Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-06-11-Speech-2-326"
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"en.20020611.14.2-326"2
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"Mr President, in the proposal for a Council decision on the Euratom programme of research in the field of nuclear energy, submitted to us by the Commission, I note that the Union’s needs appear to have been identified correctly in the short and long term, but that a medium-term vision seems to be completely lacking.
As far as the short term is concerned, the budget should be increased, but the research topics selected are, in any case, relevant. In fact they are by their very nature essential. They consist, firstly, of managing ultimate residues and spent fuels: advanced reprocessing and transmutation into products that are less and less radioactive and have shorter and shorter lives. This is the top priority and it is absolutely essential that we provide the resources necessary to ensure that we deactivate this final waste.
Secondly, they concern the safety of nuclear installations and radiation protection. Even though European nuclear installations have already demonstrated their high safety standards and are the subject of very rigorous control and environmental protection measures, work on this must continue.
In the long term, by which I mean after 2050, when any oilfields that are easily accessible will be exhausted, it is nuclear fusion that will take over and it is important that Europe is not left behind by its American and Japanese partners in perfecting this technology.
However, the medium-term proposals, the central link between the two, are, paradoxically, completely inadequate, in terms of the funds devoted to research into the new generation of fission reactors that will have to replace those currently in service.
In ten years’ time, on average, the reactors that now provide us with heat and light will have reached the end of their lives. They will therefore have to be replaced by reactors incorporating new designs: high-temperature reactors, new pressurised water reactors and new fast neutron reactors. The latter – I would stress this point – are currently the focus of publicly funded research in the United States, while the previous French Government recklessly abandoned the technology.
This is a field in which Europe is recognised as having genuine expertise – it is a world leader – and our objective has to be to maintain our technological advantage. We therefore need to invest the necessary research effort. Our American and Japanese partners have embarked on independent policies and the Union and its Member States, Mr President, must not be left behind."@en1
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