EU RESEARCH ON SEVERE ACCIDENT MANAGEMENT : RESULTS OFTHE 4-th AND PROSPECTS FOR THE 5-th EURATOM FRAMEWORKPROGRAMME

摘要

In this paper an overview is given of the most important aspects of the research activities organised by thernEuropean Union (EU) in the area of reactor safety under both the past 4th and the current 5th Euratom FrameworkrnProgrammes (FP). This research consists of the following 4 areas: reactor safety; waste management; future systems;rnand radiation protection. Under FP-4 ('94-'98), the particular area of reactor safety was focusing on "Severe AccidentrnAnalysis"- the main subject of this paper -, whereas under FP-5 ('98-'02) it is focusing on "Operational Safety ofrnExisting Installations".rnTo set the general frame, a short description is also given of the main stakeholders of nuclear fission research (i.e.rnregulatory authorities, utilities and vendors), faced with new targets (e.g. minimisation of operating and environmentalrncosts in a deregulated market) and new feedbacks from the "customers" (e.g. public perception of reactor safety).rnAlso given is a brief description of the main facts of FP-4 and FP-5 with emphasis on the clustering approach ofrnresearch projects in the same field. As far as the future is concerned (next framework programme 2002-2006), thernchallenge to Euratom research is to reorganize itself in line with the new European Research Area (ERA) concept,rnbringing together private and public resources. For the next framework programme in general, the following instrumentsrnwill be proposed: networks of excellence; integrated projects; and the participation of the EU in programmes carried outrnjointly by several Member States. Finally conclusions are drawn on the main achievements of framework programmernresearch in reactor safety and on the Commission's intentions to face the new challenges of the "changing world".