At the end of 1999 a "Contract of Association between the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the Institute of Plasma Physics" was signed, with the goal to integrate the Czech Republic into the European fusion research programmes. This agreement established the Association EURATOM - IPP.CR which now coordinates the research in the field of nuclear fusion in the Czech republic and the international collaboration with the other 27 Euratom Associations.
The work is supervised by the „Steering Committee of the Association IPP.CR“ which consists of 3 Czech members and 3 Euratom members. The Steering Committe adopts the composition of the research unit, work programme, progress and annual reports etc.
In preparing the scientific programme the Association is assisted by the International Advisory Board which meets annualy, usually in April.
In connection with the Contract of Association, further Agreements have been signed:
- European Fusion Developement Agreement (EFDA), the mission of which is to coordinate the fusion research among the national laboratories, organize research in the field of emerging technologies and provide for the joint exploitation of the JET tokamak;
- Agreement on Promotion of Staff Mobility in the field of Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion which provides for a financial support of the exchange of scientists between associations and participation in coordination meetings of EFDA;
- JET Implementing Agreement that enables the participation of Czech scientists in the research programme of the JET tokamak;
- HPC Implementing Agreement which provides for the use of the European High Performance Computer for Fusion Applications (HPC-FF), installed at Juelich Supercomputing Centre( JSC)
