The role of the Joint Research Centre from the European Commission in the European Structural Integrity Networks AMES, ENIQ and NESC

Due to the reduction in many countries of the research budget for nuclear safety several European institutions and organisations and the Institute for Advanced Materials (IAM) of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission (EC) have developed co-operative programmes now organised into 'Networks' for mutual benefit. They include utilities, engineering companies, research and development (R and D) laboratories and regulatory bodies. These Networks are all organised and managed in a similar way, i.e. like the successful Programme for the Inspection of Steel Components (PISC). The IAM plays the role of Operating Agent, Reference Laboratory and Network Manager of these Networks: European Network on Ageing Materials Evaluation and Studies (AMES), European Network for Inspection Qualification (ENIQ) and Network for Evaluating Steel Components (NESC), each of them dealing with a specific aspect of fitness for purpose of materials in structural components. This article will describe how the network organisation works, which was the positive experience from the past, why the networks are a tool for integrating fragmented research in Europe and how they fit into the mission of the JRC and therefore follow the EC policy. (orig.)