Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

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# 52013DC0308

**REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL Specific Monitoring Report on research activities for nuclear safety and security supported by the Euratom Framework Programme 2012 – 2013 /\* COM/2013/0308 final \*/**

  

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE
COUNCIL

Specific Monitoring Report on research
activities for nuclear safety and security supported by the Euratom Framework
Programme 2012 – 2013

1. Introduction

In accordance with Article 6(1) of the
Framework Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community for nuclear
research and training activities (2012 to 2013)[1],
hereinafter FP7+2, ‘In early 2013, a specific monitoring report shall be
presented to the Council, dedicated to the implementation of nuclear safety and
security activities of the Framework Programme.’

The Commission has fulfilled its reporting
obligation by completing the present report together with the attached Staff
Working Document[2].
This report covers indirect actions implemented by the Commission Directorate
General for Research and Innovation, as well as direct actions carried out by
the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and addresses research activities concerning nuclear
safety and security as well as radiation protection.

Nuclear safety research aims at protecting
people and the environment against the adverse effects of ionising radiation.
It applies to the full range of provisions from the design of nuclear
installations to their construction and operation and final decommissioning,
including the disposal of radioactive waste.

Radiation safety applies to the protection
from and safe use of ionising radiation, including for medical imaging and
therapy as well as the use of radiation sources for industrial radiography.

Research on nuclear security encompasses the
fields of safeguards verification, detection and prevention of nuclear
proliferation as well as detection of and response to malevolent acts involving
nuclear and radioactive materials and is exclusively addressed within the
direct actions of the JRC.

Furthermore, it is important to underline
that Euratom nuclear safety and security research activities do not only
address issues related to the production of electricity but also cover the use
of ionising radiation for a wide range of applications in research, industry,
health and medicine.

2. Main
findings

Following the Fukushima accidents in 2011,
the general objective of the Euratom Framework Programme for nuclear research
and training activities (2012 to 2013) was refocused on nuclear safety and
security.

The annexed Staff Working Document provides
detailed information on the key research activities that were undertaken by
direct and indirect actions to meet this objective.

2.1. Collaborative research

Indirect actions in the field of nuclear
fission research cover the following activities: Management of Radioactive
Waste, Reactor Systems, Radiation Protection, Infrastructures, Human resources,
Mobility and training and Cross-cutting actions.

The safety related part of the Euratom Programme
was already granted very high priority under the previous 7th Framework
Programme (2007-2011), hereinafter FP7. Following the re-orientation decided by
the Council in 2011, the Euratom Work Programmes 2012 and 2013 gave total
emphasis on nuclear safety. As a result, the emphasis on safety aspects was
largely increased, reaching more than 90% of the resources devoted to
collaborative and co-operative research actions. The need to ensure
coordination with other non-nuclear and cross-cutting fields explains why this
percentage did not reach 100%.

Looking at the repartition of the supported
domains, the FP7+2 programme increased the relative importance of
infrastructures, human resources and cross-cutting actions to strengthen the
European capacity for the development of the basic knowledge in the field of
safety.

2.2. Direct actions

The main activities of the JRC support both the
Commission and Member States in fulfilling their Euratom Treaty's obligations
in the field of: nuclear waste management and environmental impact; safety of
nuclear installations and the fuel cycle; and nuclear security, safeguards and
non-proliferation. Cross-cutting activities such as international cooperation,
standardisation, and education and training have also been performed throughout
FP7 and FP7+2.

Within each topic, research and development
activities have been pursued. The development of
scientific/technical data and, in specific cases,
support to Euratom policy, has been delivered. The work programme has been aligned in order to maintain a good
balance between scientific outputs, stakeholder-requested deliverables and
ad-hoc policy support.

There was a further
focussing of the JRC's nuclear safety activities in 2012 and 2013 that followed
the re-orientations already taken in 2011 as an immediate response to the Fukushima event. For example a high priority was given to support the implementation of
the EU Nuclear Power Plants "Stress tests" peer review. The JRC also
established a new activity on nuclear accident modelling and severe accidents
management to contribute to the post Fukushima EU and IAEA research activities
in this field.

In the security domain
a high priority was set in providing a contribution to the implementation of
the EU-CBRN (Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear) Action plan as well as
to the support for DG DEVCO for the establishment of the CBRN Centres of
Excellence outside EU.

In addition, research on NPP decommissioning
was included in the JRC nuclear activities with emphasis being placed on related
education and training. This JRC initiative was well supported by the European Parliament.

3.
Conclusions

Following the events in Fukushima in March
2011, the Council considered that the Euratom research in the field of nuclear
fission should be more focused on safety and security aspects. The Staff
Working Document annexed to this report illustrates that this reorientation of
the research efforts has effectively taken place under the Euratom Programme for
2012-2013.

[1]               Council Decision 2012/93/Euratom, OJ. L 47/25, 18 February
2012

[2]               Staff Working Document (SWD(2013) 187 final) - Specific
Monitoring Report on research activities for nuclear safety and security
supported by the Euratom Framework Programme (2012 – 2013)

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