Human Resource Trends in the European Nuclear Energy Sector

Within the European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF), which was launched by the European Commission's Directorate General for Energy (DG ENER), the idea of a European Human Resources Observatory for the Nuclear Energy Sector (EHRO-N) was born. The setting up of EHRO-N was started officially in October 2009. The EC's DG Joint Research Centre ORC) Institute for Energy was charged with the management. A Senior Advisory Group (SAG) is providing guidance on conceptional issues. Cooperation and coordination with international actors such as the IAEA is envisaged since the situation regarding nuclear human resources is similar throughout the world. The situation concerning nuclear human resources has deteriorated in the EU in the past decades and there is a risk of the loss of important nuclear knowledge if no actions are taken. This prompted the Council of the EU to conclude on December 1st,2008, that it is "essential to maintain in the European Union a high level of training in the nuclear field" and, at the same time, preserve the skills in the nuclear field that we already have.The latter is especially true if we are to guarantee the highest level of nuclear safety (subject of the Council Nuclear Safety Directive adopted on June 25th, 2009). By creating a database of nuclear skills needed in the short-, medium-, and long-term perspective and by identifying gaps and deficiencies in the educational and training infrastructure in the EU, EHRO-N should link supply and demand for nuclear human resources in the EU. This paper describes the functioning of EHRO-N and the aims of the programme.JRC.DDG.F.4-Safety of future nuclear reactor