During the visit paid to Poland by Manuel Valls, French Prime Minister, an agreement on cooperation between French CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives) and NCBJ, Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (ICHTJ) and Central Laboratory for Radiological Protection (CLOR) in developing nuclear technologies was signed in Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland on March 12. The agreement objective is to foster development of nuclear technologies in Europe. Particular areas of interest include: safety of nuclear facilities, materials for current nuclear reactors and future energy sources, and production of isotopes applied in medicine and industry. The cooperation envisages identification of the most promising research avenues, improvement of research staff competences, exchange of information on peaceful applications of nuclear energy. Centre of Excellence based on scientific competences and research infrastructure existing in both countries is planned.

The agreement should help Polish experts to access international know-how on development and operation of large nuclear facilities, including  exchange of information, foreign trainings/internships, joint research projects. Access to French experience should help Polish research institutes to become more competitive on the international arena, to facilitate education of professionals for needs of the Polish Nuclear Power Programme (including members of nuclear regulatory bodies and nuclear power plant operators), to more efficiently acquire European Union funds, and to a greater extent participate in global projects.

From French CEA point of view Poland is an attractive, reliable partner in research projects. Joint experiments to be continued at the MARIA reactor in Świerk should produce more results applicable in development of the Jules Horowitz reactor in Cadarache. Just like MARIA, the latter reactor will be used to test materials for current and future generations of power reactors and to produce isotopes sought-after by nuclear medicine on global markets.

The agreement was signed by Heads of the concerned institutions: Daniel Verwaerde (CEA), Grzegorz Wrochna (NCBJ), Andrzej Chmielewski (ICHTJ) and Paweł Krajewski (CLOR).

Polish and French economic experts/businessmen met the same day. During that meeting an additional agreement between Électricité de France and NCBJ was signed. According to the agreement, the Świerk-based Institute will join the international research programme on radiation-induced aging of structural materials – one of the key topics from the nuclear power plant safety point of view.

After the official programme CEA delegation visited Świerk.