The Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) is a research organization with the world's largest collection of high power-lasers.

[1] ELI operates several high-power, high-repetition-rate laser systems which enable the research of physical, chemical, materials, and medical sciences.

[8] On December 10, 2010, at the end of the preparatory phase, the project was fully handed over to the ELI Delivery Consortium, consisting of representatives from the three host countries.

ERDF funding of the ELI-Beamlines facility in the Czech Republic was granted by the European Commission on April 20, 2011, followed by ELI-Nuclear Physics in Romania on September 18, 2012.

ELI Beamlines operates high peak-power femtosecond laser systems with high-energy and high-repetition-rate capability, as well as secondary sources (X-rays and accelerated particles).

The OPCPA amplifier stages are pumped by precisely synchronized picosecond pulses generated by state-of-the-art thin-disk-based Yb:YAG laser systems.

[15] L3 HAPLS – 1PW laser, 30 joule, 10 Hz – status: in operation - This laser system was developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, with ELI Beamlines cooperating on the development of the PW pulse compressor, the short-pulse diagnostics, and the short-pulse part controls and timing.

[18] The laser was built by the consortium of National Energetics (USA) and EKSPLA (Lithuania), with major contribution of ELI Beamlines, which developed the 10 PW compressor and participated in development of numerous subsystems including the OPCPA preamplifiers, diagnostics or integrated electronic control system.

[21] The facility contains a variety of powerful laser systems, allowing for in-depth studies of the dynamics involved in interactions between light and matter.

[26] Romania's journey to join the ELI ERIC consortium has been controversial due to a protracted legal disagreement over the construction of a gamma beam at the ELI-NP facility.

The contention reached a climax when the Franco-Italian consortium EuroGammaS halted work on the gamma beam,[29][30] alleging non-compliance of the building with equipment specifications.

As counteraction, EuroGammaS initiated a legal battle in Bucharest, demanding contract extensions and fine reimbursements.

In May 2021, a significant turn of events occurred when the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, and Lithuania, with the UK as a founding observer, applied to the European Commission to form the ELI-ERIC, excluding Romania.

[32] This exclusion was met with resistance from the management of ELI-NP, which criticized the decision as an attempt to "isolate" the Bucharest facility and called for the application's rejection.

While the Czech Republic and Hungary advocated for an integrated international facility, Romania sought greater autonomy, aiming to leverage its funding surplus to aid local research projects.

[34] Romania has since secured a "founding observer" status in the consortium, which may eventually lead to full membership in the organization.