Main achievements of FP-4 research in reactor safety Original Research Article

This summary paper deals with the strategy, the organisation and main achievements of the 67 multi-partner projects cosponsored by the European Union (EU) as ‘indirect actions’ (shared-cost and concerted actions) and co-ordinated under seven clusters, each devoted to one key safety issue in nuclear reactor safety, as they were presented at FISA-99. The fundamental safety objective for nuclear power plants (NPPs) consists in protecting the public and the environment from the harmful effects resulting from ionising radiations. The 4th Euratom framework programme 1994–1998 (FP-4) has been carrying out research with this objective both through ‘indirect actions’ and through ‘direct actions’ in co-operation with the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (EC). The total cost of this research programme was 62.8 million, out of which 34.2 million was contributed by the EU budget. Besides technological safety requirements, socio-economic aspects are becoming increasingly important due to the level of public and political acceptance and to the economic pressure of deregulated electricity markets. It is shown that research conducted in the Euratom framework may contribute to meet these requirements, thereby maintaining nuclear power as a competitive and sustainable option for the energy policy of the European Union.