Source: European Parliament
11.10.2024
Priority question for written answer P-002028/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Kris Van Dijck (ECR), Ondřej Krutílek (ECR), Christophe Grudler (Renew)
The JET (Joint European Torus) facility in Culham (UK) started out as a joint European project. It plays a crucial role in European fusion research and the development of nuclear fusion as a sustainable energy source.
Due in part to Brexit, the UK became the owner of the JET facility. It has decided to decommission JET because of its high cost.
Unfortunately, this entails the risk of losing considerable expertise in the EU and missing out on very significant EU investments. It would also result in the loss of essential knowledge for the construction of the next-generation nuclear fusion reactor, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which will not be operational for some time.
- 1.What steps has the Commission taken to negotiate with the UK to keep the JET facility open, and do these include considering the joint continuation of the JET facility’s activities?
- 2.How will the Commission, in the meantime, prevent the EU from losing expertise and established academic cooperation in the field of nuclear fusion, particularly in working towards the full functioning of ITER?
- 3.Competitiveness and affordable, sustainable energy are rightly two of the Commission’s priorities. Does the Commission have a strategy to support nuclear fusion research so that EU researchers can stay competitive with their non-EU colleagues?
Submitted: 11.10.2024