[en] The SARNET network has been set up under the aegis of the Framework Programmes (FP) of the European Commission on research. Two projects have been defined, both coordinated by IRSN (France), in the FP6 (2004-08) and FP7 (2009-13), with the following key objectives: Improving knowledge on severe accidents (SA) in order to reduce the uncertainties on the pending issues, thereby enhancing the plant safety, Coordinating research resources and expertise available in Europe, Preserving the research data and disseminating knowledge. The network members commit to contribute to a Joint Programme of Activities that can be broken into several elements: - Implementing an advanced communication tool for fostering exchange of information; - Harmonizing and re-orienting the research programmes, and defining commonly new ones; - Analysing commonly the experimental results provided by research programmes in order to elaborate a common understanding of concerned phenomena; - Developing ASTEC, which capitalizes in terms of models the knowledge produced within SARNET; - Developing Scientific Databases, in which all the results of research programmes are stored; - Developing a common methodology for Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) of NNPs; - Developing educational courses and text (source) books; - Promoting personnel mobility between the various European organisations. SARNET provides an appropriate frame for achieving within a couple of years a sustainable integration of the European research capacities on SA. By capitalizing the acquired knowledge in ASTEC and in Scientific Databases, SARNET produces necessary conditions for preserving the knowledge produced by thousands of men-years and diffusing it to a large number of end-users. By fostering collaborative work on developing and validating ASTEC, SARNET makes this code as the European reference for any kind of water-cooled NPP existing in Europe. By fostering collaborative work in the domain of code development and PSA, SARNET creates the necessary conditions for harmonizing the approaches and making Europe a leader in SA computer code and risk assessment methodology. Through a periodic review of priorities and co-programming of work amongst organisations, SARNET allows a more efficient use of available means and budget. Through an education and training programme addressing young scientists, SARNET consolidates on the long term the European excellence in the SA domain. As the end-products developed by the Network (ASTEC, PSA guides, scientific databases) may be used not only for R and D activities but also for industrial applications, most of the European Industry and Safety Authorities (or Technical Support Organizations) are contributing to SARNET. In return, the end-products of the Network that capitalize the large amount of knowledge acquired in this area contribute to a better prevention and mitigation of SA in European NPPs, including those of Russian design, and thus to the improvement of safety of existing and future European NPPs. European end-users are mostly using integral computer codes and PSA methodologies developed in the United States, which results in a strong dependence on the US technology. SARNET, by fostering collaborative work in these areas, creates the necessary conditions for Europe to become a world leader in the concerned domains. SARNET clearly becomes a reference, in terms of research priorities in the field of SA, having impact on national programmes and fund allocations. Progressively all the research activities in this field will become strongly coordinated by the Network, which contributes to an optimised use of European resources. Through education and training programmes, SARNET develops synergies with educational institutions and thus keep attractive the concerned domain of activity for students and young researchers. This also contributes to enhance and preserve in a sustainable way the European scientific leadership. The regularly held ERMSAR conferences (European Review Meeting on Severe Accident Research) contain detailed information o n the topics of the SARNET project. This document is the proceedings of the first ERMSAR conference hosted by IRSN in Aix-en-Provence (France) in November 2005. It gathers all available presentations and full papers