EU's nuclear fusion programme - an example for ERA?
The European Commission's fusion programme is the sole example of totally integrated European research, and is comparable with the Commission's proposed European Research Area (ERA), states the French opinion paper on the Euratom section of the Commission's proposals for FP6. The paper stresses that the EU will be unable to discard nuclear energy in the foreseeable future, and therefore nuclear research must continue, but must not be limited to those Member States with nuclear facilities Comparing the EU's current nuclear fission policies, the paper notes that nuclear industries and research centres are already engaged in numerous European projects. If an integrated programme like the fusion programme is inappropriate, the classical system of calls for proposals is not adapted for subjects with which only a few institutes have the knowledge to deal. The creation of networks of excellence could solve this difficulty, states the paper. They could be implemented on the basis of the 'bottom-up' principle by the research centres themselves. These networks, united by the common objective of research and development (R&D), could be financed by the fission programme in the Sixth Framework programme to meet their objectives. No one will be side-lined by such a set-up, the paper argues, as the aim of the research framework programme is to encourage cooperation between as many actors as possible involved in nuclear research in both the EU and in the candidate countries. The implementation of the fission programme in the Sixth Framework programme should be based on the structure of EUREKA and should strongly link industrial partners to the management of the programme. This new approach could be promoted through a few R&D themes, a maximum of ten is recommended in the paper. The paper proposes how this new approach should be implemented. An umbrella project, managed by a consortium involving industry and research centres could be created with very precise R&D objectives. This consortium could also prepare a series of side projects involving external partners. This cluster of side projects would come second to realising the objectives of the umbrella project. The safety of nuclear facilities is a French research priority, which the paper highlights as particularly important in view of the EU's imminent enlargement. Prolonging the life of nuclear plants should also be a research priority according to the paper, along with research into effects on the environment and nuclear waste. 'The role of research in the area of waste is not simply to perfect, investigate further and develop existing procedures in the Member States, but also to contribute to development of new procedures,' states the paper. All of this should go towards creating a 'European culture of safety,' asserts the French paper.
Countries
France