Preparations for ITER construction in the European Union

The European Union (EU) has used the time required for the negotiations on the international agreement for the construction of ITER, to implement the preparatory activities for ITER construction at the proposed EU Site of Cadarache. These activities have been aiming in three main directions: the selection and preparation of a suitable ITER site, the preparation of EU industry and laboratories for the construction of components and systems for ITER and the preparatory activities for the administrative and technical structures in support of ITER construction. The present article gives and overview of the status of such activities and the plans for the future. A prudent disclaimer has to be included, warning the reader that some of the indications given in this article may be superseded by developments occurring from the moment in which it is written and when it is published.