CELEX: 51986PC0416
Language: en
Date: 1986-09-24
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION REVISING A RESEARCH PROGRAMME TO BE IMPLEMENTED BY THE JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE FOR THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY AND FOR THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY ( 1984-1987 )

19.2.87                                      Official Journal of the European Communities                                N o C 41/5
                                                                    II
                                                            (Preparatory Acts)
                                                      COMMISSION
                Proposal for a Council Decision revising a research programme to be implemented by the Joint
                Research Centre for the European Atomic Energy Community and for the European Economic
                                                         Community (1984-1987)
                                                           COM(86) 416 final
                                    (Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 1 August 1986)
                                                              (87/C 41/05)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                                Whereas the non-nuclear projects provided for by this
                                                                        Decision appear necessary for the attainment of these
                                                                        objectives;
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 7,
                                                                        Whereas on 14 January 1974 the Council adopted a
                                                                        resolution on the coordination of national policies and
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European                   the definition of projects of interest to the Community in
Economic Community, and in particular Article 235                       the field of science and technology ( 2 );
thereof (*),
                                                                        Whereas the programme was drawn up in accordance
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,                      with the Council resolution of 17 December 1970,
presented after consultation, with regard to nuclear                    concerning the procedures for adopting research and
projects, of the Scientific and Technical Committee,                    training programmes ( 3 );
                                                                        Whereas it is of advantage to define and embody the
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par-                       common science and technology strategy in multiannual
liament,                                                                framework programmes setting out the complete range
                                                                        of scientific and technical activities being carried out or
                                                                        due to be carried out on the basis of the Euratom and
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and
                                                                        EEC Treaties whereas this advantage was confirmed by
Social Committee,                                                       the Council in its resolution of 25 July 1983 on
                                                                        framework programmes for Community research,
Whereas, in the context of the common policy relating                   development and demonstration activities, and a first
to the field of science and technology, the multiannual                 framework programme 1984 to 1987 ( 4 );
research programme is one of the principal means
whereby the European Atomic Energy Community can                        Whereas the Joint Research Centre (JRC) should be
contribute to the safety and development of nuclear                     fully integrated in the actions of this framework
energy and to the acquisition and dissemination of infor-               programme and must continue to play a central role in
mation in the nuclear field;                                            the Community's research strategy and to carry out
                                                                        work of common interest;
"Whereas Article 2 of the Treaty establishing the
European Economic Community assigns to the                              Whereas Article 3 of Council Decisions 77/488/EEC,
Community inter alia the task of promoting throughout                   Euratom ( s ), 80/317/EEC, Euratom (6) and 84/1/EEC,
the Community a harmonious development of economic                      Euratom (7), provides for a review of the programme
activities, a continuous and balanced expansion and                     during its third year,
increased stability, whereas the objectives of activities
engaged in by the Community to this end are set out in
Article 3 of the said Treaty;
                                                                        O    O J N o C 7 , 29. 1. 1974, p. 2.
                                                                        O    OJ No L 16, 20. 1. 1971, p. 13.
                                                                        (4)  OJ No C 208, 4. 8. 1983, p. 1.
                                                                         (*) OJ No L 200, 8. 8. 1977, p. 4.
(') When the Single European Act enters into force, this legal
    basis 'Article 235' will have to be replaced by the new Article     '(*) OJ No L 72, 18. 3. 1980, p. 11.
    130 Q (1) of the EEC Treaty, introduced by the said Act.             O   O J N o L 3 , 5. 1. 1984, p. 21.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 41/6                             Official Journal of the European Communities                                 19.2.87
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:                                          commitment estimated as necessary for the execution of
                                                                 the revised programme is increased for the year 1987 by
                         Article 1                               33 million ECU for expenditures other than those on
                                                                 staff.
The research programme 1984-1987, as defined in the
Annex A of Council Decision 84/1/EEC, Euratom, of                An indicative breakdown of the expenditure commitment
22 December 1983 (*) complemented by Council                     for the revised multiannual programme is given in Annex
Decision 85/373/Euratom of 25 July 1985 (2), is                  B.
replaced for the year 1987 by a revised programme as set                                 Article 3
out in Annex A of the present Decision.
                                                                 Before proposing the next multiannual programme of the
                         Article 2                               JRC, the Commission shall communicate to the Council
                                                                 and to the European Parliament the conclusions of an
In view of the Decisions already adopted by the Council          examination of the future role of the JRC, carried out by
as part of the budgetary procedure, the expenditure              a high-level Panel.
O OJ No L 3, 5. 1. 1984, p. 21.
O OJ No L 210, 7. 8. 1985, p. 28.
 ---pagebreak--- 19.2.87                               Official Journal of the European Communities                             N o C 41/7
                                                          ANNEX A
                                                JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE
                                    RESEARCH PROGRAMME FOR THE YEAR 1987
                   (last year of the quadriannual programme 1984-1987, revised by the present Decision)
        The following modifications are introduced in the programme adopted with the Decisions 84/1/EEC, Euratom
        of 22 December 1983 and 85/373/Euratom of 25 July 1985:
                         RESEARCH ACTION PROGRAMME INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES
        Materials and structures: reliability and standards
        (Extending the programme 'High-temperature materials')
        — high-temperature structural alloys,
        — advanced engineering ceramics,
        — high-temperature materials data bank and information centre,
        — methods for assessment of reliability in materials and structures.
                                      RESEARCH ACTION PROGRAMME FISSION
        Reactor safety
        — reliability and risk assessment,
        — integrity of components and systems in light-water reactors,
        — study of abnormal behaviour in core-cooling systems in light-water reactors,
        — containment studies,
        — source term,
        — modelling of accident situations in fast breeder reactors.
                     RESEARCH ACTION PROGRAMME NON-NUCLEAR ENERGY SOURCES
        Reference methods for non-nuclear energy systems
        (Replacing the programmes 'Techniques for solar energy tests' and 'Management of energy in dwellings')
        — photovoltaic energy systems,
        — non-polluting energy systems.
                                 RESEARCH ACTION PROGRAMME ENVIRONMENT
        Environmental protection
        — environmental chemicals,
        — atmospheric pollution,
        — water quality,
        — chemical waste.
        Application of remote-sensing techniques
        — land monitoring and management,
        — protection of the marine environment,
        — agriculture.
        Radiation evaluation and monitoring
        The other programmes are not modified
        The new level of resources for the various programmes is reported in the Annex B.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 41/8                                   Official Journal of the European Communities                                        19. 2. 87
                                                                      ANNEX B
                                           REVISED 1984-1987 PROGRAMME OF THE JRC
                                                        Indicative breakdown of resources
                                                      (Appropriations in miliions of ECU)
                                                                >            Approved programme
                                                                                                        Supplementary   Revised
                                  Programmes                               Decisions       Including      credits for
                                                                         84/1/EEC —        Budgetaryl     operations  programme
                                                                        85/373/Euratom    Decisions ( )
          Industrial technologies
          — Nuclear measurements and reference ma-
               terials                                                         64             71,8            2,7         74,5
          — Materials & structures: reliability & stan-
               dards (high-temperature materials)                              28             35,0            2,3         37,3
                                                             Total             92            106,8            5,0        111,8
          Fusion
          — Fusion technology and safety                                       59             65,3            3,5         68,8
                                                             Total            ,59             65,3            3,5         68,8
          Fission
          — Reactor safety                                                   192             203,2            5,3       208,5
          — Management of radioactive waste                                    49             53,5            3,2         56,7
          — Safeguarding and management of                    fissile
              materials                                                        45             49,3            2,6         51,9
          — Nuclear fuels and actinides research                               66             69,8            4,0         73,8
                                                             Total           352             375,8           15,1       390,9
          Non-nuclear energy sources
          — Reference methods for non-nuclear energy
              systems                                                          39             41,0            1,0         42,0
                                                             Total             39             41,0            1,0         42,0
          Environment
          —   Environmental protection                                         49             56,8            1,7         58,5
          —   Application of remote-sensing techniques                         29             33,8            0,6         34,4
          —   Industrial hazards                                               21             22,1            0,1         22,2
          —   Radiation evaluation and monitoring                                               1,7           0,7          2,4
                                                             Total             99            114,4            3,1       117,5
          Activities of scientific departments
          — Exploitation of the HFR (complementary
              programme)                                                       59             62,1            5,1         67,2
                                                             Total             59             62,1            5,1         67,2
                           Total programme (1984 to 1987)                    700-           765,4            32,8       798,2
          (') As well as the re-allocation of staff as proposed by the programme revision.
 ---pagebreak--- 1 9 . 2 . 87                                 Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s           N o C 41/9
                                                                      ANNEX       1
                       TECHNICAL C O N T E N T OF T H E PROGRAMME IN T H E TRANSITION PERIOD
             This Annex describes the manner in which the Joint Research Centre's programmes will be adapted in view
             of the transition period. The system of clasifying these activities under five Research Action Programmes
             (RAPs) and the complementary programme on the high flux reactor in Petten — as set out in the Council
             Decision of December 1983 — will be maintained.
             1. Industrial technologies
             Further emphasis will be placed on the programmes on nuclear reference materials and reference
             measurements and materials and structures, through enlarging the sphere of activity in support of fusion
             research and by means of increased activity in the areas of pre-normative research respectively.
             The laboratories in the Petten and Ispra establishments will collaborate closely on the materials and
             structures programme, and a contribution from the Karlsruhe establishment is anticipated at a later stage. It
             is likewise envisaged that the methods for materials development and analysis, originally developed for
             nuclear technologies, will be adapted to the area of non-nuclear materials.
             Close collaboration will continue between the laboratories in Geel and the BCR.
             In this way, the recommendations of various advisory bodies are largely heeded and by means of close
             contact with industry at different levels, a proper execution of the programme can be achieved.
             1.1. Nuclear reference materials and reference measurements
             The revised programme on nuclear reference measurements stresses, in particular, the following activities:
             — measurement of standard-neutron data
             — determination of the neutron emission cross-sections for use in fusion technology (NET)
             — investigations into neutron data for nuclear fission which was described in an OECD priority list, and
                  the analysis of which is constantly requested by the advisory bodies (CGC, Evaluation Panel).
             An important project in the sphere of nuclear metrology is the development of a plastic calorimeter for the
             measurement of neutron dose with absorption properties which resemble those of human tissue.
             The research project on reference materials is pursuing, and furthermore promoting, a Community
              programme for measurement and evaluation of nuclear analytical data on a European level. Moreover,
              efforts are being further concentrated on the exact determination of the atomic weight of silicon in
              connection with cooperative attempts for a more precise determination of the Avogadro number.
              Finally, the activities of the Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) will be supported on a wider scale.
              The 'LOLERM' project (low-level radioactivity reference materials) is temporarily suspended. A new
              approach in this area is, however, being considered in the light of the Chernobyl accident.
              1.2. Materials and structures
              As far as this programme is concerned, on the one hand the work begun in Petten on the high-temperature
              materials alloys and high performance ceramics will be continued, and on the other hand, methods are to
              be developed in Ispra by means of which the suitability and lifetime of selected materials for a specific
              technical application can be tested.
              In order to guarantee an optimal application of these methods, close contact with national and inter-
              national research institutions must be sought. The work is aimed at supporting industrial technologies and
              contributing towards industrial competitiveness.
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 41/10                               Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s                   19.2.87
            By their application high-temperature structural alloys are subject to the combined effect of chemical
             (corrosive), mechanical and thermal stress. The studies currently being carried out in Petten should
            increase understanding of the behaviour of these alloys and of the damage mechanisms to which they are
            exposed in industrial use. With improved knowledge and with the aid of appropriate analytical models, a
            catalogue of properties can be drawn up to serve as a basis for the selection of materials for design of plant
            components, and which makes it possible to forecast their life expectancy and reliability. This project
            provides a contribution in particular to the petrochemical and energy-producing industries.
            The objectives are similar for the projects dealing with advanced structural ceramics, though in this case
            the development will be directed towards new manufacturing technologies.
            Methods developed in the JRC-Karlsruhe for nuclear-ceramics will also be applied for material character-
            ization, and the analysis of mechanical, thermodynamic and transport properties.
            Both projects, on high-temperature alloys, and high-temperature ceramics, will be carried out under multi-
            lateral and international collaboration, such as COST (for alloys) IEA (for ceramics), as well as BRITE,
            EURAM, VAMAS and EUREKA (for both areas).
            A third project concerns the collection, assessment and supply of data on high-temperature materials. The
            data bank in Petten will continue operation and be accessible to interested parties from all Community
            countries. The services of the Information Centre on High-Temperature Materials can be called upon on a
            Europe-wide basis for information.
            The transition programme envisages:
            — The collection, assessment and distribution of materials data, for industrial requirements, for the
                development of norms and for the application of advanced materials.
            — The setting-up of a forum for exchange of information and know-how in the area of H T M in Europe,
                and for promoting Community activities.
            — An analysis of the industrial requirements for norms and standards in the area of advanced and newly
                developed materials.
            The contribution of the Ispra Establishment to the        materials and structures programme will concentrate, in
            the present programme situation, on two activities:       the development of methods for reliability assessment of
            plant components and materials, and the design of         a community facility (reaction wall) for testing response
            of large and complex structural and mechanical            systems under significant static and dynamic loads to
            improve design criteria and construction codes,
            The reliability analysis concerns, above all, steel structures which are employed in the chemical, the petro-
            chemical and energy-producing industries.
            Non-destructive test procedures for failure detection will thus be developed and mathematical models will
            be designed which will enable forecasts as to the life expectancy of a machine part or a plant component
            under given stress factors.
            Suggestions as to procedures for standards will be collected, on the one hand by comparing the suitability
            of various techniques (acoustic emission, laser-holography, ultra-sonic and thermal techniques and modern
            methods for the microstructural analysis and for the examination of physical properties), and on the other
            hand by the intercomparison between different laboratories of procedures (round robin tests) and of results '
            for the same techniques (benchmark exercises).
            In 1987 a survey on new materials will be concluded and evaluated. This survey, in collaboration with
            national laboratories and industries, as well as with research programmes such as BRITE, EURAM,
            VAMAS, should establish the need for methods for the characterization and reliability assessment of new
            materials for advanced technologies (for example aeronautics). The results of the tests allow the necessary
            metrological equipment to be made available, or, if possible, the conversion of existing installations.
 ---pagebreak--- 19.2.87                                Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s              N o C 41/11
        The plans for a reaction wall will be accompanied by tasks which relate to the selection of the research
        projects and to the fixing of priorities. The continuing study on this facility will be conducted in close
        collaboration with national experts, with the aim of designing a true Community facility.
        The inclusion of national experts in this project is planned, and moreover, an institutional structure must be
        created under the shared-cost actions, for the building and use of such installations.
        The contribution of the Ispra and Petten establishments to the materials and structures programme
        concerns, above all, the application of scientific and technical methods for the support of national and
        international institutes in providing specifications, norms and the definition of standards for assessing the
        possibilities for application and the safety of industrial products. These 'prenormative' activities are looked
        upon as the pace-setting phase of the standardization procedure. As an example, the work on the
        mechanical behaviour of tubular elements contributes to a BRITE project aiming at the up-grading of B.S.,
        DIN and other relevant codes.
        2. Thermonuclear fusion
        As in the past, the Ispra establishment will contribute to the European Fusion Research Programme, but
        will orient its contribution more towards problems of safety, which is illustrated by the high priority placed
        on the construction and equipping of the tritium laboratory.
        In the field of reactor studies, JRC will continue to support the NET-team at Garching on aspects related
        to the mechanical configuration, remote maintenance and design of components (plasma facing
        components and breeding blanket).
        The experimental activity on breeding blanket technology will be focused, as in past years, on the
        completion of the data base on 17Li83Pb, the liquid tritium breeder taken as the reference for NET-
        studies. Contribution from Ispra and Petten will deal with compatibility problems with steel and tritium
        recovery (out-of-pile and in-pile experiments).
        The structural materials studies will deal with the measurement of the mechanical properties under
        irradiation of low activation Mn-Cr steels. As in the past, the irradiations will be performed in the Ispra
        Mc-40 cyclotron and in the Petten HFR. The investigations on thermal fatigue of N E T first wall panels
        will be undertaken by exploiting a facility now in advanced construction at Ispra.
        The risk assessment studies will include theoretical analyses of first wall and blanket accidents (loss-of-
        coolant) and of experiments on plasma-wall disruption simulation and 17Li83Pb/water interaction. For
        these two experiments a new electron gun and a large scale facility, available by the end of 1986, will be
        used. The analysis of the atmospheric diffusion of tritium in the environment will be pursued.
        The activities in the tritium laboratory will, in collaboration with contractors from European industry,
        concentrate on detailed design. Furthermore, information, which must be presented to the Italian safety
        authorities in order to obtain an operating licence, will be made available so that construction can begin
        before the end of 1987. The preparation of the activities to be carried out in the laboratory will be
        continued. Simulation experiments with hydrogen and deuterium shall be executed, and the tritium rework
        technique will be tested.
        3. Safety of nuclear fission
        In the area of reactor safety research, priorities must be examined in the light of the considerations
        resulting from the Chernobyl accident, and, should the need arise, new priorities should be set. Without
        prejudging the results of the detailed analysis which has still to take place, it is to be anticipated that
        greater attention be paid to the problems concerning severe accidents in which the core melts and to the
        limitation of the consequences thereof. Moreover, efforts will be increased in the sphere of development of
        probabilistic techniques for risk evaluation. The tasks entrusted to the JRC — collection and assessment of
        data on reactor incidents — acquire a special significance in this connection.
        On the other hand, activities in the area of sodium thermohydraulics for fast-breeder reactors will be
        drawn to a close in the near future.
        Research into the safety of the nuclear fuel cycle will, on the whole, be continued with a slight increase in
        scope, with the exception of studies into the sub-sea-bed disposal of radioactive waste. A new installation
        in Ispra — PERLA — will shortly become operational for the activities concerning the safeguarding of
        fissile materials. Work on radioactive waste will be concentrated around a recently completed experimental
        facility, (PETRA) to be exploited in association with national laboratories.
 ---pagebreak--- l^oC^Bn^                                          COrrlci^]oLrrn^otdh^Eu^^^                                                           r^,^.^
         ^1.      ^o^c^r^r^
         The programme will includes!^ activities which are^
         — reliability and risk assessment,
         — integrity o^ components and systems in light^water reactors,
         — study o^ abnormal behaviour in core^cooling systems in light^water reactors,
         — containment studies,
         — source term,
         — modelling o^ accident situations in t^ast^breeder reactors.
         ^ome important elements ^or the transition programme are listed below^
         ^ s tar as the studies into reliability and risk evalutation are concerned, emphasis will be placed on a
         systematic analysis o^ the data already stored in the A ^ ^ ^ ^ U ^ data b a s e . T h e y e a r ! 9 8 7 will see the
         compilation o^ guidelines ^or the application ot techniques ^or probabilistic risk^ana^ysis.tn support o^ this
         action, several study groups will participate in a community benchmark exercise on severe accident
         analysis.
         The activities on the evaluation o^ the lit^e^spano^ components otlight^water reactor primary^svstems will
         be continued, a s a r e s u l t o ^ which the importance o^ component safety l^or the prevention o^ accidents will
         be better appreciated.
         The results o^the LCOr^l testprogramme on the analysis o^the consequences o ^ a i l u r e in the cooling
         system o^light^water reactors will be compared with the forecasts o^ mathematical models which are being
         developed ^or large systems under conditions ot coolant loss, and particular transient stress.
         l^ew studies on sourceterm problems will be directed by Ispra, carried out i n l 9 8 7 a s c o s t s h a r e d actions.
         M o r d e r to analyse the results,the team o^ analysts in Ispra will be reinforced in preparation l^or an integral
         test programme as suggested by one ot^ the member states.
         The programme on investigation into austenitic steel will be brought t o a c l o s e i n ! 9 8 7 , a n d a p r o g r a m m e
         on concrete t^or safety containment will be prepared in its place. This will be included in apro^ect on
         containment studies to be conducted inclose collaboration with institutions in the member countries.
         The sa^etyanalysiso^astbreeder reactors concentrates on severe a c c i d e n t s i n w b i c h l o c a l a n d complete
         core failure will be considered.
         The ^A^Oo ^ d ^ r ^ ^ r^inpile^ proiects will continue in 1987 as originally foreseen, ^ o r k on the
         development ot^ European Occident erodes ^ A ^ will be completed, and the analysis ot^ local ^sub
         assemble tailurewillbegiven more attention.
         The test programmeonsodiumthermohvdraulicswillbeterminated. moreover, theresearch area liquid
         metal ^ast^breeder reactor materials properties and structural behaviour will also be terminated. The present
         programme on evaluation o^avibrating table was already brought to an end in 198^.Mthe transition year,
         plans will be made tor a reinforcement ot the analytical work atthel^oO^ through a reduction o ^ t h e
         activities on large thermohydraulic system codes.
         The overall work will continue in close collaboration with national research centres, utilities and regulatory
         bodies w h o w i l l b e n e t i t t r o m the results t o b e obtained. The collaborative ettons with industry w i l l b e
         emphasised by continuation ot^ the shared^cost activities initiated in 198^.
         The previous structure ot^ the proiect will be maintained in 1987^ the sphere o^ activity on waste
         management and the nuclear Aiel cycle consists o^, along with radiochemical studies and actinide
         measurements, the s e t t i n g u p o ^ the ^ T ^ A installation.The safety aspects o^ storing radioactive waste in
         continental geological formations will be examined.
         The transitiontowards a n e w p r o g r a m m e w i l l b e p r e p a r e d i n 1987. tnthisrespect,problemsconcerning
         characterisation and duality control are to be considered.
         c u r i n g the course o ^ l 9 8 7 , t h e r ^ T I O A installation will begin its^cold^operations.Mthis connection, the
         nuclear test phase willcome to a n e n d by the e n d o ^ the year.COneo^theusergroups,established at the
         suggestion o^ the competent eo^aS, will schedule the tests to be carried out, ^nd will encourage the
         exchange o^int^ormation between interested parties.ThepiOO^^arlsruhewillcollaboratemore actively on
         the programme, and will provide contributions to the characterisation o^ waste, and duality control.
 ---pagebreak--- 19.2.87                               Official Journal of the European Communities                                        N o C 41/13
        The cooperation on the project on storage of sub-sea-bed waste disposal will be reduced, and wound up in
         1988.
         3.3. Safeguards andfissilematerial management
        This programme will further develop techniques and instrumentation for the assay of fissile materials, and
         its containment and surveillance in nuclear installations. It will also deal with the processing, transmission
         and evaluation of data relevant to safeguards, and will study integrated methods for control of the flow of
        fissile materials through the various stages of the nuclear fuel cycle.
        The setting up of the calibration and training laboratory PERLA in Ispra, which should be completed in
         1987 shall be given priority. Emphasis shall also be placed on the systematic development of integrated
        systems for containment and surveillance of the storage of nuclear materials. Finally, special attention will
        be given to the development of data bases for accountancy declarations of fissile materials and their
        exploitation using decision support systems.
        3.4. Nuclear fuels and actinide research
        An essential part of the programme carried out in the JRC-Karlsruhe, the contribution to the development
        of nuclear fuels, to the safety of the actinide cycle, and to basic actinide research will be continued. In this
        respect, and in view of the next multiannual programme, some shift of emphasis is planned:
        In the area of analysis of the behaviour at high temperature of reactor materials, greater consideration will
        be given to the problem of 'post accident heat removal' (PAHR). The aerosol studies, previously limited to
        active particles shall be extended to other nuclear and non-nuclear aerosols such as the application of
        purification aerosols. In the area of development of nuclear fuels, the advisory bodies recommend the
        inclusion of fast-breeder nuclear fuels in the transient-programme, and to examine more closely the special
        problems of nuclear fuels, such as that which arises upon the recycling of plutonium in light-water reactors.
        Building on the many years of experience gained in the area of nuclear fuels analysis, certain prospective
        studies are to examine the possibilities of laser application for the treatment of materials and for the
        preparation of high-purity materials samples (isotopes) as calibration substances for basic research on
        actinides (and where possible for nuclear medecine).
        As described in points 3.1 and 3.2 the JRC-Karlsruhe shall be more involved in the future in the materials
        research programme and the radioactive waste disposal programme.
        4. Non-nuclear energies
        This programme is to be completely restructured. The programme energy management in habitat and the
        testing of solar energy systems will be replaced by a programme on reference methods for non-nuclear
        energies, whereby the mission of the JRC for the development of norms and standards will be emphasized.
        The new programme encompasses two projects:
        The first concerns development and trials of test methods for photovoltaic convenors in the European
        Solar Testing Installation (ESTI), in which area the characterization of advanced photovoltaic materials
        (amorphous silicon) is moving into the foreground. The second project on non-polluting thermal energy
        systems is concerned with the testing of active solar systems and passive solar test methodologies. This is
        done in concertation with and coordination of national activities.
        5. Environment
        As in the past, the programme encompasses protection of the environment; the development and the
        application of remote-sensing techniques; the identification of industrial risks and the problems of radiation
        protection. In 1987 the publicly accessible ECDIN data bank on substances potentially toxic to the
        environment, shall be transferred to the competent service of the Commission, whilst the JRC shall remain
        responsible for the supply of data.
        5.1. Protection of the environment
        The most important developments for 1987 in comparison with the original programme are the inclusion of
        an activity on chemical waste, and increased activities on modelling and on the effects of pollution in the
        environment on man, and the ecosystem.
        In the light of experience during the first three years of the programme it is proposed to reclassify the
        ongoing research activities in four categories: 'environmental chemicals', 'atmospheric pollution', 'water
        quality' and 'chemical waste', (this last being based on activities previously carried out within the 'industrial
        hazards' programme).
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 41/14                               Official Journal of the European Communities                                    19.2.87
            Environmental chemicals and their potential danger will be described and evaluated in ECDIN (Environ-
            mental Chemicals Data Information Network). The data, including those on substances in the lists I and II
            in the Directive 76/464/EEC, are publicly accessible. Atmospheric pollution in enclosed spaces, and its
            effect on human beings gains significance as a research project and is studied within the framework of a
            JRC-led COST action. Research on trace metals and their consequences on health and the biosphere will
            be continued.
            In the context of harmful substances in the atmosphere, acid deposition constitutes one of the foremost
            research areas, whilst the analysis of photochemical effects will be considered in more detail with emphasis
            on its effect on plants. Mathematical models should prove helpful in gaining a better understanding of the
            transport of pollutants in the atmosphere, as well as of the problem of mass balance for which the
            Community measurement actions provide field data.
            Important contributions are envisaged both to the COST 611 Action (physico-chemical behaviour of
            atmospheric pollutants) and to the EUREKA project EUROTRAC.
            In the central laboratory for atmospheric pollution further work will be carried out by means of
            suggestions for harmonization of analytical techniques, thresholds for sulphur dioxide and suspended par-
            ticulates, in accordance with the Council Decision.
            Analyses of water quality will be concentrated on the distribution of trace metals and their possible harmful
            effects on the environment in hydrous ecological systems.
            A further research project (that was previously carried out in the context of harmful industrial substances)
            deals with the distribution and possible metamorphosis of harmful chemical waste, its management and its
            effect on the environment, in the sense of the Council Decision 78/319/EEC on toxic waste products.
            5.2. Radiation measurements and evaluation of riskfromradiation
            This is a new action which, within the meaning of Chapter III of the Euratom Treaty, and in the light of
            the Chernobyl disaster, aims at creating or improving the scientific tools for further Commission activities
            in the area of radiation protection. The action may lead to a programme in the next multiannual exercise.
            In particular, the following are envisaged:
            — examination of the possibilities of collecting all information on environmental characteristics and the
                biological effect of radio-nuclides in one data base,
            — the analysis of the capability, on a European scale, of mathematical models to calculate the distribution
                of radio-nuclides which are released from a nuclear facility (under normal operating conditions, or in
                the case of an accident) and to evaluate the resulting collective dose for the population,
            — as a complement to the shared-cost programme 'radiation protection', there will be an activity for
                gathering and assessing the data obtained from environmental monitoring of the Ispra site. The new
                programme will include work on calibration of measurement methods for air sampling, and campaigns
                for intercomparison of results.
            5.3. Remote sensing
            For this programme, 1987 will constitute a transition towards the new projects structure and objectives to
            be implemented in the subsequent multiannual programme. The main evolutions will be as follows:
            Concerning microwave remote sensing, preparatory studies for a future project on the application of
            synthetic aperture radar (SAR) will be undertaken. An important effort will be devoted to the handling and
            application of the data obtained from the 1986 AGRISAR campaign.
            The current project on coastal transport of sea pollution will be brought to such a stage that a significant
            reorientation might be decided at the end of 1987. A method for mapping bio-physical parameters
            connected with sea pollution and a mathematical circulation/diffusion model for the description and
            prediction of pollution pathways should become available. During the second half of the year, the
            prototype of laser-fluorosensor developed for detecting and analysing oil slicks at sea will be ready for
            in-field testing. Studies as to whether this technique may be used equally to detect and identify chemical
            pollutants at sea will take place, in view of an eventual expansion of the programme in this area.
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         Concerning marine productivity, the present exploratory activity using test sites in typical upwelling zones
         of the Atlantic coast of Morocco will be enlarged with the view of setting-up a specific project in the 1988
         to 1991 programme.
         In 1987, the action plan common to the Directorate-General for Agriculture, the SOEC and the JRC for
         the integration of remote sensing in a European information system for agriculture will be launched. The
         initial actions will be executed under contract and concern the development of a land use inventory
         methodology and the demonstration of crop yield indicators based on remotely sensed data.
         The project on natural disasters, actually limited to a feasibility study, will be discontinued.
         Furthermore, the JRC will undertake to specify in detail, together with the Directorates-General
         concerned, the actions to be taken to implement the recommendations given in the recent report of the
         study group (study group set up by the DG XII-JRC to advise on the development of remote-sensing
         applications and led by Mr Roy Gibson), in particular concerning the CORINE Programme and marine
        pollution.
         5.4. Industrial hazards
        The JRC's activities in this area will be carried out in close cooperation with the Directorate-General for
        the Environment, Consumer Protection and Nuclear Safety. Since this is an area in which the JRC is
        particularly specialized in respect of risk assessment and risk management, it can therefore fall back on its
        competences which have been developed for problems in reactor safety.
        As a result of the groundwork carried out in 1984 and 1985, and on the basis of discussions with
        representatives from industry and the safety authorities, the new JRC Programme will deal with two
        aspects of industrial safety: accident prevention, and damage limitation.
        The activities on accident prevention include trials of models for risk analysis, which will partly be carried
        out in collaboration with other research groups, which should therefore serve in the harmonization of
        methods to be used. Furthermore, in this connection, research projects of other institutions (EuReDatA —
        European Reliability Databank Association — and ESRA — European Safety and Reliability Association)
        shall be coordinated and data obtained in various research programmes shall be exchanged. At the same
        time, appropriate activities will be coordinated with those of the shared-cost action on major technological
        hazards.
        The activities on accident mitigation and control shall concentrate on experimental and theoretical studies
        of the so-called runaway reactions, that is, processes which, once out of control, increase the damage effect
        rapidly. The studies foreseen encompass kinetic and thermodynamic aspects; the carrying out of modelling
        tests, and the analysis of the effectiveness of relief systems.
        The project on chemical waste materials, previously dealt with under industrial hazards, will be added to
        the environment protection programme in 1987; the development of techniques for non-destructive testing
        of materials will be continued under the programme industrial technologies.
        6. Exploitation of the high flux reactor
        This complementary programme will, in accordance with the plans discussed in the competent committees
        and advisory boards, be continued in 1987.
        As a result of the reconstruction undertaken between 1984 and 1986, a high-performance, modern instal-
        lation, eminently suited to the testing of materials, and as an intensive neutron source, is now available.
        The principal areas of application are, as in the past:
        — technologically oriented research in the sphere of nuclear fuels development for nuclear fission reactors,
             and the analysis of the behaviour of structural materials under stress,
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           — material experiments for fusion reactors,
           — hard-core physical experiments,
           —' application of neutron radiation for the testing of material structures,
           — production of radio isotopes for medical, industrial and scientific use,
           — activation analysis.
                                                               ANNEX 2
                                        Impact on small and medium-sized entreprises (SMEs)
           1. The execution of the planned programme for 1987 will have direct and indirect impacts in several ways
              on small and medium-sized entreprises, where these are defined to the firms with a staff of less than 100
              and 500 persons respectively.
           2. The direct impact falls into two categories:
               (i) benefits which SMEs derive from the programme execution,
              (ii) circumstances where the JRC acts as a customer of SMEs.
              The indirect benefits are those which SMEs (alongside other entreprises, national research bodies, regu-
              latory bodies, etc.) derive from JRC results reported in the technical literature, at public seminars and
              conferences and to national authorities through the regular reporting of JRC work and results and
              through the sectorial Advisory Committees for Management and Coordination.
           3. With regard to the direct benefits for SMEs, firms in this category are regular users of JRC activities on
              the collection, assessment and dissemination of knowledge such as, for example:
              — the high-temperature materials data base in Petten,
              — the Ispra data base ECDIN, on chemical toxicological substances (now in commercial operation at
                   an outside firm).
              SMEs are users of test facilities in the JRC including the solar test facility in Ispra which also gives rise
              to further development of the methods applied.
              Likewise, as in the past, in 1987 SMEs will be engaged in collaborative efforts with the JRC
              establishments on instrument developments for use in several programmes, development of new
              methodologies including information transport and handling techniques (safeguards systems, remote-
              sensing techniques, etc). It is characteristic that new scientific disciplines for the use of programmes have
              often been developed in collaboration with SMEs (artificial intelligence as an example). Moreover, most
              projects on valorization of JRC research results are conducted with SMEs. This will continue in 1987.
              A final spin-off from JRC research results has been the stimulation it has given to the setting-up of new
              SMEs in the field of high technology. There are particular recent examples of this stemming from the
              programme on JRC application of remote sensing from space techniques.
           4. The preliminary draft budget for 1987 estimates that of the expenses other than staff some 29 million
               ECU will be used for the operations of the general administration and infrastructure.
              This amount covers the services necessary for the operations of the four establishments (supplies of
               energy, transport, upkeep of buildings and technical installations, general service facilities etc). It is
               estimated that around a third of the funds will be spent on contracts with SMEs. A further 12 million
               ECU are estimated for scientific-technical support functions of which a substantial share is likewise
               foreseen for expenditure on contracts with SMEs. The same applies to the 36 million ECU set aside for
               expenditures relevant to execution of the direct programme including the HFR reactor in Petten. In this
               connection the greater part of the fabrication of the disposable devices used in irradiations is carried out
               by SMEs and considerable recourse is made to local workshops by all the JRC establishments for
               construction of scientific equipment, specimen preparation etc.