Broader Approach agreement signed
On Monday 5 February in Tokyo, the EU and the Japanese government signed the "Broader Approach" agreement that was initialled on 22 November 2006, the day after the signing of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ agreement in Paris. This agreement is part of the deal hammered out during the site decision process, defining a "privileged partnership" between the EU and Japan, and setting out the work to be carried out jointly by the EU and Japan in support of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ. The EU/Japan agreement lasts 10 years and represents some 340 million Euro of European investment. The cooperation aims to complement the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ project and to accelerate the development of fusion energy as a clean and sustainable energy source, by carrying out R&D and developing some advanced technologies for a future demonstration fusion power reactor (DEMO).
The Agreement between the Government of Japan and EURATOM was signed by Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Mr. Hugh Richardson, the Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Commission to Japan. The full name is the Agreement for the Joint Implementation of the Broader Approach Activities in the Field of Fusion Energy Research.
Three large projects will be carried out in Japan under this Agreement, on a timescale compatible with the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ construction phase. The first two projects (IFMIF design activities and International Fusion Energy Research Center, IFERC) will be carried out at Rokkasho, Aomori prefecture, and the third project (upgrade JT-60 tokamak) will be carried out at Naka, Ibaraki prefecture. Participation in each research project will be open to the other °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Parties.