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ACTIVITIES The specific objectives referred to in Article 3(2) shall be pursued across the Euratom Programme, according to the broad lines of activity described in this Annex. By implementing those specific objectives, the Euratom Programme supports Member States in the implementation of the Euratom legislation and reinforces their research efforts and those of the private sector. Those specific objectives should contribute to maintain and further develop the technological leadership in the nuclear domain. In order to achieve the specific objectives referred to in Article 3(2), the Euratom Programme will support cross-cutting activities that ensure synergy of research efforts in solving common challenges. Appropriate links and interfaces, such as joint calls with Horizon Europe, will be ensured. Related research and innovation activities may also benefit from financial support provided by the funds under the Common Provisions Regulation for 2021-2027 as far as in line with those funds’ objectives and regulations.

Activities listed in this Annex include international cooperation in nuclear research and innovation for peaceful uses, based on shared goals and mutual trust with the aim of providing clear and significant benefits for the Union, its citizens and environment. This includes international cooperation through multilateral frameworks. The JRC as the formally recognised Euratom Implementing Agent for Generation IV International Forum (GIF) will continue facilitating and coordinating the contribution and participation of the Euratom Community in GIF’s research and training activities. The contribution to GIF’s activities under the scope of the Euratom Programme is focused on safety, radiation protection, safeguards and non-proliferation research and training activities specific to Generation IV systems. Any new activity assigned to the JRC shall be analysed by the Board of Governors of the JRC to check its consistency with existing activities in the Member States and to avoid duplication of nuclear research and development in the Union.

The priorities of the work programmes are to be established by the Commission on the basis of inputs from public authorities, nuclear research stakeholders and any relevant organisation or forum of nuclear stakeholders. Research and training in the following fields will be eligible for funding from the Euratom Programme:

(a) improve and support nuclear safety, security, safeguards, radiation protection, safe spent fuel and radioactive waste management and decommissioning, including the safe and secure use of nuclear power and of non-power applications of ionizing radiation :

(i) nuclear safety: safety of reactor systems and fuel cycles, in use in the Community or, to the extent necessary, in order to maintain broad nuclear safety expertise in the Community, those reactor types and their whole fuel cycles such as partitioning and transmutation, which may be used in the future;

(ii) safe spent fuel and radioactive waste management: the management and in particular pre-disposal activities and disposal of intermediate, high-level and long-lived radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, and of other radioactive waste streams and types for which industrially mature processes currently do not exist or could be improved; radioactive waste minimisation and reducing the radiotoxicity of this waste; the management and transfer of knowledge and competences between generations and across Member States’ programmes in radioactive waste and spent fuel management;

(iii) decommissioning: research for the development and evaluation of technologies for decommissioning and environmental remediation of nuclear facilities; support for sharing best practices and knowledge on decommissioning;

(iv) nuclear science and ionizing radiation applications, radiation protection, emergency preparedness:

— applications of nuclear science and ionizing radiation technologies in medical, industrial and other research fields;

— effects and risks from low doses from industrial, medical or environmental exposure;

— emergency preparedness for accidents involving radiation, and research on radioecology;

— secure and safe supply and use of radioisotopes;

— models for radiological dispersion in the environment, and support for data exchange, alert systems and cooperation on measurement techniques (to be implemented by direct actions);

(v) nuclear security, safeguards and non-proliferation (to be implemented by direct actions):

— methods and technology to support and strengthen the Community’s and international safeguards;

— operational support and training to the Euratom safeguards system;

— technical support to the implementation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty in the field of nuclear safeguards including support to strengthen Union export control regime;

— research and support for enhancing nuclear and radiological safety and security in the context of the global CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) framework and related Union strategies;

— methods and technology for the detection of nuclear and radioactive materials outside regulatory control and the prevention of and responses to incidents involving such materials, including nuclear forensics;

— support for the capacity building on nuclear security using the European Nuclear Security Training Centre;

(b) maintain and further develop expertise and competence in the nuclear field within the Community:

(i) education, training and mobility, including education and training schemes such as Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA);

(ii) promotion of innovation, knowledge management, dissemination and exploitation of nuclear science and technology, in particular for nuclear safety, security, safeguards and radiation protection;

(iii) support for technology transfer from the research to industry;

(iv) support for the preparation and development of a competitive European fusion industrial capacity;

(v) support for the provision, availability and appropriate access of European and international research infrastructures, including JRC’s infrastructures ;

(vi) for fostering nuclear science as a base to support standardisation, direct actions will provide state-of-the-art reference data, materials and measurements related to nuclear safety, safeguards and security, as well as other applications as nuclear medicine;

(c) foster the development of fusion energy and contribute to the implementation of the European fusion roadmap: a Co-funded European Partnership in fusion research will implement the roadmap towards the goal of fusion electricity production by the second half of this century. This may include inter alia:

(i) exploiting existing and future fusion facilities, including the allocation of operating grants to fusion research infrastructures when appropriate;

(ii) preparation for future fusion power plants by developing all relevant aspects including materials, technologies and designs;

(iii) implementing a focused education and training programme in addition to activities under (b)(i);

(iv) coordination of common activities with the Joint Undertaking Fusion for Energy;

(v) collaboration with the ITER Organisation;

(vi) scientific collaboration in the framework of the Euratom international agreements; the Co-funded European Partnership in fusion will be implemented through a grant to be awarded to the legal entities established or designated by the Member States and any third country associated to the Euratom Programme. The grant may include resources in kind from the Community, or the secondment of Commission staff;

(d) support the policy of the Union and its Member States on nuclear safety, safeguards and security: the direct actions will support the policy on nuclear safety, safeguards and security and implementation of the relevant legislation by providing independent scientific and technical evidence and expertise.