Council

The work of the ITER organisation will be supervised by a Council, which meets at least twice a year and more often when needed. It consists of four representatives per ITER Party. The chairman is elected from the members and can hold office for up to four years.

The Council can

• appoint senior staff and organisational structure, amend regulations, and launch management assessments;
• decide the total and annual budget, changes in scope, overall cost and procurement sharing, approve accounts and appoint auditors;
• appoint subsidiary bodies, and promote and approve international cooperation agreements;
• purchase, sell and mortgage land and property, make loans, assurances, guarantees, and compensation payments, and decide on waivers of immunity;
• adopt rules on intellectual property;
• allow additional states or organisations to participate in ITER;
• recommend items to be entered on control lists to support non-proliferation of nuclear technology.

It basically has any power it needs to carry out any functions of the ITER Organisation within the scope of the Joint Implementation Agreement.

The first ITER Council meeting was held on 21 November 2006, in Paris.