New Year

"Last year the foundation was laid for the ITER Organization, this year will be a year of further growth and consolidation. The project team of the ITER Organization is building up at Cadarache, with strong support of the ITER Parties. In the near future we hope to fill the 52 positions that were opened in December last year, and throughout this year our staff number will double.

The Design Review, which has begun in September, will strengthen the involvement of all stakeholders in the ITER Project including the Domestic Agencies and Participant Teams, as well as project team members, and will provide its output early summer for endorsement by the ITER Council. This will form the basis for ITER construction.

Another big task for this year is the submission of the Preliminary Safety Report to the Nuclear Regulatory Authority by the end of this year, which will start our application for licencing as a nuclear facility.

We aim to give you a good insight into the functioning and development of the ITER Organization. That is why in the coming issues of the Newsline, each of the Deputy Director Generals will report on the activities in their departments in this Directors' Corner.

I wish all our readers a happy, healthy and eventful new year."