The European Commission wants to support Ukrainian fusion researchers and engineers based in Ukraine or displaced.
To this end, the European Commission on Friday 24 June targeted amendments to the Euratom Research and Training Programme for 2021-2022.
The programme, which is complementary to Horizon Europe, aims at research and training in nuclear safety and radiation protection.
As one part, €2.5 million will be mobilised through the EUROfusion consortium to support researchers and engineers in this field.
And for another part, a European contribution of €10 million will support an ‘innovative action’ that will aim to secure the supply of nuclear fuel to around 35 Russian-designed water-water energetic reactors (VVERs). Several of these reactors in Europe or Ukraine were mainly powered by Russian fuel until the military aggression in Ukraine.
The ‘innovative action’ aims to attract Ukrainian and European stakeholders to develop alternatives, diversify and secure these supplies. A call for projects should follow. Any legal entity established in Ukraine is eligible to apply. This is not the case for entities established in Russia, Belarus or any of the Ukrainian territories not controlled by the Ukrainian government. However, the Commission is considering exceptions on a case-by-case basis. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)