Proposal for a Council Decision on the adoption of the 2016-2019 High Flux Reactor supplementary research programme to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre for the European Atomic Energy Community

The Community's High Flux Reactor (HFR) is used by the Commission in accordance with the agreement between Euratom and The Netherlands of 25 July 1961. This agreement was signed for a period of 99 years. In order to execute it, the two parties concluded a long lease for 99 years conferring a right in rem ("bail emphytéotique") on 31 October 1962.

HFR plays an important role in the European Union. The main goal of the supplementary research programme of the HFR is to provide a steady and reliable neutron flux for experimental purposes. The investigated domains are: nuclear materials and fuel science with the aim to improve the safety of nuclear reactors (both fission and fusion), investigations on reactor ageing and life management, research on advanced fuel cycles and waste management. The HFR acts also as a training facility hosting doctoral and post-doctoral fellows which perform their research activities through national or European Programmes.

The reactor is also used for the commercial production of radio-isotopes which cover more than 60% of all the 10 million medical diagnoses executed each year in Europe. It is a fundamental supplier for European radiopharmaceutical companies in this field. Moreover, through its location in Europe, the production of the reactor is rapidly directed to the European medical centres. This is essential for the most currently used short-life isotopes.

The operation of the HFR has been supported by a series of supplementary research programmes. On 13 November 2012, the Council adopted a four-year (2012-2015) supplementary research programme to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) for the European Atomic Energy Community on the operation of the reactor located at the JRC site in Petten, The Netherlands. The contribution for the 2012-2015 supplementary research programme came from three participating Member States - The Netherlands, France and Belgium - with a total budget of €31.4 million in the four-year period. This amount included the provisions for the annual contributions to the decommissioning fund of the reactor. The current supplementary research programme expired on 31 December 2015.

This proposal for a Council Decision concerns a new four-year programme for the HFR operation (2016-2019) based on research activities of the Nuclear Research and consultancy Group – NRG (The Netherlands) and the Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives - CEA (France). The contribution for the 2016-2019 supplementary research programme will be €30.2 million in the four-year period, provided that the HFR continues to be in regular operation and maintenance. This amount will include the provisions for the annual contributions to the decommissioning fund of the reactor. If during the period 2016-2019, an official notification of definitive shutdown is issued by the operator NRG to the national safety authorities prior to the declaration of safe conservation state, the payments that remain to be effected as well as the calls for funds by the Commission will be suspended.

EUR-Lex: COM(2017)83: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2017:083:FIN

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