Brussels, 18/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - The seven partners in the international ITER project (the EU, China, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States) will come together in an extraordinary meeting in Caderache in the south of France on 27-28 July to try to find a solution to the issue of European funding. That is, in substance, what was decided at an ITER Council meeting in Suzhou, in eastern China on Wednesday and Thursday. Although the ITER timetable was confirmed - reactor start-up in 2019, with the first fusion reaction in 2026 - uncertainty remains over the estimated costs of the project, which have rocketed, with the EU's share between 2007 and 2020 rising from €3.5 billion, according to 2006 estimates, to €7.2 billion today. France and Germany want this sum reduced to €6.6 billion. To find the money, the EU suggests redeploying the Community research and development budget. Another possibility is a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). If the project is to proceed, agreement is essential. The ITER Council elected Professor Osamu Motojima as the new director general of the project. He replaces his fellow Japanese countryman Kaname Ikeda. (B.C./transl.rt)