COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 14 January 1974 on an initial outline programme of the European Communities in the field of science and technology

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaties establishing the European Communities;

Having regard to the draft from the Commission;

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament;

Whereas a common policy in the field of science and technology is likely to contribute to social progress, to balanced economic expansion and to an improvement in the quality of life;

Whereas the development of this common policy implies that the Community institutions will carry out a periodic examination of prospects and priorities, as well as the proposals submitted by the Commission in the field of science and technology, and determine objectives and programmes, and allocate the necessary means;

Whereas the Heads of State or of Government, meeting in Paris on 19 and 20 October 1972, expressed their resolve to define objectives and ensure the development of a common policy in the scientific and technological field ; whereas, to this end it is necessary to coordinate national policies within the Community institutions and to implement jointly projects of interest to the Community;

Whereas the Heads of State or of Government meeting in Copenhagen on 14 and 15 December 1973 invited the Community to develop more actively a common policy on industrial, scientific and technological cooperation in all fields,

HAS ADOPTED THIS RESOLUTION:

1. The Council notes with interest the programme submitted by the Commission, in the initial phase of which it proposes to undertake projects in the field of science and technology in support of those sectoral policies of the Communities for which a need for research has been recognized or may be recognized in the future.

2. The Council also notes with interest the Commission's intention to submit proposals for projects relating to scientific and technical information, tasks connected with public service, and scientific and technical services.

3. The Council however emphasises that, with the exception of matters militarily or industrially classified as secret, no sphere of action in the field of science and technology should be excluded a priori.

4. The Council welcomes with interest the Commission's intention to submit as soon as possible, after consultation of the Scientific and Technical Research Committee, specific proposals for projects, drawn up on the basis of the outline programmes submitted by the Commission and designed to support the sectoral policies of the Communities.

This will not prevent the Council from examining other proposals for projects which might be submitted to it at a later date and from taking the necessary decisions on them. To this end, among other things, optimum use should be made of the work already done by the Working Party on Scientific and Technical Research Policy.

5. The Council undertakes to act on the proposals from the Commission within a period of nine months from the date of their submission.

6. The Council considers that the various research programmes currently being carried out within the Communities and the various projects to be undertaken in the future should be gradually integrated in the development of the common policy referred to by the Paris Summit.

7. The Council emphasises that: (a) the choice of projects to be undertaken should be dictated essentially by the desire to fulfil the objectives of the Communities and to meet their overall socio-economic needs in order to contribute to the development of a common policy on science and technology;

(b) an appropriate approach should be adopted towards the whole range of available ways and means : direct projects, indirect projects, joint projects etc., in an effort to ensure maximum effectiveness while endeavouring to obtain a fair allocation of tasks among the laboratories and research bodies in the Communities and the Member States;

(c) whenever it proves necessary or desirable that non-member countries, particularly European ones, should be associated in these projects, steps should be taken to make this possible, the Council taking the decisions required to this end.