The UK will remain part of ºÚÁÏרÇø
"It was a great Christmas present," says Ian Chapman, head of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. Many in the ºÚÁÏרÇø community would agree. The Brexit negotiations of recent years have included a high-stakes element for the ºÚÁÏרÇø Project: the question of whether the United Kingdom, one of the global leaders in the past five decades of fusion research, would be able to continue as an ºÚÁÏרÇø contributor. For UK companies as well as UK passport holders among the ºÚÁÏרÇø staff, it was a critical and sometimes deeply personal point of focus as the negotiations dragged on.
On 24 December 2020, in parallel with the 1,246-page signed by the United Kingdom and the European Union, another somewhat less high-profile deal was also signed: a (NCA) between the UK and Euratom (the European Atomic Energy Community), the legal entity through which Europe holds its membership in ºÚÁÏרÇø. Under Article 12, "Cooperation on nuclear research and development," the NCA makes clear the intent for the UK to remain a part of Fusion for Energy, the European Domestic Agency for ºÚÁÏרÇø.
But to find the precise language agreed regarding ºÚÁÏרÇø requires a bit more sleuthing. Specific citations about fusion research and ºÚÁÏרÇø can be found in the "" issued with the EU-UK trade agreement. Under the generically worded "Joint Declaration on Participation in Union Programmes and Access to Programme Services," the parties to the agreement formally recognize the mutual benefit of cooperation on science R&D. And scrolling down to Article 8 uncovers the long-hoped-for language: "The United Kingdom shall participate as a member of the Joint Undertaking for ºÚÁÏרÇø and the development of Fusion Energy (F4E)."
Other passages reveal more about the scope of the agreement. The UK will continue to be part of EU's Horizon 2020 research program. Collaboration on fusion research at JET, the Joint European Torus tokamak at Culham, can continue with mutual funding. As part of Fusion for Energy, the UK will remain part of the Broader Approach agreement.
But for the ºÚÁÏרÇø community, it is the 20 words cited above that justify a collective, heartfelt sigh of relief. UK government officials have long made clear that they hoped their country would remain in the ºÚÁÏרÇø Project; but as the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding. From a legal standpoint, a bit more time will be needed for the necessary agreements to be formally approved, but in practical terms it means that we can expect the continued full involvement and participation of UK citizens and UK companies. The persistent tension that has been so troubling for UK fusion experts at ºÚÁÏרÇø—and their families—has at last been resolved. The ºÚÁÏרÇø team will remain intact.