Regulation 2021/765 - Research and Training Programme of Euratom for the period 2021-2025 complementing Horizon Europe - the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

LI 167/81

One of the aims of the European Atomic Energy Community (the ‘Community’) is to contribute to the raising of the standard of living in the Member States, including by promoting and facilitating nuclear research in the Member States and complementing it by carrying out a Community research and training programme.

Nuclear research can contribute to social well-being, economic prosperity and environmental sustainability by improving nuclear safety, security and radiation protection. Research on radiation protection has led to improvements in medical technologies from which many citizens benefit, and that research can lead to improvements in other sectors such as industry, agriculture, environment and security.

In full respect of the Member States’ right to decide on their energy mix, research results of the programme established by this Regulation could potentially contribute towards a climate neutral energy system in a safe, efficient and secure way.

In order to ensure the continuity of nuclear research at Community level, it is necessary to establish the Research and Training Programme of the Community for the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025 (the ‘Euratom Programme’). The Euratom Programme should continue carrying out the key research activities of previous programmes, while introducing new specific objectives and using the same mode of implementation.

The Commission’s Report on the interim evaluation of the 2014-18 Euratom Research and Training Programme contains a set of guiding principles for the Euratom Programme. These include: continuing to support nuclear research focused on nuclear safety, safeguards, security, waste management, radiation protection and development of fusion; together with beneficiaries, further improving the organisation and management of the European Joint Programmes in the nuclear field; continuing and reinforcing the Euratom education and training actions for developing relevant competencies which underpin all aspects of nuclear safety, security and radiation protection; further exploiting synergies between Euratom programmes and the other thematic areas of the Union Framework Programme; and further exploiting synergies between direct and indirect actions of the Euratom Programme.

The conception and design of the Euratom Programme is set against the need to establish a critical mass of supported activities. This is to be achieved by establishing a limited number of specific objectives focussed on safe use of nuclear fission for power and non-power applications, maintaining and developing necessary expertise, fostering fusion energy and supporting the policies of the Union and its Member States on nuclear safety, safeguards and security.

The Euratom Programme is a crucial part of the Union’s efforts to further develop technological leadership and promote excellence in nuclear research and innovation, in particular to ensure the highest standards of safety, security, safeguards, radiation protection, safe spent fuel, radioactive waste management and decommissioning in the nuclear field, in accordance...