Brussels, 17/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - The four reports by Jan Brezina (EPP, Czech Republic) on the extension of the Euratom Framework Programme for nuclear research and training activities for the next two years (2012-2013), adopted this week in plenary session, call for more attention to be given to research on nuclear safety but also propose reducing the amount allocated to fusion energy research.
The treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) limits the duration of research and training programmes to five years. The Euratom Framework Programme determines the overall budget for direct and indirect initiatives, sets the objectives, and specifies the instruments to support them. The Euratom programme has to be extended by two further years to align it with the current multiannual financial framework 2007-2013. The Council is due to adopt its formal position by the end of the year.
The European Parliament (EP), which, under the consultation procedure, is required only to be consulted on this matter, this week adopted the recommendations of its energy committee for reducing the maximum amount for implementation of the Euratom Framework Programme for 2012-2013 by €460 million. The Commission proposes a maximum amount of €2.56 billion, €2.209 billion of which should be invested in fusion energy research. Stating that the agreement on additional funding for the ITER project should come solely from the transfer of unused 2011 margins of the multiannual financial framework, with no redeployment from the 7th Research Framework programme, the EP suggested that only €1.749 billion be allocated to the ITER project. According to Carl Haglund (ALDE, Finland), the idea was not to endanger other important research activities in the EU in order to fund ITER. MEPs also tabled a number of amendments to the Commission proposal, calling for more research into nuclear safety, with priority given to the possible cross-border impact of nuclear incidents.
On behalf of the Greens/EFA Group, Michèle Rivasi (France) proposed a drastic reduction in public funding allocated to nuclear fission, as well as fusion, research, calling on EU countries to “stop funding ITER, a white elephant which has trebled in cost in only a few years”. (EH/transl.rt)