Brussels, 11/12/2003 (Agence Europe) - At Monday's "G8 Science" meeting in Tokyo, the French minister for research, Claudie Haigneré and Commissioner Philippe Busquin expressed support for the candidacy of Cardarche as the site for the future experimental international reactor, ITER . According to an AFP announcement, Mr Busquin highlighted the "wealth of Europe's experience in forty years of fusion history", which "pools more than 2000 scientists working on fusion". Cadarache's main competitor is the Japanese site Rokkasho-mura. The final decision will be reached in a meeting in Washington on 19-20 December. Mr Busquin, who praised the benefits of the new European Research Area, also appealed for Japan's participation in work on fuel cells and the future European satellite navigation system, Galileo.