Specific research programmes (Euratom) to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre - Safeguards and fissile materials management -, 1992-1994

Part of the third Framework programme for Community activities in the field of research and technological development (1990 to 1994) under subactivity II.5.: "Energy", the programme continues the work carried out in the previous JRC programme on safeguards and fissile materials management.

The work includes nuclear materials measurements, containment and surveillance techniques and the integration of safeguards measures.

Utilization of the PERLA calibration laboratory at Ispra will be fully implemented IN 1992, taking over activities from PRE-PERLA, and a PERLA training and exhibition centre will be realized in the ESSOR building. The PETRA facility (Plant for the Evaluation and Testing of Radioactive waste management Alternatives) will be fully operational in 1993 and will provide well characterized waste standards, designed for the calibration and the performance assessment of non-destructive analysis (NDA) techniques. The TAME laboratory (the real-scale input accountability tank) will be completed and will start studies on volume calibration for safeguards purposes.
To develop new safeguard techniques in the field of nuclear fission, with a view to reinforcing the safety of both present and future nuclear fuel cycles, by developing and assessing the performance of nuclear materials measurement systems and containment and surveillance techniques and by integrating such safeguards through the development of management information systems.
Five research areas:

- Development and performance assessment of measurement systems for nuclear materials (Institute for Transuranium Elements, Karlsruhe):
To develop methods for the destructive analysis of the samples taken from the open fuel cycle and, in particular, from reprocessing plants;

- Integration of safeguards techniques, Systems analysis (Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics, Ispra):
To support the JRC programme in the area of safeguards with:
. Analysis of the nuclear fuel cycle trends;
. Evaluation of the safeguarding techniques and methods, both in use and prospected;
. Analysis of the interaction between R&D work, plant conditions, Authority requirements and economic factors, to define the objectives and boundary conditions for the JRC R&D activities in safeguards;

- Development of containment and surveillance techniques (Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics, Ispra):
Development of surveillance and sealing/identification techniques and of computer aided remote verification systems, including their performance evaluation in a specialized laboratory called LaSCo;

- Development and performance assessment of measurement systems for nuclear materials (Institute for Safety Technology, Ispra):
Development and performance assessment of non-destructive assay to be used in the field for the quantitative determination of fissile material content, and procurement and characterization of bulk U and Pu standards for the PERLA calibration laboratory;

- Operation of the PETRA facility (Institute for Safety Technology, Ispra):
To verify and validate experimentally at full activity levels on a pre-industrial scale the procedures and conditioning methods potentially suitable to minimize waste arising from the operation of nuclear power plants.
The Commission, assisted by the Board of Governors of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), is responsible for carrying out the programme by means of the services of the JRC and in parallel with other relevant specific programmes of the third Framework programme (1990-1994).

The programme comprises research and technological development (RTD) projects and accompanying measures. The RTD projects are carried out in collaboration and in concert, whenever feasible, with national research bodies in the Member States, taking into account as far as possible regional development aspects of RTD activities and their potential socio-economic effects. Particular attention will be paid to associations with industry, notably with SMEs, in collaborative schemes around the projects.

The research is carried out by the Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITE) at Karlsruhe, the Institute for Safety Technology (IST) at Ispra and the Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics (ISEI) at Ispra.

The Commission is authorized to negotiate international agreements with third country members of COST, in particular member countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and Central and Eastern European countries, with a view to associating them with the programme. However, no contracting body based outside the Community may benefit from the Community financing granted to the programme. Such a body shall contribute to the general administrative costs.

Research projects open to international cooperation shall include cooperation measures with international research laboratories and make provision for the exchange of researchers. Supplementary measures should allow cooperation with research laboratories and institutions located in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

The total funds estimated as necessary for the execution of the JRC's nuclear fission safety programmes (Reactor safety, Safeguards and fissile materials management, Radioactive waste management, and Safety of actinides and the nuclear fuels cycle) amount to ECU 161.37 million, 6% of which may be used for exploratory research. A sum representing 1% of the total JRC budget for 1992-1994 is reserved as a contribution from the JRC's specific programmes to the centralized action on dissemination and exploitation of results (VALUE II).

Knowledge gained through the realization of the projects will be disseminated by the programme itself as well as by the centralized action.

The Commission shall each year before 31 March present to the European Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social Committee a report on the implementation of the programme, together with the observations of the Board of Governors. At the end of the programme an evaluation of the research shall be conducted by a group of independent external experts and a report on the evaluation, accompanied by the opinion of the Board of Governors, shall be forwarded to these same bodies.