Horizontal activities of the specific programme for research and training on nuclear energy, part of the framework programme for the European Atomic Energy Community within the multi-annual sixth framework programme for 2002-2006.

The horizontal activities relate to the EURATOM thematic priorities:
- Fusion Energy Research - http://cordis.europa.eu.int/fp6/fusion.htm - Management of radioactive waste - http://cordis.europa.eu.int/fp6/waste.htm
- Radiation Protection - http://cordis.europa.eu.int/fp6/protection.htm
- Other activities in the field of nuclear technologies and safety - http://cordis.europa.eu.int/fp6/nuctech.htm
To help implement the activities of the thematic priorities of the specific programme for research and training on nuclear energy, the following horizontal activities are envisaged:
- Specific support actions;
- Trans-national access to large infrastructures;
- Actions to promote and develop human resources and mobility;
- Training fellowships;
- Grants for co-operating with third countries.
The horizontal activities (i.e. specific support actions, trans-national access to large infrastructures, and training fellowships, special training courses or grants for co-operating with third countries) are included in a call that will remain open throughout the duration of the programme. The three main activities are:

1. Specific support actions to contribute actively to the implementation of activities in the work programme, dissemination of results and preparation of future activities. Proposals are considered that:
- Promote and facilitate the dissemination, transfer, exploitation, assessment and broad take up of past and present programme results;
- Contribute to strategic objectives, notably regarding the European Research Area (eg, pilot initiatives on benchmarking, mapping, networking, etc);
- Prepare future Community RTD activities (eg, via prospective studies, exploratory measures, pilot actions, etc).

2. Trans-national access to large infrastructures in order to promote access for researchers to infrastructures that provide essential and unique services to the European research community.
In this case Community support is provided for the costs of access for researchers working in Member States and Associated States, other than the state where the infrastructure is established. Projects are implemented following the modalities for supporting research infrastructures in the Specific Programme - Structuring the ERA.

3. Actions to promote and develop human resources and mobility, including:
- Training fellowships to develop human resources and mobility, in particular offering advanced training to high calibre young scientists and assisting fellows to re-establish themselves in their country of nationality. Support is restricted to the Intra-European Fellowships and European Reintegration Grants as defined in the Marie Curie Actions and to applicants from the Member States and those associated to the Euratom programme. These fellowships and grants are implemented following the modalities of the Marie Curie Actions.
- Special training courses to maintain a high level of expertise and competence within the Community on nuclear matters. These should be aimed at the rapid dissemination of the results of national and Community research programmes and at maintaining competence.
- Grants for co-operating with third countries. These provide support for periods of up to six months to young research workers from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the new independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union to work in laboratories in the Community. They are limited to Community laboratories actively carrying out research funded by this or previous Euratom programmes at the time the exchange occurs.
The Commission is responsible for the implementation of the specific programme. All research activities carried out under the specific programme are to be in compliance with fundamental ethical principles. The specific programme is implemented by means of instruments. The rules for participation apply to the specific programme. The Commission has drawn up a work programme for the implementation of the specific programme, setting out in great detail the objectives and scientific and technological priorities and the timetable for implementation and the instruments to be used. The work programme takes account of relevant research activities carried out by the Member States, Associated States, European and international organisations, and is updated where appropriate.

For the purposes of implementing the specific programme, a consultative committee assists the Commission. The members of this committee vary according to the different subjects on the committee's agenda. The Commission regularly publishes reports on the overall progress of the implementation of the specific programme with information on financial aspects included. The Commission also arranges for the independent monitoring and assessment of the activities carried out in the fields covered by the specific programme.

In order to implement the specific programme the Commission uses various instruments and evaluates the proposals in accordance with the evaluation criteria. This is in accordance with the Council Decisions concerning the Sixth Framework Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community for nuclear research and for training activities that contribute to the creation of the European Research Area (2002-2006).

The indirect RTD actions implemented in the area of thermonuclear fusion - and in the framework of contracts, agreements or legal entities to which the Community is a party or of which it is a member - conform to the rules which have been established for them, in conformity with the Regulation on the rules of participation.

_ Instruments
The projects undertaken are carried out on the basis of procedures set out in:
- Contracts of association;
- The European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA);
- Any other multilateral agreement concluded between the Community and associated organisations and/or legal entities which may be set up, after the competent consultative committee has given its opinion;
- Other contracts of limited duration, in particular with bodies in the member states or the states associated with the Euratom Framework Programme;
- International agreements covering projects carried out in the framework of cooperation with third countries.
The activities to coordinate and support fusion energy research may concern studies in support of these activities, support for information exchange, and recourse to external expertise capacities, including: independent evaluation of activities, fellowships and training schemes, as well as publications and other actions to promote technology transfer.