
CBRN-POL project answered the increasing threat of terrorist activities involving the use of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) materials in Europe. Such type of terrorism acts may open the door for the possibility of destabilization of the European Union and lead to undermining economic stability, public security and integrity in the EU community. CBRN-POL project was coordinated by University Lodz (Poland) and involved following partners: General Police Headquarters (Poland), Local Antwerp Police (Belgium), Cyprus Police (Cyprus), Belgian Nuclear Research Centre – SCK-CEN (Belgium), Industrial Chemistry Research Institute (Poland) and Center for the Advancement of Research & Development in Educational Technology – CARDET (Cyprus). Project activities primary focused on:(a) analysis of training needs of police officers (IO1)Analysis and elaborated report cover representatives of target group form Polish, Belgian and Cypriot police. The report includes information about gaps in procedures, training, knowledge and skills of police officers required for conducting duties related to CBRN incidents. It defines the range of CBRN knowledge and skills needed for police patrol units to allow them to carry on their duties at acceptable risk level despite of hazardous external conditions. (b) elaboration of educational materialsWithin the project following educational materials have been developed:- Good practice and partners capabilities report (IO2). The report include good practices applied by each partner and recommendation on how the system of training and reaction to CBRN threats in Poland and the world should be designed.- CBRN course curriculum (IO3). The course curriculum, covers all areas of CBRN knowledge useful and needed by police officers. The curriculum is constructed in an innovative and practical way. It is divided into 4 parts: (1) Knowledge part, (2) Reporting part, (3) Action on the scene part and (4) Practical part. Each part consists of teaching modules and each module is further explained in details through subject sheets. - Trainers Handbook (IO4). The trainers’ handbook is a tool designed for trainers who will be responsible for conducting the courses according to the CBRN course curriculum. The handbook covers not only relevant knowledge areas, but also, method in which the knowledge should be conveyed to policeman. Book also covers specialist scenarios of CBRN threats and possible countermeasure reactions.- Students Handbook (IO5). The handbook include educational material, exercises and tests covering all information necessary to improve knowledge and skills of police officers in CBRN field. The handbook also includes materials for individual CBRN threats, commanding procedures, securing of action as well as rescue procedures- Set of 3 instructing brochures (IO6). The brochures, which graphically enrich educational materials, contain operating procedures schemes for action in each type of CBRN threat.- 7 instructing videos (IO7). Instructing videos in easy and understandable way present most important aspects of: site recon, personal protective equipment, decontamination basis, example response to biological, chemical and radiological threat.- Guidelines for trainers selection (IO8). For the purpose of organization of train-the trainer event guidelines for the trainees selection have been elaborated, and used to select the trainees. (c) intensive internal trainings. Two series of intensive trainings have been organized. The first was dedicated to police trainers and higher rank officers. They have been provided with CBRN knowledge as well as with knowledge related to learning processes and teaching styles, so that they are prepared to run future CBRN courses themselves.The second intensive study courses were dedicated to first line police officers, and was executed by participants of first course. Two sets of intensive training allowed consortium not only to educate Police officers from Poland, Belgium and Cyprus but also to test elaborated materials and introduce required improvement First was dedicated to police trainers and higher rank officers and second to first line police officers. In total 51 police officers have been trained.CBRN-POL achieved planned goals. Project consortium analysed training needs of police officers, compared police response systems in Europe, elaborated tailor-made course curriculum and educational materials, conducted trainings for police officers and educated future training experts in CBRN area. What is also very important, the project allowed for intense cooperation of police officers form 3 European countries and has significant impact on the CBRN training of the police officers in PL, BE and CY but also other EU member states as being promoted through EC DG Home Advisory Group or developed further in EU large scale projects.
The impact of low carbon energy sources in combating rapid climate change underlines the role of nuclear energy as part of a sustainable energy mix. Yet, safety and waste concerns must not be downplayed. For the latter, the main goal should be to recycle used fuel, aiming to close the fuel cycle. This eases ultimate radioactive waste management, enhances proliferation resistance and drastically improves economy and sustainability by better use of fuel resources. The SNETP deployment plan outlines technical needs for fuel recycling including separation of used fuel, fabrication and characterisation of minor actinide bearing fuel and the development of transmutation systems to recover energy and reduce waste. This proposal aligns with the SNETP deployment plan and responds to the call in HORIZON-EURATOM-2023-NRT-01, topic 05 “Partitioning and transmutation of minor actinides towards industrial application”. It focuses on the efficiency of Am (Americium) separation from used fuel, on experimental and fuel performance code development work studying the behaviour of Am bearing fuel under irradiation and on the safety related research supporting the licensing process of MYRRHA in its role as dedicated accelerator driven transmuter demonstrator. This project builds upon the collaborative efforts initiated in the PATRICIA project, bringing together communities working on partitioning, transmutation, and MYRRHA development. Finally, dedicated work packages deal with education, focusing on pre-and post-graduates, and with dissemination, targeting the specific stakeholders and the public at large. A further task on knowledge management encompasses both foreground data as well as metadata as to ensure that proper quality assessment and validation is possible. The project will employ a combination of experiments, theoretical studies and numerical simulations harnessing the expertise of 21 research centres and universities from eight EU countries, the UK and Switzerland. an