CELEX: 51975PC0523
Language: en
Date: 1975-10-23
Title: Proposal for a Council decision adopting a research and training programme for the European Atomic Energy Community in respect of the safety of nuclear installations (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (75) 523
Vol. 1975/0198
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 ---pagebreak--- .COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                         COM(75)523 final.
                                                         Brussels . 23 October 1975
                       Proposal for a Council decision adopting
                       a research and training programme for the
                       European Atomic Energy Community in respect
                       of the safety of nuclear installations
                        ( submitted to the Council by the Commission)
    CGM(75 ) 523 final
 ---pagebreak---                                             - 1 -               677/111/75-E
                               Proposal for a programme ,
              * concerning the safety of nuclear installations
                                      . Years 1976-80
1 . INTE0DUCTI0N .
All the Community activities concerning the technological safety of
nuclear installations were dealt with in a communication and a report
addressed to the Council on 3 March 1975° On 22 July 197.5
the Council adopted a resolution ( appended as Annex III ) which , in par­
ticular , stresses the need to promote greater Community consistency in
the fields of :
                           / •     i*
( a ) gradual harmonization of safety requirements and criteria ;
( b ) : coordination of applied research . , ,
The aims , ways and means , state of progress and the final objectives
of the various studies were described in the above mentioned communi­
cation and report .      It will suffice to note here that these studies are
being carried out by specialist standing working' parties and , where
appropriate , study-groups .           These working parties draw upon specialists
from the various fields concerned ( associated approval and/or safety
and supervisory bodies , bodies responsible for the •management of re­
search programme^ and research centres , operators and designers ) and
meet for one or two days twice or four times a year .            The efficiejicy of
the . meetings depends mainly on the quality and quantity of the support
which can be given to the working parties.' This breaks down into :
( i ) support from synthesis and analysis studies ( e.g. , under study
        contracts with which" experts qualified in one field or another
        are associated ) ;                     '        - ' ■
Gi ) increased scientific and technical secretariat support .
The need to reinforce the scientific and technical' secretariat stems ,
in particular , from the very wide range of technical subjects and
scientific disciplines to be dealt with , from the necessity to observe
the shortest possible deadlines , especially as regards certain acti-
                                                                           ./...
 ---pagebreak---                                            - 2 -                677/111/75-E
vities ( e.g. , cooperation and consultation in the matter of safety
requirements and criteria ) and , lastly , from the fact that most of the
national experts now have to cope with : an extra work.- load owing to the
expansion of nuclear programmes in the Member States . The aim of this
proposal is to determine the multiannual requirements arising from
this reinforcement of the scientific and technical secretariat .
2 . THE FIELDS COVERED AND THE WORKING PARTIES MAINLY CONCERNED              ' '
    2.1 . Unlike the communication of March 1975 * which referred to sa­
                fety problems relating to t^ie various types of nuclear instal­
              lation and all the associated operations ( fuel cycle ), this
                proposal centres in particular on light-water i-eact'ors ( LWR) .'
                However , in the near future , it will also be possible to in- '
             : elude" certain problems connected -with pressure*-tube re-actors •
                ( PTR ) in the studies ; the proposal covers both the gradual'
                harmonization of safety requirements and criteria and better
                coordination of research .
       ' •"  J       '  '   ' '                                               '
    2.2 . Harmonization of safety requirements and criteri a '
             >. These studies are - being; carried out mainly within the frame­
      .. work : of . tlje " LWR safety methodology , , criteria and standards"
             v Working Party *               . - ,
                According to an order of priority which it has set itself,
                the Working Party is at present listing the methods and cri*
                teria applied in the Various countries and indicating' points
                of convergence and divergence in the following fields :
            • - the methods and - criteria applied in . the analysis of a cer«-
                   tain number of potential accidents originating outside or
                   inside the installations ;
                - general criteria for the design of power stations .
 ---pagebreak---                                  - 3 - . .              677/HI/75-E
  Subsequently t the Working Party 1 s activities should' be directed
  at - the; following -in particular
  - the connections between the two above mentioned fields and
     siting criteria and practice for new installations as regards
     work undertaken in another group of government experts with
     the objective to exchange informations about the requirements
     of environmental protection taken into consideration within
     the Member States ;
 - detailed criteria for the design of particular structures ,
     systems or components ;
 - criteria for the manufacture , assembly and in-service sur^
     veillance both of complete installations and of particular
    'structures | systems or components ; -
 *• comparative analysis of various safety philosophies ( e.g. ,
     deterministic j, semi-empirical , probabilistic ) ;
 - consultations at Community level on draft laws ,, regulations
     or provisions of ■ equivalent scope f
 - the drafting as early as possible of recommendations , within
. , the meaning of Article 124 , second indent of the EAEC Treaty ,
   . on subjects which lend themselves to such formulation .
  Coordinat i o.n of res.earch                        "    •
 Working Party on-LWR safety research
                                             >
  The first task of this Working Party was - to develop a system of
  information concerning research programmes and the results of
  this research . Two fields of research' deserve a priority effort
       ,         κ    .
  as regards both the pooling of knowhow and Community-scale coo-
 peratibri          . -
  a ) problems connected with accident s involving the loss of pri-
  " mary; ;coolant and' emergency cooling of the reactor 1 core
       ( LOCA and EaCS ) : '                                 .
  b ) mechanical and materials probl ems related to safety aspects
       of steel components in nuclear power stations .
                                                                 /
 ---pagebreak---                                       - ^ -                     677 'Il 1/75-E
           Regarding the first of these fields ( LOCA/ECCS), the specific
           questions which i iaccdrding to' Hive aboVe mentioned Working Par­
           ty , probably merit investigation- arid better cooperation and
    . coordination at Community level are : .
        .» the rates at which the water/steam mixture' flows through the
            . breaks and the drag effects of the pipes and tubes depending
              on their geometrical dimensions ;
         « flows through the core , particularly in the reflooding stage ,
 --           including, the study of the effects of xef-wetting ,. threg-di-
              mensional and oscillatory effects and steam/water interac-
         .    tions ;
                 ■'                      · ν-       :■      ' >    .' "     ·/ ν
         - the characteristics of heat transfer during the accident ,
              including the study of effects such as fuel element' defor-
; Y- mation arid , failure }                                       r
         - verification and improvement of computer fcodesi backed up by
              experiments., chiefly during the emergency cooling stage for
              core geometries and power densities similar - t£i those in
              reactors now under construction .                   ......
          It should be . noted that all these questions focus in particu­
         lar on the emergency cooling stage (ECCS ) in the evolution of
          the postulated accident . Considerable effort has already
          been directed , at Community and national level , to the blow­
          down stage ( e.g. , using the special loop *at the JBCrtspra ) .
          There is therefore', no' risk of duplication .
         Regard ing the " second of thes e fiel ds ( mechani6al - and materials
         problems ) « it is advisable to draw attention first of all to
          the existence of a standing working party set up as, early as
     ' . 1970' under the joint - auspices pf the^CEC jartd the.NEA (tJSNI) ,
    V to which ; experts - of* the United States , Canada * ^Japan , . Sweden *
         Spain and Austria as well as experts 6f7the -aine. EC .Member
          States belong .          v - ' ..      ..    , ..
 ---pagebreak---                                  5                   677/111/75-E
  Since 197^, this Working Party considered that during the
  coming years it is necessary to investigate more selectively
  certain questions, relating to pressure vessels and primary
  circuits . Study-groups were set up for thia purpose . The
  problems dealt with in these study~groups are respectively :
  1 ) fracture mechanics : use of elastoplastic theories , appli­
        cability and limits of fracture mechanics , probabilistic
        tgthods in fracture mechanics .
  2 ) Welding and heat treatment .
  3 ) Non-destructive tests including in-service monitoring ,
        e.g. , ultrasonics , noise , holographic methods and perio­
        dical tests at overpressure .
        In particular , the aim would be to ensure the continuation
        of the cooperation begun in 197 ^ on the ultrasonic study
        of samples tested first of all in the United States ( compa­
        risons of results ).
  ^■) The behaviour of. structures employed in creep range condi­
        tions ; this heading mainly covers mechanical problems
        which arise in fast sodium-cooled reactors and high-tempe-
        rature reactors in particular.'
  As well as the problems referred to above , which are dealt
  with by specialist sub-groups , the following problems are
  also considered by the Working Party in question to be of
  prime importance and to be worthy of increased efforts in
' terms t>f Community, cooperation i „
  ■ rj  ...  # ««,•          .                .                     ,
  -•• the theortetical - and experimental^ examination of prooleras
       relating to stress and safety margin distribution in. equip­
       ment with complex geometry ( e.g. , penetrations through
       reactor pressure vessels )
 ---pagebreak---                                     - 6 -                677/IH/75-E
          - the theoretical and experimental examination of problems
            delating to missile impact resulting from internal or exter­
            nal accidents ( e.g. , ' definition of the mass and speed of
            any potential missiles , anti-missile design at the plan­
            ning stage , ability to penetrate targets which are not
            flat , penetration dapacity of missiles which are not cir­
            cular , loss of resistance of target structures below the
            penetrability threshold ) .
3 . SUPPORT REQUIRED
The support of the Secretariat will mainly have to be geared to
making b3t?t use possible of the data collected , examined , and dis­
cussed during and after the meetings of national : experts ( Working
Parties ) end to preparing and managing the support studies .
Thfe type     support required may be defined as follows : '
- compilation and preparation of, data concerning the methods , requi­
   rements and criteria laid down in the Member States ,-, which result
   from the national research programmes in a form in line with the
   aims 6f the Working Parties ( e«g.y in the form Of questionnaires
   and replies , analysis of replies , etc .) ;
– assessment of the vast amount of literature , available , in order
   to prepare , in conjunction with the national experts , condensed
   studies on specific problems i
– preparation , . in conjunction with the national experts , of critical
   studies of the state of the art
- effective management of cooperation concerning safety requirements
   and criteria and of the 6G=urrcu/*/&;£»le*el consultations provided
   for with regard to laws , regulations or provisions of equivalent
   scope                          '
 ---pagebreak---                                   - 7 -                °77/ΙΙ 1/75"Ε
•» drawmg-up , as early as possible * of draft recommendations , within
   the meaning of Article 12k 2nd indent , of the EAEC Treaty , relating
   to safety requirements and criteria .
k . PROPOSAL FOR A PROGRAMME
For the reasons and considerations outlined above , reinforcement of
the technical secretariat is considered essential in order effectively
to carry out the activities at a sufficiently constant pace .
The activities in question are closely linked with the growth and
technical development of the production of nuclear energy and they
must therefore be spread over several years . For this reason , apart
from any subsequent extension , the operation planned extends over a
period of five years ( 1976-80) .
The programme proposed comprises solely staff expenditure for five',
scientific/technical staff members (3 A 's , IB and 1 C ) and the cor­
responding administrative expenditure .
The resources to be earmarked are :
6taff complement             5
staff expenditure           1.120.000 u.a .
administrative expenditure     410.000 u.a .
The Commission shall undertake to find the five officials necessary
to the execution of this programme in respecting the existing staff
roster ; the Commission shall therefore not ask for the creation of
 supplementary posts .
 ---pagebreak---                                                           677/111/75-E
                      Proposal for a Council decision
                  adopting a research and training programme
                   for the European Atomic Energy Community
            in respect of the safety of nuclear installations
               ( Nuclear project carried out at Headquarters )
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Community ,
                 and in particular Article 7 thereof ;
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission submitted after
                 consultation with the Scientific and Technical Committee ;
- Whereas , under the actual state of development of nuclear energy , it
  is important to undertake an effective action at Community level con­
  cerning the safety of nuclear plants ;
- Whereas the Council by its resolution of 22 July 1975 on the technolo­
  gical problems of nuclear safety agreed to the principles of such an
  action ;
- Whereas a research programme at Community level in this matter consti­
  tutes , at a first stage , an appropriate means to implement the quoted
  resolution .
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS :
                                   Article 1
A research and training programme concerning the safety of nuclear
installations and mainly based on light-water reactors , as set out in
Annexes I and II , is hereby adopted for a period of five years from 1
January 1976 .    The Annexes form an integral part of this Decision .
                                   Article 2
The maximum commitments in respect of expenditure and staff to carry out
this programme shall be respectively 1.53 million units of account and
five staff-members , the unit of account being defined in Article 10 of
the Financial Regulation of 25 April 1973 applying to the General Budget
of the European Communities .
                                       Done at Brussels ,
                                       For the Council ,
                                       The President
 ---pagebreak---                                                               677/111/75-E
                                        ANNEX I
                NUCLEAR PROJECT CARRIED OUT AT ' HEADQUARTERS
                 -      : Scientific: and technical .support
              »      for activities pursued in, connection with
                         the safety of nuclear, ii^stallations .
            ,      . aiyl mainly centered on problems relating
                           to light-water reactor families
A maximum amount of 1,530 million units of account is allocated to
this programme , the staff complement of which is set at five Commu­
nity servants .
The programme is 'aimed at the provision- of the following type of
support : •
      ■*                                                                     *
- compilation and preparation of data concerning the methods , requi–,
  rements and criteria laid down in the Member States ," "which"' result " V­
                 •           • – –- – –         T         - –   7
  from the national research programmes in a form in line with the „
  aims of the'Working Parties ( e.g. , in the form " Of questionnaire^ '
  and replies j analysis of replies , etc .) ;                             :
- assessment of the vast amount of literature available , in order to
  prepare , in conjunction with the national experts , condensed stu­
  dies on specific problems ;
– preparation , in conjunction with the national experts , of critical
  studies of the state of the art ;
  effective management of cooperation concerning safety requirements
  and criteria and of the Community-level consultations provided for
  with regard to laws , regulations or provisions of equivalent scope
- drawing-up , as early as possible , of draft recommendations , within
  the meaning of Article 12k 2nd indent k of the EAEC Treaty , relating
  to safety requirements and criteria .
 ---pagebreak---       >."* •'Ti v' »; • :>
                                   - 2 -                     677/111. '75- E
The programme will thus provide' tfie necessary support for activities
intended to ensure an equivalent and satisfactory lervel of protection
for the general public and the environment1 against radiation hazards
resulting from nuclear >aetivdties ,\ to lower the harriers to trade and
to achieve greater consistency and economies in the field of applied
research , in accordance with the aims expressed in the Resolution on
the technological" problems involved- in nuclear, safety adopted by the
Council on                 1 i '•              4, v . •
                                  ANNEX II
          TABLE SHOWING MAXIMUM EXPENDITURE AND STAFF COMPLEMENT
                                         Commitments                   Staff
                Programme          ( in millions of u.a ..)         complément
 Safety .of nuclear installa­               1,530
                                       τ  ■          \  \  .  * ,
                                             .   ·'Λ
 tions ( industrially develo­
                                                                  *  ■
 ped reactors , and in parti­
 cular light-water reactors )
 ---pagebreak---                                                            677/11 1/75-E
                                  ANNEX III
                        ' ;  RESOLU T ION
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES , -v • ' ■'    "       ■          ■
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy
Community ;
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament ("*");
                                                                              2
Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee ( );
Whereas the Commission has forwarded to .the Council a communication
and a general report on technological problems of nuclear- safety ;
Whereas it is necessary to keep the public adequately informed on
thils subject;'    * v'                 >                                   ;
Whereas nuclear power has a considerable part to play in supplying
energy to the Community ;     ■                     <;   t       /• '•"•■ .
Whereas the technologi6al problems relating to nuclear safety ^ parti­
cularly in view of their environmental and health implications , call
for appropriate action at Community level which takes into account
the prerogatives and responsibilities assumed by national authorities
Whereas , by aligning safety requirements , the national authorities
responsible for nuclear safety and constructors and energy producers
will be able to benefit from a harmonized approach to the problem at .
Community level ;
 ( ) OJ No C 128 , 9-6.1975 , page 2k .
 (2) CES 618/75-
                                                                        /
 ---pagebreak---                                     - 2 -               677, III/ 75-E
Whereas nuclear safety problems extend beyond the frontiers not only
of Member States but of the Community as      whole , and it is incumbent
on the Commission to act as a catalyst for initiatives to be taken on
a broader international plane , :                   ;    * '■           •
HEREBY ADOPTS THIS RESOLUTION :                 •.            ; r  .
THE COUNCIL
1 . requests the Member States as well as the licensing authorities
    and " the safety and inspection authorities , on the one hand , and
    the operators and constructors , on the other , and finally , the
    agencies responsible for applied' research programmes to continue
    to collaborate effectively- at Community: level ;     :
2 . agrees io the course of action in stages indicated below by the.
    Commission in respect of the progressive harmonization of safety. -
    requirements and criteria in order to provide an equivalent and
    satisfactory degree of protection of the population and pf the .
    environment against the risks of radiation resulting from ftuclear
    activities and at the same time to assist the development of
    trade on the 'understanding that such harmohiaation should not -
    involve any lowering of the safety - level already attained ; • > •   .
    taking into account the state of industrial development, -in the
    respective families 6f high-power huclear reactors , these stages
    involve listing and comparing the requirements and criteria
    applied and drawing up a balance-sheet of similarities and dis­
    similarities;' formulating as soon as possible recommendations
    pursuant to the second indent of Article 12^ of the Euratom , ■         .
    Treaty , and subsequently submitting to the Council the most ;
    suitable draft Community provisions ;
 ---pagebreak---                                     ο·-· "               677/111/75-E
1
* 3-
  J. agrees to strengthen Cpmmunity efforts to co-ordinate applied
      research programmes in order to make the . best possible . use of
      the resources available in the Community and the Member States
      both tephnically and financially whilst avoiding as far as
      possible unnecessary duplication ; these efforts shall be aimed
      at improving systematic exchanges of information , promoting
      concerted action and co-operation between specialized bodies and
      institutes and stimulating where appropriate the development of
      Community programmes ;
      approves of the methods used and advocated by the Commission ,
      namely , meetings of Working Parties of specialized experts ,
      exchanges of information on specific operational problems and
      analytical studies and syntheses with which these experts are
      associated ;
  5' notes that the measures described above may require appropriations
      in order to finance analyses and syntheses and the appropriate
      technical secretariat ;
  6 . requests the Member States to notify the Commission of any draft
      laws , regulations or provisions of similar scope concerning the
      safety of nuclear installations in order to enable the appropriate
      consultations to be held at Community level at the initiative of
      the Commission ;
  7' requests the Member States to seek common positions on any problems
      concerning the harmonization of requirements and criteria and the
      co-ordination of research into nuclear safety being dealt with by
      international organizations ;
 ---pagebreak---                                    - k -                   677. 'III, '73-E
3 . requests the Commission to submit annual reports on the progress
    made arid the Member "States and' the Commission , to ^continue and
    strengthen their efforts to ensure that the public is given the .
    best possible information about both national . and Community
    action in the field of nuclear5 'safety *,          . . '.
 ---pagebreak---                                                               677/111/75-E
                                                              Orig . : F
                              FINANCIAL RECORD SHEET
Budget entry : Chapter 3»6o "Nuclear plant safety" in the statement' c
                     expenditure relating to research and- investment acfci-
                   , vities ( Annex I to Section III " Commission" of the
                     budget of the European Communities ) .
^e^ajL^basis      : Article 7 of the EAEC Treaty
                     Proposal forwarded to the . Commission                "
Authorizing Departmen't : Directorate General for Industrial and
                                Technological Affairs .
De sc ription , aims and ground s for project :
Support activities for the working parties responsible for problems
involved in nuclear plant safety .
These include :
- compilation and preparation of data on practices , requirements and
    criteria applied in Member States ;
- evaluation of documentation and preparation of summary reports ;
- preparation of critical studies on the state of the art ;
- organization of discussions on safety requirements and criteria .
The aim of the programme is to provide a scientific and technical
secretariat for the working parties engaged on the harmonization of
safety requirements and criteria and the coordination of safety
research on light-water reactors .
These requirements derive from the very wide range of subjects to be
covered , tne need to meet what are usually short deadlines and the
heavy burden, of work which has fallen on the national experts as a
result of the present rapid development in Member States 'nuclear
programmes .
IX'rat icn ,o.f ^project : 1.1 . 76 ~ 31 . 12.30 (5 years )
£_ baf f                  : 3 Category A
                            1 Category B
                            JL Category C
                            5 Community Servants
Cost of the project : 1.530.000 ua ( staff expenditure and administra­
                                             tive expenditure )
 ---pagebreak---                      .   ..                  - 2 -              677/ XII. '75-E
    - imetaMe of commitments and payments :
       1976                    225.000" ua
       3-57,7          ,       200 . COO ua.
       1973 - -   :•           300.000 ua       •
       1979            " " . . 3^5,000 ua .              / _ ■ ; ' .•
       1980                    400.000 ua
•- -Financing of project : Entered in Chapter 9»32 of the 1976 budget .
    Tjpe_ of ec>ntrcl * tope a'nplied :                                        ' .
    Scientific and technical, control will be carried out by the working
    parties .                         'V '    .   , .                 ... .' 1
    Financial control will be carried out in accordance with the procedures
    laid ilj'vvii by the Financial Regulation applicable to research appro­
    priations .