ORIENT-NM answers the Euratom Work Programme 2019-20 call NFRP-08: “Towards
joint European effort in area of nuclear materials”, in which the European Commission asks to explore the possibility
of establishing a European Joint Programme (EJP) on nuclear materials, by designing a
complete plan for such EJP. In Horizon Europe the EJP instrument has been replaced by the Co-funded European Partnership (CEP), so in what follows the latter term will be used.
Accordingly, the overall objectives of ORIENT-NM are:
1. To produce a strategic research agenda (SRA) for materials for all nuclear fission reactor generations, projected until 2040, with special focus on a plan for the first 5 years. This SRA is meant to be consistent with national programmes and industrial needs, to be attractive for all MS, irrespective of their nuclear energy policy, and to be consistent with the availability of suitable infrastructures.
2. To elaborate an efficient CEP governance and legal structure, with attention for decision-making processes, intellectual property issues, promotion of innovation and analysis of potentially available financial (and human) resources, as well as an implementation scheme caring among others for quality assurance, SRA updating, knowledge and data management; all this considering two different possible scenarios, i.e. “internal calls” or “macroproject”, depending on the resources that are actually available.
3. To identify appropriate ways of interactions between the CEP and other bodies or initiatives that bear connections with nuclear materials (stake-holders), including international organisations, standardisation bodies, technical safety organisations, fusion and non-nuclear energy communities, as well as, obviously, industry, often represented by associations, while addressing the issue of a coordinated use of nuclear materials infrastructures, seeking for complementarity and consistency with relevant existing initiatives.
All of the above is done in close dialogue with Member States and European
Commission, as well as all other stake-holders, in order to meet their requirements and
expectations from a CEP on nuclear materials and raise the interest of identified research
owners and research managers, by highlighting the added value of such CEP.
The key outcomes will be:
A. Critical assessment of the added value of a CEP on nuclear materials
B. Vision Paper and Strategic Research Agenda (until 2040)
C. Defined structure, governance, legal aspects and implementation of the EJP on nuclear
materials (taking into account its specificities)
D. Set of protocols for the interaction of the EJP with international organisations,
standardisation bodies, technical safety organisations and regulatory bodies, fusion and
non-nuclear energy communities, and infrastructure managers.
Plans for a coordinated use of nuclear materials infrastructures will be made.
The documents listed under A, C and D will expand, complement and integrate the SRA.
