30.7.88 NoL206/38 OfficialjournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
COUNCILDECISION
of29June1988
revisingthemultiannualresearchprogrammefortheEuropeanEconomicCommunityinthe
fieldofbiotechnology
(88/420/EEC)
biotechnology hasprovedtobeinsufficientasyetfor
settingup,onascalecommensurate withthemultiple
implicationsofbiotechnology inagriculture,industryand
theenvironment ,oftransnationalcooperationnetworks
addressingthevariouslevelsofriskandtheirevaluation;
Whereasanyapplicationinvolvingthelarge-scaleplanned
releaseoforganismscreatedbygeneticengineeringmustbe
precededbyexperimentalresearchandconductedin
accordancewithexistingsafetyrules;
Whereastheareaofbioinformatics involvesthe
requirementbothtoascertaintheconstitutionofintegrated
networksforthestorage,circulationandtreatmentof
biologicaldata,andtostimulatefurthercomputer-aided
approachesinbiotechnological research;THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropean
EconomicCommunity,andinparticularArticle130Q(2)
thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission(*),
IncooperationwiththeEuropeanParliament (2),
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEconomicandSocial
Committee (3),
WhereastheframeworkprogrammeforCommunity
activitiesinthefieldofresearchandtechnological
development (1987to1991)wasadoptedbyDecision
87/516/Euratom/EEC(4);
WhereasArticle130KoftheTreatyprovidesthatthe
frameworkprogrammeistobeimplementedthrough
specificprogrammesdevelopedwithineachactivity;
whereastheCouncil,whenadoptingtheframework
programmeofCommunityactivitiesintechnologicalR&D
(1987to1991),recognizedtheinterestofexploitationand
valorizationofbiologicalresources,andparticularly
biotechnology ;
WhereasDecision85/195/EEC(5)introduced a
multiannualresearchactionprogrammefortheEuropean
EconomicCommunityinthefieldofbiotechnology ;
whereasArticle3ofthatDecisionmakesprovisionforthe
programmetobereviewedasfromitssecondyearof
implementation ;
Whereasthereviewwhichhasbeenundertakenandthe
resultsofwhichweretransmittedtotheCouncilon
21May1986hasledtheCommissiontopresentaproposal
fortherevisionoftheprogrammemotivatedbytheneedto
ensureitsadequacyfortheobjectiveassignedtoit;
Whereastheimplementation oftheresearchandtraining
programmefortheCommunityinthefieldofWhereasitisnecessarytostepuptrainingactivitiesandto
evolvetrainingschemes,includinginparticularthe
organizationofshortintensiveworkshops,allowing
researchscientistsinalltheMemberStatestobenefitfrom
alltheresearchfacilitiesandscientificexpertiseinthe
Community ,thushelpingtoreducethedisparitiesin
developmentinthefieldofbiotechnology betweenthe
variousMemberStates,whilebeingconsistentwiththe
pursuitofscientificandtechnicalquality;
Whereasitisessentialtoincreasetheinvolvement of
Communityindustryintheactivitiesandresultsoriginating
fromtheresearchworkundercontract;
Whereasitisnecessarytostepuptheconcertationactivities
carriedout,alongsidetheCommunityresearchand
trainingeffort,toimprovenationalandCommunity
activityinthefieldofbiotechnology ,strengthendialogue
withappropriategroupsandmakeasmuchinformation
availabletothepublicaspossible;
0)OJNoC15,20.1.1988,p.13.
(2)OJNoC94,11.4.1988,p.85andOJNoC187,
18.7.1988.Whereastherecentemergenceofcertaincriticalareasof
biologicalsciences(e.g.genomemappingandsequencing,
andtheexploitationthereof)meansthattheCommunity
effortinbiotechnology isrelativelyweakunless
exploratoryactivitycanberapidlyinitiatedinthisfield(3)OJNoC80,28.3.1988,p.7.
(<)OJNoL302,24.10.1987,p.1.
(5)OJNoL83,25.3.1985,p.1.

30.7.88OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL206/39
beforeanewprogrammeinbiotechnologyR&D1990to
1994isprepared;
WhereasitisnecessarytoenableparticipationbySpainand
Portugalinasmanyaspossibleoftheactivitiesenvisaged
bytheprogramme;
WhereastheScientificandTechnicalResearchCommittee
(Crest)hasexpresseditsopinion,
HASDECIDEDASFOLLOWS :
Article1
TheresearchactionprogrammefortheEuropean
EconomicCommunityinthefieldofbiotechnology (1985
to1989)isherebyrevisedonthebasisofthespecifications
intheAnnex.Article2
Thefundsestimatedasnecessaryfortheexecutionofthe
programmewillbeincreasedfrom55millionECUto
75millionECU.Thisincreaseof20millionECUwillbe
usedtointensifyandexpandtheactivitiesin
biotechnological researchasindicatedintheAnnexand
includesexpenditureonanadditionalstaffoffive.
DoneatLuxembourg,29June1988.
FortheCouncil
ThePresident
H.RIESENHUBER

NoL206/40 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 30.7.88
ANNEX
RevisionofthemultiannualresearchactionprogrammefortheEuropeanEconomicCommunityinthefieldof
biotechnology (1985to1989)
—ExtensiontoSpainandPortugaloftheactivitiesenvisagedbytheprogramme.
—Intensificationofthecurrentresearcheffortinthesectoroftheprogrammethatconcernstheassessmentof
risksassociatedwithmodernbiotechnology ,andparticularlywiththedeliberatereleaseofgenetically
engineeredorganisms.
—Intensification ofthecurrentresearcheffortintheareaofinformationtechnologywithemphasisupon
processingdatarelatedtoculturecollections,genomesequencesandproteinmodelling.
—Increaseinthevolumeofcurrentactivities(visits,publications,electronicnetworks,meetings,summer
workshops,etc.)aimingatatimelydisseminationofinformationontheprogrammeandofresearchresults
toallappropriategroups;involvementofCommunityindustryintheresearchactivitiesandinthe
utilizationofthedata,materialsandmethodsstemmingfromtheresearchworkundercontract.
—StudiesandfeasibilitypilotprojectsforthepreparationoffutureCommunityR&Dactivitiesin
biotechnology duringtheperiod1990to1994.
—Increaseintrainingactivitiesinallpartsofthecurrentprogramme.
—Matchingofresources(manpower)fortheconcertationactivitytotherequirementsdefinedinthe
programme .