Press Release: European Commission and USA sign co-operation agreements on energy research

On 14 May 200, Philippe Busquin, European Commissioner for Research, and US Secretary of State for Energy, Spencer Abraham, signed an Implementing Arrangement covering scientific co-operation in the field of non-nuclear energy and a Co-operation Agreement on nuclear fusion. The main fields of collaboration envisaged in the former are fossil energies and coping with climate change, new energy sources such as hydrogen and solar energy and energy efficiency. They represent major issues of mutual interest with a strong bearing on the security of energy supply, industrial competitiveness and sustainable development. The United States and European Union both run substantial energy research programmes and are therefore interested in developing these areas together and in learning from each other's experience. Collaboration is likely to involve developing joint standards, sharing unique R&D facilities, workshops, exchanging and networking experts, conducting joint technology foresight studies, and co-ordinating research projects. The agreements cover two of 15 fields mentioned in an EU-US Co-operation Agreement signed in October 1998.