The collaboration between the EU and Japan for IFERC Project became possible in the framework of the “Broader Approach Agreement” (English version/Japanese version). Established in 2007, the activities of the Broader Approach aim to complement the ITER Project and to address the scientific and engineering challenges related to building a commercial fusion power plant.
The Agreement consists of three main projects.
- The International Fusion Energy Research Centre (IFERC)
- The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility – Engineering Validation and Engineering Design Activities (IFMIF/EVEDA)
- The Satellite Tokamak Programme (STP) project (JT-60SA)
Recently the Agreement has entered a new phase to cover further activities in these three projects.
The Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson, representing the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and Kazuo Kodama, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the European Union, signed today a joint declaration on the Broader Approach activities in the field of fusion energy.
The implementation of the activities of the three projects is supervised by the Broader Approach Steering Committee (BASC), where both JA and EU Parties are equally represented.
Created under the Broader Approach Agreement to support the Steering Committee, three Project Committees, one for each project, also meet twice a year. In addition to giving advice, the Project Committee monitors and reports on the progress of the project to the Steering Committee, and makes recommendations on the draft Project Plan, Work Programme and Annual Report.
The Steering Committee is responsible for the overall direction and supervision of the implementation of the activities. In particular, for each of the three projects, it appoints the Project Leader and the Project Team staff, approves the structure of the Project Team, the project plan, work programmes and annual reports, and decides on the participation of any other ITER parties. The Committee comprises members of both Parties and meets twice a year. A press release is issued following each meeting.