Energy for peaceful purposes. It was given its own Joint Research Centre (JRC) consisting of nine

research institutes spread among four sites: Ispra (Italy), Karlsruhe (Germany), Petten (the Netherlands)

And Geel (Belgium).

But as scientific and technological innovation gathered pace, European research had to diversify,

Bringing together as wide a variety of scientists and research workers as possible. The EU had to

Find new ways of funding their work and new industrial applications for their discoveries.

Joint research at EU level is designed to complement national research programmes. It focuses

On projects that bring together a number of laboratories in different EU countries. It supports

Fundamental research in fields such as controlled thermonuclear fusion (a potentially inexhaustible

Source of energy for the 21st century) through the Joint European Torus (JET) programme. It

Also encourages research and technological development (RTD) in key industries such as electronics

And computers, which face stiff competition from outside Europe.

In June 2002, the EU adopted its sixth RTD framework programme, covering the period 2002-

With a budget of 17.5 billion, this programme finances a whole series of projects that bring

Together thousands of researchers from all over the EU.