Source: EURLEX
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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 17.04.1996
COM(96)158 final

**JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE**

##### **_1995 ANNUAL REPORT_**

(Presented by the Commission)

**FOREWORD**

Following

Article 7 of the Council Decision of 15 December 1994, adopting a specific programme for research
and technological development, including demonstration, to be carried out for the European
Community, on the one hand, by the Joint Research Center (JRC) and, on the other, by means of
activities within the framework of a competitive approach and intended for scientific and technical
support to Community policies (1995 to 1998) (94/918/EC);

Article 7 of the Council Decision of 15 December 1994, adopting a specific programme of research
and technological development, including demonstration, to be implemented by the Joint Research
Centre for the European Atomic Energy Community (1995 to 1998) (94/919/Euratom);

Article 5 of the Council Decision of 29 April 1992, adopting a supplementary research programme to
be implemented by the Joint Research Centre for the European Atomic Energy Community
(92/275/Euratom) during the period 1992-1995;

it is foreseen that an annual report on the implementation of the activities of the JRC will be
transmitted by the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the Economic and Social
Committee.

In fulfilment of this requirement, the enclosed document reports on JRC activities in 1995, and at the
same time constitutes a contribution to the reporting on Community RTD (Research and
Technological Development) activities required by Article 130P of the EC Treaty.

This annual report is accompanied by the comments of the Board of Governors.

**OBSERVATIONS BY** THE **BOARD OF GOVERNORS ON THE JRC ANNUAL REPORT** **1995**

_**1995 - THE FIRST YEAR UNDER MODIFIED ROLE**_

1995 was a significant year for the JRC. This was the year where the modified role of the JRC, as
agreed with the Council, the Parliament and the Commission in 1994, took effect.

This modified role for the JRC called for a wider spectrum of competitive activities than was the case
in the past, and from 1995 onwards the JRC could participate in Community programmes on an
equal basis with its national Dartners from research and industry. As witnessed by the present
report, the JRC responded in a -v/namic way to this new challenge and in the case of the shared cost
action programmes, obtainec n the competition promising results together with its partners
throughout the Member Sta:es of the European Union and other countries associated with the
programmes. Good results were also obtained for the other modes of competitive activities. It is
noteworthy that, in spite of the new modes introduced in 1995, the JRC kept up the pace with work
for third parties in comparison with previous years. In this new situation, preliminary targets were
set for participation in competitive activities in 1995 and the Board notes with satisfaction that
overall, these targets were exceeded.

Competitive activities is only one facet of the JRC work, another being its institutional research and
scientific and technical support to the Union's sectorial policies, notably environment, energy,
agriculture and industry. The Board appreciates the continuing concern of the JRC to respond
positively to the requirements of customers. For the research activities there is a welcome drive
towards producing useful results for the benefit of industry and society. The report highlights
examples of this and the Board will continue to urge the Centre to pursue the necessary trend
towards a further output-oriented JRC with an increased scope for the commercialisation of its
research results. Based on frequent evaluations of the JRC, the Board feels satisfied with the
generally high quality of the JRC work and its increasing relevance to the needs of the European
Union's policies.

The Board already noted last year its expectations for the developments for the JRC from 1995
onwards. Amongst the measures the Board has taken to strengthen its follow-up on the JRC
activities is a restructuring of its Sub-Committees, allowing to follow in more detail the JRC
institutes. Continuing efforts are being made to introduce performance parameters and quality

assessment.

_EVALUATIONS OF THE_ _JRC_

In its guidance of the JRC throughout the year the Board has drawn on the recommendations from
the evaluations of the JRC and its Institutes by external, independent, experts available at the end of
the previous 1992-1994 programme period. The Board has reviewed the full set of
recommendations from this exercise and recognises the JRC's management efforts in working to
implement them, while noting that some useful recommendations particularly related to
administrative and staff policy matters have not yet been implemented for reasons beyond the
control of the JRC.

_RULES GOVERNING_ _THE JRC_ _- STAFF_ _ISSUES_

The Board continues to press for the JRC to be allowed to operate fully in a way that enables it to
achieve the change in working methods envisaged by the Council Conclusions of April 1994. This
may call for a further evolution of the rules and regulations governing its activities, possibly
involving an evolution of its status within the Commission. This should also lead to an increased
flexibility in budgetary and financial matters combined with the noted progress on the financial
management systems. The Board has presented its points of view on these important matters to the
Commissioner for Research, Mrs. Edith Cresson. Towards the end of the year it was informed of the
imminent plans .'or giving the JRC a larger autonomy within the Commission and other
organizational cha es planned. Thus as a first step, the JRC will be given status as a separate
Directorate Gênerai, rom early 1996 (Decided on 16 January/T996).

The Board has also discussed staff policy issues with the Commissioner and expects to follow the
implications for the JRC under the new policy of the Commission on staff under the research budget
of the Union. Like the staff of many other European research institutes, the JRC has an age
distribution which will result in many vacancies in the coming few years. Five senior posts as Institute
Director became vacant in 1995 and four of these were filled, following appointments by the
Commission upon advice from the Board, while a fifth post is still to be filled. The Board welcomes
the four new Directors who joined the JRC in mid-1995.

_**DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ON**_ _**THE JRC**_

The modified role of the JRC requires a more intense dissemination of information on JRC activities
to all interested parties at a national level. As a contribution to this, in 1995 Members of the Board,
together with the JRC, arranged for a continuation of the series of JRC Information Days and
presentations of JRC activities throughout the Member States with the aim of fostering further
collaboration between national research laboratories, universities, industry and the JRC. To attain
proper coordination between the JRC research activities and other related research activities under
the Community Framework Programmes, Members of the Board have participated with JRC
representatives in meetings of the Community Programme Committees. These exchanges of views
as prescribed in the Council decisions on the JRC programmes should be intensified and encompass
all relevant programme activities in 1996.

_STRATEGY_

The fulfilment of the JRC's mission of performing customer-driven research of the highest quality
and integrity in support of Community policies, calls for a clear long-term strategy for the JRC and its
Institutes. The Board agreed in late 1995 on an updated JRC strategy and has conducted discussions
on the underlying Institute strategies as a guide for the Centre in its current and future activities.
One of the measures envisaged in the 1995 strategy document is more extensive use of performance
indicators to assist the development of the JRC.

_INSTITUTE FOR PROSPECTIVE TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES_ _(IPTS)_

In its observations on the 1994 Annual Report, the Board mentioned the new location of this
institute in Seville and the work planned. It is pleased to record the new work programme for IPTS,
defined in 1995 and endorsed by the Commission. Moreover, the Board appreciates the
inauguration of the important Technological Watch function by the Commissioner, Mrs. Edith
Cresson, in the presence of the Chairman of the Board, who emphasised the collaboration IPTS has
established throughout the Member States and with the European Parliament.

_HIGH FLUX REACTOR_

1995 was the last year of the supplementary EURATOM programme for the High Flux Reactor (HFR)
at Petten (NL). Throughout the year discussions have taken place at all levels on the future of the
HFR reactor and its proposed new multi-annual programme to begin in 1996. This has involved a
complete overhaul of the management of the facility and an intensive drive towards a more direct
commercial use of a considerable part of its capacity with the ensuing improvement in efficiency and

economy.

_A_ _CKNO_ _WLEDGEMENTS_

The Board welcomes the several contacts it has had during the year with the Commissioner for
Research, Mrs. Edith Cresson and looks forward to further discussions on the development of JRC

strategy.

At the same time the Board expresses its appreciation for the hard work of the Director General, his
Directors and the entire JRC staff in addressing the challenges facing them.

**JOINT** **RESEARCH** **CENTRE**

##### **1995 ANNUAL REPORT**

**Report of the Commission**

**TABLE** **OF CONTENTS**

1. THE JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE IN 1995 8

1.1 INSTITUTIONAL ACTIVITIES: JRC SPECIFIC RESEARCH PROGRAMMES 10

1.1.1 Institutional Research Activities 10

1.1.2 Institutional Scientific and Technical Support for Community Policies 14

1.2 COMPETITIVE ACTIVITIES 18

Participation in shared cost actions 18

Competitive scientific and technical support activities 18

Other competitive activities outside the Framework Programmes 18

Third Party Work 18

HFR Supplementary Programme 19

1.3 INFORMATION DAYS - PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCES 19

1.4 HUMAN RESOURCES 20

1.5 FINANCES 22

2. ACTIVITIES OF THE JRC INSTITUTES IN 1995 23

2.1 THE INSTITUTE FOR REFERENCE MATERIALS AND MEASUREMENTS 23

2.2 THE INSTITUTE FOR TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS 26

2.3 THE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED MATERIALS 28

2.4 THE INSTITUTE FOR SYSTEMS ENGINEERING AND INFORMATICS 31

2.5 THE ENVIRONMENT INSTITUTE 35

2.6 THE INSTITUTE FOR REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS 38

2.7 THE INSTITUTE FOR SAFETY TECHNOLOGY 41

2.8 THE INSTITUTE FOR PROSPECTIVE TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES 44

Annex 1 46

Annex 2 48

_JRC Annual Report 1995_

**THE JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE**

The Joint Research Centre is the corporate research laboratory of the European Union. It is
established by the European Commission with headquarters in Brussels. Five separate sites, located
in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, house eight different institutes, each with its
own focus of expertise.

These institutes are:

IRMM The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements GEEL (B)

ITU The Institute for Transuranium Elements KARLSRUHE (D)

1AM The Institute for Advanced Materials PETTEN (NL) and ISPRA (I)

ISEI The Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics ISPRA (I)

El The Environment Institute ISPRA (I)

IRSA The Institute for Remote Sensing Applications ISPRA (I)

1ST The Institute for Safety Technology ISPRA (I)

IPTS The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies SEVILLE (E)

The mission of the JRC is to promote and carry out customer-driven research of the highest quality
and integrity in support of Community policies.

The Joint Research Centre, being an integral part of the Community research and technological
development system, contributes to Community research policy, particularly in those sectors in
which it has special, if not unique, skills and in areas where its neutrality is essential for scientific and
technical support for Community policies. These institutional activities are performed in executing
the JRC specific programmes decided by the Council and funded by the European Union budget.
Furthermore the JRC is increasingly engaged in competitive activities participating: on a competitive
basis, with industry, research organisations and universities within the Member States or associated
countries, in Community programmes, including shared cost actions under the Framework
Programmes, and offering its services against payment to various customers.

The statutory staff, comprising officials and temporary agents of the JRC, was 1.786 at the end of
1995. To this number one must add 319 scientists who were active in the Centre and were paid by
the JRC under various hosting schemes.

The global credits committed by the JRC in 1995 were slightly lower than 258 Mioecu.

This Annual Report is intended to give a general overview of JRC activities in 1995.

Readers may find more details in the Annual Reports of the eight institutes. The JRC also publishes
numerous scientific reports, presents papers to conferences and in scientific journals (all these
reports are referred to in the Publication Bulletin which is published yearly), and organises
workshops, seminars and conferences to disseminate its scientific output.

**8**

**1.** **THE JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE IN 1995**

_**1995 A SIGNIFICANT YEAR**_

1995 was the first year of a new approach for
the JRC. This had been defined by the Council of
the European Union, the European Parliament
and the European Commission in discussions
which led, in 1994, to decisions on the
Framework Programmes for Community
activities in research, technological
development and demonstration and to
subsequent decisions on the specific research
programmes to implement the Framework
Programmes. These include two JRC specific,
1995-1998, research programmes, one for the
EC (European Community) and the other for
the EAEC (European Atomic Energy
Community). In conformity with the Council
conclusions of 26 April 1994 on the role of the
JRC, the Centre in 1995 has engaged in
institutional activities as well as competitive
activities, the former covering institutional
research and institutional scientific and

technical support to Community policies. The
competitive activities include participation in
shared-cost actions under the Framework

Programmes, competitive support measures for
Commission services responsible for the various
Union policies, competitive activities outside
the Community Framework Programmes and
contractual work performed for outside third
parties.

1995 was, moreover, the year in which the
newly appointed Commission launched
initiatives for establishing better bonds
between industry and research. Within this
frame the Commissioner for research, Mrs. E.
Cresson, strongly emphasised the need for
further commercialisation of JRC research

results and for improved communication of JRC
activities.

Finally, 1995 also saw the enlargement of the
Eur'opean Union. The three new Member States
(Austria, Finland and Sweden) had already
participated in 1994 in JRC activities under the
EEA (European Economic Area) Agreement.
This framework allowed for the continuation, in
1995, of the JRC collaboration with Iceland,
Liechtenstein and Norway.

_INSTITUTIONAL_ _ACTIVITIES_

Programme for the EC and the EAEC Framework
Programmes via the lines of Information and
Communications Technologies (Information
Technologies), Industrial Technologies
(Industrial and Material Technologies,
Measurements and Testing), Environment
(Environment and Climate), Life Sciences and
Technologies (Agriculture and Fisheries,
including agro-industry, food technologies,
forestry and rural development), Non-nuclear
Energy, Targeted Socio-Economic Research,
Nuclear Fission Safety and Thermonuclear
Fusion.

_NEW CHALLENGES: COMPETITIVE ACTIVITIES_

Following extensive preparations begun in
1994, the JRC responded to the challenge set by
the new opportunities opened up in 1995 for
competitive activities. Together with partners
from industry, research centres and universities
throughout the Union and associated countries,
more than 300 proposals were made in
response to the first call for proposals under the
new Framework Programmes, with a success
rate of 28%. The JRC also presented proposals
for competitive support activities and for
Community programmes outside the Framework Programmes, notably PHARE and TACIS,
where contracts were won for nuclear safety
work in the Central and Eastern European
countries, Russia and other Newly Independent
States (NIS).

Taking up these new opportunities- required
intensive marketing by the JRC. They were
made possible by a series of legal, financial,
budgetary and administrative decisions by the
Community institutions (Council, Parliament,
Commission). These included the necessary
amendments to the Financial Regulation for the
European Union budget, decided on in
September 1995.

Contractual work performed for external third
parties was also notable and new contracts
signed during 1995 amounted to well above 18
Mioecu.

_VISITS BY THE COMMISSIONER_

On 20 July 1995 Commissioner Mrs. E. Cresson,
made her first visit to the JRC, starting with the
Institutes at Ispra, followed by a visit to ITU in
Karlsruhe in September and IPTS in Seville in
December, where Mrs. Cresson inaugurated the

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

The JRC institutional

the objectives of

activities contributed to

the 4th Framework

new technological watch function of the
Institute [1] - In her address to the personnel during
these visits, she encouraged the JRC to continue
its mission for Research and Technological
Development in Europe. She outlined the views
of the Commission on the contributions to be

made by the JRC to the policies of the Union
and on to engagement in competitive activities.

In 1995 the Commission announced that it had

established several task forces on industrial

research in the areas of new-generation
aircraft, multimedia educational software, the
car of tomorrow, vaccines and viral diseases, the
trains and railway systems of the future,
intermodal transport, maritime systems of the
future and environmentally friendly water
technologies. JRC staff have participated in
most of these task forces and, in parallel, the
JRC management has planned reorientations
within the JRC institutional research areas, in
order to match research to the new priorities
set by the Commission.

_**NEW**_ _DIRECTORS_

During the year, four new Directors of JRC
Institutes, namely ISEI, El, IRSA and IAM, took
up their posts, after appointment by the
Commission acting on the advice of the Board
of Governors.

_COMMUNICATION_ _INITIATIVES_

Links between the JRC and industry, research
centres and universities were also reinforced

through the organisation of Information Days
in London, Athens, Copenhagen, Milan and
Vienna, on the initiative of Members of the

Board of Governors. The Institutes were

presented, while workshops outlined new
perspectives for collaboration. Likewise,
members of JRC management and staff have
given a number of seminars throughout the

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

Member States on JRC activities in **general and**
in particular those aimed **at** **stimulating**
concrete collaboration with **industry** **and**
research conducted at a national or regional
level. JRC availability in support of Union
policies was further publicised by information
activities directed to other Commission services,
including a Newsletter and targeted seminars.

_**STRATEGY**_

The programme period 1995-1998 will see the
JRC, on the one hand build on experience
acquired from the previous programme period
and on the other, meet the challenges that
rapidly and continuously changing world
markets impose on European Industry and the
new demands facing the European Union, with
an emphasis on the commercialisation of
research results of value to industry and society.
To this end, each year the JRC organises a
number of conferences, workshops and
seminars at its five sites in Europe. The number
of visitors shows the constant interest of the

scientific community in the contributions to
research and development made by the JRC.

In order to consolidate the new approach of the
JRC as prescribed by the Council, the Parliament
and the Commission, the Board of Governors
and the JRC management have, during the year,
discussed strategies for the eight institutes and
the JRC as a whole, leading to an emphasis on
customer-driven, high quality research of real
utility for the European Union, executed in an
efficient way with a flexible responsiveness to
changing market needs.

JRC activities have the effect of creating links
between teams in Member States situated at

different levels of scientific and technological
development. They thus contribute to reinforcing cohesion between laboratories and
research institutes in all the Community regions.

**1.1 INSTITUTIONAL ACTIVITIES: JRC SPECIFIC**

**RESEARCH PROGRAMMES**

The major task of the JRC in 1995 was to
contribute to the implementation of the JRC
specific programmes under the Communities'
Framework Programmes in their first year of
existence. This contribution was carried out

through institutional research activities and
through institutional scientific and technical
support activities for the services of the
Commission.

1.1.1 Institutional Research Activities

In 1995, institutional research activities

accounted for 73% of the JRC's institutional

activities; they _are_ carried out under the
following Programme lines:

- The _Industrial_ _Technologies_ _and_ _Materials_
_Technologies_ programme is carried out by
the Institute for Advanced Materials (IAM)
and encompassed research projects on
advanced materials, on surface engineering,
on new ecofriendly materials and on Non
Destructive Evaluation techniques for the
inspection of industrial structural
components.

- The _Measurements_ _and Testing_ programme
encompassed research projects on reference
measurements and materials, carried out by
the Institute for Reference Materials and

Measurements (IRMM); and on the
assessment of the reliability of structures,
carried out by the Institute for Safety
Technology (1ST).

- The _Environment_ _and Climate_ programme
consisted of research projects on
atmospheric, soil, water and waste pollution,
executed by the Environment Institute (Ei);
on the gradual setting up of the Centre for
Earth Observation a décentrai,. ?d European
data management and information
system,and on applications of remote sensing
techniques, carried out by the Institute for
Remote Sensing Applications (IRSA); and on
industrial hazards carried out by the Institute
for Safety Technology (1ST) and by the
Institute for Systems Engineering and
Informatics (ISEI)

- The _Non-Nuclear_ _Energy_ programme
consisted of research projects related to
materials for clean technologies, carried out

**10**

by the Institute for Advanced Materials
(IAM), and to standardisation of photovoltaic
devices, carried out by the institute for
Systems Engineering and Informatics (ISEI).

- The _Nuclear_ _Fission_ _Safety_ programme
encompassed a number of research activities
ranging from studies on reactor safety,
carried out by the Institute for Safety
Technology (1ST), by the Institute for Systems
Engineering and Informatics (ISEI) and the
Institute for Advanced Materials (IAM), to
research activities on nuclear safeguards and
fissile materials management, executed by
the Institute for Safety Technology (1ST), the
Institute for Systems Engineering and
Informatics (ISEI), and the Institute for
Transuranium Elements (ITU). ITU carried out
research on nuclear fuels and actinides.

- The _Controlled_ _Thermonuclear_ _Fusion_

programme (Technology and Safety) is
carried out by the Institute for Safety
Technology (1ST), the Institute for Systems
Engineering and Informatics (iSEI), and the
Institute for Advanced Materials (IAM).

- The _Targeted_ _Socio-Economic_ _Research_
programme includes the Science and
Technology Observatory function and
prospective work the activities of the
Institute for Prospective Technological
Studies (IPTS). The essential role of the

Institute is to harvest the available

contributions from experts, consultants,
research organisations and institutes in
Member States and when possible in third
countries, in order to analyse, process and
integrate them impartially and in depth and,
more importantly, to distil clear trends or
needs for action in a usable form for decision

makers.

While Part two of this document reports on the
evolution in 1995 of these research activities,
Institute by Institute, some salient results _are_
highlighted here in order to illustrate how
institutional research enables the JRC to

develop scientific knowledge and to acquire
specific installations in order to make a
valuable contribution to the advance of science,
to provide scientific evaluations, to spread
know how and expertise in areas where new
innovative applications could be of interest to
coordinate scientific cooperation throughout
Europe and sometimes, to develop European
scientific networks centred on its own facilities.

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

**11**

- Novel activities, making valuable contributions to science and technology for the
benefit of European industry:

A new composite material, made of a silicon
nitride matrix reinforced with long silicon
carbide fibres, has been elaborated at IAM
Petten, using a liquid infiltration technique
followed by sintering. An investigation of its
mechanical properties demonstrated the
effectiveness of the fibre reinforcement in
increasing both the strength and toughness of
the otherwise brittle silicon nitride matrix, due
largely to the formation of weak interphase
bounding (the SiC fibres are precoated with a
400 nm thick layer of pyrolitic carbon). Figure 1
illustrates the typical stress-displacement curves
for the composites with and without an
interphase; the composite fabricated with
coated fibres exhibits a much better
performance than the one elaborated with
uncoated fibres. This new composite is a firstrate candidate for high temperature
applications of structural components in a
number of advanced industrial applications,
such as gas turbines.

A project for the synthesis of carbon nitride, a
new product, has been set up within a network.

The multiple aims of the project were: to assess
the thermal, optical, mechanical and
tribological properties of the material and to
evaluate its functional characteristics for
industrial use in optical applications, magnetic
storage, hard disk techniques and advanced
mechanical components. The network has
aroused the interest of 22 research institutes
and 11 industrial partners from 9 different
countries. The experimental contribution of the
IRMM will be the characterisation of the
material by nuclear techniques. The IRMM will
perform the analysis of materials layers for the
light elements (H, B, C, N, £>) using charged
particle beams of the 7 MV Van de Graaff
accelerator. Nuclear reaction analysis of carbon
and nitrogen by (d,p) reactions as well as
Rutherford backscattering will be performed.

- The JRC has exploited spin-offs from its
research activities in areas where a new
Community policy could be emerging:

For example, the European Commission,
together with the Member States, is
currently strengthening its policy on natural
risks, in particular on the monitoring and
prevention of floods. Flooding is a major
threat in many regions of Europe, both north

**SiC/StjN4 composite I**

**0.2** **0.3** **0.4** **0.6**
**Displacement (mm)**

**Flexure load-displacement** **curve*** **of** **S i ^** **reinforced** **with** **SiC fibre** **withoot coating** **and with Carbon**

**Pyrolytic** **coating*.**

**"Courtesy** **of** **UNERA** **(F**

Fig. 1                    - Stress-displacement curves

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

and south, and involves river basins that need
monitoring in more than one country. The
exchange of prevention and monitoring
knowledge among Member States could thus
be beneficial, even for events such as flash
floods which have only local consequences.

IRSA initiated a uniform land cover data base

obtained with remote sensing techniques
from most of Europe. Harmonised digital
terrain models can be obtained with a

sampling scheme of 20 by 20 m spatially and
6-7 m in elevation through optical sensors
such as SPOT. New techniques using
microwave sensors are being developed in
order to reach a higher degree of accuracy.

Specific projects carried out for specific users
have also allowed IRSA to develop an
expertise in hydrological modelling. A
project called WETLANDS has improved our
understanding of the hydrology of
catchments (research conducted in 1995 on
two test sites, in England and in Greece, both
in collaboration with local organisations),
and our ability to assess the impact of major
proposed changes (such as river diversion or
reservoir building) or to develop water
management strategies. Another project,
HYDRE, developed for a consortium of
Mediterranean regions, allowed IRSA to
study the evolution and hydric stress of the
vegetation.

Geocoded information on land cover is of

prime importance for upstream runoff, as
well as for downstream vulnerability
assessment. In mountaineous areas, forests
can slow runoff by a factor of 10 as compared
to bare soil. Modelling runoff using land
cover information is important for advance
warning of floods during risk periods and for
assessing mitigation measures. It can also be
important in deciding on agricultural policies
of fallow (set-aside) or afforestation which
have indirect consequences on floods.

The Institute for Remote Sensing Applications (IRSA) is in the process of setting up a
scientific and technical support capacity for
emerging Community policies concerning
floods, thanks to its in-house expertise and
the benefit of ongoing institutional research.

- Institutional research activities also fostered

spin-offs to specific applications. Two
significant examples in the field of surface
engineering at the Institute for Advanced
Materials:

**12**

In the framework of a Eureka project led by
IAM (IPACERC project), the development of a
new processing technique for production of
multi layer coatings has greatiy increased (up
to 500 times) resistance to erosion. These
coatings will have applications in the
aeronautics field, particularly in helicopter
engines.

Surface engineering technology was applied
successfully in the biomaterials field, with
three major achievements: improvement of
the integration of prostheses in living tissues
(hip, teeth) due to biocompatible coatings;
reduction of wear of hip prostheses by
surface engineering of mobile parts of joints;
control of the proliferation of bacteria on the
prosthesis by incorporating disinfectant
elements on the surface of the prosthesis.
These activities are conducted in conjunction
with several medical Institutes in Italy, in
France and in Germany.

These two examples illustrate how
institutional research can lead to applications useful to industry and society.

- Institutional research enabled the JRC to

spread a web of scientific cooperation all
over Europe. Indeed, through bilateral or
multilateral cooperation, the JRC has set up
more than 800 connections with various

partners, mainly within the European Union
but also in other European countries, the
USA and Japan. This is illustrated in Figure 2.

- Finally, its institutional research has been one
of the main factors enabling the JRC to
develop European scientific networks
centred on its own facilities. A vivid example
can be found in the field of earthquake
engineering:

In spite of important advances in earthquake
engineering and seismic design over the last
two decades, recent seismic events in Europe
(e.g. in Greece and Italy ) have shown how
vulnerable developed societies still are to the
effects of earthquakes, both in human and
economic terms. Research aimed at

decreasing this vulnerability which, to a large
extent, depends on the seismic response of
structures is thus clearly needed. High level
expertise in seismic design of structures has
long been available in the European Union,
as have been specialised facilities for
earthquake testing of structures, in particular
shaking tables.

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

**13**

47%

Belgium
_qm_ Denraik

**2Û%**

Friand

UWWNngdom

11 A%

Poriigal **Qenrany**
2£% **18.4%**

Ndheriands

**55%** **LuxBTbounj**
**0.1%**

Fig. 2 - Distribution of JRC Cooperation by Country

With the setting up in 1989, at the initiative
of the JRC, of the European Association of
Structural Mechanics Laboratories and the

subsequent opening in 1992 of the ELSA
reaction wall facility at Ispra, a new
dimension was given to earthquake
engineering research in Europe, and
Community-wide and well co-ordinated
projects in seismic design of structures were
set up around the new facility. At present,
more than 20 specialised laboratories in
Member States are involved with the JRC in a

major programme of pre-normative research,
in support of Eurocode 8 (EC8), the
provisional European standards for designing
civil engineering structures in seismic areas.

Established at the initiative of DG III

(Industry) of the Commission and with the
advice of the CEN experts in charge of EC8,
the research project covers those priority
topics which have to be addressed in order to
improve the proposed European seismic
design rules, and addresses new aspects of
earthquake engineering insufficiently
covered in the current, provisional version of
the code. For the practical implementation of
this Community-wide project, the
institutional activity at ELSA is a key element
allowing the implementation of validation

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

experiments on large - and full - scale models
of buildings and bridges.

However, equally important is the significant
support which has been obtained, firstly,
from the Human Capital and Mobility (HCM)
programme and, more recently, from the
new Commission programme on Training
and Mobility of Researchers (TMR). This
support, added to ELSA's own institutional
funding, has made it possible to set up two
research networks, grouping respectively 18
and 11 European laboratories with the ELSA
facility of the JRC. Moreover, substantial
funding has also been obtained from the
"Large installations" chapter of HCM and
TMR to let researchers to have access to a

consortium of shaking tables (NTUA, Athens;
ISMES, Bergamo; University of Bristol; LNEC,
Lisbon; CEA, Saclay) and to the ELSA reaction
wall.

In addition to the projects in support of
Eurocode 8, organisations from the Member
States grouped with the JRC in the European
Association of Structural Mechanics

Laboratories are participating jointly with
the ELSA team in shared cost actions,
competitive support activities for the
Commission and work for third parties.
Industry is involved in research actions aimed

**14**

**Insbtntional**

**Research**
**Activities**

**CompeàuVeSuppoit**
**Activities**

**Training** **and Mobility**
**ofReseardxers** _**(TMR)**_

**Programme**

**Shared-Cost**

**Actions**

**•"-*-**

Brrte / Euram
Environment
Inco-Copernjcus

**Third-Bsxty**
**Work**

**EASML**

**European Association**

**of Structural Mechanics**

**Laboratories**

**(Universities** **&**

**National Labs)**

Research and
Qualified ion
Projej

**ELSA- Laboratory**

**StruccoralM tetanies**

**&**

**E arthquake Engro** _**rt**_ **ring**

Basic Research
in
Structural

**HCQBQ^tf**

Network
in support of
Eurocode 8

**- Training of Young**
**Researchers**

**• Support** **to** **Industry,**
**National/Regional**
**Authorities**

**- U s e** **of**
**New Materials** **à**
**Construction**
**Technologies**

Fig. 3 - **European** Collaboration

at developing and validating new
construction technologies and introducing
new materials with better durability
properties for new constructions as well as
for repair and strengthening purposes.

Figure 3 shows the operation in 1995 of
European collaboration on earthquake
engineering around the ELSA facility.

1.1.2 Institutional Scientific and Technical

**Support for** Community Policies

The JRC provided, Scientific and Technical
Support to Union Policies at the request of the
relevant Commission services, in conformity
with the Council Decisions of 15 December 1994

(which adopted the actual specific programmes
of the JRC). These Scientific and Technical
activities accounted for 27% of the JRC's

Institutional activities.

The support activities are customer driven, in
fulfilment of impartial and neutral scientific
and technical requirements arising from E.C.
directives, decisions of the Commission and thé
Council, or obligations stemming from the
Euratom Treaty.

The effective customer/contractor relationship
between the requesting services of the

in **1995 around the ELSA Facility**

Commission and the JRC Institutes is expressed
in the elaboration and signing of inter-DG
collaboration agreements.

General monitoring of such JRC services to the
other Directorates General of the Commission

has been exercised by an official inter-DG
Committee, established by a Commission
decision. This group met twice in 1995, with a
high attendance. Its role is twofold: monitoring
the work performed, so as to ensure **a** smooth,
mutual exchange of information on the
activities (over 100 abstracts related to these
support activities were communicated in 1995
to all DGs), and planning activities for the
following year, taking into account priorities,
new requests and budget limitations.

These Scientific and Technical Support activities
were related to the following Framework
programme lines: _Information_ _Technologies,_
_Environment_ _and_ _Climate,_ _Agriculture_ _and_
_Fisheries,_ _Targeted_ _Socio-Economic_ _Research_
and _Nuclear Safety and_ _Safeguards._

Table 1 shows the distribution of this support
between the JRC Institutes and the Framework

Programme lines.

The three main JRC support activities are:

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

1. JRC Support for the Environmental Policy,
which accounts for 46% of the scientific and

technical support budget, provides DG XI
with scientific and technical assistance for the

Table 1 - JRC Institutional S&T Support Activities

Institutes

Framework Programme Lines

Information Technologies

Safety and Reliability of Systems

Environment and Climate

European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution (ERLAP)

European Chemicals Bureau (ECB)

European Centre for the Validation of Alternative

Methods (ECVAM)

Support to the European Environment Agency (EEA)

Quality Control of Consumer Products

(Consumer Protection)

Alpine Observatory

Industrial Reliability: Major Hazards

Biotechnology Safety

Foodstuff Analysis in Support of Industrial Policy

European Community Pharmaceutical Information

Network (ECPHIN)

Methodologies for UCLAF

Agriculture and Fisheries

Remote Sensing for Agriculture

Animal Identification

European Office for Wine, Alcohol and Spirit Drinks

(BEVABS)

Reference Measurements and Materials for Quality

Control of Foodstuffs

Targeted Socio-Economic Research

Prospective Technological Studies

Nuclear Fission Safety

European Networks on Component Ageing and

Inspection Techniques

Euratom Safeguards Support: General

Euratom Safeguards Support: On-Site laboratories and

ECSAM

IAEA Safeguards Support

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

IRMM

 

 

 

 

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implementation of the legislation on
cherriical pollutants, atmospheric pollution,
water quality, chemical waste, industrial risks
and nuclear safety. The inter-DG
collaboration agreement for the period
1995-1998 was signed in December 1995. This
work is part of the 5th EC Action Programme
in the field of the Environment, and includes:

- The European Reference Laboratory for
Air Pollution (ERLAP) which was
particularly active in the harmonisation of
current EC Directives on air pollution, in
the organisation of Quality Assurance
Control programmes and in the
development and validation of new
monitoring techniques.

- The European Tracer Experiment (ETEX),
aimed at verifying the capability of
atmospheric modellers to forecast the
evolution of a cloud of an atmospheric
pollutant in real time. ETEX was cosponsored by the EC, the World
Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and
the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA).

- The European Chemicals Bureau (ECB),
which is now handling all the technical
and scientific tasks required for the
notification of new chemicals, the risk
assessment of . existing chemicals,
classification and labelling and
export/import control of dangerous
chemicals and testing methods for
chemicals.

- The European Centre for the Validation of
Alternative Methods (ECVAM), which, in
collaboration with its advisory Committee,
has defined criteria for identifying the
Centre's priorities. Activities included prevalidation of non-animal test protocols,
vaccine potency and safety testing, and
integrated alternative approaches in
toxicity testing studies which focussed on
metabolism-mediated toxicity, and on _in-_
_vitro_ tests for teratogenicity in blood
forming tissues.

- The European Technical Office for
Medicinal Products, established at El after
a Memorandum of Understanding was
signed between the European Agency for
the Evaluation of Medicinal Products and

the Joint Research Centre. This office is

established in both London and Ispra and
is part of the European Technical Office for
Medicinal Products (ETOMEP) Unit of the

**16**

Environment Institute of the JRC; it is
dedicated to the development of technical
systems necessary for the implementation
of European Union legislation on
medicinal products.

 - The Major Accident Hazards Bureau, in
support of the "Seveso" Directive. The
activity of the Bureau resulted in the
preparation of a second report on lessons
learned from accidents notified to the

Commission; in the distribution of a pilot
data base of the Documentation Centre on

Industrial Risk to the Competent
Authorities; and in substantial progress
made by the working groups established
to produce guidance for safety reports and
safety management systems.

 - Support for the elaboration of
methodologies for E.U. antifraud policy
(UCLAF).

 - Support services related to the Alpine
Observatory (Alpine Convention), initiated
in 1995.

The JRC also offers institutional support to
the European Environment Agency (EEACouncil Regulation 1210/90).

2. JRC Support **for** the Common Agricultural
Policy, accounts for 16.5% of the Scientific
and Technical Support budget. The inter-DG
collaboration agreement for the period
1995-1998 was signed on 17July 1995. The
work is mainly in the following research

areas:

  - application of remote sensing to
agricultural statistics, with the aim of
developing and demonstrating
methodologies which can integrate
remote sensing data into the collection of
statistics for the monitoring of crop
acreage and agricultural production in the
EC.

 - monitoring and control of the Common
Agricultural Policy: research and
development of new remote sensing
techniques allowing for improved
monitoring and control of the Common
Agricultural Policy.

  - implementation of Community wine
sector legislation through the operation of
the "European Office for Wine, Alcohol
and Spirit Drinks" (BEVABS); some 4000 EU
NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) wine

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

**17**

data have been validated to be stored in
the pertinent data bank.

  - research and development of new
methods for improved animal
identification in order to prevent fraud.

  - quality control of foodstuffs, by supplying
certified reference materials, by providing
suitable analytical procedures and by
supplying and/or coordinating laboratory
intercomparisons.

3. JRC Support for Nuclear Safeguards
(Euratom Safeguards DG XVII, IAEA
Safeguards support programme DG I)
accounts for 32% of the scientific and
technical support budget. The inter-DG
collaboration agreement for the period
1995-1998 is expected to be signed early in
1996.

Most of the work undertaken deals with the
following tasks:

  - training of inspectors, harmonisation of inservice nuclear safeguards inspection
practices, providing state of the art
equipment and reference analyses of
nuclear materials samples;

  - design of on-site laboratories for
safeguards analysis at reprocessing plants
such as Sellafield and La Hague; routine
analysis of nuclear materials samples;

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

examination of the purchase and testing
of major equipment including the
construction of two analytical boxes and
the training of analysts;

  - work on non destructive assay, sealing and
identification techniques, surveillance
techniques, testing of safeguards
equipment, data information treatment,
health physics and training.

Other institutional Scientific and Technical
Support activities deal with:

Safety and reliability of informatics systems

Foodstuff analysis in support of the Industrial
Policy

Quality control of consumer products
(Consumer Protection)

Techniques for inspecting ageing nuclear
components in support of DG XI and DG XVII.

Table 1 of Annex 1 shows how these support
activities are customer driven, in fulfilment of
impartial and neutral scientific and technical
requirements arising from E.C. directives,
decisions of the Commission and the Council, or
obligations stemming from the Euratom Treaty.

_Progress_ _made in these programmes is reported_
_in more detail in Chapter_ _2,_ _dedicated to the_
_activities of the individual_ _JRC_ _Institutes_

1.2 COMPETITIVE ACTIVITIES

.-.

The introduction, back in 1988, of Work for
Third Parties, where the JRC carried out

research on a contractual basis for external

clients, was meant to provide a measure of the
relevance of the JRC's work and its competitive
position, to enhance the flow of technology
transfer to the end users, and to let the
European industry and research communities
benefit from JRC specialised facilities and
competences. This was the first step in opening
the JRC up to competition. The discussions in
the Council and the European Parliament
leading to the decisions on the Fourth
Framework Programme and the EURATOM
Framework Programme emphasised the need
for the JRC to pursue and reinforce its move
towards a more competitive approach on the
basis of a genuine customer/contractor
relationship as stated in the Council Conclusions
on the role of the JRC in April 1994.

As noted by the Council, the implementation of
its conclusions implied several measures and
decisions on legal, budgetary, financial and
administrative matters which, ideally, should
have been in force from 1 January 1995.

The main decision concerned the modification

of the Financial Regulation. This always involves
a lengthy procedure, prior to the Council
decision, and was only achieved in September

1995.

It is intended that this transition be introduced

gradually; around 20% of the global JRC
budget for 1995-1998 should be earned
through competitive activities. As of the 1st of
January, 1995, JRC competitive activities
included:

- Participation in shared cost actions, where
the JRC, in association with partners in the
Member States, submits proposals in the
context of call for proposals, or contributes to
proposals submitted by other laboratories
under the Framework Programmes;

- Competitive scientific and technical support
activities under the Fourth Framework

Programme, where the JRC may respond to
specific requests from Commission
Directorates-General which are allocated on

a competitive basis in the context of
invitations to tender;

- Other competitive activities outside the
Framework Programmes, where the JRC

**18**

(alone or in a consortium arrangement) will
be able to participate in various actions
sponsored by the Community (e.g. PHARE,
TACIS, assistance to developing countries,
etc.) and in the context of a competitive
approach, will seek Community funding in
relation to those actions;

- Research under contract, the original Third
Party Work mode of operation mentioned
above, now part of the overall JRC competitive portfolio.

Although preparations for this surge in
competitive activities had already started early
in 1994, 1995 has been for the JRC a year of
learning from experience: learning to cope with
new administrative and legal issues, learning to
redeploy creatively its resources and personnel
to face the competitive challenge, and adapting
to a totally new internal and external
environment. The JRC Institutes have shown a

highly motivated, flexible and keen response to
the competitive approach, stimulated by an
internal task force on competitive activities.

As far as JRC participation in shared cost actions
is concerned, the JRC together with partners in
the Member States submitted a total of 338

project proposals in response to the first calls
for proposals from 15 specific Programmes; by
December, 1995 the Commission had accepted
95 of those proposals for funding, bringing the
overall success rate to 28%. The financial

outcome for the JRC, although difficult to
calculate precisely due to the ongoing contract
negotiations on several outstanding projects,
will be in excess of 10.5 Mioecu. It is important
here to underline how both the proposal
activity and the subsequent evaluation results
have revealed to its full extent the relevance of

the JRC's work and its deep roots in the
European industrial and research communities.

In the area of competitive scientific and
technical support activities, of the 128 Mioecu
earmarked within the 4th FWP for funding this
activity over the 4-year period, 26.5 Mioecu
were made available to the services of the

Commission early in 1995, but only 20 MioEcu
have been committed in 1995. Of these, the JRC
Institutes have managed to win about 11.9
Mioecu of contracts, either alone or in a
consortium arrangement.

Other competitive activities outside the
Framework Programmes like TACIS, PHARE,
etc., have seen a good 1995 level of activity on
the part of the JRC institutes. In this highly

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

**19**

competitive sector of the market, the JRC has

w o n around 2.3 Mioecu.

The record for Third Party work shows, for 1995,
new contracts (obtained on the market at large)
in excess of 18 Mioecu. Considered in the

context of the outstanding effort on the other
fronts, this represents a remarkable hold on the
previous positions. (Third Party work earned in
1994 amounted to 18 Mioecu).

Table 2 provides a summary of the amounts
earned in 1995 for competitive activities:
Table 2 - Competitive activities
Amounts earned in 1995 (Mioecu)

Earned Inscribed

during as 1995
1995 credits (*)

Shared Cost Actions 10.8 3.9

Competitive Support 11.9 4.8

Competitive Activities 2.3 1.3
outside the FWP

Third Party Work 18.5 18.5

TOTAL 43.5 28.5

(*) The balance, wiil be, after conclusion of
procedures, inscribed as 1996 credits.

HFR Supplementary Pogramme

The High Flux Reactor (HFR) at Petten is
operated by the Commission in accordance with
the Euratom/Netherlands agreement of 25 July
1961. On 29 April 1992, the Council adopted a
four-year supplementary research programme
to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre
for the European Atomic Energy Community
(1992-1995) concerning the operation of the
High Flux Reactor (HFR) at Petten. Under the
supplementary programme which was drawing
to a close on 31 December 1995, the activities of
the HFR were essentially the outcome of cooperation between two partners, Germany and
the Netherlands, which provided its financing.
Additional financing, which has steadily
increased, came from external contracts. It is
intended to pursue the operation of HFR under
a new supplementary programme, which would
see an even greater proportion of income
coming from t i [, n] industrial sector and a drastic
reduction in cos

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

**1.3** **JRC INFORMATION DAYS - PUBLICATIONS**

**AND CONFERENCES**

The new approach to the JRC activities calls for
a closer collaboration between industry,
research centers and universities in the Member

States and the JRC. In order to stimulate this

and to increase the awareness of the JRC,
Information Days have been organised at the
initiative of Members of the Board of Governors

in London, Athens, Copenhagen, Milan and
Vienna. JRC members have presented the
Centre and in parallel workshops representing
the Institutes have found grounds for new
collaboration with the participants. These
information days have thus supplemented the
numerous presentations of the JRC given to
visitors to the sites, visits made to national
laboratories, representations of the JRC at
specialised fairs and exhibitions, distribution of
JRC literature, etc.

The JRC offers a vast array of publications on
scientific matters ranging from papers and
articles in scientific magazines, conference
papers, EUR reports and reviews.

In 1995 the JRC published in total around 1.000
papers and their distribution by Institute is
shown in Table 3.

The detailed list of JRC publications is published
each year in the "Publications Bulletin". The last
issue, No. 15, published in March 1995, gives all
publications in 1994.

Most of these publications are available upon
request to the Public Relations,Unit, Ispra.

In addition to publications, the above
mentioned Bulletin lists all patents obtained by
the JRC. There were 26 patents granted in 1995.

Each year the JRC organises a number of
conferences, workshops and seminars at its five
sites in Europe. In 1995 there were 9
conferences, 94 international workshops and
meetings and 135 visits to the various sites. The
resulting total of more than 11.000 visitors
shows the constant interest of the scientific

community to the contributions in research and
development made by the JRC.

**Table 3 - JRC Publications in 1995**

Articles

Published

1

40

15

49

26

37

23

16

1

208

Conf.

Papers

1

66

96

136

115

129

111

114

4

772

Provis.

Total

7

111

113

201

155

188 ]

151

149

22

1097

Institute

General Management

Institute for Reference Materials and

Measurements

Institute for Transuranium Elements

Institute for Advanced Materials

Inst, for Systems Engineering and Informatics

Environment Institue

Institute for Remote Sensing Applications

Institute for Safety Technology

Institute for Prospective Technological Studies

Total

1.4 HUMAN RESOURCES

The JRC statutory staff is made up of officials
and temporary agents, including both scientifictechnical and administrative staff.

EUR

Reports

5

5

2

16

14

22

17

19

17

117

By the end of December 1995 the statutory staff
numbered 1.786 agents, compared with 1.845
in December 1994. Table 4 gives the distribution
of statutory staff in 1995.

Table 4 - Distribution of statutory staff as of December 1995

Institute Staff

Directorate General 25

Programmes Directorate 13

Resources Coordination - Scientific & Technical Support Ispra 347

Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements 169

Institute for Transuranium Elements 194

Institute for Advanced Materials 250

Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics 187

Environment Institute 219

Institute for Remote Sensing Applications 101

Institute for Safety Technology 246

Institute for Prospective Technological Studies 26

JRC seconded staff 9

Total 1.786

                                                             

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

**21**

In addition to statutory staff, 319 scientists are
also active in the JRC under various hosting
schemes:

senior scientists hosted as visiting scientists;

national experts seconded to the JRC by
Member States, to participate in selected
scientific work;

post-doctoral scientists and post-gratuate
students trained through a programme of
fellowships.

Table 5 gives the distribution, by Institute, of
these scientists, working at the JRC at the end of
December 1995.

In addition about 20 scientists each year come
from a third country assisted by a grant within
the framework of a Commission agreement
with their countries or with the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Besides the above mentioned scientists, several
senior scientists and about 150 trainees work at
the JRC Institutes at no cost to the EU budget,
in general for short periods of time.

Table 5 - Visiting scientists, **seconded experts,** grantholders **as of** December **1995**

Post
Graduate

Students

16

10

15

15

34

17

13

8

128

Total

36

26

51

44

60

50

34

18

319

Seconded

Experts

**2**

**-**

**-**

**2**

**4**

**5**

**-**

**-**

**13**

Post
Doctoral

Scientists

**16**

**14**

**32**

**26**

**17**

**21**

**17**

**8**

**151**

Institutes

Institute for Reference

Materials and

Measurements

Institute for

Transuranium

Elements

Institute for Advanced

Materials

Institute for Systems
Engineering and
Informatics

Environment Institute

Institute for Remote

Sensing Applications

Institute for Safety
Technology

Institute for

Prospective
Technological Studies

Total

_JRC Annual Report_ _1995_

Visiting
Scientists

**2**

**2**

**4**

**1**

**5**

**7**

**4**

**2**

**27**

**1.5** **FINANCES**

The budget (commitments credits) as
implemented by the JRC in 1995 is given in
Table 6.

**Table 6** **-1995** **Budget implementation in**

**Mioecu**
**(Commitments Credits)**

Institutional activities

EC Specific Programme 152.761

EAEA Specific Programme 75.301

_Subtotal_ _228.062_

Competitive activities

Participation in shared cost
actions

Competitive Scientific and 0.027
Technical Support activities

Participation in Community 0.045
activities outside the FWP

Work for third parties 10.460

_Subtotal_ _10.532_

HFR Reactor 18.548

_Total_ _257.142_

**22**

To these commitment credits one must add

0.564 Mioecu of credits carried over from the

1994 Budget for the execution of contracts
related to research on the environment and on
remote sensing from space, authorised in March

1995 (SEC(95) 400 final).

Total JRC committed financial resources
amounted to slightly lower than 258 Mioecu:

for the execution of the JRC specific
programmes (Research and Institutional
support activities for the services of the
Commission)

for the execution of JRC competitive activities
within the framework of the EU budget
(participation in shared cost actions,
competitive support activities for the services of
the Commission, JRC participation in other
Community activities, contributions from the
Dutch and German governments for the
operation of the HFR and from JRC customers
for the execution of work at their request.

It should be underlined that the figures in Table
6 refer to expenditure on work performed by
the JRC in 1995. Shared cost actions and
competitive scientific and technical support
activities, as well as participation in other
Community activities, were new types of JRC
activity in 1995. In most cases contracts were
only entered into at the end of 1995. Asa result,
only limited work was carried out during that
year. Figures on contracts entered into during
1995 are provided in Table 2.

_JRC Annual Report 1995_

_**2.**_ **ACTIVITIES** **OF THE** **JRC INSTITUTES IN** **1995**

**2.1** **THE INSTITUTE FOR REFERENCE**

**MATERIALS AND MEASUREMENTS**

The **IRMM** promotes European standards,
reference materials and methodologies **at** the
European level. In 1995, the Institute
implemented its specific programme under the
heading of Measurements and Testing and
contributed to the Framework Programme line
Industrial Technologies. Early in 1995, IRMM
took over responsibility for managing the BCR's
(Community Reference Bureau) reference
materials: this includes storage, stability
control, distribution, sales administration and

recertification of exhausted batches.

IRMM is engaged in support activities for
Community policies, related to nuclear
safeguards, the safety and quality control of
consumer products, and reference
measurements and materials for quality control
of foodstuffs. It also provides services and
reference materials to various customers from

the European Member States.

A. Institutional Activities

_Institutional_ _Research_ _Activities_

One of the objectives of the work at the IRMM,
within the Measurements and Testing
programme, is harmonisation and standardisation in analytical measurements. To this end
the available measurements expertise and the
refined analytical techniques of the Institute
have been applied to prepare, characterise and
certify high quality reference materials for both
nuclear and appropriate non-nuclear fields, to
be used for establishing a coordinated
analytical measurement system at European
ievel. Within this framework, responsibility for
the management of reference materials under
the standards, measurement and testing
programme (formerly BCR) has been taken over
by IRMM.

Research on biological and environmental
materials included attempts to isolate and
stabilise chloroplast material suitable for the
bio-assay of pesticide traces in drinking water
control. Analytical research was pursued on
metallothionein characterisation by
electrochemistry and liquid chromatography,
and on heavy metal traces of environmental or
bio-medical relevance. The modern Ultra Clean

Chemical Laboratory was used for the sub

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

boiling **preparation of batches of high purity**
water and of acids for high accuracy analytical

work.

The IRMM also contributed to the improvement
of the neutron interaction standards data **sets**

(which serve t o determine, inter alia, partial
cross-sections) as collected in the High Priority
Request List by the NEA Working Party on
Evaluation Cooperation, under the auspices of
the NEA Nuclear Science Committee and in

collaboration with IAEA.

**For** quality control in the preparation of
certified reference materials, **a** neutron
activation analysis facility was set up in
collaboration with the SCK/CEN at Mol

(Belgium).

The proceedings of the International Multiple
Group Analysis Users' **Workshop** **were**
published.

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_**collaboration**_ **w/tfc** _**the**_ **CFA** _**at**_ _**Çadàrache,.**_
_**(France).**_ _**"**_ _**-;**_ **',",>/'**

Work related to nuclear matters included, inter
alia, the supply of targets for neutron **cross-**
section measurements, fission **fragment studies**
and other applications; the preparation **and**
characterisation of 10 B reference layers **to** be
used in high accuracy **neutron** **flux**
measurement; the setting up **of an improved**
electrodeposition method for **the preparation**
of thin uranium and plutonium layers; **the**
determination of uranium in environmental

samples.

Also at the LINAC, high energy resolution
measurements of the inelastic scattering crosssection of iron were made using a 60 m flight
path. The spontaneous fission processes of
plutonium isotopes and of 252rf have been
further investigated.

At the 7 MV van de Graaff accelerator, neutron
inelastic scattering was measured on natural
molybdenum. In collaboration with KFA Julien
(Germany), cross-sections for various activation
reactions were measured on chromium

isotopes. Improved experiments to determine
the ratio of the reference cross-sections

235u(n,f) and H(n,n) have been initiated.

In radionuclide metrology, an intercomparison
of computer codes used for the analysis of
239p u /240pu alpha particle spectra has been
pursued. Ultralow-background (3 spectrometry
was used to characterise human bones for low

radionuclide content in the underground
laboratory of HADES (High Activity Disposal
Experimental Site) at Mol (Belgium) in a
European effort to obtain a natural matrix
reference material. Similarly, detection limits
for 2iopb in a biological matrix were
determined.

For the materials research projects two
complementary experimental setups for
hydrogen profiling have been installed at the 7
MV van de Graaff. At the 3.5 MV van de Graaff

machine, the stopping power for helium ions
and protons of polyimide and VYNS (trade
name of vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer) foils has been determined, as well as
the uniformity of trace metals on filters for an
aerosol reference material.

_Institutional_ _Support_ _Activities_

IRMM's support activities in 1995 were mainly
related to Nuclear Safeguards, on request from
DG I (External Relations), for the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and DG XVII
(Energy, Euratom Safeguards Directorate). Nonnuclear certified reference materials were also

prepared for other DGs.
IRMM acted in general as a Commission
laboratory offering scientific/technical support
to services which do not dispose of their own
measurement back-up.
Work on dried nitrate or metallic spike material
was continued to improve safety at large
reprocessing plants, and uranium and
plutonium isotopic reference materials were
prepared on behalf of DG I for IAEA. Low
concentrations implied meticulous chemical
work in IRMM's ultra clean chemical laboratory.

IRMM provided DG XVII with solutions for
detector calibration needed in non-destructive

assays of uranium and plutonium. Certified
reference materials of soils, sediments and
foodstuffs were prepared for DG III (Internal
Market) and DG VI (Agriculture), for quality
control to assist enforcement of European
legislation. These activities were complemented
by providing suitable analytical procedures and
by initiating and/or coordinating laboratory
intercomparisons. For DG VI, new activities were
initiated on selenium speciation and sugar
analysis. Cosmetics analyses and a product
safety data bank were under development for
DG XXIV (Consumer Policy).

B. Competitive Activities

_Shared-Cost_ _Actions_

In its field of competence, IRMM has
contributed in 1995 to 8 SCA proposals, 3 of
which have been accepted so far; these deal
with:

- the design, production and certification of
sets of synthetic polymer reference materials
consisting of a polyolefinic base material
doped with heavy elements Cd, Cr, Hg and Pb
at two different concentration levels;

- the preparation and certification of calibrant
solutions and fly ash samples for measurements of polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins
(PCDD) and polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDF)
contaminations in emissions at levels of 0.1
ng/m [3] ;

- the preparation and characterisation of
catalytic converters with respect to Pt, Rh, Zr
and Ce.

_Work for third_ _parties_

IRMM services and reference materials are

available on a commercial basis. As IRMM now

manages the BCR's reference materials, these
are also being made commercially available for
non-nuclear applications.

The International Measurement Evaluation

Programme (IMEP) is arousing interest in a
growing number of laboratories. The most
recent IMEP round on trace elements in water

attracted about 250 laboratories in 28

countries. The Regular European
Interlaboratory Measurement Evaluation
Programme (REIMEP), an external quality
control exercise, recently brought together 20

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

**25**

**_£** **.** **•**
_**ffy Ash**_ _**Reference Materials and Synthetic**_
_**PBtymzrHeference Materials**_

_**One of the**_ _**successful Shared<ost**_ _**Action**_
_**proposais**_ _**dealt**_ _**with the preparation and**_
_**cer&tKation**_ _**of solutions and**_ _**fly ash**_
_**reference**_ _**materials^**_ _**for measurements of**_
_**dïoxùte**_ _**or**_ _**furane**_ _**compounds**_ **=at** _**hw**_
_**concentration levels. A proposai related to**_
**tôe** _**design,**_ _**production**_ _**#nd certification**_ _**of**_
_**two consumable**_ _**synthetic**_ _**poiymer**_ _**reference**_
_**materiafs**_ _**doped with**_ _**Heavy**_ _**elements at two**_
_**concentration levels? has**_ _**been launched with**_
_**a**_ _**view**_ _**to**_ _**promoting**_ _**envlronmentai**_
_**protection and**_ _**supporting**_ _**the European**_
_**polymer**_ _**industry**_ _**In**_ _**the**_ _**materiafs**_
_**development, production control and**_ _**quality**_
_**management**_

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

laboratories worldwide in rounds on uranium

oxide powder and two uranyl nitrate solutions.

The supply of nuclear samples to external
customers, in particular for reactor neutron
dosimetry, was continued. Four new neutron
dosimetry reference materials for reactor
pressure vessel surveillance (titanium metal and
three Al-Co alloys) have been prepared.

2.2 THE INSTITUTE FOR TRANSURANIUM

ELEMENTS

ITU performs activities in the field of the safety
of the nuclear fuel cycle. The Institute
contributed to the Framework Programme line
Nuclear Fission Safety with a particular
emphasis on the safety of actinides in the
nuclear fuel cycle. Other research themes were
the safety of nuclear fuels, through the
measurement and modelling of fuel properties,
and the characterisation of spent fuel with a
view to its long term storage.

ITU also provided scientific and technical
support for Community policies in the area of
Nuclear Fission Safety, mainly in on-site
laboratories at Sellafield and La Hague
(Euratom Safeguards) and for the IAEA
(International Atomic Energy Agency). In
addition, it is engaged in several contracts at
the request of various customers.

A. Institutional Activities

ITU performs its activities under the "Safety of
nuclear fuels" part of the programme; it
contributes to the Commission's sectorial

policies on "Safeguards" and "Fissile Material
Management", through research and
development of techniques and instruments,
analytical services and expertise, and direct in
field measurement support.

_Institutional_ _Research_ _Activities_

Fuel Cycle Safety: Basic actinide research is
being carried out to elucidate the electronic
structure of actinide elements and their interest

for chemistry and solid-state physics. Important
results have been obtained in the

understanding of uranium-based heavyfermion superconductors doped with
neptunium (Np) and plutonium (Pu). Other
themes include the theory of light/solids
interactions; neutron experiments with Np
compounds and neutron inelastic scattering, to
better understand electron interactions in the

5f and 3d electron shells; X-ray synchrotron
experiments on uranium oxide single crystals
and uranium arsenide crystals, to help
understand magnetic behaviour.

In the area of safety nuclear fuel, ITU is
measuring and modelling fuel properties and
fuel/cladding interactions in order to be able,
in a few years, to design very high burn-up MOX
(mixed U- Pu oxide) fuel pins that would be as
reliable as present-day uranium fuel. Fission
product release from irradiated fuel as used in

2 6

the PHEBUS reactor safety programme was
measured up to complete evaporation of the
fuel. The TRANSURANUS code was successfully
used to describe high burn-up phenomena (rim
effect). For the first time, the use of high
resolution electron microscopy clearly revealed
dislocation lines in UO2 and the subgrain
boundary formation as the first step in the
formation of the rim-structure.

In the area of the mitigation of long-lived
actinides and fission products, in order to help
further minimise the radiotoxicity of spent fuel
and highly active waste, ITU collaborates with
leading national laboratories, nuclear industry
and Member State authorities to prepare
samples for fuel irradiation, transmutation and
recovery of actinides for example, technetium
(Tc) samples for irradiation, pins with high Pu
and Np content and a Pu-cerium inert matrix
based pin within the EFTTRA (Experimental
Feasibility of Targets for Transmutation) and
TRABANT (Transmutation and Burning of
Actinides in Triox) programmes. The feasibility
of recovering actinides from irradiated fuel
targets with 20% Am (americium) and 20% Np
was demonstrated. Extraction chromatography
was investigated for the separation of U and Pu
from such fuels. A patent application was made
for a method burning weapon-grade Pu in a
Light Water Reactor with high proliferation
resistance. Studies were carried out on

fabrication procedures and the physical and
chemical properties of inert matrix materials for
the transmutation of actinides. Pellets of mixed

oxide reference material and fuel pins with
metallic fuel have been fabricated and

characterised.

In the area of spent fuel characterisation with a
too long term storage, analyses were performed to provide reactor operators, the fuel
cycle industry and licensing authorities with the
necessary, relevant safety data, including those
on radiotoxicity. For instance, the leaching and
corrosion behaviour of natural uranium oxide

and irradiated high burn-up fuel was investigated using solutions simulating groundwater
and salt brine, with attention paid to the
mechanisms and kinetics of leaching. The
structure of oxidised layers on leached uranium
oxide was determined by the Rutherford
backscattering/channeling techniques. The
porosity in the outer rim of irradiated high
burn-up fuel was quantitatively analysed in
detail.

_Institutional_ _Support_ _Activities_

In support of the energy policy (DG XVII), in the
area of "Safeguards and Fissile Materials

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

Management", on-site laboratories were
designed for safeguards analysis at reprocessing
plants such as Sellafield and Cap de la Hague,
and major analytical equipment such as robots,
titrators, alpha- spectrometers, non-destructive
measurement devices and detectors, was
purchased and tested. In addition, two
analytical boxes were constructed, analysts
were trained and routine analyses of nuclear
material samples were performed. Some other
examples of 1995 support activities: a
performance evaluation of the MGA method
(Multiple Group Analysis) for K-edge and
neutron-gamma counting applications; a
comparison of plutonium assay techniques; a
detailed evaluation of isotope correlation
techniques for the determination of Pu-242;
samples preparation and measurements
technology for safeguards samples with trace
amounts of radionuclides in soils, vegetation
and sediments from contaminated areas.

As before, ITU staff provided significant
analytical in-site support to the Safeguards
Directorate in reprocessing and in fuel
fabrication plants. The characterisation of
vagabonding nuclear materials was continued
whenever necessary.

_**Analysis**_ _**of Environmental Samples**_

_1_

_**During 1995 the**_ _**corner-stone**_ _**was iaid for**_
_**the new**_ _**ARTiNA**_ _**laboratory*.**_ _**With**_ _**this**_
_**laboratory fully operational, the**_ _**Institute**_
_**can**_ _**provide**_ _**ultra sensitive analysis**_ _**of**_ _**radio-**_
_**isotope traces for the identification of**_
_**undeclared nuclear**_ _**activities.**_ _**This capability**_
_**will**_ _**be used**_ _**for safeguards**_ _**applications.**_
_**TheAKTMA**_ _**laboratory consists of**_ _**a cfass 100**_
_**clean laboratory**_ _**for**_ _**sample preparation**_ _**and**_
_**pre-treatment**_ _**and a range of highly**_
_**sensitive**_ _**equipment for the**_ _**measurement**_ _**of**_
_**a range of radioisotopes**_ _**which**_ _**are**_ _**"indica-**_
_**tors**_ _**[44]**_ _**for**_ _**clandestine**_ _**nuclear**_ _**activities,**_
_**ITU**_ _**has asked to become a network**_
_**laboratory of the**_ _**IAEA**_ _**for**_ _**environmental**_
_**samples**_ _**and has**_ _**already**_ _**participated**_ _**in**_ _**test**_
_**campaigns for the**_ _**analysis**_ _**of bulk sampfes**_
_**andparticles.**_

B. Competitive Activities

_Shared-Cost_ _Actions_

8 proposals (made with EU partners) for the
Nuclear Fission Safety programme were
accepted in 1995. The projects concern:

- evaluation of partitioning and transmutation
strategies

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

 - new partitioning techniques

 - impact of accelerator based technologres on
nuclear fission safety

 - thorium cycles as a nuclear waste management option

 - revaporisation tests on samples from PHEBUS
FP

 - source term for performance assessment of
spent fuel as a waste form

- supporting nuclear data for advanced MOX
fuels

- joint experiment on Americium transmutation

These Cost-Shared Actions will contribute about

1 Mioecu.

_Competitive_ _Support for Community_ _Policies_

Following a call for tender from DG XIII, ITU has
submitted, together with other partners, a
project on "Enhanced Gas Cleaning by InfraSonic Particle Agglomeration and Deposition".
The project was accepted at the end of 1995;
the Institute's share is about 0.1 Mioecu.

_Work for Third_ _Parties_

As in previous years, the Institute has carried
out work for third parties, with major contracts
in the areas of post irradiation examination of
irradiated fuels, fabrication and characterisation of fuels for transmutation, and examination of high burn-up uranium oxide and mixed
oxide fuels for different customers.

During 1995, new contracts worth about 2.1
Mioecu have been signed, while work from
previous contracts continued.

_Other Competitive_ _Activities_

The following offers submitted to the
TACIS/PHARE programmes were accepted
during 1995:

- Measurement of radionuclide release from

Chernobyl reactor debris samples (TACISUkraine)

- Transfer of the nuclear safety code
TRANSURANUS to the Bulgarian licensing
authorities (PHARE-Bulgaria)

A study proposal, concerning the establishment
of a data bank on nuclear materials in the

framework of illicit trafficking, was accepted by
DG I. The contract will permit collaboration
with two Russian experts at ITU for 12
months.The overall scope of the approved
projects is about 0.6 Mioecu.

2.3 THE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED

MATERIALS

IAM performs research on advanced materials.
The Institute contributed to the Framework

Programme lines "Industrial Technologies and
Materials Technologies" and "Measurements
and Testing", with an emphasis on standards
for applications, development of new and
improved coatings, structural component
integrity and materials for clean technologies
and fusion materials. IAM also contributed to

the Framework Programme lines, Non-nuclear
Energy, Nuclear Fission Safety and Controlled
Thermo-nuclear Fusion.

It also operated in 1995 the High Flux Reactor
(HFR) for the Dutch and German authorities and
was engaged in work on a contractual basis for
industry.

A. Institutional Activities

_Institutional_ _Research_ _Activities_

Within the industrial Technologies and
Materials Technologies programme, research
activities performed in 1995 can be sorted
approximately into four clusters:

_**The**_ _**£W£KA**_ _**1PACERC**_ _Project_

_Helicopter_ _engines are usually submitted_ _to_
_extremely_ _hard erosion_ _conditions_ _r_ _leading_
_to rapid_ _failures_ _of their_ _components._ _The_
_engme_ _manufacturer_ _Turbomeca_ _has deve-_
_loped_ _a new_ _type_ _of multilayer_ _coating_
_deposited_ _by Physical Vacuum_ _Deposition,_
_showing an improvement_ _by a factor of over_
_500_ _compared_ _to conventional_ _hard_ _coatings_
_already_ _available._ _The new challenge_ _is to_
_apply this coating to the very_ _contplexshapes_
_to be protected_ _in_ _a helicopter_ _engine._

_Accordingly,_ _the JRC has_ _proposed,_ _m_ _the_
_frame of a EUREKA_ _project,_ _the_ _development_
_of a new Induction_ _Pfasma_ _Assisted_ _Chemical_

_Vapor_ _Déposition_ _(f-PACVD)_ _machine_
_specially_ _designed_ _for_ _this_ _application,_
_Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition_ _will_ _allow_
_deposition_ _at low_ _temperatures._ _Induction_
_plasma_ _Chemical_ _Vapor_ _Déposition_ _will_
_ensure good process_ _homogeneity,_ _which is_
_an absolute must in this case._

- "Standards for Applications" area: research
on mechanical performances of materials,
corrosion, components' integrity testing,

z o

neutron scattering, joining of ceramics and
brittle materials. Also, activities linked with
information technologies: high temperature
materials data bases; the Information Centre

on Materials Activities.

The typical end-users are the energy
production and aeronautics industries.

"Development of New and Improved
Coatings": wear and corrosion resistance
improvement, chemical sensors, fatigue
resistance, superhard surfaces and biomedical applications; new composite materials,
with an emphasis on interfaces in fibre
composites, and electrophoretic processing
of ceramic matrix composites. Exploratory
research projects included laser spallation
testing methodology and high temperature
superconductors.

The typical end-users are in manufacturing
industry, the car industry, aeronautics and
electronics.

- A new line for IAM will be support for
industry through the provision of information and prenormative know-how on ecofriendly materials, materials studies and an
ECO materials database.

Research work was done on coatings for
waste incineration and coatings for dry
machining in manufacturing technologies.

The end-users are the waste management
industry, the recycling industry and, in
particular, the car industry and manufacturing industry.

- Two projects focused on "Structural Component Integrity": application and qualification
of non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques to assess defective and/or deteriorating
industrial components; NDE and testing of
structural components.

The end-users are mostly the energy
production industry, both conventional and
nuclear, and the transport industry including
aeronautics, rail and car manufacturers.

Within the Non-Nuclear Energy programme, a
new topic was introduced in 1995: "Materials
for Clean Technologies". Two projects were
carried out: microstructural engineering and
ceramic catalyst support, both focusing on
automotive catalytic converters. The potential
users are the car industry, but also energy
producters using conventional fuel sources.

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

_**The**_ _**%&tropean Preswm**_ _**equipment**_
_**Rès&tàh&wtcft&PERQ**_

_**tfèJ&topean Pressure ZqutpmehtXesearch**_
_**Cotmtit (£Pê8C} is an**_ _**association of**_
_**industries^**_ _**hboratorieSrengmeeHn^**_ _**asso-**_

_**&fpQ& trfwh&t is**_ _**to**_ _**pfamote.**_ _**European**_
**L*©0per*tn(&** _**research in the domain of**_
_**\pœ&vœ equipment &£HÇ & concerned**_
_**,wth research end development**_ _**proof ems**_

_**linked**_ _**to**_ _**construction end in-service**_
_**activities,**_ _**ft deals with all types of pressure**_
_**equipment**_ _**nuclearequipmentexdudéd.**_

**£p$?c** _**eds as**_ **4** _**clearing-house**_ **to** _**define**_
_**and**_ _**coordinate the**_ _**research**_ _**programmes**_
_**end**_ _**exchange^**_ _**experience.**_ _**It**_ _**has an**_
_**important**_ _**rofe In**_ _**the**_ _**dissemination**_ **of** _**the**_
_**resoHs ofresear<h**_ _**to**_ _**industry,**_ _**andworks**_ _**in**_
_**close contact with the**_ _**Commission**_ _**of the**_
_**European**_ _**Communities**_ _**with**_ _**regard to**_
_**shared+costactlon**_ _**proposals and**_ _**support**_ _**to**_
_**CfflandDGtlL**_

**i**

_**JinCIAM**_ _**Petten**_ _**is**_ _**the**_ _**operating**_ _**agent**_

_**In**_ _**the**_ _**international domain tbeïe**_ _**are**_ _**plans**_
_**to cooperate**_ _**mth**_ _**the American**_ _**Pressure**_
_**Vessel Council**_ _**and the Japanese**_ _**Pressure**_
_**Vessel**_ _**Council**_

Within the Nuclear Safety and Safeguards
programme, and specifically the section on
reactor safety, IAM is the operating agent for
the already established European networks
dealing with "Nuclear Components and Inspection". Projects in operation include an experimental study on ageing, degradation of steel
properties and subsequent annealing, and the
Networks Reference Laboratory.

Within the Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion
programme, the development of fusion
technology focused on the design of the
International Thermonuclear Experimental
Reactor (ITER). The IAM contributed to this
effort and supported ITER'S technological needs
through its selection and characterisation of
adapted materials. IAM also participated in the
European longer term programme for the
development of low activation materials. In
parallel, irradiation experiments were performed in the HFR in support of NET/ITER.

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

_**Institutional Support Activities**_

Projects with the **same** range of scientific
content as above were carried out **in support of**
DG XI (Environment) through **the European**
networks AMES, ENIQ **and** NESC, **and** DG **XVII**
(Energy). An information **and management**
transfer structure **was set up to improve the**
technology transfer process.

_**The European**_ _**Network for Inspection**_
_**Qualification { ENIQ)**_

_**me Steering**_ _**committee of**_ _**€NfQ.**_ _**in**_ _**which**_
_**the**_ _**£tt**_ _**nuclear power plant operators**_ _**are**_ _**the**_
_**voting**_ _**members,**_ _**has approved e reference**_
_**methodology for inspection qualification.**_
_**Thh**_ _**methodology**_ _**has aroused**_ _**greet interest**_
_**from**_ _**industry in**_ _**its field**_ _**and is**_ _**considered**_ _**of**_
_**prime importance for future**_ _**development**_

B. Competitive **Activities**

_Shared-Cost Actions_

IAM took part in 49 proposals, **of which 17 have**
been accepted so far. 9 of these will have
immediate funding. The distribution of proposals among the programmes is: 33 to
Brite/Euram, 6 to Standard Measurement **and**
Testing, 4 to Nuclear Fission Safety, 2 to
Biomed-2, 1 to Environment and Climate, 1 to
Esprit, 1 to Training and Mobility of Researchers
and 1 to Joule.

_Competitive Support_ _**for**_ _Community_ _**Policies**_

Two successful proposals were made to the
Valorisation programme of DG XIII (Telecommunications, Information Industries and
Innovation). The first deals with an "Autonomous Solar System", the second with neural
network techniques for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) applications. This last proposal is a
joint venture of both IAM and ISEI.

_Work for Third Parties_

New contracts signed in 1995 deal with the
following topics: PC based High Temperature
Materials Data Base Software, Non Destructive
Evaluation Techniques, Aero-engine components, coatings, corrosion studies on advanced
materials for power generation.

The overall turnover was comparable to last
year's.

_**Other Competitive Activities**_

IAM is a partner in a PHARE consortium dealing
with the installation of a qualification system
for in-service inspection of Nuclear Power Plants
in the Czech Republic. IAM is also a partner in
proposals made to TACIS in the fields of NDE,
inspection and materials ageing.

_**High Flux Reactor**_ _**(HFR)**_

The High Flux Reactor at Petten continued its
operation in 1995 and its utilisation reached
about 75%» of the practical limits. The HFR
noticeably strengthened its leadership as a
supplier of radioisotopes for the radiopharmaceutical industry: nearly 65% of European
production took place at HFR. The recent

**30**

launching of the on-site molybdenum factory
will further enhance HFR's role as a key facility
for nuclear medicine, vital for millions of
patients.

The HFR also maintained its role as irradiation
test bed for the Fusion community: six new
experiments on first wall structural materials
(mainly martensitic steels) and plasma facing
components have started. The irradiation
embrittlement project, part of the European
Network AMES (Ageing of Materials and
Evaluation Studies), was launched. A new
experiment series was started on the
transmutation of actinides and fission products
to reduce the long term radiological impact of
high level waste, as part of the European
collaboration EFTTRA (Experimental Feasibility
of Targets for TRAnsmutation).

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

**i l**

**2.4** **THE INSTITUTE FOR SYSTEMS**

**ENGINEERING AND INFORMATICS**

The ISEI performs research on systems
engineering and informatics. It contributed in
1995 to the Framework Programme lines
Environment and Climate, Non-nuclear Energy,
Nuclear Fission Safety and Controlled
Thermonuclear Fusion, carrying out research on
methodologies for environmental management
and assessment of environmental quality, on
solar energy by photovoltaics, on fission reactor
safety and fissile material control as well as on
fusion reactor operational safety.

In addition, ISEI provided scientific and
technical support for Community policies: in the
field of the environment, among others on
industrial safety and the reliability of systems
including biosafety; in the field of agriculture,
on animal identification; and in the energy
sector, on nuclear safeguards for the Euratom
safeguards and for the IAEA. ISEI is also
currently engaged in work carried out at the
request of external customers.

A. Institutional Activities

The Institute carries out research on the

reliability and performance of complex systems;
on socio-technical systems and risk management; on expert systems; on parallel computing; on data bases; and it operates a major
computer and network facility. Areas of
expertise include: aviation safety, human
factors, non-nuclear energies, fusion, fissile
materials safeguard, industrial safety, environmental risk assessment and emergency
planning.

_Institutional_ _Research_ _Activities_

Within the Environment and Climate

programme, ISEI contributed to studies on:

- "Global Change": an on-line information
service called "European Wide Service Exchange" (EWSE) was developed for the
Centre for Earth Observation (CEO). Other
contributions include software engineering,
user interface, quality assurance, satellite
image compression techniques and network
support. A pilot study related to a specific
decision maker and the availability of data
through EWSE was carried out.

- The "Integrated Assessment of Environmental Quality" approach: aims to provide
decision makers with alternative options for
action, via a synthesis of information and

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

understanding from a wide range of sources
and perspectives. A set of criteria for "good
practice" in the field is now being developed.

_**EMEKA-AOAGE**_

_AOAGE is_ _a_ _EUREKA_ _project between_ _french_
_and_ _Portuguese_ _companies and the_ _JHC-JSEL_
_The aim of the project is to develop_ _.a_
_decision-support_ _system for_ _integrated_
_environmental_ _management._ _Its_ _principal_
_objective is to provide a thorough assess-_
_ment of_ _aftermtive_ _decisions related to_
_environmental_ _matters._ _The main_ _features of_
_the project are: the development of_ _a_
_distributed information system networking_
_various_ _sources of information represented_
_by the stakeholders concerned with_ the
_decision_ _process;_ _the integration and fusion_
_of different types of information; the_
_integration of_ _diverse_ _perspectives including_
_environmental_ _constralntSr socio-economlcal_
_factors and technical issues; a highly_ _inter*_
_active system for information updating: and_
_navigation, as well as scenario_ _testing._ _The_
_project (S scheduled over_ _a_ _three-year_ _period._

- "Innovative Environmental Technologies":
the application of decision support systems
has been refined and a promising new
method based on object-oriented programming has been implemented, which will also
be of use in ongoing work for external
clients. ISEI joined the EUREKA project
"Adage", which aims to develop a decision
support system for comprehensive environmental management via the thorough assessment of alternative decisions.

Within the Non-Nuclear Energy programme,
the following activities were performed:

- Photovoltaic: using a climatically controlled
solar simulator, irradiation was carried out at
various temperatures to study the effects of
light-induced degradation on amorphous
silicon modules. Results have been leading to
a revision of the CEC ESTI 701 specification.
An analysis of the spread in the characterisation results for World Photovoltaic Scale

samples (WPVS) has also been performed.

Within the Nuclear Fission Safety programme,

work was carried out on:

- Nuclear fission safety and reactor safety: a
benchmark exercise has been launched on

expert judgment in probabilistic safety
assessment (PSA), level 2. A questionnaire has

been distributed to a network of more than

50 European institutions (research laboratories, regulators, industries, etc.). The first
phase, parameter estimation, also involves
the Institute for Safety Technology (1ST),
whose facility FARO has been adopted as a
reference experiment.

_**Smart Composite**_ _**Materials**_

_**The use**_ _**of fibre optics**_ _**in**_ _**transducer systems**_
_**for measurement of**_ _**physical parameters has**_
_**recently attracted**_ _**much interest The**_
_**possibility of embedding optical**_ _**transducers**_
_**into new composite materials has boosted**_
_**research**_ _**in**_ _**the field of smart materiafs**_
_**which allow real time**_ _**structural monitoring**_
_**from inside**_ _**the structure itself**_ _**In continuous**_
_**fibre composites**_ _**materials,**_ _**the proper**_
_**positioning of the**_ _**reinforcement allows**_ _**the**_
_**material to host optical fibres without an**_
_**increase**_ _**of the notch**_ _**factor.**_ _**Along**_ _**this**_ _**line**_
_**of**_ _**research,**_ _**a smart composite material**_
_**laminate was produced at**_ _**ISEI**_ _**(24 ply**_
_**graphlte/epoxy**_ _**beam and**_ _**Michefson**_ _**based**_
_**fibre**_ _**optic**_ _**strain transducers**_ _**embedded**_ _**in**_ _**it)**_
_**and**_ _**tested.**_

_**Both static and dynamic tests were**_
_**performed**_ _**and results compared to**_
_**theoretical**_ _**predictions**_ _**and to**_ _**strain**_ _**values**_
_**measured by conventional strain gauges**_
_**bonded to the external surface of the**_
_**laminate; the correspondence was very**_
_**good,**_ _**particularly in**_ _**the dynamic**_ _**response.**_
_**Results**_ _**supplied by the embedded**_ _**sensing**_
_**net of fibres confirmed its diagnostic**_
_**capability and allowed the planning of**_
_**future**_ _**research steps**_

- Several types of activity have been carriedout within the research on Nuclear

Safeguards. The activities on remote
verification and surveillance included:

distributed surveillance systems based on
smart digital cameras and industrial field bus;
remote control of a robotic arm for simple
manipulation tasks; and the application of
new compact laser range finders. In the field
of international remote monitoring systems,
various methods for digital image
compression and encryption over public
communications networks were tested.

The LaSCo (Laboratory for Surveillance and
Containment) has been equipped with testing equipment for electromagnetic studies,
to check the compliance of instruments with
the new European legislation in this area.

**32**

The SILab (Seals and Identification Techniques Laboratory) has successfully helped
develop specific ultrasonic boards and software to be used in the next generation of
ultrasonic sealing systems at JRC Ispra.

A design study was performed in collaboration with ITU for the establishment at

Obninsk of the "Russian Methodological and
Training Centre" in the field of nuclear
safeguards. This study has led to the
conclusion of a TACIS contract.

- Research activities related to Controlled

Thermonuclear Fusion have been focused on

ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) as follows :

Remote handling: computer simulation and
tests on the ROBERTINO facility of the
maintenance by remote operation of the
blanket components placed inside the
reactor have been completed.

Safety studies: the mechanical integrity of
the vacuum vessel of the reactor and blanket

components under plasma disruptions has
been investigated. Thermal transient analyses after a reactor accident have been
pursued.

_Institutional_ _Support_ _Activities_

- For the Commission Secretariat General,
scientific and technical projects were
completed in support of UCLAF, the
Commission antifraud service: a study of
UCLAF's customers and the services they
require; a requirement study of the
investigative process; an inventory of
information resources; and an exploratory
data analysis of fraud case data. New projects
are under way: a feasibility study for IRENE
95 (the integrated information management
system of the UCLAF); pattern recognition in
databases of fraud cases; estimating the rates
of commission vs detection/communication

of fraud; harmonising fraud case
information flows across all sectors.

- Support to DG III (Industry) included a

contribution to the Information and

Communications Technologies programme
through R&D projects, industrial workshops,
seminars and conferences (SAFECOMP 95).

- Support to DG VI (Agriculture): research,
development of new methods and
performance tests were carried out for the

_JRC_ _Annual_ _Report 1995_

**33**

identification of animals by means of tags
and their measurement systems, in the
framework of a major (antifraud) European
animal tagging project.

- Support to DG XI (Environment): the
memorandum of understanding for the
creation of the Major Accident Hazard
Bureau in support of the "Seveso" Directive
has been implemented. This Bureau, linked
mainly to DG XI and subsequently to
national authorities and industry, operates a
Major Accident Reporting System (MARS)
and a Community Documentation Centre for
Industrial Risk (CDCIR).

In 1995 the Bureau dealt with the production
of reports on lessons learned from accidents
notified to the Commission, with distribution
of a data base on accidents as well as with
coordination of technical groups on safety
reports and management systems. The
Bureau also organised a seminar on the
implementation of the Seveso Directive,
"Accident Scenarios and Emergency
Response".

In the field of safe applications of
biotechnology, a high level EU-US meeting
took place in June, dealing with field tests of
genetically modified organisms.

- In support of the Nuclear Safety Unit of DG
XI, a first version of the European earthquake
catalogue has been prepared and its further
development is under consideration.

- Support provided to the EURATOM
Safeguards Directorate, DG XVII (Energy):
ISEI contributed to the fulfilment of Treaty
requirements in the following areas: sealing
and identification techniques, surveillance
techniques, testing of safeguards equipments, data and information treatment,
health physics and training. A new system for
the automatic reviewing of recorded
surveillance images has been developed. A
remote monitoring link between the JRC
Ispra and the EURATOM Safeguards Directorate in Luxembourg has been installed. A
contribution to long-term energy scenarios,
including the evolution of the nuclear energy
industry, has been considered.

- Technical support is provided to the
EURATOM Safeguards Directorate and IAEA
for the procurement and measurement of
several hundred ultrasonic sealing bolts,
installed on spent fuel transport and storage

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

containers at a European fuel reprocessing
plant.

B. Competitive Activities

_Shared-Cost Actions_

ISEI has been selected for 17 projects under the
following lines: advanced communication
technologies & services (ACTS); environment
and climate; industrial and materials technologies (BRITE-EURAM III); non-nuclear energy
(JOULE R&D); nuclear fission safety; technology
validation and technology transfer; telematics;
training and mobility of researchers (TMR).

_Competitive Support for Community Policies_

ISEI has been selected for 36 projects launched
by various DGs, namely: three projects from the
Secretariat General, Antifraud Unit; three from
DG lll-F on High Performance Computering
Networks; two from DG XI on Environmental
problems; twelve from DG Xlll-D on Technology
transfer; thirteen from DG XVII on solar and
rational use of energy; three from EUROSTAT
on neural networks and other applications to
statistical problems. The effective work will
begin early in 1996.

_Work for Third Parties_

Four institutes from the JRC (ISEI, 1ST, IRSA and
El) are taking part, together with 79
departments from the universities of Catania,
Messina and Palermo, in a vast regional
development project for Sicily which started in
December 1994. ISEI was granted the general
management and technical leadership of the
project. A first six months report has been sent
in July 1995 to the Sicily Region, and the second
one is in preparation. Results have been
achieved in all major sub-projects. They deal
with: a decision support system for water
supply management; winter and summer
campaigns for NO2 monitoring with 300
detectors in Catania, Messina and Palermo; a
mobile unit to measure pollution and the
erosion of the soil; safety and reliability of
chemical and petrochemical installations;
optical inspection methods for an historic
building in Palermo with 3-D representation
and structural analysis; sampling the Sicilian
population for an analysis of trace elements in
human body tissues.

Three new contracts have been established on
risk analysis and information to the public. A
project to analyse the causes and consequences
of stress at work in air traffic control has been

carried, out for the Consiglio Nazionale delle
RicercKé (Italy).

The European Solar Test installation has landed
10 new contracts, 8 for photovoltaic module
qualification testing and 2 for reference device
calibrations.

In a contract with PNC Japan (Power Reactor
and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation),
good results have been obtained with new
ultrasonic identification equipment and
associated compact instruments, for among
other things, the sealing of plutonium
transport containers at the PNC facility at Tokai
Mura.

**34**

_Other Competitive_ _Activities_

Portable equipment has been provided to IAEA
for volume/mass determination in large tanks in
bulk handling facilities.

A design study is being performed for the
establishment at Obninsk of the Russian
Methodological and Training Centre, in the
field of nuclear safeguards. It has led to the
conclusion of a TACIS contract.

Two 1994 actions in the Copernicus programme
have started.

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

**35**

2.5 THE ENVIRONMENT INSTITUTE

El research contributed to the Framework

Programme lines "Environment and Climate"
and "Life Sciences and Technologies". The
emphasis of El's research was on global change,
e.g. biogenic emissions and aerosols, and on the
management of soil and groundwater pollution
sources, together with contributions in the field
of the working environment, such as indoor air
quality and trace metals impact on human

health in the EU.

A large part of the Institute's work has been
devoted to support activities for Community
policies: environmental policies, the agricultural policy, quality control of medicinal products
and quality control of foodstuffs.

A.lnstitutional Activities

The Environment Institute is actively involved in
the research programmes, Environment and
Climate, and Life Sciences and Technologies.
The respective proportions of R&D activities vs.
support for the Commission's sectoral policies
are approximately 30 and 70 percent.

_Institutional_ _Research_ _Activities_

 - "Climate Change": Understanding the
formation of tropospheric ozone (an
important greenhouse gas) and its impact on
atmospheric pollution is of major importance
for the Mediterranean region. The BEMA
project (Biogenic Emissions in the
Mediterranean Area) intends to assess the
role of plant biogenic emissions in that area
and is being developed at El, in collaboration
with 17 European laboratories, under JRC
coordination. Two major research campaigns
were led in 1995, focused on citrus fields near
Valencia (Spain) and on the natural
vegetation near Montpellier (France). El
participated also in the EUPHORE project to
build and exploit a large outdoor
photochemical reactor, completed in 1995 at
CEAM (Centro de Estudios Ambientales del
Mediterraneo) in Valencia, Spain.

The role of natural and anthropogenic
aerosols in the mitigation of the greenhouse
effect was investigated, both in the field and
on models. Field studies involved

characterising the aerosol pollution drifting
from the European continent, in preparation
for the 1997 campaign of the ACE-2 (Aerosol
Characterisation Experiment-2), in which
over 40 European and US laboratories will
participate.

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

Laboratory experiments were also begun, to
investigate isotopic effects on the uptake by
soils of methane, a greenhouse gas.
Analytical techniques and sampling devices
are also being developed for field
measurements on N 2 0 and CH4.

_**Aerosols and Climate Project**_

_**The Project aims at understanding the**_
_**chemical**_ _**and physical processes leading to**_
_**aerosols in both the clean and**_ _**antbropo-**_
_**genkally**_ _**influenced marine environment**_
_**These aerosols are thought to have an**_
_**important effect on the Earth's radiative**_
_**balance and**_ _**climate.**_ _**The programme**_
_**combines**_ _**modelling,**_ _**field**_ _**work and**_
_**laboratory studies, in collaboration with**_
_**other**_ _**European**_ _**and international research**_
_**teams.**_

_**Most aerosols effectively scatter sun light**_
_**back**_ _**into**_ _**space**_ _**r**_ _**leading to a cooling of the**_
_**Earth.**_ _**A study**_ _**has**_ _**been**_ _**undertaken**_ _**into the**_
_**role of black carbon**_ _**(BC)**_ _**aerosols**_ _**Sn**_ _**the**_
_**global radiative**_ _**balance.**_ _**Black carbon**_ _**is the**_
_**main light-absorbing**_ _**aerosol and would thus**_
_**enhance**_ _**greenhouse**_ _**warming/BC**_ _**is**_ _**mamfy**_
_**emitted**_ _**by fossil**_ _**fuel burning and by biomass**_
_**burning.**_

_**A major**_ _**aspect of the**_ _**Project**_ _**is the study**_ _**of**_
_**aerosol dynamics**_ _**of sulfate**_ _**aerosofs**_ _**t**_ _**Le***_ _**the**_
_**study of formation and growth processes**_
_**that determine the size distribution of**_ **Éhêsé**
_**aerosols***_

_**The basic mechanisms**_ _**of aerosol formation**_
_**are studied in the laboratory. A**_ _**facility,**_
_**unique in**_ _**Europe,**_ _**has been built m which**_
_**SO2**_ _**is**_ _**photochemkafly**_ _**transformed**_ _**Into**_
_**sulfuric**_ _**acid,**_ _**which subsequently nucleates**_
_**and**_ _**grows**_ _**to**_ _**form**_ _**a**_ _**sulfate**_ _**aerosoL**_

- "Pollution": Work on the management of
soil and groundwater pollution sources was
scaled up to include catchment areas. The
evaluation of several alternative land use

management strategies should allow the
identification of critical subareas in an

agricultural ecosystem.

The MITO project aims, inter alia, to monitor
algal blooms in the Mediterranean sea. The
performance of fast, easy-to-use flow
cytometers was tested in order to detect,
enumerate and characterise phytoplancton
populations at the cellular level. This will lead

to a real-time monitoring system which
quantifies the algal species responsible for
red and green tides.

Test materials were prepared (AQUACON
project) for laboratory performance tests for
waste (sewage sludge) and soil analysis,
waste water analysis and the determination
of metals in surface waters.

The European Collaborative Action (ECA) on
"Indoor Air Quality and its Impact on Man"
now involves 15 countries, and El participates
in its management and scientific secretariat.
Research activities have included experiments
on human exposure to volatile organic
compounds (VOCs), for the first time in a 30
m* test chamber (Indoortron). A study of the
impact of ad-/desorption phenomena, and
the scaling up of small to large test chamber
experiments have also been carried out.

_**AutomaticMeasurementofPollutants**_

_**The continuous automatic measurement of**_
_**pollutants h very**_ _**important for two**_ _**reasansi**_
_**in**_ _**order,**_ _**to follow**_ _**conh&ntmtion variations**_
_**over**_ _**certain**_ _**time**_ _**periods,**_ **,** _**and in order**_ **to**
_**understand**_ _**pat&wiàr**_ _**phenomena,**_ _**such,**_ _**es**_
_**the**_ _**identification**_ _**of the**_ _**source of**_ _**the**_ _**actual**_
_**potfutantfs}.**_ _**Until recently**_ _**no**_ _**instrument**_
_**existed with such an automatic capability to**_
_**measure**_ _**t**_ _**for**_ _**example**_ _**t**_ _**formaldehyde**_ _**z**_ _**e very**_
_**harmful and widespread pollutant used**_
_**widely**_ _**In**_ _**industry,**_ _**The gap has now been**_
_**filled at the**_ _**Environment**_ _**institute,**_ _**where a**_
_**device for the automatic sampling and**_
_**analysis**_ _**of**_ _**formaldehyde,**_ _**heavier**_ _**aldehydes**_
_**and**_ _**ketones,**_ _**has**_ _**been set**_ _**up.**_ _**This**_ _**instrument**_
_**can operate unattended for one**_ _**week,**_
_**carrying out sampling and analysis of**_
_**ambient air every î$**_ _**minutes.**_ _**A very**_
_**interesting**_ _**feature of this**_ _**instrument is**_ _**that**_
_**it**_ _**can**_ _**be**_ _**used for**_ _**the**_ _**monitoring**_ _**of different**_
_**pollutants.**_ _**Negotiations are underway**_ _**with**_ _**a**_
_**company for the**_ _**commercial**_ _**production of**_
_**the monitor, which has received much**_
_**attention at two**_ _**exhibitions:**_ _**HELECO *95 in**_
_**Athens and**_ _**RICH '95 in**_ _**Milan,**_

Establishing baseline values for trace metals
in human body tissues for clinical,
epidemiological and toxicological assessment
studies, and studying the impact of trace
metals on the health of EU human
populations in their living/working
environment, are the objectives of the EURO
TERVIHT project. Prenormative research was
carried out on exposure impact on health.

**j»o**

Attempts were made to further understand
the biochemical mechanisms of trace metal
toxicity at low exposure, by identifying
critical organs and molecular targets, with
emphasis on the potential impact on
cardiovascular, immunological and reproductive systems, which might show up later
in life.

_Institutional Support Activities_

In 1995, El has been involved in issues of
concern to Directorate General XI (Environment), DG I!! (Industry), DG VI (Agriculture) and
DG XXIV (Consumer policy), and has organised a
large number of relevant meetings, workshops
and task forces.

The European Reference Laboratory for Air
Pollution (ERLAP) has been particularly active in
the harmonisation of current EU directives on
air pollution, organising Quality Assurance
Control prrçrrammes and developing and
validating >ew monitoring techniques.
Activities ir,. uded field intercomparison
("round roDin") exercises, as well as the
development and validation of diffusive
sampling techniques for measuring benzene
and ozone in The air.

ETEX, the European Tracer Experiment, aims at
selecting atmospheric models able to forecast
the evolution of a pollutant cloud in real time.
Several thousand previously collected air
samples were analysed at El via a special
chromatographic technique. Results show that
only a few diffusion models, even when
coupled with meteorological models, are
accurate enough to describe the pollutant
cloud's evoiu-ion. ETEX was co-sponsored by
the EC, the World Meteorological Organization
(WMO) and the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA).

The European Chemicals Bureau (ECB) has
become fully operative 9 months ahead of
schedule. It is now handling all the technical
and scientific tasks required of the Commission
for the notification of new chemicals in the
areas of "Classification and Labelling", "Testing
Methods" "Risk Assessment of Existing
Chemicals" and "Export/import of Certain
Dangerous Chemicals" (Directives 67/548/EEC
and 92/32/EEC; Council- Regulations (EEC)
2455/92 and (EEC) 793/93). A second phase of
data collection for the Council Regulation on
the Risk Assessment of Existing Chemicals was
concluded, data was transmitted to competent
authorities in the Member States, and a public
version of IUCLID (International Uniform

_JRC Annual Report 1995_

**37**

Chemicals Database) (excluding confidential
data files), was made available on CD-ROM to
the industry and general public.

The European Centre for the Validation of
Alternative Testing Methods (ECVAM),
inaugurated in October 1994, has defined its
priority criteria w i t h its advisory Committee.
Studies have been launched on the prevalidation of non-animal testing protocols,
vaccine potency and safety testing, and
integrated alternative approaches in toxicity
testing, focusing on metabolism-mediated
toxicity and on in vitro tests for teratogenicity
in blood-forming tissues.

The feasibility of collaboration with the
European Environment Agency's Topic Centres
on Air Quality (RIVM, NL) and on Inland Waters
(Water Research Centre, UK) has been explored,
preliminary activities (mainly on Air Quality
Monitoring, Alpine Observatory, Inland Waters,
Contaminated Sites and Mobile Laboratories)
having been carried out.

A European Technical Office for Medicinal
Products was established at El after a

Memorandum of Understanding was signed
between the European Agency for the
Evaluation of Medicinal Products and the Joint

Research Centre. This office is now called the

ETOMEP Unit of the Environment Institute of

the JRC, and is dedicated to the development of
technical systems necessary for the
implementation of European Union legislation
on medicinal products.

Other work carried out by El included analytical
work related to wine, food and cosmetics, and
preparatory work in support of the Ecological
Directive for surface bodies of water.

_JRC_ _Annual Report_ _1995_

B. Competitive Activities

_Shared-Cost_ _Actions_

22 proposals have been accepted so far. The
majority of these concern the Environment and
Climate Programme, covering a wide range of
activities closely related t o the ongoing JRC
Research Programme. However, projects within
the Standard, Measurement and Testing, the
Telematics Applications and the Nuclear Fission
Safety programmes have been approved as
well.

_Competitive_ _Support for Community_ _Policies_

El has answered calls for tender issued by
several DGs of the Commission, and 11
proposals have been selected for funding,
which may reasonably be expected to start early
in 1996. The topics covered include:

- Prenormative research, standardised as well
as special analytical methods for foodstuffs
analysis (DG III);

- Information and communication systems
within the framework of the European
Medicinal Evaluation Agency (DG III);

- Development of analytical
for dairy products (DG VI);

methodologies

- Support to CORDIS information system (DG
XIII);

- Analytical procedures for custom control of
special products, and for products classified
according to their chemical composition (for
DGXXI).

_Work for Third Parties_

A series of activities has been performed, mainly
to provide local and regional authorities with
appropriate tools for the management of
surface bodies of water, toxic waste pollution
problems and air pollution monitoring
techniques.

**2.6** **THE INSTITUTE FOR REMOTE SENSING**

**APPLICATIONS**

The IRSA performs research activities on
applications of remote sensing and contributed
to the Framework Programme line Environment
and Climate with its specific activities on the
Centre for Earth Observation (CEO), remote
sensing techniques and monitoring, and
advanced Earth observation techniques.

Through the use of satellite Earth observation
data it also provides important scientific
support for agricultural statistics.

A. Institutional Activities

_Institutional_ _Research_ _Activities_

One of IRSA's important R&D fields is the
exploitation of satellite data for the mapping of
land cover and land degradation in Europe and
in the world, and for the monitoring of bush
and forest fires, under the research programme,
Environment and Climate. IRSA is also developing and validating capabilities for remote
detection, e.g., of oil slicks or antipersonnel

landmines.

The Centre for Earth Observation (CEO) project
completed its "pathfinder phase" in 1995.
Throughout the year the project ran a number
of studies and workshops aimed at defining a
final CEO concept and at establishing a design
and implementation plan for the coming years.
This involved in-house research and

consultation with present and future Earth
observation data users and service providers
throughout the European Union (EU) and the
European Economic Area (EEA). The CEO
project worked in close collaboration with a
Pathfinder Phase steering committee, consisting
of experts from all EU and EEA countries,
nominated by the Board of Governors. The
work was done in cooperation with European
and global partners, including the European
Space Agency (ESA), EUMETSAT, the European
Environment Agency (EEA), the United States'
NASA and National Océanographie and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the
National Space Development Agency (NASDA)
of Japan. The concept should include the
promotion of access to Earth observation data
and services to scientific, commercial and
governmental customers.

Monitoring the state and evolution of
terrestrial vegetation cover involved the
creation of vegetation maps, which indicate
both land cover change and functional

**38**

vegetation parameters, such as seasonality or
fire on a continental and, ultimately, global

scale.

_**Forestmformatxon**_ _**System**_

_**t$9$**_ _**sew the completion of the**_ _**forest**_
_**information**_ _**from Remote Sensing**_ _**{FIRS}**_
_**projects**_ _**Pfenning Phase in**_ **cooperation** _**with**_
_**consortia:**_ _**'-.of**_ _**organisations from**_ _**France,**_
_**Germany,**_ _**Sweden**_ _**r**_ _**"**_ _**the Czech**_ _**Republic,**_
_**Russia,**_ _**Poland,**_ _**Spaln**_ _**t**_ _**Ireland and**_ _**Finland.**_
_**The major objective of the project is to**_
_**contribute**_ _**to the development of**_ _**a Unified**_
_**European Forest information**_ _**System,**_
_**providing**_ _**both**_ _**production related and**_
_**environmental forest information.**_ _**In 1995**_
_**the project developed a**_ _**régionalisation and**_
_**final**_ _**stratMication**_ _**of European forest**_
_**ecosystems and finalised the unified**_
_**European**_ _**Forest**_ _**Nomenclature System**_ **>**

Using a ten year archive of satellite images, land
cover maps and daily fire counts were prepared
for Africa, and the same work has begun for
South-East Asia. Portable stations receiving
satellite data were also used in Central Africa

and Madagascar to map and monitor bushfires,
as part of local and regional environmental
management programmes. Data obtained from
instruments on the European remote sensing
satellites ERS-1 and ERS-2 are being evaluated
as aids to detection of fire scars and to

measurement of burned areas. A database

describing the entire tropical forest belt was
interfaced with remote sensing data to provide
the Tropical Forest Information System, which
will be produced as an interactive CD-ROM for
general dissemination.

The mapping of land degradation linked to fire,
soil erosion and land use changes in the
Mediterranean Member States of the EU, and
the monitoring of forests on a pan-European
scale under the FIRS project (Forest Information
from Remote Sensing) were associated with
fundamental research on image understanding
techniques, which will facilitate the use of data
from future European space borne sensors.

The bidirectional reflectance properties of the
Earth's surface have been studied thanks to

advanced models of surface radiation

interactions, to help in developing the next
generation of satellite image processing
algorithms and in exploiting data from future
high performance sensors.

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

**3 3**

Satellite; based observations of sea surface
temperatures and ocean colour over large areas
provided information for the study of the
marine biosphere. Image interpretation, data
processing and the use of dynamic models were
developed as means of assessing biomass
production and carbon dioxide exchange by
phytoplankton, ocean thermal dynamics, and
the implications of both on the global climate
system. The use of Earth observation data
archives was coupled with new approaches to
data management and analysis, and to strategy
development for processing data from new
sensors. Neural networks and virtual reality
systems were tested as means of extracting
information from future multidimensional data

sets.

In the European Airborne Remote Sensing
Capability (EARSEC), tests on sensors and the
development of the Synthetic Aperture Radar
geophysical processor were finalised. The
validation of EARSEC focused on developing oil
slick detection at sea and ship routing
applications.

Advanced experiments defined by the
European Microwave Signature Laboratory
(EMSL) user group included in 1995 test series
on "The scattering properties of non-vegetated
soils" and "Imaging techniques".

Plastic antipersonnel land mines are numerous
in some heavily populated regions of the world,
and detection of these dangerous objects is a
high risk, yet vital, operation. In addition to the
humanitarian threat, these objects can be seen
as an environmental threat as their presence
prohibits effective land use in 'contaminated'
areas. A 1995 report based on EMSL results
evaluated possible improvements in the
capacity to detect dangerous objects
manufactured from plastics by the application
of remote sensing techniques using, for
instance, remote sensing devices on land based
vehicles or low flying remote controlled
platforms.

_Institutional_ _Support_

- Support for the European Environment
Agency (EEA) focused on the creation of
EEA's Land Cover Topic Centre, in
collaboration with various European
organisations active in the field of Earth
observation.

- Support for DG VI (Agriculture) consisted in
the application of remote sensing to

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

agricultural statistics, with the aim of
developing and demonstrating methodologies for integrating remote sensing data
into the collection of statistics for the
monitoring of crop acreage and agricultural
production in the EU (Council Decision
94/753/EC No. L299 of 22.11.1994).

The Monitoring of Agriculture with Remote
Sensing (MARS) project includes two
components. Firstly, MARS STAT, involving
research on the development of an advanced
agricultural information system which
integrates the various methods of crop
production monitoring developed by the
MARS project, the development of
techniques for agricultural production
monitoring in non European Union
countries, and the development of new
techniques for monitoring Europe's
agricultural land, using data from the
European remote sensing satellites ERS-1 and
2. Secondly, MARS CAP, which deals with the
verification of farmers' land use declarations,
as governed by the Common Agricultural
Policy. In 1995 MARS CAP devolved to
individual Member States. For MARS STAT,
IRSA provided both technical support and a
research programme, and for MARS CAP,
technical support centred on quality control,
and training and assistance for Member
States' personnel and national companies.

B. Competitive Activities

_Shared-Cost Actions_

IRSA submitted 40 proposals, together with
national partners, on a range of specific
scientific subjects, of which 10 have been
accepted. A proposal on imaging spectroscopy
was also made, under the programme Training
and Mobility of Researchers. If it is successful,
IRSA will host 20 post-doctoral researchers over
the next three years.

_Competitive Support for Community Policies_

IRSA answered calls for tender issued by several
DGs of the Commission. Proposals were
accepted in a number of key areas. For
example:

- Application of the MARS project for wine
and olive production modelling (for DG VI);

- An operational tropical forest monitoring
programme, submitted by the Monitoring of
Tropical Vegetation Unit (for DG XI);

- Two, joint bids with ISEI dealing with neural
network applications, one to EUROSTAT
concerning neural networks for land use
classification, the other to DG III for the
benchmarking of neural network systems.

_Work for Third Parties_

Five contracts were carried out for customers in
Belgium, France and Italy, on topics ranging
from microwave measurements to regional

**40**

environmental resource inventories and marine
pollution monitoring.

_Other Competitive Activities_

A four year multi-country project for rapid
environmental and agricultural monitoring and
statistics was accepted by the PHARE
programme. Another project, on the
development of systems for crop assessment
and monitoring in Russia, was accepted by
TACIS.

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

**41**

**2.7** **-ÇJ-IE** **INSTITUTE FOR SAFETY**
**TECHNOLOGY**

Research on Safety Technology, performed at
1ST, contributed to the Framework Programme
lines Measurement and Testing, Environment
and Climate, Nuclear Fission Safety, and
Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion. The overall

mission of 1ST is to perform research
contributing t o safe civil engineering structures,
nuclear reactors, fusion tests as well as relating
to particular problems of the chemical
industries and power utilities.

The Institute is also engaged in several support
activities related to Community policies in the
field of energy, in the area of Nuclear
Safeguards (Euratom Safeguards and IAEA).

A. Institutional Activities

Under the Nuclear Fission Safety programme
the IST's investigations deal essentially with
defining safe operation conditions for industrial
installations and for research, existing or
planned. In particular, the Nuclear Safety and
Safeguards programme covers a major part of
IST's activity. Major support is provided to the
Euratom Safeguards Directorate of DG XVII and
of DG I for the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA). IST's support activity is generally
closely blended with institutional research.

New results were obtained from an important
corium melt experiment on melt quenching in
the TERMOS test vessel. The experiment
simulated an in-vessel situation during a severe

accident.

The first version of the COMETA code for

calculating fuel/coolant interactions is now
completed and is used for routine pre- and posttest calculations of the FARO tests. External

users include IKE, ENEA, and the University of
Wisconsin. IKE introduced the fuel breakup
model into the code.

The experimental programme on the STORM
facility started in June 1995. The advanced
instrumentation for characterising aerosols was
validated. The thermohydraulic behaviour in
the mixing vessel and the deposition in pipes of
Sn-aerosols under varying thermohydraulic
conditions were tested (four tests with precalculations, analysis, and post-tests calculations). The documentation of these tests is
nearly complete. The 4th and 5th meetings of
the international STORM user group were held
in March and December. Five sets of aerosol

problems are proposed-as benchmarks for codes

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

currently used for modelling thermohydraulics
and aerosol physics in nuclear plants. Large
discrepancies have been highlighted in the
results for turbulent aerosol deposition and
resuspension as calculated by various codes. To
improve and assess these mathematical models,
reliable measured data are needed for

comparison purposes.

Work in support of Phebus FP was jointly
performed by a team of 1ST analysts and on-site
staff at CEA Cadarache (F), to interpret the
wealth of on-line and post-test measurements
available from a first test (late 1993) with lightly
irradiated fuel, and to prepare for the next test
with irradiated fuel. The first test yielded some
unexpected results, such as the advanced state
of degradation of the fuel rods, the low
deposition in the experimental circuit, and the
persistence of gaseous radioactive iodine in the
containment vessel.

New and updated models were added to the
ESTER (European Source Term Research Code)
system. A new, extended version of ESTER was
formally released at a User Group meeting in
October. An extensive validation was carried

out with the User Group.

Non destructive testing instruments are being
developed: a new PIN monitor now used in Mol
(Belgium); a scanner for MTR fuel plate
inspection at Romans sur Isère (France); a new
gamma detection device to control fuel
elements stored under water; and a new
Plutonium scrap monitor. An unattended
system for safeguarding low enriched U installations includes specific software and a novel
neutron collar.

Under the Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion

programme, 1ST participated to the world-wide
development of fusion technology focused on
the design of the International Thermonuclear
Experimental Reactor (ITER). The overall system
testing for the ETHEL tritium safety laboratory
was completed. The various laboratory systems
were tested and the necessary documentation
prepared to carry out the necessary cold
commissioning phase prior to nuclear tests with
tritium. The Fifth Topical Meeting on Tritium
Technology was hosted and the proceedings
were published in the Fusion Technology
Journal.

R&D activity focused on fusion materials, waste
studies, tritium control approaches and new
measurement techniques. 1ST hosted a number
of experiments on tritium, e.g. on the
behaviour of inbuilding characteristics, the

reduction of tritiated water on regenerable hot
iron beds, and the performance of a tritium gas
monitor based on scintillation principles. Within
ETHEL, work continued on: characterising
tritium recycling and outgassing from potential
first wall materials under fusion reactor

conditions; studying large scale gaseous
detritiation techniques; and measuring the
performance of various permeation barriers. An
experimental plant for detritiating and
conditioning activated/ tritiated solid fusion
wastes is being assembled.

Work under the Measurements and Testing
programme concentrated on assessing the
reliability of structures. Major pseudodynamic
tests were performed in the ELSA facility on a
large composite steel/concrete frame under
conditions simulating severe earthquakes, in
support _of_ the validation _and_ further
improvement of Eurocode 8 (which applies to
the design of civil engineering structures in
seismic areas) and Eurocode 4. The dynamic
properties of materials and critical structural
components were studied in the LDTF facility,
mainly in collaboration with industry.

Tools were developed to simulate the seismic
behavior of complete civil engineering
structures. Significant progress was made in
model prediction and comparison with
experimental results, on the behaviour of
masonry infills, and of reinforced concrete
beam-to-column joints. A full documentation
set (manuals and model description reports) has
been completed for PLEXIS-3C, a large
computer code for transient dynamic analysis of
general 3D coupled fluid-structure systems,
developed in collaboration with CEA (France).

Facilities and calculation tools for industrial

reliability research within the Environment and
Climate programme became fully operational.
The FIRES facility was used for, amongst other
things, compiex polymerization tests as a
service to the chemical industry. Control system
development was supported and experimentally verified, in collaboration with TU Stuttgart
(Germany), to demonstrate Kalman filter based
control and for the application of neural
network control algorithms. Venting tests were
performed in the COLUMBUS facility to
simulate horizontal vessel discharge and
situations in heat exchangers. The DRACULA
facility produced reference data for the design
of emergency pressure relief systems in large
plants.

The first commercial version of the RELIEF code

for emergency pressure relief design was

**42**

completed, including industrial verification. It
combines complex modelling with extreme user
friendliness. In an application test, a plant
manager was able t o install the software on his
PC and to simulate various venting scenarios for
his plant in less than t w o hours.

The advanced simulation software for

detonation/deflagration modeling, REACFLOW,
was released in a 2D version. New software

modelling of two-phase flow and for the
dispersion of heavy gas releases was further
developed.

_Institutional_ _Support_ _Activities_

In the way of support activities for the
harmonisation of in-service nuclear safeguards
inspection practices, training courses were
given in PERLA to safeguards inspectors,
including Russian inspectors and operators and
industrial experts, and in-field support was
given to safeguards inspectors during physical
inventory verifications (PIV). State of the art
equipment and reference analyses of nuclear
materials samples were also provided. Non
destructive assays were also performed.

B. Competitive Activities

_Shared-Cost_ _Actions_

18 out of 52 proposals were successful. They
refer to the BRITE programme, the Environment
and Climate programme, the ESPRIT HPCN
programme, the Nuclear Fission Safety
programme and the Technology Transfer
programme. ELSA, the European Laboratory for
Structural Assessment, has been recognised as a
Large-Scale Facility for European users within
the Training and Mobility of Researchers
programme. A research network of 12
European organisations has been approved for
research in support of Eurocode 8.

_Competitive_ _Support for Community_ _Policies_

1ST has answered calls for tender from several

Directorates-General. Some proposals are at an
advanced stage of discussion, in particular,
support for the development of EUROCODE 8
for DG III.

_Work for Third Parties_

Work was requested from 1ST by various
industries, authorities and associations.
Developments include simulation of the
response of plain and reinforced concrete
structures to impulsive loading. Major contracts

_JRC Annual Report_ _1995_

**43**

were also signed with the USNRC, for severe
accident; studies with FARO, and with the
Portuguese General Directorate for Monuments
(DGEMN) for an experimental investigation of
the structural reliability of the monastery Sâo
Vicente de Fora in Lisbon

_**FARO**_

_**The high-pressure**_ _**melt**_ _**trenching**_ _**test**_ _**series**_
_**m FAHOx using**_ _**up to**_ _**1:0**_ _**kg molten**_ _**corium**_ _**t**_
_**weresutce$sfullycondjd!edin**_ _**Î93S.**_

_**important results were**_ ***** _**'biamed concerning**_
_**Fuel+tootant in**_ _**fatewiens**_ _**in severe**_
_**accident scenarios forlr}hr**_ _**Water**_ _**Reactors,**_
_**inpatticular;**_
_**All tests showed**_ _**consitfarzbte**_ _**melt breakup**_
_**end quenching in**_ _**w&xr;**_ _**Mean**_ _**debris size**_
_**ranged from**_ **3.5** _**to**_ **5** _**rstn:.**_ _**This**_ _**shows the**_
_**debris bed should be**_ _**coolabfe by**_ _**water.**_
_**Early**_ _**themal**_ _**load to debris collecting**_
_**structures**_ _**was**_ _**found**_ _**tv**_ _**tye**_ _**mild.**_
_**Steam explosions**_ _**did**_ _**not**_ _**octur***_

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

Sizeable marketing efforts focused on
advancing new competitive activities and
promoting the results achieved on industrial
reliability.

1ST activities were displayed at three
exhibitions: the Loss Prevention Symposium in
Antwerp, INCHEM 95 in Tokyo, and RICH in
Milan. Initial sales and third party contracts
point to a successful and positive trend for the
future.

2.8 THE INSTITUTE FOR PROSPECTIVE

TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES

The role of IPTS is to be constantly aware of all
relevant, significant and outstanding scientific
and technological events and trends in Europe,
particularly those that call for action at EU level.
The Institute contributed to the Framework

Programme line, Targeted Socio-Economic
Research. The essential tasks of IPTS are: to

harvest available information; to analyse,
process and integrate it impartially; and to
identify clear trends or calls for action for
decision makers.

The main current tasks at IPTS are setting up the
European Science and Technology Observatory
(ESTO), and carrying out technological
prospective studies.

A. Institutional Activities

IPTS moved to Seville in 1994 and under the

Targeted Socio-Economic Research line of the
Fourth Framework Programme was given a
reinforced objective and corresponding human
and financial resources. A large part of 1995
has thus been devoted to the preparation of an
operational work plan. The general purpose is
to harvest available contributions from experts,
consultants, research organisations and
institutes in the Member States where possible,
also in third countries, to be able rapidly to
analyse, process and integrate them impartially
and in depth and, even more importantly, to
distil clear trends or calls for action in a form

usable by decision-makers.

Although IPTS's activities and resources are
formally broken into specific research on the
one hand, and support of EU policies on the
other, all projects address directly or indirectly
the public need for knowledge and
understanding. Unavoidably, the distinction
between the t w o types of activities may be
somewhat blurred.

_Institutional_ _Research_ _Activities_

The Observatory at IPTS forms an integral part
of the Institute's work and is currently focused
on selected fields, but a network of similar
organisations operating at national level is
being set up to extend its range and to satisfy
the much broader function of a truly European
Science and Technology Observatory. All
interested partners share the responsibility of
carrying out a "technology watch" as a joint
venture. The technology watch function has
been designed to support decision making and

**44**

is complemented by specific in-depth prospective analyses aimed at shedding light on the
interface between scientific & technical aspects,
on the one hand, the economy & society, on the

other.

Since employment is one of the major
preoccupations of EU institutions and society,
the driving force behind all of IPTS' activities is
the compound notion "Technology-Competitiveness-Employment" (TCE).

In 1995, IPTS undertook prospective studies on
specific subjects related either to a technology
(e.g. biotechnology), a field (e.g. individual
mobility) or a cross-cutting issue or aspect. For
instance, work relevant to the regional
dimension more specifically, the Mediterranean
area was carried out, within the framework of
both integrated development and specific
sectors (renewable energies, water problems).

_Institutional_ _Support_ _Activities_

Prospective technological studies on materials,
chemical feedstock recycling and energy
recovery from municipal plastics waste,
launched in 1994 on behalf of DG XI

(Environment), resulted in four preliminary

surveys:

- current projects on mechanical recycling of
municipal plastics waste;

- current legislative activity in plastics waste
management;

- current projects on plastics recycling by
chemolysis;

- current projects on energy recovery from
municipal plastics waste.

Three new families of energy technologies were
studied in 1995 and joined the series of
prospective analyses launched in 1994 for DG
XVII (Energy): photovoltaics, CO2 disposal and
storage technologies, and CO2 biological
sequestration.

A new update of the report on Climate Change
Research and Policy (Forward Studies Unit and
DG XVII) covers the monitoring and assessment
of recent research results on climate sensitivity,
with emphasis on past climate changes and on
modelling as well as a synthesis of the results of
the Climate Change Convention in Berlin, in
1995.

_JRC_ _Annual Report 1995_

a i

Two new case studies for the "Business and the
Environment" series have been completed for
the Forward Studies Unit, one on "Waste
Minimisation", the other on "Cleaner Technologies in an SME". This series is designed to give
an accurate measure of some aspects of
competitiveness and employment in companies
eager to respond to environmental pressures.

In the context of work carried out for DG XVI
(Regional Policy), cooperation with the
Japanese agency NISTEP has continued, aimed
at comparing the European and Japanese
experiences in regional development from an
RTD policy perspective. This project will be
completed in 1996.

In response to requests from the STOA
(Scientific and Technical Option Assessment)
panel of the European Parliament, IPTS has
launched the three following projects:

 - "The role of biotechnology in the competitiveness of the European pharmaceutical
industry": Scientific, economic, legal and
social considerations are to be reviewed in
comparing the EU position with its major
competitors. The project provides a factual
overview of R&D and innovation efforts in
the pharmaceutical sector, and a prospective
description of the priorities in research for
new drugs and the prospects and
expectations for new medical therapies. The
expected socio-economic benefits of new
drugs in the context of European health care
systems are analysed.

- "The Car of The Future, the Future of the
Car": Key issues for future transport systems
are linked to achieving sustainable conditions from an environments, social and
economic point of view. The project focuses
on technological, social and economic
aspects of issues related to individual
mobility. Its objectives are to develop
strategies for solving the conflict between
demand for mass individual mobility on the
one hand, and ecological pressure, safety
problems and congestion on the other hand.
Its first stage concentrates on technological
aspects such as new engine concepts, with
focus on zero-emission/e-cars and the related
potential energy storage systems, lightweight materials, recycling aspects and
telematics for increased road use efficiency.
The results are presented in a set of reports.
Socio-economic-political aspects are also

_JRC Annual Report 1995_

dealt with, e.g. driver behaviour/mentality
and acceptance problems related to various
technological options.

_**THE**_

_**KtiPORT**_

## **m mum I M S**

Fig. 4 - The Monthly Report of IPTS

- "Multimedia Information Superhigh-ways":
The project focuses mainly on issues arising
from the rapid development of these
technologies and the services they provide,
such as access devices, pricing/billing to
users, priority systems, interconnection and
interoperability issues, contents and security
concerns, etc. A first report also deals with
the direct and indirect effects on
employment: as with most innovative
technologies, a loss of jobs will be felt in the
short term while in the medium/long term,
the increased general economic performance will have positive effects. This
entails recycling the labour force, the costs of
which are, at this stage, difficult to estimate.
Aspects linked to social and individual
aspects such as exclusion or changes in
human relations are also discussed.

B. Competitive Activities

For the first time IPTS has entered the
competitive market for research contracts. Its
proposals relate mainly to non-nuclear energy
(5 proposals submitted, 3 funded), agro-food,
the environment, international cooperation on
water resources, and biomass (for various
Mediterranean programmes managed by DG I
B). Most of the work will be carried out in 1996.

**Table** **1** **of Annex 1**

**JRC INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES**

**DECISIONS, DIRECTIVES, REGULATIONS** **OF** **THE COUNCIL AND COMMUNICATIONS**

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND **EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ON**

**INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES** **OF** **THE JRC**

Environment and Climate

European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution (ERLAP)

European Chemicals Bureau (ECB)

European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods
(ECVAM)

Supportto the European Environment Agency (EEA)

European Community Pharmaceutical Information Network
(ECPHIN)

Work in support of Directives 80/779 EEC, 89/427 EEC, 82/884 EEC, 85/203 EEC and
92/72 EEC

Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament
(93/C1 /02), OJ No. C1 /3 of 5.01.1993 on the European Chemicals Bureau (ECB).
Work in support of Directives 67/548 EEC, 92/32 EEC

Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament
SEC(91 ) 1794 final of 29.10.1991. Establishment of a European Center for the
Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM).
Work in support of Directive 86/609 EEC

Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1210/90 of 7.5.1990 on the creation of the European
Environmental Agency (OJ No. L120/1, 11.5.1990) (see in particular Article 15 and
Annex A Cooperation with the JRC)

Work in support of Directives 93/39 EEC, 93/40 EEC and Council Regulations
93/2309 EEC and EEC 2377/90

Quality Control of Consumer Products (Consumer Protection) On Cosmetics: 6th modification of Regulation EC/76/768 on Safety of Products:
General Safety Directive 92/59/EEC of 29.6.1994

Industrial Reliability. Major Hazards Biotechnology Safety Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament;
Work in support of Directive 82/501 EEC

Methodologies for UCLAF

**Agriculture and Fisheries**

Remote Sensing for Agriculture

Decision of the Council of 14.11.1994 on Remote Sensing applications to
Agricultural Statistics for the period 1994-1998 (94/753 / EEC, OJ No. L299/27,
22.11.1994)

_**o**_

DECISIONS, DIRECTIVES, REGULATIONS OF THE COUNCIL AND COMMUNICATIONS
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ON

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OF THE JRC

Animal Identification

Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament
European Office for Wine, Alcohol and Spirit Drinks (BEVABS) (COM(93)360/3). Work in support of Council Regulations (EEC) No. 2048/89, 2348/91
and 2347/91 and Commission Regulation No. 2676/90

Reference Measurements and Materials for Quality Control of
Foodstuffs

Nuclear Safety and Safeguards

Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament of
24.3.1992 (SEC (92)515 final, concerning the Commission Decision on on-site
laboratories, for the period 1991-1996 (see in particular Art. 16 Cooperation with
Euratom Safeguards Support: General the JRC)
Euratom Safeguards Support: On-Site laboratories and ECSAM Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament
COM(94)383 final, of 7.9.1994 concerning the illicit circulation of radioactive
material

Communication from the Commission to the Council COM (80) 681 final, concerning
an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the International
IAEA Safeguards Support Atomic Energy Agency on the one hand and the Commission on behalf of the
European Atomic Energy Community, on the other, on cooperation in the field of
research and development in Safeguards

_**HO**_

**Annex 2**

**GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS**

ADAGE Aide à la Décision Aménagement Gestion de l'Environnement

AQUACON Analytical Quality Control

ARTINA Analysis of Radioisotope Traces for the Identification of Nuclear Actinides

BRITE-EURAM Basic Research in Industrial Technologies for Europe- European Research
on Advanced Materials

CEA Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (Paris - France)

CEN Comité Européen de Normalisation

CORDIS Community Research and Development Information Service

ELSA European Laboratory for Structural Assessment

ENIC European Network for Inspections Qualification

ESPRIT-HPCN European Strategic Programme for Research and Development in
Information

ESTI European Solar Test Installation

EURATOM European Atomic Energy Community

EUREKA European Research Coordination Agency

EUROSTAT European Statistical Office

FWP Framework Programme

IPACERC Induction Plasma Assisted CVD of Erosion Resistant Coatings

JOULE Joint Opportunities for Unconventional or Long-Term Energy Supply

MITO Microphyte Toxins

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NEA Nuclear Energy Agency (Paris - France)

NESC European Network for Evaluating Steel Components

NET/ITER Next European Torus / International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor

PHARE Poland - Hungary: Assistance for Economic Restructuring

PHEBUS French Test Reactor (Cadarache - France)

RIVM Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (The Netherlands)

ROBERTINO Facility for the Blanket Handling Device Development in 1:3 Scale

SCK/CEN Studiecentrumm voor Kernenergie/Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires
( Mol- Belgium)

SPOT Système Probatoire pour l'Observation de la Terre

TACIS Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States and
Georgia

THERMIE Technologies Européennes pour la Maîtrise de l'Energie

USNRC United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission

**ISSN 0254-1475**

#### COM(96) 158 final

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