Romania left out of high-powered laser project

Legal dispute mars international launch of Extreme Light Infrastructure in Eastern Europe. The €950 million Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI), taking shape in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Romania, will give scientists some of the most powerful lasers on the planet, potentially leading to breakthroughs in everything from cancer therapy to the treatment of nuclear waste—while boosting research in some of Europe's poorer regions. It took another step forward on 30 April when the European Commission approved the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) to shift control from a loose confederation of national initiatives to a single international umbrella. But Romania has been left in the rain: It was omitted from ERIC, following a dispute over a gamma ray source central to its facility. And two rich members of ELI, France and the United Kingdom, have pulled out, leaving a smaller, less financially secure club.