) 

Performance 
(Euratom 

internal 

outputs 
JRC 
monitoring 
(publicity: 
publication  management 
platform) 

of 

trainings 

Number 
delivered;  
Number  of  peer-reviewed 
publications;  
of 
Number 
materials delivered; 

reference 

SCOPUS 

Yearly PRIME exercise 

JRC impact case studies 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
to 

researchers 
research 

Outputs  contributing 
international standards; 
Number  of 
accessing 
infrastructures; 
people 
of 
Number 
benefitting from upskilling; 
Outputs 
policy 
with 
impact. 

ISO9001  regular  external 
audits 

External  panel  assessment 
report 

JRC  Annual  Activity 
Report 

Key 
Indicators 
Programme 2021-2025) 

Performance 
(Euratom 

JRC  Scientific  excellence 
report 2018-2022 

Bibliometric  analysis  of 
research 
JRC’s 

To what extent are the JRC’s 
for 
processes 
planning, 
reporting  and 
monitoring, 
appropriate, 
evaluation 
effective and transparent?  

How  does  the  JRC’s  work 
compare to top-class work in 
the  various  nuclear  fields 
done elsewhere?  

The  JRC  is  encouraged  to 
keep  developing  systematic 
internal 
self-evaluations, 
developing  key  performance 
indicators  for  measuring  the 
efficiency  of  science 
for 
support,  mapping 
policy 
knowledge  gaps,  SWOT 
collecting 
and 
analyses 
regular 
from 
feedback 
partner  DGs.  Based  on  a 
the 
recommendation  from 
ex-post 
JRC 
should  pursue  these  actions 
and promote more qualitative 
evaluation 
scientific 
of 
outputs. 
Impact metrics show that the 
JRC’s  work  is  published  in 
reputable 
journals.  On 
average  from  2021  to  2023, 
peer-
15,5% 
reviewed publications appear 

evaluation, 

JRC’s 

of 

83 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Coherence 

How  well  do  the  different 
direct  actions  projects  work 
together,  internally  and  with 
EU 
other 
interventions/policies? 

Share  of  peer  reviewed 
JRC publications in the top 
journals 

performance using Scopus-
SciVal tools 2018-2022 

SCOPUS 

SciVal 

of 
(nuclear 

mixed 
Number 
portfolios 
and 
non-nuclear  activities)  in 
JRC Work Programme 

Number  of  cluster  and 
operational meetings 

JRC  Work  Programmes 
(2021-2022; 2023-2024) 

External  panel  assessment 
report 

in  the  top  10%  journals. 
JRC’s publications also relies 
on  a  wide  network  of 
collaborators. This compares 
satisfactorily  with  research 
and technology organisations 
conducting  nuclear  relevant 
research and is reinforced by 
JRC’s  support  to  policy  and 
the scientific community. 
The  JRC  has  introduced  a 
new portfolio approach to its 
work  programme,  organised 
areas 
priority 
around 
managed to allow for a cross-
disciplinary 
approach, 
integration 
ensuring  better 
across  scientific  and  policy 
JRC  also 
domains.  The 
implemented 
agile 
an 
collaboration 
working 
is 
system. 
an 
opportunity 
enhance 
coherence  and  higher  policy 
relevance  as  activities  are 
integrated 
a  more 
in 
complementary  way  within 
the JRC. It also fosters closer 
interactions between Horizon 
the  Euratom 
Europe  and 
programme.  Cluster 
and 
are 
operational  meetings 
regularly  organised  with 

This 
to 

84 

 
 
 
 
 
 
How  coherent  are  the  direct 
actions in terms of synergies, 
overlaps 
and 
complementarities  with  the 
activities  funded  under  the 
indirect 
the 
of 
actions 
research programmes?  

To  what  extent  has  JRC 
achieved  its  aim  of  more 
holistic approaches and more 
internal 
for 
policy support?  

cooperation 

to 

policy  DGs 
ensure 
alignment with EU priorities. 
The  JRC  and  DG  RTD  co-
the  Euratom  work 
draft 
programmes 
ensure 
to 
JRC  also 
synergy.  The 
actively  participates  in  63% 
of projects  funded under the 
indirect  actions  enhancing 
collaboration  with  Member 
and 
organisations 
States 
and 
ensuring 
alignment 
complementarity 
with 
nuclear research priorities. 
JRC  and  RTD  have  also 
implemented  a  pilot  project 
providing  financing  for  the 
open  access  to  JRC  nuclear 
infrastructures, 
promoting 
training  and  mobility  for 
researchers  and 
European 
facilitating the access. 
The  new  portfolio  approach 
makes use of expertise across 
the  whole  JRC  in  multiple 
scientific  fields  and  policy 
areas. Cross-cutting activities 
knowledge 
as 
such 
management, 
exploratory 
research, foresight, education 
and  training  run  through  all 
the  portfolios,  including  in 
so-called  mixed  portfolios 

85 

in 
Participation  of  JRC 
indirect actions of Euratom 
(percentage  of 
total 
actions) 

the 

Community  Research  and 
Development  Information 
Service (Cordis) 

of 
(nuclear 

mixed 
Number 
and 
portfolios 
non-nuclear  activities)  in 
JRC Work Programme 

JRC  Work  Programmes 
(2021-2022; 2023-2024) 

External  panel  assessment 
report. 

 
 
 
 
EU added value 

the  added  value 
What 
is 
the  direct 
from 
resulting 
actions  compared  to  results 
from 
taking 
interventions 
place  at  regional  or  national 
levels? 

To what extent does the JRC 
research  and  policy  support 
provide  added  value  beyond 
what is being done in Member 
States?  

(nuclear  and  non-nuclear 
activities). This more holistic 
approach  had  led  to  greater 
coherence and efficiency. 
The  JRC,  with  its  unique 
expertise  and  infrastructure, 
is  an  important  complement 
to Member States capacity to 
deal  with  nuclear 
issues 
ranging  from  nuclear  safety 
to security and safeguards, to 
non-power  applications.  The 
open  access  scheme  and 
education and training offers 
have a high EU added value, 
contributing 
the 
independence  of  research  in 
Europe. The JRC is hosted in 
different  member  states  and 
brings 
for 
collaboration in research and 
awareness raising for science 
closer  to  the  regional  and 
national communities. 
The 
JRC  education  and 
training  projects  and  policy 
support 
critical 
provide 
added  value  complementing 
and  going  beyond  Member 
For 
capacities. 
States 
instance, 
support 
policy 
builds  a  sound  basis  for 
monitoring nuclear activities, 

opportunities 

to 

86 

Public consultation 

External  panel  assessment 
report 

Reports  on  Open  Access 
Programme 

Results 
Consultation 

of 

Public 

Number 
delivered 

of 

trainings 

External  panel  assessment 
report 

Number  of  policy  items 
supported  by 
the  direct 
actions 

Yearly PRIME exercise 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Number  and  Share  of 
projects  producing  policy-
relevant findings  

training  in  nuclear  security 
enhances  the  surveillance  of 
radioactive 
trafficking  of 
materials  and  activities  in 
training 
education 
and 
to 
contribute  significantly 
maintaining  and  developing 
nuclear  competencies  in  the 
EU and the Member States. 

87 

 
  
 
 
ANNEX IV. OVERVIEW OF BENEFITS AND COSTS 

Table 1. Overview of costs and benefits identified in the evaluation  

Citizens/  
EU Society  

EU Public  
Administration  

Euratom  
Beneficiaries 

Quantitative   Comment 

Quantitative   Comment 

Quantitative  Comment  

Euratom  
Applicants 

Quantitativ
e 

Comment 

I. BENEFITS  

1. Indirect long-term benefits 
 for EU society from scientific 
impact 

one 
off 

No estimate 
available 

Nuclear safety: improved designs for 
future nuclear power plants,  
guidance for nuclear power plants 
operators and for safety authorities 
development of retrofitting of safety 
features into existing NPPs 
Radioactive waste management: 
development of safety case for deep 
geological storage of medium and high 
level waste development of safe 
solutions for other waste streams and 
for interim storage of waste 
Radiation protection: better 
understanding of low dose impact on 
public health; development of medical 
and other applications of radiation 
Nuclear security and safeguards: 
More effective and efficient safeguards 
implementation & reduction of nuclear 
security risks 
Fusion energy development: 
Progress towards demonstration of 
feasibility of fusion as energy source 

88 

Direct 
scientific/training
outputs of 
Euratom  
(Figures as of 
31/12/2024)  

Peer-
reviewed 
publications: 
ca. 2000 in 
2021-2024 

More than 
7200 
researchers 
participated 
in joint 
exploitation 
of nuclear 
research 
facilities in 
the EU 

986 PhD 
students in 
nuclear 
research 
benefitted 
from 
Euratom 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
financial 
support. 

962 students 
benefitted 
from 
Euratom 
mobility 
support  

3324 persons 
trained by 
JRC 

II. COSTS 

Citizens/  
EU Society  

EU Public  
Administration  

Euratom  
Beneficiaries 

Quantitative   Comment 

Quantitative   Comment 

Quantitative  Comment  

Euratom Applicants 

Quantitativ
e 

 Comment 

1. Direct economic cost 
of R&I funding 
to EU society 
(Operational Expenditure) 

€ 671 million 

one 
off 

Operational expenditure  
of Euratom (committed appropriations 
during 2021-2024) 

2. Administrative costs 
of implementing the R&I 
framework programme 
to EU Public Sector  
(Administrative Expenditure) 

3. Beneficiaries’ 
administrative costs 
of participation 

one 
off 

one 
off 

Costs of administrating Euratom are 
incurred by the public sector at 
European level but are ultimately a cost 
on EU Society. 

€ 429 mio  

Administrative 
expenditure 
of Euratom 
programme 
(committed 
appropriations for 
direct and 
indirect actions, 
2021-2024) 

€122-163 
mio  

Administrative costs 
per participation 
incurred to meet 
requirements 

89 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(Not additional - already 
included in no.1 Operational 
Expenditure)  

4. Costs of applications 
 Direct costs of preparing 
proposals 
of successful and unsuccessful 
applicants 

one 
off 

9% - 12 % of 
the total 
project 

(Monetised order-of-
magnitude estimate 
based on) 

€18 000 
to €37 000 

Cost per 
proposal 
(evidence 
from 
interim 
evaluation 
of Horizon 
Europe 

90 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
ANNEX V. STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTATION - SYNOPSIS REPORT  

1.Introduction 

The Euratom Research and Training Programme (2021-2025) was initiated as part of 
the  European  Union’s  broader  efforts  to  enhance  nuclear  safety,  foster  innovation,  and 
drive research within the European nuclear energy sector. This programme is integral to 
supporting Europe’s long-term energy security goals and aligns with the EU’s commitment 
to  achieving  carbon  neutrality  by  2050.  Considering  its  significance,  the  European 
Commission  initiated  a  comprehensive  review  of  the  programme,  evaluating  its 
performance during 2021-2025 and considering an extension for the years 2026-2027. This 
evaluation involved a broad range of stakeholder consultations, including participants from 
industry,  academia,  research  institutions,  public  authorities,  and  non-governmental 
organizations (NGOs). 

The  primary  aim  of  the  consultations  was  to  assess  the  programme’s  effectiveness  in 
promoting nuclear research, innovation, and safety, while also determining its alignment 
with the EU’s broader energy goals. As Europe grapples with the challenges of reducing 
carbon  emissions  while  ensuring  energy  security,  nuclear  energy—particularly  through 
advancements in nuclear technologies such as fusion energy, Small Modular Reactors 
(SMRs), and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs)—is expected to play an increasingly 
pivotal role. This report consolidates the key findings from these stakeholder consultations, 
offers  an  analysis  of  the  programme’s  strengths  and  challenges,  and  outlines 
recommendations for the 2026-2027 extension. 

2.Background 

The Euratom Research and Training Programme is a crucial pillar of the EU’s broader 
energy and climate strategy. Launched as part of the European Union’s response to the 
growing  need  for  energy  security  and  environmental  sustainability,  Euratom  has 
consistently  contributed  to  the  development  of  cutting-edge  nuclear  technologies, 
improved nuclear safety and security standards, and strengthened Europe’s leadership in 
global nuclear research. 

The 2021-2025 phase of the programme focused on several key areas, including research 
on nuclear systems, fusion energy, and radiation protection. The programme also aimed to 
promote international cooperation in nuclear research, facilitating collaborations between 
EU Member States, associated countries, and global partners. Stakeholders engaged in the 
2024  consultation  process  underscored  the  programme’s  importance,  particularly 
considering  its  contribution  to  the  EU’s  overarching  goal  of  transitioning  to  a  carbon-
neutral economy by 2050. As the energy landscape evolves, nuclear energy is seen as a 
vital  component  of  Europe’s  energy  mix,  offering  a  dependable,  low-carbon  source  of 
power that can complement renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. 

The  interim  evaluation  of  the  Euratom  Programme  (2021-2025)  highlighted  several 
successes,  including  enhanced  cooperation  between  research  institutions,  increased 

91 

 
 
 
international visibility for European nuclear research, and progress in key areas such as 
nuclear  safety,  security  and  radiation  protection.  However,  challenges  such  as  limited 
financial  resources,  complex  application  processes,  and  declining  budgets  for  nuclear 
safety  research  were  also  identified.  These  challenges  will  need  to  be  addressed  in  the 
proposed extension of the programme for 2026-2027 to ensure that Europe remains at the 
forefront of nuclear innovation and safety. 

3.Consultation Activities 

The  consultation  process  for  the  2026-2027  extension  of  the  Euratom  Programme  was 
designed  to  ensure  the  inclusion  of  diverse  perspectives  from  all  relevant  stakeholders. 
Following the European Commission’s Better Regulation Guidelines, the consultation 
employed  multiple  methods  to  gather  input,  including  public  consultations,  targeted 
consultations, and a Call for Evidence. Each of these activities was crucial in capturing 
the nuanced views of stakeholders across Europe and beyond. 

-  Public Consultation: Conducted via the “Have Your Say” platform, this method 
allowed  for  wide  public  engagement.  Structured  questionnaires  and  written 
comments  were  collected  from  various  stakeholders, 
industry 
professionals,  academics,  researchers,  NGOs,  and  individual  citizens.  This 
approach facilitated broad participation and ensured that the consultation process 
was transparent and inclusive. 

including 

-  Targeted  Consultations:  Key  stakeholders  from  industry  and  academia  were 
engaged directly through interviews, workshops, and written submissions. Entities 
such  as  EDF,  NuclearEurope,  and  the  Fusion  Industry  Association  played  a 
significant role in these targeted consultations, offering detailed insights into the 
current state of nuclear research and the future needs of the industry. 

-  Call for Evidence: A targeted call for evidence was issued to collect technical 
and scientific data relevant to the evaluation of the existing regulatory framework. 
The contributions from stakeholders such as Orano, the CEA (Commissariat à 
l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives), and EURAMET (European 
Association of National  Metrology Institutes)  were crucial in highlighting  the 
need for enhanced support for nuclear innovation and safety research. 

The  consultation  period  spanned  12  weeks,  providing  ample  time  for  stakeholders  to 
contribute their insights. The comprehensive nature of the consultation activities ensured 
that  all  relevant  perspectives  were  considered,  enabling  a  thorough  evaluation  of  the 
programme’s impact and future potential. 

4.Key Findings from the Public Consultation 

The results of the 2024 public consultation provided valuable insights into the effectiveness 
of  the  Euratom  Programme  and  highlighted  several  key  areas  for  improvement.  The 
consultation  revealed  a  prominent  level  of  stakeholder  participation  in  Euratom-funded 
projects and identified both the benefits and challenges associated with the programme. 

4.1.Participation in Euratom Projects 

A significant 75% of respondents indicated active participation in at least one Euratom-
funded project during the 2021-2025 period. This high level of engagement demonstrates 

92 

 
the programme’s broad appeal and relevance to the European nuclear research community. 
Additionally, 73.85% of respondents had participated in earlier iterations of the Euratom 
Programme, reflecting the programme’s long-standing role in fostering collaboration and 
innovation in nuclear research. 

4.2.Research Areas of Focus 

The  consultation  revealed  that  the  majority  of  stakeholders  (63.08%)  were  involved  in 
nuclear systems research, particularly in areas related to fuel cycle technologies. This 
focus aligns with the EU’s goals of enhancing nuclear safety and improving the efficiency 
of nuclear energy production. In addition to nuclear systems research, other areas such as 
radiation  protection  (34.87%)  and  fusion  energy  research  (32.82%)  received 
significant attention, underscoring the importance of a diverse and multi-faceted approach 
to nuclear research. 

4.3.Benefits of Participation 

Stakeholders identified several key benefits of participating in the Euratom Programme. 
The  most  commonly  cited  benefit  was  enhanced  cooperation  with  international 
partners  (78.97%),  which  has  facilitated  cross-border  research  collaborations  and 
contributed to the global visibility of European nuclear research. Other significant benefits 
included  increased  international  visibility  (36.41%)  and  support  for  projects  not 
feasible at the national level (35.38%). 

4.4.Challenges and Barriers 

Despite the programme’s successes, stakeholders also identified several challenges. The 
complex application process was a major concern, with 40.51% of respondents finding 
it burdensome. Additionally, limited financial resources and inadequate awareness of 
the  programme  were  cited  as  significant  barriers  by  35.9%  of  participants.  These 
challenges  highlight  the  need  for  administrative  streamlining  and  increased  outreach  to 
ensure that the programme remains accessible to a broader range of stakeholders. 

4.5.Contributions from the Joint Research Centre (JRC) 

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) was recognized as pivotal in driving nuclear research 
in the Euratom Programme with respondents highlighting the JRC’s expertise on current 
and  innovative  nuclear  technologies,  as  well  as  its  contribution  to  maintaining 
competences  at  EU  level.  The  main  identified  benefits  of  the  direct  actions  were  the 
possibility of collaboration and access to JRC expertise for 46.67% of respondents, the 
production  of  independent  and  high-quality  research  for  31.79%,  as  well  as  the 
opportunity to access unique nuclear infrastructures for 33.33% of participants. This 
emphasizes JRC’s importance in maintaining Europe’s leadership in nuclear innovation. 
The valuable provision of education and training opportunities by the JRC was also 
underlined by 20% of respondents.  

93 

 
 
4.6.Relevance of Funding Priorities 

The consultation revealed support for the funding priorities of the Euratom Programme, 
with  45.13%  of  respondents  strongly  agreeing  that  nuclear  safety,  particularly  for 
operating  plants,  should  remain  a  top  priority.  Additionally,  there  was  widespread 
recognition of the need to support emerging technologies such as fusion energy and new 
reactor  designs,  which  are  critical  for  the  EU’s  future  energy  strategies.  Stakeholders 
emphasized  that  these  technologies  offer  the  potential  for  safer,  more  efficient  nuclear 
energy production and are essential for meeting Europe’s long-term energy and climate 
goals. 

4.7.Satisfaction with Project Implementation 

In terms of project implementation, nearly half of the respondents (48.21%) agreed that 
the project monitoring and reporting mechanisms were adequate. Furthermore, 35.9% of 
respondents provided positive feedback on the European Commission’s support during 
the grant preparation phase, indicating a generally prominent level of satisfaction with the 
administration of the programme. 

5.Stakeholder Participation 

The 2024 consultation  attracted a diverse array of stakeholders178, each bringing unique 
perspectives  on  the  future  of  nuclear  energy  in  Europe.  These  stakeholders  included 
industry representatives, research and academic institutions, public authorities, regulatory 
bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the general public. 

For the most part, they were research organisations, universities and industries whose main 
expertise  and  interest  lay  in  the  field  of  nuclear  safety  for  existing  and  future  nuclear 
technology. For instance, in the area of safeguards, regulatory authorities are usually the 
responsible organisations, while ministries or law enforcement authorities deal primarily 
with nuclear security aspects. Similarly, the safe management of spent fuel and radioactive 
waste, as well as decommissioning activities are usually managed nationally by specific 
organisations. Few such actors featured among the responding organisations.  

5.1.Industry Representatives 

Industry stakeholders, including NuclearEurope and the Fusion Industry Association, 
emphasized  the  importance  of  maintaining  a  balanced  approach  to  funding  nuclear 
technologies.  While  fusion  energy  has  garnered  significant  attention  for  its  long-term 
potential,  industry  representatives  stressed  the  need  to  continue  supporting  fission 
technologies,  which  are  crucial  for  Europe’s  immediate  energy  security  needs.  The 
development  of  Small  Modular  Reactors  (SMRs)  and  Advanced  Modular  Reactors 

178 Most stakeholders’ expertise and activities lay in the nuclear safety field. Entities with competences on 
safeguards and nuclear security (regulatory authorities, ministries or law enforcement authorities) were 
less represented.  

94 

 
 
 
(AMRs) was seen as particularly important, as these technologies offer the potential for 
safer and more flexible nuclear energy generation. 

5.2.Research and Academic Institutions 

Research  and  academic  institutions  provided  valuable  insights  into  the  scientific  and 
technical aspects of nuclear research. Stakeholders from the academic sector advocated 
for  continued  investment  in  radiation  protection  and  fusion  energy  research, 
emphasizing the importance of sustained funding to ensure that Europe remains a leader 
in these critical areas. Additionally, the need for enhanced research infrastructure and 
greater support for cross-border collaborations was highlighted. 

5.3.Public Authorities and Regulatory Bodies 

Public  authorities  and  regulatory  bodies,  such  as  the  German  Federal  Office  for 
Radiation Protection, highlighted the importance of maintaining high safety standards 
in nuclear energy production. These stakeholders called for a unified European approach 
to  radiation  protection and emphasized the need for robust enforcement  mechanisms to 
ensure that safety standards are upheld across all EU Member States. 

5.4.Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) 

NGOs  raised  concerns  about  the  environmental  and  safety  implications  of  nuclear 
energy.  While  many  NGOs  acknowledged  the  potential  benefits  of  nuclear  power  in 
reducing carbon emissions, they also stressed the importance of stringent environmental 
regulations  and  transparent  decision-making  processes.  Several  NGOs  called  for 
greater  public  engagement  in  the  regulatory  process  to  build  trust  and  ensure  that  the 
public’s concerns are adequately addressed. 

5.5.General Public 

The general public’s feedback reflected a mix of support and opposition to nuclear energy. 
While some citizens recognized the role of nuclear power in achieving carbon neutrality, 
others raised concerns about nuclear safety, long-term waste management, and the risks 
associated with nuclear accidents. Public participants called for improved transparency 
in regulatory processes and clearer communication of the Euratom Programme’s goals and 
outcomes to foster greater public trust in nuclear energy. 

6.Key Themes Emerging from Consultation 

The consultation process identified several key themes that are critical to shaping the future 
direction  of  the  Euratom  Research  and  Training  Programme.  These  themes  reflect  the 
diverse priorities of stakeholders and the challenges and opportunities facing the nuclear 
energy sector in Europe. 

6.1. Safety and Environmental Impact 

The paramount concern for the majority of stakeholders was the need to maintain and 
enhance nuclear safety standards. Ensuring that nuclear energy production adheres to 

95 

 
the highest safety standards is essential not only for the protection of human health but also 
for maintaining public confidence in nuclear technology. 44.62% of respondents agreed 
that progress was being made in nuclear safety, but they also emphasized that more could 
be done to improve the regulatory frameworks governing nuclear energy production. 

In addition to safety, environmental impact emerged as a key theme. Stakeholders called 
for stringent environmental regulations to mitigate the potential ecological risks associated 
with nuclear energy. While nuclear power is recognized as a low-carbon energy source 
that can contribute to reducing Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions, it also poses challenges 
related  to  nuclear  waste  management  and  radiation  protection.  Several  participants 
urged the European Commission to strengthen regulations on these fronts and to prioritize 
research into technologies that minimize environmental risks, such as advanced reactor 
designs and improved fuel cycle management. 

6.2 Innovation and Technological Advancement 

Innovation is seen as a critical driver for the future of nuclear energy in Europe. Fusion 
energy, in particular, was highlighted as a long-term solution to Europe’s energy security 
challenges.  Fusion  technology  promises  to  deliver  a  nearly  limitless,  clean  source  of 
energy,  but  it  remains  in  the  research  and  development  phase.  Stakeholders  from  both 
industry and academia emphasized the need for increased funding for fusion research 
and called for greater public-private partnerships to accelerate the commercialization of 
fusion energy. 

In addition to fusion, stakeholders underscored the importance of investing in emerging 
technologies  such  as  Small  Modular  Reactors  (SMRs)  and  Advanced  Modular 
Reactors (AMRs). These technologies offer the potential for more flexible and scalable 
nuclear  energy  solutions,  which  are  particularly  suited  to  addressing  Europe’s  diverse 
energy  needs.  SMRs,  for  example,  can  be  deployed  in  remote  or  off-grid  locations, 
providing a reliable source of power where traditional large-scale nuclear plants may not 
be feasible. The development and deployment of these technologies will require sustained 
investment and regulatory support, both of which were highlighted as critical to ensuring 
Europe’s leadership in the global nuclear industry. 

6.3 Relevance of direct actions research 

The respondents provided insights in the most relevant areas of JRC research in order to 
meet current and future challenges in the nuclear fields, such as (1) nuclear knowledge 
and competences, comprising education and training, as well as capacity building and the 
access  to  nuclear  infrastructures;  (2)  Safety  assessment  of  new  reactor  designs  and 
technologies  (SMRs,  Gen  IV,  innovative  fuels  and  materials);  (3)  Safety  of  operating 
nuclear reactors (fuel and structural materials, LTO) and (4) Cross-cutting actions on 
nuclear  and  structural  materials,  modelling  and  simulation,  nuclear  data,  digitalisation, 
harmonisation of safety requirements, certifications and standards. 

Other  areas  like  spent  fuel  and  radioactive  waste  management  and  decommissioning, 
radiation  protection  and  emergency  preparedness,  non-power  applications  of  nuclear 
technologies and safeguards and non-proliferation were indicated as important by a bit less 
than 50% of respondents. 

96 

 
6.4 Regulatory Coherence 

Many stakeholders called for greater regulatory coherence across the EU. There is a need 
for alignment between EU regulations and international standards to ensure that Europe 
remains competitive in the global nuclear market. Stakeholders from the nuclear industry, 
in  particular,  emphasized  the  importance  of  harmonized  regulations  to  facilitate  cross-
border  collaborations  and  reduce  barriers  to  the  development  and  deployment  of  new 
nuclear technologies. 

Additionally,  the  need  for  clearer  and  more  consistent  regulatory  processes  was  a 
recurring theme. Several stakeholders pointed out that the regulatory framework governing 
nuclear  energy  in  Europe  can  be  complex  and  burdensome,  particularly  for  smaller 
research  institutions  and  start-ups.  Simplifying  the  regulatory  processes  and  providing 
greater administrative support to applicants would encourage broader participation in the 
Euratom  Programme  and  help  accelerate  the  development  of  innovative  nuclear 
technologies. 

6.5 Public Transparency and Trust 

Public  trust  in  nuclear  energy  remains  a  significant  challenge  for  the  industry.  Several 
stakeholders noted that public transparency is essential for building trust and fostering 
greater  public  support  for  nuclear  energy.  This  includes  not  only  transparency  in  the 
regulatory process but also in the communication of nuclear safety standards, research 
outcomes, and the environmental impacts of nuclear energy production. 

There  was  a  strong  call  for  the  European  Commission  to  improve  its  communication 
strategies  and  to  engage  more  actively  with  the  general  public.  Many  participants 
suggested that the Commission should take a more proactive approach in explaining the 
benefits of nuclear energy, particularly in the context of Europe’s energy transition and 
its  role  in  achieving  carbon  neutrality  by  2050.  Enhanced  transparency  and  public 
engagement  would  help  address  some  of  the  concerns  raised  by  citizens  during  the 
consultation, particularly regarding nuclear waste management and the risks of nuclear 
accidents. 

6.6 Diverging Views on Fission and Fusion 

The consultation revealed diverging views on the future focus of the Euratom Programme, 
particularly  with  regard  to  the balance between  fission and fusion technologies. While 
fusion energy is widely seen as the future of nuclear power, many stakeholders stressed 
the  importance  of  continuing  to  support  fission  technologies,  which  remain  critical  for 
Europe’s  immediate  energy  security  needs.  Fission  technology  is  well-established  and 
provides a reliable source of low-carbon energy, which is essential for reducing Europe’s 
reliance on fossil fuels. 

Industry stakeholders, particularly those from NuclearEurope, emphasized the need for a 
balanced approach to funding, ensuring that both fission and fusion technologies receive 
adequate support. This is particularly important given that fission technology is currently 
the only viable option for large-scale nuclear energy production. While fusion holds great 
promise for the future, it is still several decades away from commercialization, making it 

97 

 
essential to continue investing in fission-based innovations, such as SMRs and AMRs, 
to meet Europe’s energy needs in the near term. 

7. How Stakeholder Input Has Been Considered 

The  feedback  gathered  during  the  2024  consultation  has  been  carefully  analysed  and 
incorporated into the European Commission’s ongoing review of the Euratom Research 
and Training Programme. The insights  provided by stakeholders have informed several 
key areas of focus for the proposed 2026-2027 extension of the programme. 

7.1 Revision of Safety Standards 

In response to the strong emphasis placed on nuclear safety by stakeholders, the European 
Commission  is  considering  revising  the  existing  safety  standards  to  incorporate  new 
technological advancements and address environmental concerns more effectively. These 
revisions  will  aim  to  ensure  that  nuclear  energy  production  remains  safe  and 
environmentally  sustainable,  particularly  considering  emerging  technologies  such  as 
SMRs and fusion energy. The feedback also highlighted the need for a  more balanced 
allocation  of  funding  between  fusion  and  fission  research,  a  point  that  the  European 
Commission will address in its future budgetary planning. 

7.2 Increased Support for Fusion Research 

Given  the  significant  support  for  fusion  energy  among  stakeholders,  the  European 
Commission is likely to increase funding and regulatory support for fusion research in 
the coming years. This will align with the EU’s long-term energy strategy, which envisions 
fusion as a key component of Europe’s future energy mix. Public-private partnerships 
will  be  critical  in  accelerating  the  commercialization  of  fusion  technology,  and  the 
European Commission is expected to explore new ways of facilitating such partnerships 
through the Euratom Programme. 

7.3 Enhancement of Transparency Measures 

To  address  the  concerns  raised  about  transparency,  the  European  Commission  will 
implement measures to improve public communication and ensure that stakeholders are 
better  informed  about  the  regulatory  processes  and  the  outcomes  of  Euratom-funded 
projects. This will include providing clearer information on project evaluations, funding 
decisions, and the environmental impacts of nuclear energy research. The goal is to foster 
greater  public  trust  in  nuclear  energy  by  making  the  programme’s  objectives  and 
achievements more accessible to the general public. 

7.4 Focus on Workforce Development 

Stakeholders also emphasized the importance of investing in workforce development to 
ensure that Europe’s nuclear sector has the skilled professionals it needs to maintain its 
leadership in nuclear research and innovation. The European Commission will explore new 
initiatives  to  support  skills  development,  such  as  the  proposed  Nuclear  Passport 
programme,  which  would  provide  standardized  training  and  certification  for  nuclear 

98 

 
professionals  across  Europe.  By  fostering  a  highly  skilled  workforce,  the  Euratom 
Programme can help ensure the long-term sustainability of Europe’s nuclear industry. 

7.5 Alignment with Other EU Initiatives 

Another  key  recommendation  from  stakeholders  was  the  need  to  align  the  Euratom 
Programme more closely with other EU research and development initiatives, such as 
Horizon  Europe.  By  fostering  synergies  between  these  programmes,  the  European 
Commission can ensure that the Euratom Programme’s funding is used efficiently and that 
the research conducted under Euratom contributes to the EU’s broader goals of scientific 
excellence and technological innovation. 

7.6 Priority areas in focus for direct actions  

Based on the survey results, it was determined that the JRC should invest more resources 
on  a  few  dedicated  topics  for  the  extension  of  the  Euratom  programme  2026-2027  to 
continue playing a vital role in advancing nuclear research at EU level. Those topics related 
to (1) the safety and security assessment of advanced nuclear systems (SMRs, AMRs), 
paramount  to  ensuring  the  safe  and  secure  deployment  of  these  technologies;  (2)  the 
development  and  enhancement  of  nuclear  research  infrastructures  (including  the 
Open Access programme) and (3) the safety and security of current nuclear systems, 
which is an ongoing priority requiring constant research and development efforts.  

To a slightly lesser extent, spent fuel and radioactive waste management, as well as non-
power applications, were also identified as  areas warranting significant focus. All these 
priorities align with the evolving landscape of nuclear technologies and the need to address 
emerging challenges and opportunities. 

9. Conclusion and Next Steps 

The feedback from the stakeholder consultations has provided valuable insights into the 
future  direction  of  the  Euratom  Research  and  Training  Programme.  Stakeholders 
overwhelmingly supported the extension of the programme for 2026-2027, emphasizing 
the  need  for  continued  funding,  streamlined  administrative  processes,  and  enhanced 
collaboration between industry, academia, and public authorities. 

Moving forward, the European Commission will develop a draft proposal for the revised 
regulations governing the 2026-2027 extension. This proposal will reflect the key priorities 
identified  through  the  consultation  process,  including  nuclear  safety,  technological 
innovation, transparency, and workforce development. The European Commission will 
also ensure that all stakeholders are kept informed of how their contributions have been 
utilized  in  shaping  the  future  of  the  programme,  reinforcing  the  EU’s  commitment  to 
transparent and inclusive policymaking. 

As  the  Euratom  Programme  moves  into  its  next  phase,  it  will  play  a  critical  role  in 
advancing  Europe’s  nuclear  research  and  energy  goals.  By  investing  in  emerging 
technologies, enhancing safety standards, and fostering international cooperation, the 
programme will help ensure that Europe remains a global leader in  nuclear innovation 
and safety. The balance between fusion and fission research, alongside a commitment 

99 

 
to safety and transparency, will be central to the programme’s success in contributing to 
the EU’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. 

10. Recommendations 

Based on the findings of the stakeholder consultations, the following recommendations are 
made for the 2026-2027 extension of the Euratom Research and Training Programme: 

- 

Increase funding for nuclear research, with a particular focus on fusion energy 
and SMR/AMR technologies. 

-  Simplify the application process  and improve administrative support to  ensure 

that a broader range of stakeholders can participate in the programme. 

-  Enhance  transparency  in  regulatory  processes  and  decision-making  to  build 

- 

greater public trust in nuclear energy. 
Invest  in  workforce  development  through  initiatives  such  as  the  Nuclear 
Passport to ensure that Europe has the skilled professionals needed to maintain its 
leadership in nuclear research. 

-  Align the Euratom Programme more closely with other EU initiatives, such as 
Horizon Europe, to maximize synergies and ensure efficient use of funding. 
-  Focus  on  priority  areas  such  as  development  and  enhancement  of  European 

nuclear infrastructures.  

By  following  these  recommendations,  the  European  Commission  can  ensure  that  the 
Euratom  Programme  continues  to  play  a  vital  role  in  advancing  Europe’s  energy  and 
climate goals, while maintaining the highest standards of nuclear safety and innovation. 

100 

 
 
 
ANNEX VI. IMPLEMENTATION OF EUROFUSION CO-FUNDED EUROPEAN PARTNERSHIP  

The European support to research in fusion energy has been re-organised on a new basis 
in 2014 with the creation of a European Co-funded partnership, named EUROfusion.179 
This  is  managed by the  Euratom Research Unit  in DG RTD through grant  agreements. 
Following  an  independent  experts’  evaluation  of  the  proposal  submitted  by  the 
EUROfusion consortium, the European Commission agreed to a second grant covering the 
period 2021-2025 under the corresponding Euratom Work Programme180. Currently, the 
grant amounts to EUR 549 million with an EU contribution covering 54.88% of the total 
costs.  Euratom  funding  is  paid  in  annual  instalments  (see  Table  1),  subject  to 
EUROfusion’s  achievement  of  predefined  milestones  and  submission  of  relevant 
deliverables. There  is  some  delay  in  the  implementation  of  the  project  which  implies  a 
lower consumption of budget in comparison with the planning foreseen but it will be solved 
with a grant amendment (to be signed in 2025) to prolong the duration of the project and 
let more time to the coordinator to implement the tasks. 

Table 1 – Budget for EUROfusion 

2021 

2022 

2023 

2024 

Source: EUROfusion 

Euratom instalments paid 

EUR 102 000 000 

EUR 55 579 924 

EUR 84 322 365 

EUR 107 451 753 

The EUROfusion grant agreement provides for five central bodies of the partnership: the 
General Assembly, the standing committee called Bureau, a Coordinator to liaise with the 
EC,  a  Scientific  and  Technical  Advisory  Committee,  and  a  Programme  Manager.  The 
implementation of the grant is defined in 26 Work Packages (WP): 7 are on fusion science, 
15 on fusion technology and the remaining concern communication, education, technology 
transfer and public engagement. A more detailed explanation of the work packages, the 
missions addressed, and the PMU department is described on pages 93-94.  

The activities of the Partnership are monitored through 278 contractual deliverables, which 
are  described  in  the  Grant  Agreement.  In  July  2024,  around  43%  of  the  relevant 
documentation was provided and reviewed by the Fusion Sector of the Euratom Research 
Unit. Additionally, the general progress in the implementation of the grant agreement is 
marked by 175 predefined milestones. By December 2024, the achievement rate of this 
parameter reached around 56% (see Table 2 below). 

179   The following analysis is based on the information provided by the EUROfusion consortium through 

deliverables. 

180   It was a grant to named beneficiary provided in the Euratom Work Programme 2021-2025  

(C(2021)4201). Award of the grant was subject to positive outcome of the evaluation by external experts,  
using the same evaluation criteria and minimum scores as in the open call for proposals. 

101 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 2 – Milestones achieved by EUROfusion  
Years 
2021 
2022 
2023 
2024 
Source: EUROfusion 

Milestones 
19 milestones (11% of the total) 
41 milestones (23% of the total) 
83 milestones (47% of the total) 
98 milestones (56% of the total) 

An overview of the main achievement expected and obtained in 2021-2023 associated with 
milestones and divided by the various work packages are reported below (Table 3) .  

Table  3  -  Expected  main  outputs  and  results  of  the  Euratom  Programme  2021-2025  
in fusion energy research 
Development  and  qualification  of  plasma  regimes  of  operation  for  ITER  and  DEMO 
(Mission 1) 

   Further optimisation of plasma regimes of operation with metallic wall; 
   Further development of mitigation and control of disruption and runaway electrons; 
   Control of plasma edge instabilities; 
   Establishment of regimes of operation with high radiated power; 
   Enhanced  predictive  capabilities  of  fusion  plasma  performance  by  numerical 

simulations and validation of models.  
Development of heat exhaust systems (Mission 2): 

   Demonstration of significant reduction of tritium retention in plasma facing materials; 
   Completion of a preliminary design and technology development for the divertor; 

Development of neutron resistant materials (Mission 3): 
Substantial progress in the qualification of the neutron resistant materials and in increasing their 
working temperature range. 
Development of components to ensure tritium self-sufficiency (Mission 4): 
Substantial progress in the design of the four breeding blanket concepts. 
Implementation of the intrinsic safety features of fusion into the DEMO design (Mission 
5): 
Definition of the safety and licensing requirements. 
Integrated DEMO design (Mission 6&7): 
Conceptual  DEMO  design  activity,  preparation  of  the  Stakeholder  and  Plant  Requirements 
document.  DEMO-relevant  samples  of  superconducting  magnets  fabricated  and  tested. 
Significant progress in the remote maintenance. 
Stellarator development (Mission 8): 
Operation of the W7X facility. 
Source: EUROfusion 

The  various  roadmap’s  missions  are  linked  with  the  EUROfusion  Work  Packages 
according  to  the  table  4  below.  The  results  obtained  in  the  various  Work  Packages  are 
reported below for both fusion science and fusion technologies.  

102 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 4 – Fusion Roadmap’s missions and EUROfusion Workpackages 
#  Work Package 

EUROFUSION Department 

Missions 
addressed 
1,2,4 

1 

2 

Tokamak Exploitation (WPTE) 

JT-60SA Exploitation (WPSA) 

3  W7-X Exploitation (WPW7X) 

4 
5 

6 

7 
8 

Advanced Computing (WPAC) 
Plasma  Wall  Interaction  and  Exhaust 
(WPPWIE) 
Preparation  of 
(WPPrIO) 
Enabling Research (WPENR) 
Design Activities (WPDES) 

ITER  Operation 

9  Magnet system (WPMAG) 

1,2 

1,2 

1-8 
2,3,6,8 

2,6 

1-8 
1-6 

6 

10  Breeding Blanket (WPBB) 

3,4,6 

11 

Plant Electrical Systems (WPPES) 

6 

12  Divertor (WPDIV) 

2,6 

13  Heating  and  Current  Drive  systems 

6 

(WPHCD) 

14  Tritium,  fuelling  &  vacuum  systems 

6 

(WPTFV) 

15  Heat  transfer,  balance-of-plant  and 

6 

site (WPBOP) 

16  Diagnostic and control (WPDC) 

1,6 

17  Remote  Maintenance 

Systems 

6 

(WPRM) 

18  Materials (WPMAT) 

3,6 

19 

Safety and Environment (WPSAE) 

5,6 

20  Early Neutron Source (WPENS) 

3 

21 

Prospective Research & Development 
(WPPRD) 
Socio-Economic Studies (WPSES) 

22 
23  Communication (WPCOMM) 

1,2,8 

1-8 
1-8 

103 

Plasma  Science  for  ITER,  DEMO 
and stellarators 
Plasma  Science  for  ITER,  DEMO 
and stellarators 
Plasma  Science  for  ITER,  DEMO 
and stellarators 
Digital Solutions for Fusion 
Plasma  Science  for  ITER,  DEMO 
and stellarators 
ITER  Technology  and  DEMO 
Preparation 
Digital Solutions for Fusion 
ITER  Technology  and  DEMO 
Preparation 
ITER  Technology  and  DEMO 
Preparation 
ITER  Technology  and  DEMO 
Preparation 
Innovation,  DEMO  and  Fusion 
Power Plants 
Innovation,  DEMO  and  Fusion 
Power Plants 
Innovation,  DEMO  and  Fusion 
Power Plants 
ITER  Technology  and  DEMO 
Preparation 
Innovation,  DEMO  and  Fusion 
Power Plants 
Innovation,  DEMO  and  Fusion 
Power Plants 
ITER  Technology  and  DEMO 
Preparation 
Innovation,  DEMO  and  Fusion 
Power Plants 
Innovation,  DEMO  and  Fusion 
Power Plants 
Innovation,  DEMO  and  Fusion 
Power Plants 
Innovation,  DEMO  and  Fusion 
Power Plants 
Programme Manager Office 
Programme Manager Office 

 
 
24  Training and Education (WPTRED) 

1-8 

25 

Programme  Management 
(WPPMU) 

Unit 

26  Technology Transfer (WPTT) 

1-8 

Source: EUROfusion 

Industry  Relations  and  Support 
Office 

Industry  Relations  and  Support 
Office 

The  progress  on  the  Work  Packages  provides  an  overview  of  the  roadmap 
implementation.  Of  the  seven  fusion  science  Packages,  three  deal  directly  with  fusion 
facilities in Europe and worldwide. Tokamak machines such as JET (Joint European torus) 
and JT-60SA (Japan Torus-60 Super Advanced), the first superconducting torus in Japan, 
performed  experiments  essential  for  the  understanding  of  future  ITER  scenarios. 
Meaningful results are obtained in  those facilities: in  the field of DT plasma operation, 
plasma material interaction diverted and achieved plasma current. The studies in stellarator 
W7-X (Wendelstein 7-X) and in the other facilities grant optimisation and understanding 
of  a  different  type  of  facility  for  potential  future  fusion  power  plants  operation.  Other 
Packages  in  the  same  domain  deal  with  advanced  computing  for  code  and  model 
development  and  infrastructure  and  support,  such  as  the  study  of  the  Plasma  Wall 
Interaction and Exhaust, which gain more importance with the change from Beryllium to 
Tungsten  wall.  The  last  two  horizontal  WPs  aimed  at  promoting  fundamental 
understanding and longer perspective research over four areas (inertial fusion, materials, 
theory & modelling and technology & system) and to coordinate European participation in 
a single EU team approach that covers the whole ITER operation; the goal of this last one 
is to reach Q=10 as soon as possible once the construction is completed. 

The  WPs  on  fusion  technology  research  covered  a  wide  range  of  areas,  such  as  the 
assessments  of  technical  feasibility,  reliability,  safety,  maintainability  and  costs  of  the 
future facility. This information can be progressively undertaken for ITER and the safety 
for the DEMO, helping in developing its design and preparing the preliminary safety report 
for its licensing together with the alternative and risk-mitigating technology options for 
DEMO  and/or  a  fusion  power  plant.  The  studies  have  been  carried  out  on  magnetic 
systems, covering both the architecture and the technology R&D, aiming at an integrated 
superconducting system. The also looked at the development of the Breeding Blanket (BB) 
and  Tritium  Extraction  and  Removal  (TER)  systems  and  future  integration  in  DEMO. 
Finally, the Plant Electrical System, to define the PES requirement for the future fusion 
plant  and  progress  with  the  PES  conceptual  design  have  been  considered.  Important 
developments have been reached for the divertor in different facilities, particularly for W7-
X and JT60-SA, and on the conceptual design of all the fuel cycle systems and the systems 
for non-fuel-type gases (matter injection and vacuum systems. Similarly, characterization 
and qualification of materials suitable for main DEMO components and the ITER TBM 
has  been  carried  out,  and  the  design  of  Remote  Maintenance  Equipment  (RME)  has 
progressed  for  actual  and  future  tokamaks. Heating,  Current  Drive,  Heat  Transfer, 
Balance-of-Plant and Site have been studied for the Conceptual Design Phase following 
the  design  baseline  evolution  of  the  DEMO  fusion  power  plant.  Finally,  a  feasible, 
integrated concept design of the DEMO diagnostics and control system to provide reliable 
plasma control in accordance with the DEMO control requirements has been carried out, 
and essential improvement has been reached for the early neutron source WP, which aimed 
to start the DONES construction phase.  

104 

 
  
  
Publications - Over 2021-2023, EUROfusion’s research results were published in peer-
reviewed journals or conference proceedings (see Table 5). The partnership quadrupled the 
number of publications in the first three years of the partnership. In 2024, additional 542 
papers have been submitted. Moreover, the EUROfusion researchers participated in 497 
international  conferences  since  2021,  demonstrating  the  worldwide  relevance  of  this 
European  Partnership.  Highlight  events  were  the  Fusion  Energy  Conference  of  the 
International Atomic Energy Agency, the Symposium on Fusion Engineering (SOFE), the 
Fusion  Nuclear  Technology  International  Symposium  (ISFNT),  the  International 
Conference on Fusion Reactor, and the Symposium on Fusion Technology (SOFT). 

Table 5 – EUROfusion peer-reviewed publications  
2023 
798 

2021 
190 

2022 
521 

Publications 
Source: EUROfusion 

2024 
542 

Total 
2501 

In  education  and  training,  EUROfusion  is  entrusted  with  the  support  of  young 
researchers and the creation of resources for building knowledge on nuclear fusion. At the 
graduate level,  it has supported on average 218  master’s students  in  2021-2023. At the 
postgraduate  level,  it  has  supported  on  average  655  doctorates  in  2021-2022  and  has 
increased this number to 819 in 2023, a considerable achievement that exceeds the levels 
attained under the previous grant agreement. This aspect is cardinal to the formation of a 
specialised workforce for future fusion reactors. 

Table 6 - Number of PhD students supported by EUROfusion 
2018 
Year 
751 
PhD students 
Source: EUROfusion 

2017 
751 

2019 
726 

2020 
734 

2021 
672 

2022 
638 

2023 
819 

At the postdoc level, EUROfusion offers grants to back excellence and career development 
in  physics  (Bernard  Bigot  Researcher  Grants,  3  years)  and  engineering  (Engineering 
Grants, 3 years). Since 2021, 42 EEGs and 42 ERGs have been assigned in total, including 
the 16 EEGs and 10 ERGs that are expected to start in 2024. 

Table  7  -  Engineering  Grants  (EEG)  and  Researcher  Grants  (ERG)  awarded  by 
EUROfusion 

2016 

2017  2018 

2019  2020 

2021 

2022 

2023 

17 

Grants 

Engineering 
(EEG) 
Researcher Grants (ERG)  11 
28 
Total 
Source: EUROfusion 

21 

12 
33 

16 

11 
27 

16 

11 
27 

21 

11 
32 

- 

11 
11 

15 

10 
25 

11 

11 
22 

In terms of mobility, EUROfusion has accomplished a 40.9% increase in the number of 
researchers using research facilities in other laboratories, if compared with the previous 
grant  agreement  (see  table  8).  Currently,  EUROfusion  offers  opportunities  to  access  8 
major infrastructures across Europe. Mobility encompasses funding for visiting scientists 
for  joint  research,  long-term  secondees,  and  fellowships.  In  addition,  joint  research 

105 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
activities  have  been  approved  with  a  project-oriented  approach.  This  new  prospect  has 
been directly integrated into the programme budget under the responsibility of each Project 
Leader and Taskforce Leader. 

Table 8 - Number of fusion researchers with access to research infrastructures through 
Euratom Programme support 
Year 
Researchers 
Source: EUROfusion 

2021 
1 926 

2019 
1 456 

2018 
1 350 

2020 
1 734 

2022 
2 473 

2023 
2 443 

2017 
909 

Moreover, the attempt to improve the quality of the educational offers on fusion energy in 
Europe has seen EUROfusion committed to identify the educational needs of the learners 
and build new study tools. The partnership works in collaboration with the beneficiaries, 
which are most often universities, and attempts to maintain an updated overview of the 
educational  offer  in  Europe  regarding  fusion.  Moreover,  the  collection  of  data  through 
Human Resources Surveys offers a view on fusion research in terms of gender equality, 
transnational mobility, qualifications, and career path. The response to these challenges 
has consisted in a Joint Training Programme for networking, in an operators’ network, in 
workshops in collaboration with other entities (ESA, CERN, XFEL, EMBL, F4E), and in 
an upcoming online learning platform. In particular, a Knowledge Management Strategy 
has  been  defined  by  EUROfusion  with  the  purpose  of  minimising  the  loss  of  data  and 
codifying tacit knowledge through four umbrella actions: capturing knowledge; building 
communities;  improving  accessibility;  coordinating.  Internships,  open  days,  and 
extracurricular  activities  for  teachers  are  organised  by  the  European  Fusion  Education 
Network  (FuseNet),  an  external  association  composed  by  the  academia  and  student 
representatives, which receives partial support from EUROfusion. Overall, these activities 
mark an extensive enhancement over the previous grant agreement. 

Regarding technology transfer and the promotion of non-power applications of fusion 
research, EUROfusion executes a Technology Transfer Programme with Open Calls for 
Demonstrators  since  2022.  It  provides  funding  opportunities  for  recipients  of 
EUROfusion-based  technology  or  know-how,  encouraging  innovation  and  supporting 
feasibility  studies  for  non-fusion  applications.  The  entrepreneurs  are  assisted  by  the 
FUTTA  III  Consortium,  a  group  of  specialised  brokers  organised  by  an  external 
consultancy (InExtenso Innovation Croissance) chosen by the EUROfusion consortium. 
Moreover, relevant industrial actors are engaged through EUROfusion grants for industry 
involvement (EUR 2,46 million in subcontracting and EUR 6,03 million in activities of the 
affiliated entities over 2021-2022). A dedicated framework contract for the provision of 
industrial expertise to EUROfusion (EUR 10.14 million in 2020-2024) with 15 specific 
contracts was managed by the EURATOM Research Unit to support EUROfusion in the 
conceptual design of DEMO and DONES. Finally, collaboration is promoted in view of 
the realization of a DEMO design through the Fusion Industry Innovation Forum (FIIF), 
consisting of 16 members from the EU industry involved in the fusion sector.  

The EUROfusion Communications Office has  taken up the challenge of  making fusion 
known to the general public. It disseminates the research achievements of the partnership 
and coordinates the FuseCOM network among the beneficiaries’ press offices. It has also 
provided  media  support  to  major  international  events  like  the  JET  campaigns  and  the 
JT60SA  inauguration.  It  publishes  the  public  newsletter  “Fusion  in  Europe”  and  the 
internal newsletter “NEWSbrief”. The outreach on social media has grown continuously 

106 

 
 
over the years (between +5% and +57%), while the subscriber community has increased 
by more than 4 times. 

The  staff  working  in  EUROfusion’s  beneficiaries  and  affiliated  entities  consists  of 
scientists,  engineers,  technicians,  and  administrators  (see  Table  9).  In  addition,  the 
partnership  fosters  the  creation  of  fusion-related  jobs  in  third  parties,  promoting  the 
development of expertise through grants and agreement with affiliated entities and other 
partners. For these numbers, major events of the last years should be considered (e.g., the 
exclusion of the United Kingdom from the Partnership). 

Table 9. Number of EUROfusion personnel and gender balance 
Year 
2021 
2022 
2023 
Source: EUROfusion 

No. of Females 
871 
977 
893 

No. of Males 
2 589 
3 582 
3 218 

Total 
3 460 
4 559 
4 111 

% Female 
25.17% 
21.43% 
21.72% 

107