ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ

Braving an improbable episode of snowy weather, senior representatives from the seven ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Members had gathered in the fifth-floor Council Chamber for two days (20-21 November) to discuss project progress under the chairmanship of Hideyuki Takatsu from Japan.

With the sixth full year of operation for the ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Organization drawing to a close, it was reported that all major contracts for on-site civil works have been awarded. The manufacturing of key components is also progressing steadily within the ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Member industries; in 2014 the first completed components will be shipped to the ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ site by the Members.

The Council responded to an internal, biennial independent assessment that urged changes in both project management and governance. The Council agreed with the assessment's findings, which indicated that the project faces challenges including schedule delays that need to be addressed immediately. To this effect, an action plan will be presented in mid-January and will be evaluated at an Extraordinary Meeting of the ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Council in early February 2014.

Council also made two important technical decisions, approving ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Organization to commence operations with a full  and to include the , which will improve plasma stability, in the ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Baseline.

Taking advantage of the presence of delegates from all of the ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Members, three Procurement Arrangements were signed during or just after the Council meeting: the third Complementary Diagnostics Procurement Arrangement for the Integration Engineering of Upper Port #9 with India; the Blanket Shield (50%) Procurement Arrangement with China; and the Blanket Shield (50%) Procurement Arrangement with Korea (see the article on the blanket shield in this issue).

The next regular meeting of the ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Council is scheduled for 18-19 June 2014 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Read the full Press Release in English and in French.