The European Union’s Euratom Community provided the largest share of financing for the estimated €15bn ($16bn) International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (Iter) project in 2015, according to Iter’s annual report. Euratom’s contribution amounted to about €136m of the total €387m contributed by the seven Iter members. The other six are China, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the USA. Japan and Russia were the second and third largest contributors providing €61m and €57m respectively. According to the report, the staff count at Iter increased to 642 in 2015 from 515 in 2013 and 609 in 2014. Most staff positions in 2015 – 446 – were occupied by nationals of Euratom member states, the report said. The Euratom Treaty covers all civil nuclear activities in the EU, pooling the nuclear industries of its member states and ensuring the security of nuclear energy supply in Europe. Iter, under construction in Cadarache, France, is intended to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power