Division Rationale

There are serious shortcomings in Eur^ope's energy supply with respect to short, medium, and long-term considerations. In particular, measures are needed to address the issues of security of supply, climate change, and sustainable development, while ensuring that future economic growth is not threatened.

In addition to the efforts which the EU is making in the field of research into renewable energies, fusion has the potential to make a major contribution to the realisation of a sustainable and secure energy supply for the EU a few decades from now after the market penetration of commercial fusion reactors. Its successful development would provide energy which is safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly. The long-term goal of European fusion research, embracing all the fusion activities in the Member States and associated third countries, is the joint creation, in approximately thirty or thirty-five years and subject to technological and scientific progress, of prototype reactors for power stations which meet these requirements, and are economically viable.

The strategy to achieve the long-term goal entails, as its first priority, the construction of ITER (a major experimental facility which will demonstrate the scientific and technical feasibility of fusion power), followed by the construction of DEMO, a ‘demonstration’ fusion power station. This will be accompanied by a dynamic programme of supporting R&D for ITER and for the developments in fusion materials, technologies and physics required for DEMO. This would involve European industry, the fusion associations and third countries, in particular parties to the ITER Agreement.