Euratom research and training programme 2014-2018

The European Parliament adopted by 549 votes to 90 with 35 abstentions, in the framework of a special legislative procedure (consultation of Parliament), a legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation on the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2014-2018) complementing Horizon 2020 – The Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

Parliament approved the Commission proposal but made the following amendments:

Programme objectives: Parliament considered that Euroatom should also have as a general objective the improvement of radiation protection, and contribution to other areas of research related to nuclear research such as medical research and to guarantee the long-term future of European nuclear research.

Indirect actions should aim for, amongst other things, the following objectives:

• support safe operation of all existing and future civilian nuclear systems;
• support the measures necessary to ensure suitably trained human resources ;
• seek to maintain the highest level of working conditions for those working directly with nuclear materials;
• contribute to the R&D agenda resulting from the recommendations listed in the conclusions of the Union stress-tests (e.g. seismic modelling, core melt behaviour,...);
• support the long-term sustainability of nuclear fission through improvements in the field of reactor time extension or in the design of new reactor types;
• promote innovation and European industrial leadership in fission and fusion;
• promote the development, of new research infrastructures of pan-European relevance.

2) The programmes’ direct actions should aim at the following:

• improve working conditions for those working directly with nuclear materials and dealing with the direct consequences of nuclear safety incidents, however unlikely they may be;
• increase the uptake of nuclear research among European scientists as well as attracting those from outside the Union;
• work towards the development of internationally recognised standards of nuclear safety for fission reactors;
• address any skills shortage in relation to nuclear expertise and prevent any future skills leakage or 'brain drain' of nuclear scientists from the Union;
• complement all required safety improvements suggested following the results of the stress tests carried out on all nuclear reactors in the Union and third countries that border the Union ;
• support the simplification agenda of Horizon 2020, reducing the administrative burdens of previous framework programmes, in particular on SMEs, universities and smaller research institutes.

Support the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (the "SET-Plan"): the Euratom Programme shall contribute to implementing the SET-plan. Its indirect and direct actions shall be aligned with the Strategic Research Agenda of the three existing European technology platforms on nuclear energy: these being the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform (SNETP), the Implementing Geological Disposal Technology Platform (IGDTP) and the Multidisciplinary European Low Dose Initiative (MELODI).

Budget: within the meaning of the Interinstitutional Agreement on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, the financial envelope for the implementation of the Euratom Programme shall be EUR 1 603,329 million. That amount shall constitute the prime during the annual budgetary procedure. It shall be distributed as follows:

• indirect actions for the fusion research and development programme: EUR 636,095 million;
• indirect actions for nuclear fission, safety and radiation protection: EUR 318,048 million;
• direct actions: EUR 649,186 million.

Parliament considered the administrative expenses forecast by the Commission to be too high (13.5%) and proposed to bring them down to 7%.

Members required the ITER project to be included within the Euratom Programme and funded from within the MFF in a complete and transparent way.

Furthermore, they recommended working towards the wider and more frequent use of structural funds for nuclear research.

Broaden SME participation: Members wanted the Eureka Eurostars Programme and the Marie Curie Actions to widen their rules of participation to allow SMEs involved in nuclear research to participate. The attempts at increased simplification in terms of participation shall be communicated to all participants, including SMEs and academic institutions.

International cooperation: in this area, the resolution called for support for all international efforts to: (i) combat all forms of nuclear proliferation and trafficking; (ii) developing common international safety standards; (iii) contribute to the improvement of knowledge exchange. Particular attention shall be paid to all reactors and nuclear installations located in third countries but which are geographically very close to Member State territory, especially when such reactors and installations are located close to hazardous geographical or geological locations.

Evaluations: stressing that the Euratom Programme should favour an informed engagement of European citizens, Members asked for Member States to provide the European Parliament as well as the Commission with data and information necessary for the monitoring and evaluation of the measures concerned.