No C 137/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 22. 5. 87 
COMMISSION 
Amendment to the Proposal for a Council Decision modifying Council Decision 83/624/EEC 
concerning a plan for the transnational development of the supporting infrastructure for 
innovation and technology transfer (') 
COM(87) 202 final 
(presented by the Commission to the Council pursuant to the second paragraph of Article 149 of the 
EEC Treaty on 27 April 1987) 
(87/C 137/09) 
O OJ No C 335, 30. 12. 1986, p. 14. 
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL AMENDED PROPOSAL 
Preamble unchanged 
whereas it is vital to the future of the Community, firstly, 
to improve the general environment for enterprises with 
a view to fostering their capacity for industrial 
innovation and commercial dynamism and, secondly, to 
ensure that the best use of the dimension afforded by the 
common market is made by the Member States and more 
particularly by the enterprises themselves, in order that 
they might develop in a competitive, unified and free 
market, 
whereas at the meeting of the Heads of State or 
Government held in Luxembourg on 2 and 3 December 
1985, the Community set itself the objective of 
strengthening the scientific and technological foun­
dations of European industry and encouraging the 
development of its international competitivity, in 
particular by supporting small and medium-sized 
enterprises, in their technological research and 
development work and in their efforts to cooperate with 
one another, 
whereas the first two annual progress reports on the 
implementation of Council Decision 83/624/EEC (*) are 
encouraging, whereas it is vital to the future of the Community, firstly, 
to improve the general environment for enterprises, 
especially SMEs, with a view to fostering their capacity 
for industrial innovation and commercial dynamism and, 
secondly, to ensure that the best use of the dimension 
afforded by the common market is made by the Member 
States and more particularly by the enterprises 
themselves, in order that they might develop in a 
competitive, unified and free market, 
whereas at the meeting of the Heads of State or 
Government held in Luxembourg on 2 and 3 December 
1985, the Community set itself the objective of 
strengthening the scientific and technological foun­
dations of European industry and encouraging he 
development of its international competitivity, in 
particular by supporting small and medium-sized 
enterprises, in their technological development work and 
in their efforts to cooperate with one another trans-
nationally at Community level, 
whereas the first two annual progress reports on the 
implementation of Council Decision 83/624/EEC (') are 
encourgaing, even though there still do not exist more 
detailed analyses of that experience, Third and fourth recitals unchanged 
(*) OJ No L 353, 15. 12. 1983, p. 15. 
22. 5. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 137/9 
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL AMENDED PROPOSAL 
Sixth, seventh and eighth recitals unchanged 
whereas it would therefore be expedient to extend the 
plan to 31 December 1988 with the new title of 
'Strategic Programme for Innovation and Technology 
Transfer — definition phase' (SPRINT Programme), 
and it would be appropriate to fix an updated list of 
priority actions for the same period, whereas it would therefore be expedient to extend the 
plan in the meantime to 31 December 1988 with the new 
title of 'Strategic programme for Innovation and 
Technology Transfer — definition phase' (SPRINT 
Programme), and it would be appropriate to fix an 
updated list of priority actions for the same period, 
whereas it is necessary to include the subject matter of 
this decision in the coordinated Community programme 
Tenth recital unchanged 
Articles and Annex unchanged 
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 on the 
financing of the common agricultural policy as regards the system of advance payments in the 
Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund 
COM(87) 212 final 
(presented by the Commission to the Council on 6 May 1987) 
(87/C 137/10) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 43 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, 
Whereas Council Regulation (EEC) No 729/70 on the 
financing of the common agricultural policy (x), as last 
amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3769/85 (2), 
introduced a system whereby budgetary funds earmarked 
to cover the expenditure of the Guarantee Section of the 
European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund 
are made available to the authorities and bodies 
designated to pay out such expenditure; 
Whereas, under this system, the said expenditure is 
charged to the budget of the European Communities, in 
the first instance, on the basis of the forecasts made by 
the Member States and whereas the accounting entries 
relating to the expenditure actually incurred by the 
designated authorities and bodies are made at a later 
stage, the sums initially charged to the budget being 
adjusted as necessary; Whereas there may be large disparities between these 
two accounting operations, which makes it more difficult 
to manage the Community's budgetary appropriations 
and the Community funds held by the Member States; 
Whereas there should be a stage-by-stage changeover to 
a system whereby the authorities and bodies designated 
for the purpose validate the payment of the said 
expenditure but the latter is paid by the Commission 
after it has been charged to the Community budget; 
Whereas, at a first stage, the said expenditure should be 
charged to the Community budget, on the basis of the 
monthly statements of expenditure actually incurred, 
instead of on the basis of forecasts; 
Whereas, consequently, Member States must make 
available to the designated authorities and bodies the 
necessary funds for paying such expenditure until the 
latter has been charged to the budget in this way; 
Whereas, as a second stage, the said statements should 
be forwarded to the Commission by electronic 
transmission on a more frequent basis, thus enabling 
expenditure to be charged to the budget more rapidly 
and at shorter intervals; 
O OJ No L 94, 28. 4. 1970, p. 13. 
O OJ No L 362, 31. 12. 1985, p. 17. Whereas the settlement of the said expenditure by the 
Commission does not remove the need for clearing the 
annual accounts of the Member States;