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No C 261/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 10. 90

## II

_(Preparatory Acts)_

# COMMISSION

Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific and technological development programme
in the field of controlled thermonuclear fusion (1990 to 1994)

_COM(90) 441 final_

_(Submitted by the Commission on 3 October 1990)_

(90/C 261/13)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 7
thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
which has consulted the Scientific and Technical

Committee,

Having regard to the opinion of the European
Parliament,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and
Social Committee,

Whereas, by Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC ('), the
Council adopted a third framework programme of
Community activities in the field of research and technological development (1990 to 1994), specifying _inter alia_
the activities to be pursued in the area of controlled
nuclear fusion; whereas this Decision should be taken in
the light of the grounds set out in the preamble to that
Decision;

Whereas for activities falling under the EAEC Treaty,
Article 2 of the Decision adopting the third framework
programme foresees its implementation through
programmes adopted in accordance with Article 7 of the
said Treaty;

Whereas the Commission has arranged for the evaluation
and appraisal foreseen in Article 3 of Decision

88/448/Euratom ( [2] ), and is submitting the present
proposal on the basis of this evaluation and appraisal;

Whereas the Joint Research Centre shall contribute

through its own programme to the implementation of the
aforesaid activities;

Whereas an estimate should be made of the amount of

Community financial resources needed to carry out this
specific programme; whereas the definitive amounts will
be fixed by the budgetary authority in line with the
financial perspectives covering the period 1988 to 1992
included in the interinstitutional Agreement of 29 June
1988 ( [J] ) and with any future financial perspectives
covering the period 1993 to 1994;

Whereas, pursuant to Article 4 and Annex I of Decision
90/221/Euratom, EEC, the amount deemed necessary
for the whole framework programme includes an amount
of ECU 57 million for the centralized dissemination and

exploitation of the results to be divided up in proportion
to the amount envisaged for each activity; whereas in
view of the importance of this specific programme within
the 'energy' action the estimate of the financial resources
needed by this programme is to be reduced by ECU 4,17
million, which amount is to be allocated to the
centralized activities;

Whereas this programme must be implemented by the
Commission, as foreseen in Article 7 of the Treaty;
whereas to help accomplish this, the Member States are
bound, pursuant to Article 192 of the Treaty, to facilitate
the achievement of its tasks where necessary;

Whereas the implementation of the Joint European
Torus (JET) project has been entrusted to the 'Joint

O OJ No L 222, 12. 8. 1978, p. 5.
(') OJ No L 117, 8. 5. 1990, p. 28. ( [J] ) OJ No L 185, 15. 7. 1988, p. 33.

16. 10. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 261/9

European Torus (JET), Joint Undertaking', established
by Decision 78/471/Euratom ('), as amended by
Decision 88/447/Euratom ( [2] ), and as last amended by
Decision 90/.. ./Euratom.

Whereas the programme embraces all work carried out
in the Member States in the field of controlled thermo
nuclear fusion by magnetic confinement; whereas the
execution of this programme must involve the selection
of research and development projects to enable them to
benefit from Community participation; whereas a special
procedure should also be devised so as to maintain a
degree of flexibility enabling the Commission, in the face
of the continuous evolution and gradual acceleration of
technological progress, also to take into consideration
spontaneous proposals consistent with the objectives of
the programme;

Whereas the projects to be carried out under the
programme must be selected with special attention to the
principle of economic and social cohesion in the
Community, the transnational nature of the projects and
the support to be given to small and medium-sized enterprises;

Whereas the Community's activities aimed at strengthening the scientific and technological basis of European
industry and encouraging it to become more competitive
include promoting cooperation on research and technological development with third countries and international organizations; whereas such cooperation may
prove particularly beneficial to the development of this

programme;

Whereas, pursuant to Article 101 of the Treaty, the
Community has concluded Cooperation Agreements in
the field of controlled thermonuclear fusion and plasma
physics with the Kingdom of Sweden and with the Swiss
Confederation; whereas the Community has entered into
an Agreement of Participation in the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) conceptual
design activities, together with Japan, the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of
America and is negotiating an Agreement of Participation in the international thermonuclear experimental
reactor (ITER) engineering design activities together
with the same countries; whereas the Community has
entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the
Government of Canada on the involvement of Canada in

the European contribution to the ITER conceptual
design activities;

Whereas it is necessary, as Annex II to Decision
90/221/Euratom/EEC provides, to conduct in the Com

(') OJ No L 151, 7. 6. 1978, p. 10.
O OJ No L 222, 12. 8. 1988, p. 4.

munity a fusion programme whose long-term objective is
the joint creation of safe, invironmentally sound,
prototype reactors,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

_Article 1_

A specific research and technology development
programme for the European Atomic Energy
Community in the field of controlled thermonuclear
fusion, as defined in Annex I, is hereby adopted for a
period of five years as from 1 January 1990.

_Article 2_

1. The Community funds estimated as necessary for
the execution of the programme under this Decision
amount to ECU 458 million. This amount includes ECU

417 million for the execution of the activities approved
by the present Decision, and ECU 41 million for the
activities which the JRC will contribute to the

programme and which will be subject of a separate
decision of the Council.

2. From the above sum of ECU 417 million, an
amount of ECU 4,17 million is drawn for the centralized
action of dissemination and exploitation of results. The
funds thus reduced to ECU 412,83 million include staff
costs, which may amount to a maximum of 10 %, and
also expenditure in relation to a maximum of 191
temporary employees assigned to the JET Joint Undertaking within the meaning of Article 2 (a) of the
conditions of employment of other servants of the
European Communities.

3. An indicative breakdown of expenditure is set out
in Annex II.

4. Should the Council take a decision in implementation of Article 1 (4) of Decision 90/221/Euratom,
EEC, this decision shall be adapted to take account of
the abovementioned Decision.

5. The budgetary authority shall decide on the appropriations available for each financial year.

_Article 3_

Rules for the implementation of the programme are set
out in Annex III.

_Article 4_

The rate of the Community financial contributions shall
be laid down in accordance with Annex IV to Decision

90/221/Euratom, EEC.

No C 261/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 10. 90

_Article 5_

1. During 1992, the Commission shall review the
programme and address a report on the results of the
review to the Council and the European Parliament,
together with proposals for any necessary changes.

2. At the end of the programme the Commission shall
assess the results obtained. It shall address a report
thereon to the Council and the European Parliament.

3. The reports shall be drawn up having regard
to the objectives set out in Annex I to this Decision
and in accordance with Article 2 (4) of Decision
90/221/Euratom, EEC.

_Article 6_

For the implementation of the programme, the
Commission shall be assisted by the consultative
committee for the fusion programme set up by Council
Decision of 16 December 1980.

_Article 7_

In implementing this programme, supplementary
programmes and joint undertakings within the meaning
of Articles 45 to 51 of the Treaty may also be decided on
as the need arises.

_Article 8_

Where cooperation with third countries and international
organizations aiming at achieving the objectives of this
programmes requires agreements or contracts under
Article 101, second paragraph of the Treaty, the
Commission shall be authorized to negotiate.

The conclusion of such agreements or contracts shall be
made in accordance with the provisions described in this
paragraph.

_Article 9_

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

_ANNEX I_

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES AND CONTENT

This specific programme fully reflects the approach embodied in the third framework programme in terms
of the scientific and technical goals and the underlying aims which it pursues.

Paragraph 5C of Annex II to the framework programme forms an integral part of the present specific

programme.

The long-term objective of the Community fusion programme, embracing all activities undertaken in the
Member States in the field of controlled thermonuclear fusion by magnetic confinement, is 'the joint
creation of safe, environmentally sound prototype reactors' (Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC). A stepwise
strategy towards the prototype commercial reactor is foreseen, including after JET, an experimental reactor
(Next Step) and a demonstration reactor (DEMO).

The first priority objective of the specific programme (1990 to 1994) is to provide the scientific and technological base, and to prepare industry for the construction of a Next Step device. The mayor physics goal of
the Next Step will be the achievement of ^elf-sustained thermonuclear burn of deuterium-tritium plasma
and its control during long pulse operation. The Next Step should demonstrate the safe operation of a
device that integrates important technologies of a fusion reactor, and should test components and
subsystems essential for a fusion reactor. The Next Step must provide the basic data for building a demonstration fusion reactor (DEMO) capable of producing electricity with a capacity comparable to that of
future commercial plants, taking due account of environmental constraints.

16. 10. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 261/11

Other objectives of the specific programme are:

— to proceed along the demonstration of the safety and environmental feasibility of fusion power in
parallel with the demonstration of its scientific and technological feasibility,

— to enlarge the involvement of European industry, with the views of both injecting industrial expertise
into the realization of the Next Step and ensuring that Europe will master all the technologies which
will be required for the construction of future fusion reactors,

— to determine the reactor potential of toroidal magnetic configurations akin to the Tokamak, concentrating on stellarators and reversed field pinches,

— to maintain a watching brief on other approaches to controlled fusion,

— to strengthen the links between the Associations and the rest of the European scientific community, in
particular with universities and similar institutions.

In order to fulfil the first priority objective of the specific programme, a large fraction of the 1990 to 1994
activities, including those performed on JET and within the Associations, will be in support of the Next
Step. Balanced efforts and coherent planning will be ensured between the Next Step design activities,
supporting research and development in physics and technology, and industrial involvement.

The following presents an analytical description of the content of the programme, based on and taking
account of the above elements as well as of the independent evaluation of the programme and of the
appraisal of the environmental, safety-related and economic potential of fusion, performed in 1990
according to Council Decision 88/448/Euratom.

AREA 1

Next Step design

Next Step conceptual design activities are being completed in the European frame, NET (Next European
Torus), and also in the frame of a quadripartite international collaboration, ITER (international thermonuclear experimental reactor), between the Community, Japan, the USSR and the USA. The engineering
design of a Next Step device will be undertaken according to the following guidelines:

— the quadripartite approach of ITER will be preferred for technical and economic reasons and the
Community's current position of preeminence in large tokamaks, acquired especially through JET, will
be maintained by a full commitment to the project,

— efforts will be made towards a convergence of the NET and ITER designs,

— the Community will make all efforts to host the ITER engineering design activities. Pending a further
European site proposal for engineering design activities, the Community offers a site at the
Euratom-Max Planck-Institut fur Plasmaphysik Association at Garching,

— a possible broadening of the collaboration on the ITER device to embrace an articulated ITER
programme will be investigated. In such a programme the main facilities in fusion reactor development
would be shared among the partners with a view to ensure equal benefits to the partners,

— the Community fusion programme will the capability to proceed with NET if the ITER cooperation
proves too difficult to continue.

The engineering design of a Next Step will be started as soon as the frame in which it will be undertaken
will be agreed. In the proposed case of ITER, the fall-back capability of designing a leaner version of
NET, still able to study ignition and long burn in reactor relevant conditions, will be preserved.

No C 261/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 10. 90

Next Step-related physics R&D actions will be undertaken on JET and on the specialized devices in the
Associations (see areas 3 and 4).

Actions in fusion technology, specific to the Next Step, in particular in the fields of superconducting
magnets, plasma-facing components, operational and environmental safety, fuel cycle, remote handling
maintenance and decomissioning of the device, will be performed in the Associations, in the JRC, and in
industry. These specific actions will be made consistent with the Community commitment to the ITER
engineering design activities. The actions aiming at preserving the fall-back capability of the Community to
construct a Next Step on its own and involving a substantial financial commitment will be considered in the
frame of the next framework programme.

The construction of the Next Step may be proposed during the period of the next Community framework
programme, together with the required adjustments in organization, management and industrial policies. In
preparation, a study will be carried out on the policies adopted for large scientific and technical projects
such as space research and large accelerators.

AREA2

Long-term technical developments

Environmental and safety criteria will be essential elements governing the evolution of the fusion
programme. In particular, work on such issues as the development of low activation materials relevant for a
reactor, the development of reactor blanket modules, and a reference design for a commercial fusion
reactor will be undertaken in the Associations, in the JRC, and in industry.

Material testing requires a powerful source of high energy neutrons. In a first step, a collaboration on the
adaptation and the use of an existing source outside Europe will be sought.

The development of DEMO-relevant tritium breeding blankets modules will be pursued, in view of
subsequent testing in the Next Step. These modules should be relevant for an electricity producing reactor,
in particular regarding operating temperature and tritium breeding ratio.

The reference design for a commercial reactor will be based on deuterium-tritium reactions. Consequences
of using advanced fuels presenting additional advantages regarding safety and environment will be investigated. The work on reference design will take into account views on social acceptability of fusion and on
the requirements of utilities in operating such a reactor. It will constitute the technical basis for further
safety analysis.

AREA 3

JET

The full exploitation of JET in its phases of deuterium plasmas, in the context of a prolongation of the
Joint Undertaking to 19%, will be completed by establishing reliable methods of plasma purity control in
conditions relevant for the Next Step Tokamak. Where appropriate, JET equipments and expertise will be
used to perform specific developments in support of the Next Step. A substantial contribution to the JET
programme will be provided by the Associations, both by supporting activities (see area 4) and by transfer
of staff.

Furthermore, preparation will be undertaken for the final phase of JET with deuterium-tritium plasmas,
foreseen to take place in 1995 and 1996. A rigorous scientific, technical and safety assessment will be
carried out as part of this preparation.

16. 10. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 261/13

AREA 4

Support programme

— _Scientific support_ _to the Next_ _Step_ _and_ _to_ _JET_

The activities of the specialized devices within the Associations will be focused on programmes of work in
support for the Next Step and for JET as well as on exploration of concept improvements. In particular
studies about confinement, magneto-hydrodynamic stability, plasma-wall interaction, fuelling and exhaust,
heating and current drive, will be carried out on existing devices: Tore-Supra, Asdex-Upgrade, Textor,
FTU, Compass, TCV, RTP and Isttok. A revised proposal concerning a compact tokamak, Ignitor, might
be submitted for in-depth examination.

New plasma diagnostic methods will be developed and theoretical activities, in particular on plasma
modelling, will be carried out to support these studies.

Some existing tokamak devices, such as Asdex and TCA, will be phased out having completed their
experimental programmes.

— _Studies_ _on_ _alternative lines_ _in_ _toroidal magnetic confinement_

The newly built stellarator, Wendelstein VII-AS, will be fully exploited. Pending the outcome of an
in-depth examination, the engineering design of a large advanced stellarator, Wendelstein VII-X would be
undertaken. The possible construction of such a device would be considered in the frame of the 1993 to
1997 framework programme. Another stellarator, TJ-II, is being constructed for operation to start in 1995.

Following its completion in 1991, the large reversed field pinch, RFX, will investigate plasma confinement
and plasma purity at high current. The construction of Extrap-T2 will be completed and its exploitation
undertaken.

Several smaller devices, such as the stellarator Storm, the reversed field pinches HBTX and ETA-BETA II,
and Extrap-Tl will be phased out having completed their experimental programmes.

—
_Other approaches_ _to controlled fusion_

Current work going on elsewhere on other approaches to controlled fusion will be followed closely. The
present keep-in-touch activity with inertial confinement fusion will be continued, subject to a periodic
reassessment of its reactor potential compared with that of magnetic confinement fusion.

_ANNEX II_

INDICATIVE BREAKDOWN OF EXPENDITURES

As a percentage for the 1990 to 1994 period:

— Area 1: Next Step design 15 to 25,

— Area 2: Long term technical developments 5 to 10,

No C 261/14 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 10. 90

— Area 3: JET 45 to 55,

— Area 4: Support programme 20 to 30.

The breakdown between different areas does not exclude the possibility that projects could cover several

areas.

_ANNEX III_

RULES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAMME AND ACTIVITIES FOR DISSEMINATION

AND EXPLOITATION OF THE RESULTS

1. The Commission shall implement the programme-on the basis of the scientific and technical content
described in Annex I.

2. The rules for implementing the programme, referred to in Article 3, comprise research and technological development projects, the JET Joint Undertaking, accompanying measures and concerted
actions.

The direct research activities carried out by the JRC will be the subject of a separate Council Decision.

The projects shall be the subject of shared-cost research and technological development contracts in the
frame of: Contracts of Association with Member States, organizations in the Member States, Sweden
and Switzerland; the JET Joint Undertaking; the NET Agreement (to be extended and/or modified in
view of the possible Euratom participation in ITER); the Long-Term Development Agreement (to be
established); and other contracts of limited duration.

The accompanying measures consist of applying the means to ensure proper technical execution,
management and evaluation of the programme, as well as adequate dissemination and accessibility of
the results, and coordination, training and consciousness-raising of the participants in the programme.

The concerted actions are those defined in the Financial Regulation.

3. The participants in the projects must be natural or legal persons established in the Community, Sweden
and Switzerland, such as universities, research organizations and industrial firms, including small and
medium-sized enterprises, or associations thereof, in particular European economic interest groupings
(EEIGs).

Natural or legal persons established in countries, other than Sweden and Switzerland, which have
concluded agreements with the Community foreseeing scientific and technical research, may, based on
the criterion of mutual advantage, take part in the projects undertaken in the context of this
programme. The Contracting Parties under such arrangements shall not benefit from Community
funding. They shall contribute to the general administrative costs.

4. The choice of projects shall be carried out according to the following order of priority, the first method
being the rule, the second the exception.

The projects shall be selected on the basis of the ordinary procedures defined in the Contracts of
Association, the JET Statutes, the NET Agreement, the Long-Term Development Agreement (to be
established), and any Community-wide agreements that may be concluded following the advice of the
consultative committee referred to in Article 6. For projects that are awarded priority status by the
consultative committee, all Associations shall have the right to take part in the experiments carried out
on the equipment thus constructed.

16. 10. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 261/15

The Commission may also accept proposals according to an exceptional procedure and under the
conditions mentioned below, when they make a particularly promising and significant contribution as
regards the originality of the theme proposed, the novelty of the scientific and technical approach and
the methodology of execution, also taking imp account the particular nature of the proposers.

A favourable technical evaluation of such proposals shall not by itself be a sufficient justification for
accepting a project; this exceptional procedure may only apply after verification that the nature of the
project, as defined above, does not justify the use of one of the normal procedures.

The amount of the financial participation of the Community for all the projects retained by the exceptional procedures will be decided each year, in relation to the projects selected according to particularly
strict criteria of excellence. In any case, this amount may not exceed 5 %; it may be revised each year in
the light of experience.

The Commission shall draw up a vade mecum setting out all the rules applicable to this exceptional
procedure in order to guarantee full transparency.

5. The Commission may encourage the participants to form a European economic interest grouping
(EEIG) or make other arrangements for carrying out projects, such as those on a large scale, permitting
decentralized management adapted to the specific requirements of the project.

6. The knowledge acquired during the course of the projects shall be disseminated on the one hand within
the specific programme and on the other hand by means of a centralized activity, pursuant to the
Decision referred to in the third subparagraph of Article 4 in Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC

Proposal for a Council Decision approving amendments to the Statutes of the Joint European

Torus (JET), Joint Undertaking

_COM(90) 441 final_

_(Submitted by the Commission on 3 October 1990)_

(90/C 261/14)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 50
thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas, for the purposes of implementing the JET
project, the Council, by Decision 78/471/Euratom ('),
established the Joint European Torus (JET), Joint
Undertaking, and adopted the Statutes thereof, as last
amended by Decision 88/447/Euratom ( [2] );

Whereas, both to achieve fully the aims of the JET
project as defined in Decision 78/471/Euratom and to
establish reliable methods of impurity control of a plasma
before proceeding to the construction of a Next Step
fusion device, it is necessary to introduce a new phase
into the JET programme, the objective of which would
be to establish the effective control of impurities in
operating conditions close to those of the Next Step;

Whereas, by its Decision of 90/221/Euratom, EEC (*),
the Council adopted a third framework programme of
Community activities in the field of research and technological development (1990 to 1994), specifying, _inter alia,_
the possible prolongation of the JET Joint Undertaking;

O OJ No L 151, 7. 6. 1978, p. 10.
O OJ No L 222, 12. 8. 1988, p. 4. ( [J] ) OJ No L 117, 8. 5. 1990, p. 28.