EU budget and ITER
MEPs vote to reduce planned spending on ballooning nuclear fusion project
The EU budget committee voted last night to reduce proposed spending on the ITER nuclear fusion project under the EU budget for 2011 (1). Green MEPs welcomed the vote but argued that scrapping the project, which is facing higher-than-planned costs, would be the most logical solution. After the vote, German Green MEP Helga Trüpel said:
"The Greens welcome the decision by MEPs to reduce the amount of EU funds going to the ITER nuclear fusion project in 2011 but believe the most logical solution is not to spend one further cent on this white elephant. That the European taxpayer should be expected to foot the bill for the ballooning ITER budget is simply wrong, particularly at a time of budgetary constraint across Europe.
"The least costly option would be to abandon the project now before the main construction has started at all. All the more so, given the massive doubts as to the commercial viability of nuclear fusion, which even optimistic analysts agree will not be commercially functional before 2050. Against this background, we are deeply concerned that the Council is planning to throw an additional 1.4 billion into the black hole that is the ITER budget in 2012 and 2013. Not only would this represent a waste of public funds, it would also have a direct impact on spending in core areas of the EU budget."
(1) The budget committee adopted an amendment to reduce the amount of spending on ITER under the EU budget by 47 million (down to 304.76 million).
