The Euratom Research and Training Framework Programme in its wider context

Nuclear Energy is today providing 1/3 of the electricity in the EU: 150 Nuclear Power Plants generate 130 GWe. The EU has a recognised leadership in nuclear technology with competencies in all aspects of the fuel cycle. Nevertheless there are major challenges: - Energy-related and technical challenges: security of supply, environmental protection and waste issues, competitiveness, and non-proliferation issues. - The politcal challenge, which affects Europe in particular with differences of opinion between Member States on this sensitive issue. - The ageing of the nuclear expertise, especially acute in Europe, but also has a global dimension. There are a number of EU strategic initiatives in the area of technology/R&D, linking policy and financing instruments, that are helping to address the technical challenges above: - The Euratom Research and Training Programme - The Commission's Energy Package of 10 January 2007, endorsed by Council a few months later, sets the well known 2020 3x20 targets, and announces the associated Strategic Energy Technology Plan - SET Plan. - A key Commission-promoted initiative, the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform (SNE-TP). - The Commission is also now fostering the International Cooperation dimension of the Euratom Framework Programme, in synergy with other specific cooperation instruments.