Scientific research made its debut in the European Communities through various aspects of energy. It went on to become a competence in its own right for reasons of industrial competitiveness (the ‘Japanese challenge’). Finally, it has maximised its potential – from the biological to the spatial – by absorbing major societal concerns (health, transport, climate, etc.).
In its initial period, it concerned traditional energies (art. 50 & 55 ECSC) and what was deemed to be a future-proof...