Research and training programme (Euratom) in the field of controlled thermonuclear fusion, 1982-1986

The programme was carried out in accordance with the rules established by the Euratom Treaty (Art. 7) and as part of a long-term cooperative effort embracing all work carried out in the Member States in the field of controlled thermonuclear fusion. It was designed to lead in due course to the joint construction of prototypes with a view to their industrial production and marketing.

Beginning with the 1976-1980 programme the Council adopted the principle of the "sliding" programme whereby a new five-year Fusion programme is adopted every three years. Thus the first two years of the new programme coincide with the last two years of the previous programme. Authorized appropriations not used in the programme are carried over into the next.
To continue major research into Tokamak thermonuclear fusion reactors with emphasis on the development of plasma heating techniques, particularly through the construction and exploitation of a Joint European Torus (JET) and by starting to define the next step after JET, namely the Next European Torus (NET), with a view to harnessing controlled thermonuclear fusion to secure the Community's long- term energy supplies.
- Plasma physics, in particular studies of a basic character relating to confinement with suitable devices and to methods for producing and heating plasma;
- Research into confinement, in closed configurations, of plasma of widely varying density and temperature;
- Research into light-matter interactions and transport phenomena and the development of high-power lasers;
- Development and application to confinement devices of sufficiently powerful plasma heating methods;
- Improvement of diagnostic methods;
- Definition of the large device constituting the next step after JET and technology developments required for its design and construction as well as those needed in the longer term for the fusion reactor;
- Completion of the construction of the JET device in its basic performance, extension of JET to full performance, and operation and exploitation of JET.
The Commission, assisted by the Consultative Committee of the Fusion Programme (CCFP), was responsible for implementing the programme.

Implementation of the Joint European Torus (JET) project was entrusted to the JET Joint Undertaking, established for a period of twelve years from 1 June 1978 by Council Decision 78/471/Euratom (Official Journal No L 151 of 7.6.1978). Responsibility for the Joint Undertaking was vested in the JET Council (assisted by the JET Executive Committee and the JET Scientific Council) and in the Director of the JET Project.

Other projects were carried out by means of association or limited duration contracts designed to yield the results necessary for implementation of the programme and which took into consideration work carried out by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), in particular in relation to the definition of the large device constituting the next step after JET and technological developments required for its design and construction as well as those needed in the longer term for the fusion reactor.

After a technical examination, the CCFP was authorized to accord priority status to projects belonging to one of the following areas:
- Tokamak systems and support for JET;
- Other toroidal machines;
- Heating and injection;
- Next Step and fusion technology.

The Commission financed projects in the above areas at a uniform preferential rate of about 45%. It supported industrial contracts in the area of the Next Step and fusion technology at a rate of 100%. In return, all Associations involved in the programme had the right to take part in experiments carried out with the equipment thus constructed.

The upper limit of expenditure for the programme, exclusive of JET, was fixed at ECU 301 million, including an amount of ECU 67 million remaining from the previous programme. The ceiling for JET was fixed at ECU 319 million, including ECU 35 million from the previous programme.

The Commission submitted to the Council in 1984 a proposal for a new five-year programme with effect from 1 January 1985.