2007/773/Euratom: Council Decision of 26 November 2007 on a one year extension of the supplementary research programme to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre for the European Atomic Energy Community

30.11.2007 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 312/29
COUNCIL DECISION
of 26 November 2007
on a one year extension of the supplementary research programme to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre for the European Atomic Energy Community
(2007/773/Euratom)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 7 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, submitted after consultation of the Scientific and Technical Committee,
Having regard to the opinion of the Board of Governors of the Joint Research Centre (JRC),
Whereas:
(1) The development of nuclear medicine within the European Union contributes to the objective of ensuring human health protection. It necessitates the increased use of testing reactors for medical purposes.
(2) On 19 February 2004, the Council adopted a Decision concerning the adoption of a supplementary research programme to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre for the European Atomic Energy Community (1). That programme was adopted for a period of three years, until 1 January 2007.
(3) Within the framework of the European Research Area, the supplementary research programme involving the high flux reactor at Petten (the HFR) is one of the principal means available in the Union to contribute to the support and testing of medical diagnostic and therapeutic methods, to the development of materials sciences and to problem-solving in the field of nuclear energy.
(4) The HFR is in operable condition until at least 2015, and a new operating licence was granted to the reactor operator in February 2005. The supplementary research programme should therefore be extended for a further year to make use of the technical facilities available. The extension should take effect retroactively, to cover the ongoing activities of the programme in the period from 1 January 2007.
(5) The financial contributions necessary for this extension of the supplementary research programme will be provided by the Netherlands and France,