You can read about ITER, watch documentaries and sit through presentations, but in order to grasp the full scope and significance of the project, nothing beats a visit to the platform.

"Today was a great touch and feel experience," said Françoise Grossetête, a Member of the European Parliament (also referred to as "Eurodeputies") who, along with four French colleagues and their assistants, visited the ITER site on Friday 10 September.

"This experience provided us with a very clear idea of what ITER is about — this will prove very helpful in our future discussions in Parliament and with the Commission."

The party, which included MEPs Dominique Vlasto, deputy to the Mayor of Marseille, Damien Abad, Michel Dantin and Gaston Franco, was welcomed at the Visitors Centre by Pascale Amenc-Antoni, Senior Adviser to the Director-General and ad interim Head of Communications, and by Sylvie André of Agence Iter France.

"ITER," said Dominique Vlasto, "is the best example of what a worldwide cooperation can achieve. It should be our model for future international ventures, whether global or European."