CELEX: 51988PC0177
Language: en
Date: 1988-03-23
Title: MODIFICATION TO THE PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL REGULATION ON A RESEARCH AND TRAINING PROGRAMME ( 1987-1991 ) IN THE FIELD OF CONTROLLED THERMONUCLEAR FUSION

19. 4. 88                           Official Journal of the European Communities                           No C 103/9
                                                                  II
                                                        (Preparatory Acts)
                                                  COMMISSION
          Modification to the proposal for a Council Regulation on a Research and Training Programme
                         (1987 to 1991) in the field of Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion (*)
                                                      COM(88) 177 final
          (Submitted by the Commission to the Council pursuant to Article 119 (2) of the EAEC treaty on
                                                         30 March 1988)
                                                          (88/C 103/16)
          (') OJ No C 247, 15. 9. 1987, p. 2.
          The Commission proposal (COM(87) 302 final) is hereby modified as follows:
                                                                  TITLE
               Replace 'Council Regulation' by 'Council Decision' (')
                                                             CITATIONS
                                                All F o u r C i t a t i o n s U n c h a n g e d
                                                              RECITALS
                                        F i r s t and S e c o n d R e c i t a l s U n c h a n g e d
                Third Recital
               'Whereas thermonuclear fusion is a potential new source of energy using fuel which is
               virtually inexhaustible and universally accessible; whereas nuclear fusion is potentially a
               safe and environmentally benign energy source in a number of respects; whereas one of the
               principal objectives of the framework programme is to achieve controlled thermonuclear
               fusion and realize this potential in the process;'
                                         F o u r t h to Sixth R e c i t a l s U n c h a n g e d
               Seventh Recital
               'Whereas the research proposed by the Commission constitutes an adequate means of
               pursuing such actions and it is, consequently, in the common interest to adopt a multi-
               annual programme in the field of controlled thermonuclear fusion, the existence of which
               is, moreover, necessary to enable the Community to participate in international co-
               operation in this field and in particular in the quadripartite International Thermonuclear
               Experimental Reactor (ITER) conceptual design activities;'
               (') In German, a Decision 'Entscheidung'
 ---pagebreak--- No C 103/10                       Official Journal of the European Communities                             19. 4. 88
            Eighth Recital, introductory phrase
            'Whereas the strategy on which the continuation of the programme is based should remain
            largely unchanged, namely:'
            After Eighth Recital
            "Whereas this strategy must be modified to ensure that a central objective will be to secure
            the environmental and safety-related advantages of fusion over other sources of energy;'
            Ninth Recital
            'Whereas this strategy should be reviewed at the next programme revision aimed at
            replacing the present programme by a new multiannual programme on 1 January 1991; at
            the time of this revision, it would be appropriate to decide when to proceed to D-T
            operation on JET and when to start the detailed design of NET, taking into account the
            preliminary results of the ITER conceptual design activities;'
            After Ninth Recital
            "Whereas the next review of the programme must be preceded by an independent
            evaluation of those components of the programme already being implemented and an
            appraisal of the environmental, safety-related and economic potential of fusion;'
             Tenth Recital
            "Whereas research at the JRC in the field of NET and Fusion Technology is not financially
            covered by this programme decision;'
                                  E l e v e n t h to T h i r t e e n t h R e c i t a l s U n c h a n g e d
            After Thirteenth Recital
             "Whereas it is important to encourage those Member States without a Fusion Association to
             participate more actively in the Fusion Programme;'
                                              Fourteenth Recital Unchanged
                                                               DECISION
             Replace 'HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION' by 'HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION'.
                                                    Article 1 : Unchanged
             At the end of Article 2
             'The final amount of appropriations and the number of staff shall be determined on the
             basis of decisions taken annually by the budgetary authority in accordance with real needs.'
 ---pagebreak--- 19. 4. 88                           Official Journal of the European Communities                                   N o C 103/11
                                                           Article 3
           'During the course of its third year, the Commission shall arrange for an independent
           evaluation of the programme, having regard to its objectives set out in the Annex, and for
           an appraisal to be conducted of the environmental, safety-related and economic potential of
          fusion. On the basis of this evaluation and appraisal, of which the reports will be forwarded
          to Parliament and Council, the Commission shall submit to Council and Parliament a
          revision proposal designed to replace the present programme with a new multiannual
          programme with effect from 1 January 1991'.
          At the end of Article 4
          'However, amounts which are authorized under the relevant headings of the 1985 and 1986
          budgets pursuant to Decision 85/201/Euratom and which on 1 January 1987 have not yet
          been committed or have been committed but not yet paid, will be used for the execution of
          the present programme.'
                                                           Article 5
          'This Decision shall enter into force on 1 January 1987.'
          After Article                                                                                          ">
          Delete: 'This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all
          Member States.'
                                                           Article 6
          'This Decision is addressed to the Member States.'
                                                     Annex to the Decision
          Change the title of this Annex to 'Summary and objectives of the research and training programme.'
          Paragraph 1: additional introductory subparagraphs
          '1. For the implementation of the programme, the Commission is assisted by the Consultative
              Committee for the Fusion Programme, set up by Council Decision of 16 December 1980, in its
               advisory capacity.
              The main objectives of the programme are:
              — to establish the physics and technology basis necessary for the detailed design of NET; in the
                   field of physics and plasma engineering, this implies the full exploitation of JET and of several
                   medium-sized specialized tokamaks in existence or in construction, and in the field of tech-
                   nology the strengthening of the current fusion technology programme,
              — to embark on the detailed design of NET before the end of the programme period, but not
                   before the next programme revision, if the necessary data base exists at that time,
              — to explore the reactor potential of some alternative lines.'
          Paragraph 1 — subparagraph (/}
          '(f) pre-design and possibly commencement — taking into account the results of both NET and
                ITER conceptual design activities — of the detailed engineering design of the next step and
                technological developments required for its design and construction as well as those needed in the
                longer term for the fusion reactor;'
          Paragraph 1, after subparagraph (g)
          '(h) a fusion feasibility study covering environmental impact, safety and economic viability.'
           Paragraph 1, penultimate subparagraph
          The work referred to in (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (h) will be carried out by means of associations
          or limited duration contracts which are designed to yield the results necessary for the implementation
          of the programme and which take into consideration the work carried out by the Joint Research
          Centre, in particular in relation to NET and technology referred to in (f), and also to the matters
          referred to in (h).
 ---pagebreak--- No C 103/12                          Official Journal of the European Communities                                 19. 4. 88
            Paragraph 3, subparagraph (d)
            '(d) administration costs and expenditure intended to ensure the mobility of staff to enable them to
                 work in organisations cooperating in the implementation of the programme and in the NET
                 Team, and to support a fellowship scheme specific to the fusion programme;'
            Paragraph 3, after subparagraph (e)
            '(f) an independent evaluation of the programme and an appraisal of the environmental, safety-related
                 and economic potential of fusion;
             (g) after consulting the Consultative Committee for the Fusion Programme, shared-cost contracts
                 with groups in Member States that do not possess an association, to cover specific items of
                 research at a rate of about 25 % for running expenditure and of about 45 % for capital expen-
                 diture specific to the research.'