EU extends nuclear research program until 2013

EU extends nuclear research program until 2013

2011-06-28 20:53:46 GMT+7 (ICT)

BRUSSELS (BNO NEWS) -- The European Union (EU) on Tuesday announced that its Council agreed to a general approach for extending the framework program for 2012-2013 nuclear research.

The current European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) framework program for nuclear research, which would expire at the end of the year, will be extended for a two-year period, in order to align it with the end of the EU's current financial cycle in 2013.

The Euratom program is organized in two parts corresponding to actions on fusion energy research and nuclear fission and radiation protection, and to research activities of the Joint Research Center (JRC).

The extension of the Euratom framework program 2012-2013 will continue to contribute to the implementation of the "Innovation Union" strategy, the EU Council said, by increasing "competition for scientific excellence and accelerating the deployment of key innovations in the nuclear energy field, notably in fusion and nuclear safety, and will contribute to tackling energy and climate change challenges."

As a central objective in the program's fusion energy research activities, it looks to construct the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, which is a major experimental facility to demonstrate the scientific and technical feasibility of fusion power.

According to the EU, the nuclear fission research activities are in line with the objective of enhancing the safety of nuclear fission and other uses of radiation in industry and medicine.

Meanwhile, the activities of the JRC cover customer-driven scientific and technological support for the formulation, development, implementation and monitoring of the Union's policies, with an enhanced focus on safety and security research.

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