The safe disposal of radioactive waste is a challenge that requires significant research and analysis. With components that still pose significant dangers to humans and the environment even after thousands of years, there is little room for error. Research efforts are ongoing around the world, with various standards and methodologies being developed.

During its three-year run, the EU-funded PAMINA ('Performance... read more

A 'Thermal impact on the damage zone around a radioactive waste disposal in clay host rocks' (TIMODAZ) project workshop will take place from 6 to 7 February 2012 in Saint-Ursanne, Switzerland.

Over the past few years, the EU-funded TIMODAZ project has investigated the coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical (THM) effects in clay formations foreseen as potential host rocks for the geological disposal of radioactive... read more

Two major EU-funded nuclear waste-disposal projects have allowed researchers to reach a consensus on several key issues surrounding the chemical durability of both high-level waste glass and spent nuclear fuel.

The two projects are GLAMOR ('Critical evaluation of the dissolution mechanisms of high level nuclear waste glasses in conditions of relevance for geological disposal') and MICADO (' Model uncertainty... read more

A naturally occurring, gloopy substance called green rust excels at capturing radioactive waste and preventing it from leaking into the environment, new research shows. The findings, published in the journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, could inform the design of storage systems for radioactive waste, which need to remain intact for hundreds of thousands of years.

The study was partly funded through... read more

The European Commission on 5 May adopted a communication justifying the creation of a sustainable financial framework for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). EU Member States should provide financial support to the facility, whose expenditure is EUR 4.5 billion more than the initial EUR 2.7 billion planned, the European Commission said.

In a memo, the Commission explained that... read more

A scientific workshop on neutron measurements, theory and applications is on the agenda in Geel, Belgium from 28 to 30 April. The event is jointly organised as part of the EU-funded project EFNUDAT ('European facilities for nuclear data measurements') and will take place at the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC).

The workshop... read more

The tools developed by the EU-funded PERFECT project ('Prediction of irradiation damage effects in reactor components') are set to make the nuclear power plants of the future safer and also extend their lifetime.

The materials used to build nuclear power stations often undergo degradation as a result of the high levels of radiation they are exposed to. Up until now the material databases needed understand... read more

Even as the debate on the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power rages on in many countries, about 30 new nuclear power plants are being built around the world, including in Europe. Some countries such as Germany or Sweden are committed to a nuclear phase-out, but are their commitments definite?

Whatever the answer may be, it is more than likely that nuclear waste disposal will continue to be a... read more

The fourth workshop on neutron measurements, evaluations and applications (NEMEA-4), focusing on nuclear data needs for Generation IV and accelerator driven systems, will be held in Prague, Czech Republic, from 16 to 18 October.

The workshop aims at providing a comprehensive overview of nuclear data needs for applications with potential economic impact. The event contributes to the EU-funded Coordination... read more

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Plasma Physics have developed a special code to calculate kinks in the test reactor of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project. This should ensure the stability of the reactor.

The experimental fusion reactor, which is to be located in Cadarache, southern France, will attempt to reproduce on Earth the nuclear reactions that power the... read more

The European Commission has published a call for proposals under the Seventh Euratom Framework Programme for Nuclear Research and Training activities.

The call is divided into three parts:
- fusion education;
- materials research;
- atomic data and modelling in support of fusion plasma modelling and diagnostics.

The Commission will use Coordination and Support Actions to fund selected projects... read more

Two treaties were signed in Rome on 25 March 1957, but at the celebrations marking the 50th birthday of the European Union this year, one is guaranteed to get far more attention than the other.

While the more famous of the treaties established the European Economic Community (EEC), later to become the European Community (EC) and then the European Union (EU), a second created the European Atomic Energy... read more

For over 25 years the European Commission's Joint Research Centre has provided support to the International Atomic Energy Agency in its efforts to oversee the implementation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. A good deal of this nuclear safeguards work involves measuring the levels of various radioactive isotopes in samples taken from nuclear installations and elsewhere. Isotopes are versions of the... read more

Snaking through the woods outside the small Flemish town of Geel are a number of large metal tubes up to 400m long radiating out from a central building.

This strange-looking structure is GELINA, a linear electron accelerator based at the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), part of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre.

'We're the nuclear guys!' says Peter Rullhusen cheerfully,... read more

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has signed new collaborative agreements with Finland's Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) on the safer, cleaner and healthier use of energy and chemicals.

The agreements, on 'energy and the environment' and the 'health impact of chemicals' further strengthen the long-standing collaboration between the JRC and VTT.

'It is essential that major... read more

This year the European Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) celebrate 25 years of cooperation in the field of nuclear safeguards. The anniversary was marked by a ceremony in Karlsruhe, southern Germany, where both parties pledged to continue their cooperation.

The IAEA is the world's nuclear inspectorate, and as such it is charged with verifying that countries are complying with... read more

The European Commission's Directorate General for Energy and Transport has launched a call for tenders to provide European guidance on clinical audits.

The purpose of this study is to develop a clear definition of the concept of Clinical Audit and to facilitate the harmonisation of the implementation of Art.6. 4) of Council Directive 97/43/ Euratom requiring Clinical Audits. The action has been proposed... read more

As preparations get underway to build ITER, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, a group of European nuclear fusion research institutes have come together to create a high-level, specialised training programme for the next generation of nuclear fusion researchers.

Engineers are in short supply across the profession, and the field of nuclear fusion is no exception to this rule. Nevertheless,... read more

The European Commission has published its proposals for the Joint Undertaking for the vast multinational project to develop fusion power - the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project.

The Joint Undertaking will determine the EU's role in ITER. The six other partners are Russia, Japan, China, India, South Korea and the US.

'Building upon the success of the integrated Euratom fusion... read more

A World Health Organization (WHO) report on the Chernobyl accident published in April claimed that the current and future death toll in three countries of the former Soviet Union - the Russian Federation, Belarus and Ukraine - is significantly lower than originally thought.

The same opinion has now been voiced by the authors of a new Turkish study on the effects of Chernobyl in the Black Sea region.

'The... read more

The European Commission has referred Italy to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg because it feels that Italy has not effectively implemented the strict Euratom legislation on protecting the public in the event of a radiological emergency.

The Commission believes that the Italian legislation does not give the general public sufficient advanced information on emergency plans. 'When preparing for... read more

Now that nuclear power is 'back on the agenda with a vengeance', in the words of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Dr Georges Van Goethem from the European Commission's Research DG, responsible for Nuclear Fission and Radiation Protection, talked to CORDIS News about the new approaches to safety in nuclear fission power station designs. He gave some startling insights into the green credentials of the fourth... read more

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has given his first firm indication that he backs the roll-out of a new generation of nuclear power stations, both in the UK and in Europe.

In a speech given to the CBI (Confederation of British Industry), Mr Blair said that he was expecting the results on a review of British energy policy, but had seen a 'first cut'. 'Essentially the twin pressures of climate change and... read more

The European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) has formally joined an international framework agreement for collaborative research and development on fourth generation nuclear energy systems, it was announced on 11 May.

The framework agreement is a programme of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), a platform for international research cooperation which was established in January 2000 at the initiative... read more

EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs addressed a plenary session of the European Parliament on 26 April, speaking of the effects and lessons of the Chernobyl disaster 20 years on.

Mr Piebalgs opened by revealing that he was in present day Ukraine at the time of the accident, and his brother-in-law had been drafted as a 'liquidator' to help in the clean-up operation. Liquidators often suffered huge doses... read more

The European Commission's Research DG has published a proposal on the rules for participation in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Atomic Energy Community, known as Euratom.

Euratom is distinct from the rest of FP7 as it falls under a different treaty and has slightly different guidelines regarding participation and dissemination of information. The proposal, which will be sent to the... read more

A spokesperson for EU Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik has responded to criticism by environmental groups of the EU's plans to fund nuclear research under the Euratom section of the Seventh Framework Programme for research (FP7), highlighting that much of the research funded by the EU focuses on safety and disposal.

'There is a knee-jerk reaction to the word 'nuclear', but fission and fusion... read more

A week long workshop examining radiation embrittlement of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) will take place in Bansko, Bulgaria, from 1 to 8 April.

The workshop aims to disseminate the results of studies conducted under the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) into RPV in order to effectively disseminate the latest knowledge on this topic and so improve understanding of features relevant for the life assessment... read more

The Max Planck Institute of Plasma Physics (IPP) has received its first parts for the Wendelstein 7-X plasma chamber fusion reactor. The 35-ton device is constructed from hundreds of separate components in 20 sectors. The installation is expected to be complete in six years.

Fusion power has the potential to provide clean and almost limitless fuel for the world. The problem with fusion power is that the... read more

A conference on EU research and training in reactor systems, 'FISA 2006', will take place in Luxembourg, from 13 to 16 March.

Organised by the European Commission, the event will include political and industrial discussions covering European research in nuclear plant life management for existing reactors, severe accident management, assessment of future nuclear fission systems, partitioning and transmutation... read more

The European Commission has published a call for proposals for its Euratom Fusion Training Scheme under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

This training scheme will support up to 100 person years of training in the field of fusion energy research with a budget of eight million euro. The scheme is open to consortia of organisations involved in the European fusion programme proposing training programmes... read more

Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik has said that it makes sense for European countries to collaborate in the field of nuclear research and has called for extra funding for the EURATOM programme, as foreseen under the Commission's proposals for the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

Speaking at an international conference on 'nuclear energy for a new Europe' in his home country of Slovenia... read more

Researchers from ten teams in seven EU countries are working together to assess the safety and efficacy of computed tomography (CT) scans.

CT scanners use x-ray equipment to obtain cross-sectional images of the body. The detailed pictures of organs, bones and other tissues can be used to diagnose diseases such as cancer, where a tumour is visible, as well as injuries. They are therefore an extremely valuable... read more

The European Commission has published a call for proposals for the Euratom research and training programme on nuclear energy.

The call addresses the following areas:
- geological disposal;
- partitioning and transmutation and other concepts to produce less waste in nuclear energy generation;
- radioactive waste management infrastructures;
- quantification of risks associated with low and protracted... read more

CORDIS, the Community Research and Development Information Service, has updated its 'Find a project' service for the Sixth Framework Programme for research (FP6) with new project profiles from all the programme's activity areas.

There are now over 2,000 project fact sheets available, including information on new projects in the Science and Society, Research Infrastructures and International Cooperation... read more

The European Commission has published an amendment to its open call for proposals under the Euratom programme for research and training on nuclear energy.

The total indicative budget per closure date in 2005 and 2006 has been fixed at three million euro, of which up to 1.5 million will go to fusion energy research, and 1.5 million to management of radioactive waste, radiation protection and other activities... read more

Institutions in Slovenia and Poland have signed contracts of association enabling researchers in both countries to cooperate more fully in pan-European fusion energy research.

While the two Member States are already associated to the overall European atomic energy community (EURATOM) programme by virtue of their EU membership, full participation in fusion research is dependent upon contracts of association... read more

Two new sets of guidance notes for participants in the EU's Sixth Framework Programme for research and development (FP6) are now available through CORDIS (the Community Research and Development Information Service), the EU's official information service on science and research. The new guidelines cover project reporting in general, as well as the reporting of conferences or seminars carried out as part... read more

New guidance notes for participants in FP6 are now available through CORDIS (Community Research and Development Information Service), the EU's official information service on science and research. The new guidelines cover the issuing of calls for new contractors to join existing Integrated Projects (IPs) or Networks of Excellence (NoEs).

The EU's Sixth Framework Programme for research and development... read more

CORDIS, the Community Research and Development Information Service, has published Expressions of Interest (EoI), submitted by European citizens and research stakeholders, relating to the EURATOM Nuclear Energy Research and Training Programme under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

Opened between 26 November 2003 and 19 March 2004, the EoI provided an opportunity for researchers and other interested... read more

CORDIS, the European Community's Research and Development Information Service, has added the profiles of 18 Euratom fission projects to its fully searchable Projects service for the Sixth Framework Programme for research (FP6).

The service hosts a description and contact details for each project funded under the three FP6 Euratom activity areas on fission; with seven on the management of radioactive waste,... read more

A year into the Sixth Framework Programme, in 2003, the Commission's coordinator for nuclear reactor safety research, Georges Van Goethem, spoke to CORDIS News of a real need for collaboration in the field.

In April, collaboration on a huge scale will get underway with the launch of the SARNET Network of Excellence. With the involvement of 49 organisations (18 research organisations, 11 private companies,... read more

The European Research Area (ERA) has already been established in the field of nuclear research, believes Hans Forsström, the Commission's Head of Unit for nuclear fission and radiation protection, and bringing people together through a succession of Framework Programmes has clearly helped, he told CORDIS News.

The first European Framework Programme was actually a Euratom programme back in the 1970s,... read more

The European Commission's Research DG has published a call for tenders for monitoring progress towards gender equality in Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) activities.

The Commission is planning to award individuals contracts to carry out five studies on 'monitoring progress towards gender equality in the Sixth Framework Programme'.

The call for tenders comprises the following five lots, each lot being... read more

The European Commission is organising a topical information meeting on epidemiological studies of exposed populations, to take place on 11 December in Brussels, Belgium.

The meeting seeks to provide a forum where those interested in participating in such research can meet potential partners and present their work. It will also give an overview of EU programmes in this area and ongoing research on exposed... read more

In the context of the mid-term revision of the EURATOM work programme, the European Commission has published a call for expressions of interest (EoI) that will help define the technical content and scope of future calls for proposals under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

The European Commission invites the submission of EoI to participate in research actions for topics in the thematic priorities... read more

The European Commission has published an amendment for the call for proposals under the specific programme (Euratom) for research and training on nuclear energy, published on 17 December 2002.

The closure dates for the Euratom open call have been changed from:

6 May 2003, 14 October 2003, 13 April 2004, 12 October 2004, 12 April 2005, 11 October 2005 and 11 April 2006

to the following:

6 May... read more

The European Commission has published a call for proposals related to the 'EURATOM research and training programme on nuclear energy' under the Sixth Framework Programme's 'management of radioactive waste and radiation protection' and 'other activities in the field of nuclear technologies and safety' activities.

The areas covered by this call are:
- geological disposal (area 3.2.1.1-1 in the work programme);
-... read more

Through its European atomic energy community (EURATOM) programme, the Commission has for many years promoted the benefits of collaborative research efforts in the field of nuclear reactor safety.

With the introduction of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) and the establishment of the European Research Area (ERA), researchers and other stakeholders are being urged to forge ever closer links. This offers... read more

The Presidium of the European Convention has decided to drop its initial proposal to include the Euratom treaty in the future EU constitution.

The decision to introduce an annex, stipulating a legal separation between the EU and Euratom, was made on 10 July. European NGOs have responded positively, saying that the decision underlines the growing opposition to the promotion of nuclear energy via the Euratom... read more