Brussels, 26/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - The EU's research ministers failed to reach agreement on Wednesday 26 May on funding for the international nuclear fusion programme known as ITER. The Spanish science and innovation minister Cristina Garmendia said the politicians had not managed to reach agreement but all the member states were aware of the need for an agreement. Time is pressing on because the next meeting of the ITER Council, agreed with all international partners, will take place in China on 17 June. The first stage of the building of an experimental thermonuclear reactor is planned to start in Cadarache, France, in 2012 but financial problems are already mounting up. The Commission recently called for an extension of the EU €1.4 billion provided for 2012-13, arguing that funding should be provided by either raising upper budget limits in the EU budget or by further funding directly from the EU member states (see EUROPE 10133), but the member states do not agree on how the funding suggested by the Commission would work out in detail, preferring not to overshoot the current EU budget. The member states want the Commission to look into EIB involvement in providing the necessary cash. Garmendia said that ITER was a key programme for Europe and the Spanish Presidency would be working intensely to reach agreement because the delays meant the matter was now urgent. EU Research Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said that time was running out before the June meeting and she formally requested the Council of Ministers to provide assurances on long-term funding for ITER. To solve the deadlock, the Spanish Presidency has suggested setting up a task force of European Commission and member states' experts to look at the various financing options. COREPER would discuss the task force's work and a special Competitiveness Council would be organised if necessary. The EU is providing 45.46% of the co-funding of ITER. The other international partners will each pay 9% of the construction costs (China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States). France has promised to pay 20% of the EU's share in return for winning the right for the plant to be based in Cadarache. (B.C./transl.fl)