Annexes to COM(2018)76 - Operation of the High Flux Reactor in the years 2014-15

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dossier COM(2018)76 - Operation of the High Flux Reactor in the years 2014-15.
document COM(2018)76 EN
date February 27, 2018
agreements. This was a successful step into the direction of financial robustness and viability.

The HFR restarted its operation on 14 February 2014 and has performed its production schedule as planned during the rest of that year. The HFR was thus back on the international scene as one of the major producers of medical isotopes worldwide. In 2015, the HFR missed one production cycle in October but could be restarted in December 2015.


3. Financial contributions to the programme’s implementation

In 2014-15, the following financial contributions were received from Member States for the implementation of the supplementary programme:

·Belgium: EUR 300 000 (2014) + EUR 300 000 (2015)

·France: EUR 300 000 (2014) + EUR 300 000 (2015)

·The Netherlands: EUR 7 250 000 (2014) + EUR 7 250 000 (2015),

for a total of EUR 15 700 000. These contributions cover the expenses specified under Annex II of Council Decision 2012/709/Euratom. The European Commission does not cover any operational deficits, including potential costs of maintenance or repair. Financing for the decommissioning fund and other expenditure linked to the Commission’s management of the supplementary research programme originates from this amount.

Since 2004, due to a re-evaluation of decommissioning costs, the annual contribution of the supplementary programme to the decommissioning fund increased from EUR 400 000/year to EUR 800 000/year. This amount is taken from (a) the regular budget of the supplementary research programme, and (b) the interest earned on the bank account of the decommissioning fund of the supplementary research programme. For example, in 2014 the estimated amount of interest generated by the decommissioning fund was EUR 145 000. Therefore, only EUR 655 000 was added from the regular supplementary research programme budget to reach the EUR 800 000/year. The total amount in the decommissioning fund is EUR 17 239 000. This fund will contribute to the future decommissioning costs of the HFR (to be borne by Euratom), estimated at EUR 72 600 000 in the most recent decommissioning study available 3 .

Other expenditure incurred by the JRC during the reporting period and paid directly from the supplementary research programme budget includes:

·direct staff costs (e.g. HFR supplementary research program management): EUR 257 000

·HFR support costs (e.g. legal advice): EUR 166 000

·utilities (e.g. electricity, water, heating): EUR 1040 000

·spent fuel management costs: EUR 2 450 000

An accompanying staff working document presents the technical results of the HFR’s operation in 2014-15 in more detail.


(1)

   COUNCIL DECISION of 13 November 2012 on the adoption of the 2012-2015 High Flux Reactor supplementary research programme to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre for the European Atomic Energy Community, Council Decision 2012/709/Euratom.

(2)

   REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Operation of the High Flux Reactor in the period 2012-2013, COM(2016)170

(3)

   Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations and Management of Radioactive Waste: Management of Nuclear Liabilities arising out of the Activities of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) carried out under the Euratom Treaty — COM(2013) 734 final.