L 400/368 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 COUNCIL DECISION 
of 19 December 2006 
concerning the Specific Programme to be carried out  
by means of direct actions by the Joint Research Centre  
under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community  
for research, technological development  
and demonstration acti vities (2007 to 2013) 
(2006/975/EC) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the Euro pean Community, and in pa rticular Article 166(4) 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament1, 
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee2, 
                                                 
1 Opinion of 30 November 2006 (not yet published in the Official Journal). 
2 OJ C 185, 8.8.2006, p. 10. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/369 
 Whereas: 
(1) In accordance with Article 166(3) of the Treaty, Decision No 967/2006/EC of the 
European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 concerning the Seventh 
Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological 
development and demonstration activities, (2007-2013) 1 (hereinafter referred to as "the 
Framework Programme") is to be implemente d through specific programmes that define 
detailed rules for their implementation, fi x their duration and provide for the means 
deemed necessary. 
(2) The Joint Research Centre, hereinafter referr ed to as "the JRC" s hould carry out so-called 
direct R&D activities under a JRC Specific Programme implementing the EC Framework Programme.  
(3) In implementing its mission, the JRC should provide the EU policy-making process with 
customer-driven scientific and technical s upport, ensuring support to the implementation 
and monitoring of existing policies and res ponding to new policy demands. In order to 
achieve its mission the JRC should carry out res earch of the highest comparable European 
quality, including by maintaining its ow n level of scientific excellence. 
(4) The direct actions conducted by the JRC s hould be implemented by the present Specific 
Programme. In implementing this Specific Programme in accordance with its mission, the JRC should place particular emphasis on areas of key concern for the Union: prosperity in 
a knowledge-intensive society, so lidarity, sustainability and responsible management of 
resources, security and freedom, and Europe as world partner.  
                                                
 
1 OJ L 381,30.12.2006. 
L 400/370 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 (5) This Specific Programme shoul d be implemented in a flexib le, efficient and transparent 
manner, taking into account the relevant need  of JRC's user and Community polices, as 
well as respecting the objective of protecti ng the Community's financial interests. The 
research activities carried out  under the programme should be adapted where appropriate to 
these needs and to scientific and technological developments a nd aim to achieve scientific 
excellence. 
(6) The rules for participation of undertakings, research centres and uni versities and for the 
dissemination of research results, for the Fr amework Programme (hereinafter referred as 
'the rules for participation and dissemination') re lating to direct actions  should also apply to 
the R&D activities carried out under this Specific Programme. 
(7) For the purpose of implementing this progr amme, in addition to cooperation covered by 
the Agreement on the European Economic Area or by an Association Agreement, it may 
be appropriate to engage in in ternational cooperation activities, in particular on the basis of 
Article 170 of the Treaty, with third count ries and international organisations. 
(8) In support to EU enlargement and integration, the JRC aims at promoting the integration of 
new Member States' organisations and research ers in its activities in particular on the 
implementation of the scientific and technol ogical components of the Community acquis, 
as well as an increased cooperation with those from Candidate Countries . A progressive 
opening is also envisaged towards the Nei ghbouring Countries, specifically on priority 
topics of the European Neighbourhood Policy. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/371 
 (9) Research activities carried out within this  Specific Programme s hould respect fundamental 
ethical principles, including t hose which are reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights 
of the European Union.  
(10) The JRC should continue to generate addi tional resources through co mpetitive activities; 
these include participation to the indirect ac tions of the Framework Programme, third party 
work and to a lesser extent the ex ploitation of intellectual property. 
(11) Sound financial management of the Fram ework Programme and its implementation should 
be ensured in the most effective and user-f riendly manner possible, while ensuring legal 
certainty and the accessibility of the programme for all participants, in compliance with 
Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the genera l budget of the European Communities
1 and 
Commission Regulation (E C, Euratom) 2342/20022 laying down detailed rules for the 
implementation of that Financial Regulation and any future amendments. 
                                                 
1 OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1. 
2 OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 1. Regulation as amen ded by Commission Regulation (EC, 
Euratom) No 1261/2005 (OJ L 201, 2.8.2005, p. 3). 
L 400/372 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 (12) Appropriate measures – proportionate to th e European Communities' financial interests – 
should be taken to monitor both the effectiven ess of the financial support granted and the 
effectiveness of the utilisation of these funds  in order to prevent irregularities and fraud 
and the necessary steps should be taken to re cover funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly 
used in accordance with Council Regu lation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of 
18 December 1995 on the protection of the Eur opean Communities' financial interests1, 
Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 of 11 November 1996 concerning on-the-spot checks and inspections carried out by the Commission in order to protect the 
European Communities' financial interest s against fraud and other irregularities
2 and 
Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European  Parliament and of the Council concerning 
investigations conducted by the Eu ropean Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)3. 
(13) The Commission should in due course arra nge for an independent assessment to be 
conducted concerning the activities carried out in the fi elds covered by this programme. 
(14) The JRC's Board of Gove rnors has been consulted on th e scientific and technological 
content of this sp ecific programme, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
                                                 
1 OJ L 312, 23.12.1995, p. 1. 
2 OJ L 292, 15.11.1996, p. 2. 
3 OJ L 136, 31.5.1999, p. 1. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/373 
 Article 1 
The Specific Programme related to the direct actions in researc h, technological development and 
demonstration to be carried out by the Joint Research Centre, here inafter the "Specific Programme" 
is hereby adopted for the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013. 
Article 2 
The Specific Programme shall establish the activities for the non-nuclear actions of the Joint 
Research Centre, providing customer driven scie ntific and technical s upport to the Community 
policy making process, ensuring support to the imp lementation and monitoring of existing policies 
and responding to new policy demands. 
The objectives and the broad lines of t hose activities are set out in the Annex. 
Article 3 
In accordance with Annex II of the Framework Pr ogramme, the amount deemed necessary for the 
execution of the Specific Programme shall be EUR 1 751 million.  
Article 4  
1. All research activities carried out under the Specific Programme shall be carried out in 
compliance with fundament al ethical principles. 
L 400/374 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 2. The following fields of research sha ll not be financed under this programme: 
– research activity aiming at human  cloning for reproductive purposes, 
– research activity intended to modify the genetic heritage of human beings which 
could make such changes heritable1, research activities intended to create human 
embryos solely for the purpose of research or for the purpose of stem cell procurement, including by means of somatic cell nuclear transfer. 
3. Research on human stem cells, both adult and embryonic, may be financed, depending 
both on the contents of the scientific propos al and the legal framework of the Member 
State(s) involved. 
Any application for financing for research on human embryonic stem cells shall include, as 
appropriate, details of licensing and control meas ures that will be taken by the competent 
authorities of the Member States as well as de tails of the ethical approval(s) that will be 
provided. 
As regards the derivation of human embryonic stem cells, institutions, organisations and 
researchers shall be subject to  strict licensing and control in  accordance with the legal 
framework of the Member State(s) involved. 
                                                
 
1 Research relating to cancer treatme nt of the gonads may be financed. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/375 
 4. The fields of research set out above sha ll be reviewed for the second phase of this 
programme (2010-2013) in the light  of scientific advances. 
Article 5 
1. The Specific Programme shall be implemen ted by means of the direct actions as 
established in Annex III to the Framework Programme. 
2. The rules for participation and dissemination re lating to direct actions  shall apply to the 
Specific Programme. 
Article 6 
1. The Commission shall draw up a multi-annual Work Programme for the implementation of 
the specific programme, setti ng out in greater detail the obj ectives and scientific and 
technological priorities set out in the Annex, and the timetable for implementation. 
2. The multi-annual Work Programme shall take  account of relevant research activities 
carried out by the Member States, Associat ed States and European and international 
organisations. It shall be updated where appropriate. 
L 400/376 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 Article 7 
The Commission shall arrange for the independent assessment provi ded for in Article 7 of the 
Framework Programme to be conducted concerning th e activities carried out in the fields covered 
by the Specific Programme. 
Article 8 
This Decision shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal 
of the European Union. 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States. Done at Brussels, 19 December 2006. 
 For the Council 
 The President 
K. KORKEAOJA 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/377 
 ANNEX  
1. Objective 
To provide customer-driven scientific and t echnical support to the Community policy making 
process, ensuring support to the implementation and monitoring of existing policies and responding 
to new policy demands. 
2. Approach 
The JRC will reinforce its customer-driven orientat ion, and its strong networking with the scientific 
community, in the specific context of growt h, sustainable development and security by: 
– flexibly responding to the developing need s and requirements of the European policy 
makers,  
– focusing attention on issues which are important in terms of societal concern, which have a 
research component and which have a dominant Community dimension,  
– developing partnerships with research centres, universities , industry, public authorities, 
regulatory bodies in the Member  States and with third count ries and international bodies; 
– reinforcing its competencies and facilities, 
L 400/378 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 – the JRC has focused its resources to res pond to the S/T challenges arising from the 
complex and multi-faceted aspect s of Community policy related issues. It has done so by 
organising its activities around the main polic y areas and by establishing synergies with 
other sources of S/T support ava ilable in the Member States. It  will further enhance this 
capacity, also by collaborating with EU Agenci es, other EU Institutions, notably with the 
European Parliament, and authorities in the Member States,  
– increasing transparency when setting its resear ch priorities by making the criteria for these 
priorities publicly available. 
An integrated approach to the provision of S/T s upport to policies represents a key feature of this 
Specific Programme. Indeed, in various areas the need for unders tanding interactions between 
technological change, scientific developments, innovation and competitiveness and different 
regulatory and policy approaches (e.g. economic instruments, voluntary schemes and flexible 
mechanisms) is very acute. A strong research base  will underpin such objec tives. The participation 
in the direct actions of the Framework Programme will strive to maximise complementarity with the 
institutional programme outlined in section 3 below. 
The JRC will strengthen its position in the Europe an Research Area, by facilitating access to its 
facilities by European and non-Euro pean researchers, including ear ly-stage scientists. It will 
increase its cooperation with othe r public and private research or ganisations, consistently improve 
the scientific quality of its own activities and contribute more scien tifically to training, which will 
remain a high priority for the JRC. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/379 
 Dissemination of knowledge among the various stakehol ders involved in this process will represent 
a key feature of the approach and efforts should be made to increase the involvement of SMEs in 
research actions. Activities will also be aimed at  the support to the implementation and monitoring 
of legislation and at th e dissemination of best practises in the context of EU-25, Candidate and 
Neighbouring Countries.  
The JRC will respond to the call fo r 'better regulation' of the new Lisbon agenda by underpinning 
ex-ante as well as ex-post policy assessmen t and appraisals, s upporting the Commission 
evidence-based policy initiatives. Furthermore, requirements issued in the context of policy 
implementation and monitoring will lead to the setting up of fit-for-purpo se support activities 
insofar as they are research based.  
New challenges associated with the growing need to respond to crises, emergencies, and pressing 
political imperatives will be met by building up cap acities and facilities in selected areas to provide 
adequate support in an EU context.  
L 400/380 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 Community external and security-related policies will exercise new demands upon the JRC 
throughout the duration of the Seventh Framewor k Programme. These areas of work will be 
supported by in-house and secure information/analys is systems to respond at short notice. By the 
same token, the global and international dimension of the JRC's work will also develop further in the present programme. 
A specific part of the JRC's resources is devoted to exploratory research, to develop new knowledge 
and new competencies. Resources are invested in exploratory re search as "seed money" which 
might yield practical results at a later stage and, if  successful, will contribute to the activi ties of the 
JRC in the medium to long term. 
When requested in the context of its support for thematic policies, the JRC will engage into specific 
exercises leading to a better ex ploitation (including disseminati on when feasible) of relevant 
EU-wide research results. In doing so it will enha nce the benefits of knowle dge society. Where and 
when appropriate, research conducted by the JR C should be coordinated with the research 
undertaken under the "Themes" of the "Cooperation" Specific Programme , in order to avoid overlap 
and duplication. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/381 
 3. Activities 
3.1. Policy Theme 1: Prosperity in  a knowledge intensive society 
3.1.1. Agenda 1.1 Competitiveness and Innovation 
Fostering EU competitiveness, transparency of in ternal market and trade will be pursued by the 
production and dissemination of internationally accepted references and the promotion of a 
common European measurement system. Comparabil ity of measurement results will be fostered 
through the provision of quality a ssurance tools like reference mate rials, reference measurements, 
validated methods and data in a broad range of policy related areas such as: 
– safety of chemicals and products including cosmetics, through the development of a 
system of reference for integrated chemi cal risk assessment and by S/T support to the 
chemicals legislation including support (tra ining) to the preparation of European 
Chemicals Agency (ECA ), 
– alternative (non-animal) testing approach es and intelligent testing strategies, 
– food safety, quality and authenti city; feed safety; bio-technology, 
– eEnergy (cleaner and renewabl e energy sources and carriers), 
– security and protection of the citizen, 
– environment and health. 
L 400/382 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 This reference work will be pursued in clos e cooperation with Member State institutions, 
international standardisati on bodies (ISO, CEN, Codex A limentarius, AOAC), regulatory 
authorities and industry. The JRC maintain a role as Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) in 
the areas of genetically modified  food and feed, food contact materi als and feed additives and take 
up a role as CRL in further rela ted fields of its competence. 
The JRC will pursue the development of advanced  econometric modelling and sensitivity analysis 
techniques in a wide range of policy fields, in  macro-economic modelling, short term analysis of 
financial and business cycles and the developmen t and assessment of composite indicators.  
The JRC will also continue to apply the financial econometrics and statistics tools in the area of 
financial services (for instance,  Clearing and Settlement and banki ng directives). It will remain 
involved in a variety of initia tives by providing support to ex ante and ex post assessments 
(including impact assessments) by developing specific indicators  and carrying out analyses. 
The JRC will increase its support to the developmen t of Community policy on international trade, 
with particular emphasis on the impact of trade policy on sustainable development and 
competitiveness.  
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/383 
 The Lisbon agenda for growth and jobs will be  supported by direct quantitative socio-economic 
analysis – also in relation to the "better regul ation" principle – in a number of policy areas like 
macro-economic stability and grow th, financial services, aspects of competitiveness, lifelong 
learning and the human capital dimension of th e Lisbon strategy, agriculture, climate change, 
sustainable energy and transport systems. The JR C will contribute to a better understanding of the 
relationship between education pr ovision and the needs of  the knowledge society, of circulation of 
knowledge, of factors affecting equity in educati on and how efficient use of educational resources 
can be achieved. 
At the core of competitiveness and environment obj ectives are the eco-efficient technologies which 
will continue to be identified and assessed by the European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Bureau and by input to the implement ation and monitoring of the Environmental 
Technology Action Plan. The conditions under whic h these technologies are developed will be 
studied, to identify the barriers to their dissemina tion, to assess performance targets and use and to 
analyse the measures to improve their uptake. 
Support to competitiveness will also be provided through activities such as: 
– support to the setting up and ma intenance of European standards such as Eurocodes, 
Euronorms, IEC, ISO norms and European Reference Materials, 
– developing standards for environmental and se curity monitoring systems and harmonised 
data access in the context of INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe) 
and GMES (Global Monitoring fo r Environment and Security), 
L 400/384 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 – strengthening the European Measurement Infras tructure by interlaboratory comparisons in 
support to accreditation/cer tification processes. 
The JRC will also provide its scientific/technica l support for the development of risk assessment 
and management procedures as a tool for European decision-making. 
3.1.2. Agenda 1.2 European Research Area The JRC will contribute dire ctly to European Research Area by  increasing its scientific networking, 
training and mobility of researchers,  access to research infrastructures and collaborative research. It 
will participate in European Technology Platform s, Joint Technology Ini tiatives and Article 169 
actions where relevant. Special attention will be paid to involving partners in the new Member 
States and Candidate Countries. 
The JRC will provide support to evidence-based research policy-making at both Community and 
Member State levels. 
This strategic support to research policy-ma king will be complemented by providing technology 
assessments of the research prioriti es in individual thematic areas.  
The consolidation, development and dissemination of science and technology foresight methods 
will also be promoted at European level. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/385 
 3.1.3. Agenda 1.3 Energy and Transport 
The JRC will focus its energy activities on a sm ooth transition to less carbon intensive and 
renewable sources and carriers of energy (including hydrogen), in creased efficiency of energy 
systems and improved safety and security of energy supply. The objectives of the JRC in the area of 
energy are: 
– to provide a sustainable ener gy reference system feeding th e Community policy needs with 
S/T expertise on technological innovation and evolution (all  energy sources and end-use 
energy efficiency), 
– to act as reference centre for pre-normative performance verification and certification of 
selected technologies (i.e. cl eaner fossil, bio-mass, photovoltaic, fuel cell and hydrogen), 
– to provide information on reliability of energy supply for Europe and on the availability of 
renewable energy resources. In addition, the JR C will facilitate a fact-based debate and 
informed decision-making on the appropriate energy mix to meet the European energy 
needs. 
The JRC will contribute to the development of sustainable transport in Europe by focusing on:  – the environment with research on emission control and related impacts on ecosystems; the 
potential to reduce emissions by emerging tec hnologies under differe nt policy scenarios, 
L 400/386 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 – the techno-economic dimension with research on  the assessment of externalities, improved 
fuels and engines, alternative vehicles concepts and the impact of innovation on 
competitiveness and economic growth as well as to assessments of transport policy options, 
– the social dimension, with activities including research in spatial, urban planning, impacts 
on health and awareness raising. Efforts will also be devoted to aspects of safety and 
security of air, land and maritime transport.  
Energy and transport are the main sectors respons ible for pollution affecting the air quality. The 
JRC will support the EU thematic strategy on ai r pollution (CAFE Clean Air for Europe) with 
particular attention on characterisation and a pportioning of emissions from various sources in 
support to the development of emission abatemen t strategies. Harmonisation/Normalisation of 
reference tests and methodologies for measur ement of emissions will be undertaken. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/387 
 3.1.4. Agenda 1.4 Information Society 
The JRC will support the formulation of Informa tion Society Technology policies and instruments 
contributing to a competitive European knowledge so ciety by generating prospective analyses and 
strategies related to the knowledge society. Growth, solidarity, inclusion and sustainability will be 
points of attention. The JRC will also contribute to the implementation of the Community policies 
closely linked with or strongly benefiting from Information Society Technology developments. This 
covers applications in e-business, e-health, pe rsonal security, home environment, e-learning, 
e-governance, and environment as well as the determination of the potential for new developments in the pursuit of the overall Europ ean strategies on growth, inclusi on and quality of life and ICT for 
trust and confidence.  
The JRC will work on "convergence" in the IST area with the aim of assessing potential impact on 
society in terms of competi tiveness, privacy, ownership a nd social inclusion. Convergence 
applications will be pursued in  the area of health (bio-senso rs, nano-technology and cognitive 
sciences), security (sensors, public security a nd personal integrity) and environment (monitoring 
technologies and sustainable en vironmental management).  
L 400/388 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 3.1.5. Agenda 1.5 Life Sciences and Bio-technology 
Life sciences and bio-technology are pertinent to  many policy areas where they can significantly 
contribute to the Community objectiv es. This potential is broadly rec ognised in health, agriculture, 
food, environment and other sectors where applica tions are being rapidly developed. The provision 
of reference materials and validated methods requi res access to and contro l of a broad range of 
advanced bio-technological instrume nts. In the context of its collaboration with competent national 
organisations, the JRC will further develop its compet encies in this area in view of the legislative 
and regulatory context.  
In particular, the JRC will carry out studies on the socio-economic impact of selected applications 
of bio-technology and life sciences in support of fu ture legislation. With an  integrated effort in 
nano-bio-technology, physics, biology and chemistry applied to detection techniques the JRC will 
contribute to the development of  new strategies and technologies for environment and health 
monitoring, (eco) toxicology studies, food and feed chai n control and security. 
Activities will be developed inter alia. in the following areas: 1) Bio-technology and h ealth-related aspects: 
– provision of quality assurance tools for genetic testing,  
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/389 
 – studies on genome-based diagnostic a pplications and drug development 
(e.g. pharmacogenomics), 
– development and validation of advanced  methods for refining, reducing and 
replacing animal tests for bio-technol ogical pharmaceuticals, for predicting the 
toxicity of chemicals by in vitro cell cultures, high throughput techniques and 
toxicogenomics, 
– identification and assessment of novel bi o-informatic methodologies in support to 
"omics" approaches, integrating physiol ogical responses modu lated by individual 
susceptibility and life style factors, 
– development of a methodological framework for properly considering risk modifiers 
in human health risk assessment, 
– assessment of environmental and health  impacts of nano-t echnologies including 
nano-toxicology. 
2) Bio-technology in agriculture, food and feed: 
– prospective studies on emerging bio-techno logical applications in food production 
(e.g. functional food, cloned farm animal s and molecular "pharming" crops), 
– GMO detection, identificati on and quantification (inc ludes validation of high 
throughput screening methods, and quality assurance tools for GMOs of next 
generations), 
L 400/390 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 – studies on the coexistenc e of GM/non-GM crops; studies on the economics of 
GM crops. 
3.2. Policy Theme 2: Solidarity and the responsible management of resources 
3.2.1. Agenda 2.1 Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries 
The JRC will with its research support European policies for Rural Development, Agriculture and 
Fisheries covering all the three dimensions of sustainability: 
– Production aspects: support to implementation, control and monitoring of the CAP (Single 
Payment Schemes, Cross compliance and Farm Advisory Systems), including Integrated Administration and Control Systems for arable  lands and permanent crop registers, and 
implementation of rural/urban cadastre to  support market and investment (using 
positioning/navigation techniques). Crop producti on forecast based on growth simulation 
models, area frame techniques, remote sens ing and an agro-phenological network. Support 
to the implementation of an EU farmer in surance system. Support to the methodological 
aspects of the new EU agriculture sta tistical system (including LUCAS).  
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/391 
 – Environmental aspects: Assessing implicati ons of good agricultural and environmental 
conditions and studying impacts and effectiven ess of agri-environmental measures on soil 
and water conditions, bio-diversity and Eur opean landscapes. Analysing links between 
agricultural, rural development and regional policies and their im pacts on European land 
use changes through the development of indi cators and spatial m odels. Evolution of 
promotion measures for low i nput and organic agriculture an d soil fertility. Supporting the 
development of targeted territo rial strategies for the implementation of rural development 
programmes. Assessing the impact of climate ch ange on agriculture in view of adaptation 
measures. Contribution to mitigation of GH G (greenhouse gas) emissions by dedicated 
energy crops and by energy recovery from agri-wastes. 
– Producer/consumer aspects: Strategic policy an alyses in areas such as: impact of the 
CAP reform on the sustainability of farming systems; responsiveness of agriculture to 
consumer demands: food characterisation and control, impact of quality assurance (QA) 
and certification schemes managed within supply chains, and responsiveness to 
environmental and animal welfare standards;  projection and policy impact analyses of 
main European agricultural commodities in terms of production, world market, prices, 
income and consumer welfare; impact of changes in trade policy and world commodity 
markets; agricultural policies in rural deve lopment in conjunction with other policies. 
Specific attention will be given to the impact  of CAP Reform in the new Member States 
and Candidate Countries and the analysis of im pacts/effects of rural development policies.  
L 400/392 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 Common Fisheries Policy objectives will be  addressed by improving the quality and 
timeliness of scientific data and by developing processes for the assessment of the economic and social impact of management  options. New technologies, including fish 
origin identification based on DNA analysis, will be used to identify non-compliance. 
Attention will be paid to tec hniques which favour stakeholder involvement. In line with the 
Community's emerging maritime policy, the feasibility of services developed for fisheries – such as vessel monitoring by remote sensing and electronic reporting, will be extended to 
merchant vessel identification. The impact of a growing aquaculture sector, including in 
environmental, and socio-economic terms, will be assessed. 
3.2.2. Agenda 2.2 Natural Resources The JRC is participating in the work towards a ho listic approach related to  monitoring change and 
analysing impacts and pressures on  natural resources aiming to de velop integrated concepts for 
sustainable development. In complement to the Ag enda 2.1, this research will be closely aligned to 
the EU's seven thematic environmental strategi es. It will pay atten tion to the sharing of 
environmental information and feed the developmen t of GMES by playing an important role in its 
research activities. Applications w ill conform to INSPIRE principles.  
More specifically, activiti es will concentrate on: 
– Water management in the context of the Wa ter Framework Directive and Maritime Policy 
with attention to ecological quality of inland a nd coastal water of Europe, pollutant cycles, 
harmonised measurements of chemical and biological contaminants, dynamic modelling 
and pan-European information systems.  
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/393 
 – Soil protection initiatives identified in th e Soil Framework Directive, with focus on 
streamlining the flow of soil information in Europe, the definition of common criteria and 
methods for delineating risk areas of soil th reats, and approaches for soil monitoring. 
– Life-cycle analysis approaches  to track resources from extr action through us e, recycling 
and ultimate disposal of materials. Sust ainable production and consumption of natural 
resources and materials, and the environmenta l impact and sustainability of products under 
different technology and policy scenarios. 
– Forestry; a system for monitoring Community fo rests will be established with information 
on forest fires, forest ecological condition and forest resources. Activities will cover forest 
bio-diversity indicators, tools fo r the analysis of post-fire imp acts, analysis of interactions 
of forest fires, soils and c limate change, and the integration of information related to 
forests resources available from Member States. 
– Provision of continuing technical support to the development of INSPIRE: contribution to 
the EU shared environment information system (in close cooperation with the European Environment Agency and ESTAT). 
– Impact assessment of structural and cohesi on programmes and support to the definition and 
evaluation of Community Regiona l Policies by mean of territori al indicators at regional 
and urban level. 
L 400/394 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 3.2.3. Agenda 2.3 Environment and Health  
The link between environment and h ealth represent a new focus of a ttention at European level. The 
JRC will contribute to this emerging policy field by: 
– the development and validation of methods  for monitoring pathways and assessing 
exposure: ambient air (air qua lity), indoor air (products, smok e), drinking water and food 
(including contact materials, contaminants  in food chain). A contribution to the 
development of total human exposure appro ach is foreseen notably in the area of 
chemicals, 
– the assessment of health effects through experimental work, bio-monitoring, 
toxicogenomic analyses, computational techniques and analytical tools, 
– exploiting knowledge derived from the two items above in order to contribute to the future 
development of an integrated environment and health system, in line with the policy 
framework on environment and health inform ation being developed under the EU Action 
Plan. 
3.2.4. Agenda 2.4 Climate Change  Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a central ob jective of the Kyoto protocol. Assessing the 
potential for reducing GHG emissions (mitigation measures) in a common framework is therefore a key item in the JRC agenda. Quality assessment, verification and analysis of GHG emission data 
will be pursued, especially in difficult sectors such as agriculture and forestry. Similar work will address the issue of verification in the context of carbon trading.  
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/395 
 Adaptation to climate change has become imperative and the JRC will continue to collect and 
assess data related to climate impacts on various vulnerable sectors of the European economy. This 
includes agriculture, forestry, wate r resources and natural risks. Asse ssing hazards related to climate 
change will focus on the incidence at European level of floods, droughts, forest fires, storms, 
deterioration of air quality and coastal and marine processes.  
Adequate knowledge of the signals and impacts of  climate change around the world is necessary. 
Global monitoring techniques will be further develope d to assess changes in the atmosphere, oceans 
and terrestrial biosphere which eith er drive or result from climate change. This work forms part of 
the European contribution to the global observi ng systems formally endorsed by the UN Framework 
Convention on Climate Change (con tribution to the Global Climate Observation System). Similar 
work will address the verification of carbon trading associated with the Kyoto Protocol's flexible 
mechanisms (Joint Implementation and Clean De velopment Mechanism) and future regimes beyond 
2012. The JRC will engage in a 3rd phase of the TREES (Tropical Ecosystem Environment 
observations by Satellites) programme, to update th e preceding assessments of global forest cover. 
The JRC will collaborate with other modelling centre s around Europe to develop trade-off scenarios 
and cost-benefit analyses. Of particular releva nce for the Seventh Framework Programme is the 
analysis of options for the post-Kyoto period wh ich will open discussions on integrating climate 
policies in other sectoral policies.  
L 400/396 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 3.3. Policy Theme 3: Freedom, security and justice  
3.3.1. Agenda 3.1 Internal Security 
JRC will give S/T support to Community policies related to the establis hment of the area of 
freedom, security and justice, and customs in part icular through its research activities. The focus 
will be on applying IT and systems analysis compet encies to the protection against crime and fraud, 
smuggling and illicit trafficking; the protection of citizens and critical infrastructures against 
terrorism; and migration and border management. Technical support to integrated border 
management (e.g. interoperability) will also be provided.  
Activities will include support to: – the capacity to detect and monitor fraud ag ainst the Community budge t and diversion of 
funds through automatic intelligen ce gathering and advanced an alytical techniques applied 
to large datasets, 
– assessing threats and vulnerabilities of critical  infrastructures in key sectors at the Union 
level (e.g. information systems, financial sy stems, industrial plants, public buildings, 
transport systems and infrastructures, co mmunication networks, financial networks, 
navigation systems, electricity and gas/oil infrastructures, f ood distribution systems, etc), 
– the prevention, preparedness and risk management of scenarios triggered by intentional 
acts (sabotage of industrial in stallations, blasts, impacts, bi ological and chemical agents, 
attacks to food systems) on infrastructures, 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/397 
 – border security and management through standa rds and testing for bio-metric sensors, 
monitoring systems to detect illicit tr afficking, monitoring migration flows, 
– information gathering in the field of trans port of goods by air, sea, road, using various 
tracking technologies, 
– the EU crisis room structure (ARGUS) and crisis response mechanisms. 
3.3.2. Agenda 3.2 Disasters and Response In the context of natural and technological disasters and accidents, the JRC will foster a better 
capacity to understand and deal w ith vulnerabilities, risks, early warning, alert systems, monitoring 
and damage assessment, prevention and mitigation m easures. In particular it will contribute to the 
improvement of Community response capacity and cr isis management in terms of rapid response, 
monitoring, damage assessments (e.g., in the co ntext of the Civil Pr otection Mechanism and 
Solidarity fund intervention).  
The Major Accidents Hazards Bureau will contri bute to safety management through monitoring 
accidents and incidents and drawing lessons lear ned, specifically in Seveso II installations.  
With respect to natural disasters, the JRC will fo cus on the development of early warning and alert 
systems drawing upon models, earth observation t echnologies, and measurement networks for a 
variety of situations across Eur ope including floods, droughts, oil sp ills, earthquakes, forest fires, 
avalanches, landslides and storms . Multi-hazard risks will be studi ed for the Mediterranean/Black 
Sea basin and the fringes of th e Atlantic Ocean. Reporting on and drawing lessons from natural 
disasters will be continued. Work in this ag enda will also be conducted in support to the 
development of GMES services rela ted to crisis and emergencies. 
L 400/398 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 3.3.3. Agenda 3.3 Food and Feed Safety and Quality 
Activities will be in line with the Fork to Farm concept. The JRC will provide validation of methods 
and harmonised procedures for a broad range of food a nd feed types. It will al so reinforce its ability 
to deal with food and feed crises by its expert ise in food and feed anal ysis and by entering new 
areas where needed. Attention will  be paid to a close cooperation with the European Food Safety 
Authority.  
Specific domains of action will cover: – validation of molecular biology and hyphenate d techniques for food a nd feed control e.g. 
in the area of allergens, functional and organic food,  
– areas related to food and health where future  legislation is expect ed (e.g. micro-biology, 
functional and organic food, allergens,  health claims in labelling),  
– areas related to feed safety for existing le gislation (e.g. feed additive authorisations), 
– micro-biology for food and feed, validation of bio-molecular detection methods for 
micro-organisms, in particular for pathogens in food and water, 
– validation of analytical methods for the det ection of banned substances, of contaminants, 
feed additives and animal proteins, comp liance with labelling Directives and for 
designation of origin (e .g. isotopic methods),  
– electronic traceability al ong the feed-food chain. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/399 
 3.4. Policy Theme 4: Europe as world partner 
The JRC will support Community decision-making in the framework of external policy instruments 
(development cooperation, trade and instruments responding to crises and peaceful conflict 
prevention including the instruments fo r Stability and Humanitarian Aid). 
3.4.1. Agenda 4.1 Global Security The JRC will, through its research, enhance its support to Community reconstruction and 
humanitarian aid programmes through novel technologi es (including space, geo-spatial analysis, 
web intelligence, real-time information systems) to serve several levels of intervention (from 
preparedness to rapid response and field operation s) in order to addres s the identification of 
forgotten crises, early warning of potential cr ises, humanitarian needs assessment and relief, 
integrated crisis response and pos t-crisis damage assessment. Support for international humanitarian 
aid will also be provided through an  extension of the functionalities of the Global Disaster Alert and 
Response System, to cover a broad range of human itarian disasters in close cooperation with the 
UN Agencies (especially its Office for C oordination of Humanitarian Affairs). 
The JRC will establish a global geo-spatial database  and contribute to services (rapid mapping) in 
support of crisis management and security; inter-ope rability of systems and standards for supporting 
data exchange between systems, notably with Council SitCen and EU  Satellite Centre. This activity 
is undertaken in the context of the deve lopment of future GMES pilot services. 
L 400/400 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 The JRC will provide S/T support in relation to the implementation of measures in the context of 
the envisaged Instrument for Stability, addressi ng trans-border challenges and longer-term global 
stability and security issues. JRC will work on the issue of proliferation of WMD and dual use goods and technologies, including export control, borde r control, supply chain security, and country 
profiling. Systems to be further developed for th at purpose include export control classification 
systems, intelligence based systems, data wa rehousing and multi-lingual web mining intelligence 
tools. Strong integration with the relevant JRC activities under th e Euratom specific programme is 
foreseen. 
Remote sensing analysis techniques and systems for integration and analysis of multiple source data 
(including earth observation and ope n source) are central to the approach; they will be used in 
support to the implementation of th e Community's external policy activ ities such as those relevant 
for the Kimberley process and mechanisms for mon itoring illegal trade including in timber and dual 
use items. These activities will contribute to the global dimension of the GMES initiative. 
3.4.2. Agenda 4.2 Development Cooperation An Observatory for Sustainable Development and Environment will initially be established in 
Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries. Environm ental diagnostics and country profiles, scenario 
building and cross policy interact ions will be the three components served by the information 
gathering and communication system lying at th e heart of the Observatory. The provision of 
long-term observation of resources and environmenta l parameters (e.g. on land cover, forest cover, 
fires, bio-diversity, coastal zones, climate vulne rability, etc.) will support trends analyses. The 
development will be carried out in close collabor ation with the GMES initiative and the Africa 
Monitoring for Environment and Sust ainable Development programme.  
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/401 
 The global crop monitoring component of the observato ry will be developed in the context of food 
security and the Community initiative on povert y eradication and sustainable development. 
Research work will focus on new methods for as sessing food supply and needs, food security 
information systems and vulnerability assessments. 
End products delivered will be "client driven", i.e. in  this particular case be designed in a way that 
they respond to the needs and are manageable by Developing Countries. 
Cooperation with major actors (UNEP, FAO, EUMETSAT, WFP, ESA GMES-GMFS) will be 
reinforced. 
Ethical aspects 
During the implementation of this specific programme and in the res earch activities arising from it, 
fundamental ethical principles are to be respected. These include, in ter alia, the principles reflected 
in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU , including the following:  protection of human 
dignity and human life, protecti on of personal data and privacy, as well as animals and the 
environment in accordance with Community law and th e latest versions of relevant international 
conventions and codes of conduct, e.g. the Helsin ki Declaration, the Conve ntion of the Council of 
Europe on Human Rights and Bio- medicine signed in Oviedo on 4 April 1997 and its Additional 
Protocols, the UN Convention on th e Rights of the Child, the Univer sal Declaration on the human 
genome and human rights adopted by UNESCO, UN Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention 
(BTWC), International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for F ood and Agriculture, and the 
relevant World Health Orga nisation (WHO) resolutions. 
L 400/402 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 Account will also be taken of the Opinions of  the European Group of Advisers on the Ethical 
Implications of Bio-technology ( 1991-1997) and the Opinions of th e European Group on Ethics in 
Science and New Technologies (as from 1998). 
In compliance with the principle of  subsidiarity and the diversity of  approaches existing in Europe, 
participants in research projects must conform to current legisl ation, regulations and ethical rules in 
the countries where the research will be carried  out. In any case, nationa l provisions apply and no 
research forbidden in any given Member State or other country will be supported by Community 
funding to be carried out in th at Member State or country. 
Where appropriate, those carrying out research proj ects must seek the approval of the relevant 
national or local ethics committees prior to the star t of the RTD activities. An ethical review will 
also be implemented systematically by the Co mmission for proposals dealing with ethically 
sensitive issues or where ethical aspects have not been adequately addressed. In specific cases an 
ethical review may take place during  the implementation of a project. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/403 
 The Protocol on protection and welfare of animals annexed to the Treaty re quires the Community to 
pay full regard to the welfare re quirements of animals in formulating and implementing Community 
policies including research. Council Directive 86/609/EEC of 24 November 1986 on the 
approximation of laws, regulations and administra tive provisions of the Member States regarding 
the protection of animals used for expe rimental and other scientific purposes1 requires that all 
experiments be designed to avoid distress and unnecessary pain a nd suffering to the experimental 
animals; use the minimum number of animals; involve animals with the lowest degree of 
neurophysiological sensitivity; and cause the least pain, suffering, dist ress or lasting harm. Altering 
the genetic heritage of animals and cloning of animals may be c onsidered only if the aims are 
ethically justified and the conditi ons are such that the animals' welfare is guaranteed and the 
principles of bio-diversity are respected. 
During the implementation of this programme, scie ntific advances and na tional and international 
provisions will be regularly monitored by the Commission so as to take account of any 
developments. 
 
                                                 
1 OJ L 358, 18.12.1986, p. 1. Directive as amended by Directive 2003/65/EC of the European 
Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 230, 16.9.2003, p. 32).