A breakthrough in the provision of energy from the sun for the European Economic Community (EEC) could be brought forward by up two decades, if a modest increase could be provided in the EEC’s 41 ______ research effort in this field, according to the senior EEC scientists engage 42 ______ in experiments in solar energy at EEC’s scientific laboratories at Ispra, near Milan. The senior West German scientist in the charge of the Community’s solar 43 ______ energy programme, Mr. Joachim Gretz, told journalists that at present levels of research spending it was most likely that solar energy would provide 44 ______ as much as three per cent of the Community’s energy requirements even after the year 2000. But he said that with a modest increase in the present sums, devoted by the EEC to this work it was possible the breakthrough 45 ______ could be achieved by the end of the next decade. Mr. Gretz calculates that if solar energy only provided three per cent of the EEC’s needs, this could still produce a saving of about a billion pound 46 ______ in the present bill for imported energy each year. And he believes that with the possibility of utilizing more advanced technology in this field 47 ______ might be possible to satisfy a much big share of the Community’s future 48 ______ energy needs. At present the EEC spend about $ 2.6 million a year on solar research 49 ______ at Ispra, one of the EEC’s official joint research centers, but other $ 3 million 50 ______ a year on indirect research with universities and other independent bodies.