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COM (83) 371 
 
 
 
Vol. 1983/0 144 
  
 
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Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Communit y and the European Atom ic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), t his file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februa r 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 v om 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
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COMMISSION OF THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 
COM(83)371  final 
Brussels,  20 June 1983 
PROSPECTS  FOR THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF NEW  POLICIES 
(Communication  from the Commission  to the  European  Council, 
Stuttgart,  17-19  June 1983) 
COM(83)371  final 

PROSPECTS  FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW  POLICIES 
I. The discussion concerning  the expansion  of the  Community's  own 
resources  has tended to emphasize  budgetary aspects  at the  expense  of 
aLL other considerations. 
Moreover,  since all  Member  States face  difficult  choices  as regards 
budgetary options,  a contradiction  can sometimes  be said to exist 
between  measures  taken at national  and Community  level,  involving 
compression  on the one  hand and an  accelerated  growth  in expenditure 
on the other. 
As a result,  the debate now opening  on the  future of the  Community, 
and particularly  on new  areas of Community  development,  is 
characterized  by an  ambiguity which  the Commission  considers  it 
essential  to remove. 
The introduction  of new  policies  has, in  fact, been impeded  not so 
much by the  debate on agricultural  expenditure  as by the  absence  of 
specific  objectives  and definite  priorities. 
Consequently,  in order to guarantee  the harmonious  development  of the 
Community,  the Council  must first define appropriate objectives,  and 
then provide  the necessary instruments  for their attainment within  a 
given period.  Over  the years this method,  on which the Community's 
great achievements  were  based, has given way to  empiricism  and 
pragmatism.  It is  essential  to demonstrate  the merits of the 
Community's  approach  compared  with that  of national  governments. 
Failure to return to the  method  will make it  impossible  to: 
- compare  the advantages  of the  Community  and national approaches; 
- demonstrate that  the expenditure involved  is not  simply a levy on 
the economies  of t'he Member  States  but the means of  achieving  the 
jointly  defined objective  more effectively; 
- make a  choice  between  the different  commitments  that the Community 
might enter  into; 
- make a  genuine assessment  of the  action taken. 

- 2 -
The following  examples  are provided as an  illustration  of the foregoing 
observations -
* Research  and development : A framework  programme,  defining the different 
Community  priorities  for a foui—year period, has  been drawn  up by: 
- identifying specific objectives, 
- providing a balanced  assessment  of the relative  importance  of the 
projects involved, 
- establishing an operational  management  structure, 
- providing for  independent  evaluation. 
The Commission  must,  therefore, accept the  consequences  of its basic choice 
by providing, bearing in  mind the financial resources available, an estimate 
of the funds  required for the successful execution of the  programme 
adopted.  The Commission  will enter the specific  amounts  in each preliminary 
draft budget  for subsequent  approval  pursuant  to the  budgetary  procedure. 
As a result of its overall  view the Council  will then have all the 
information it requires to decide on specific  programmes:  ESPRIT,  the 
programme  of activities  of the Joint  Research  Centre, etc. 
• Energy: A five-year  programme  will make possible the creation, within the 
Community,  of appropriate conditions for the  changes  which  are economically 
essential  in the  energy  sector. This  programme: 
- defines objectives, 
- lists  priorities  for action, 
- suggests  ways of implementing  these  priority  activities. 
Once the parameters  have been defined, the  Commission  will indicate the 
activities  which,  in its opinion, can be  most effectively,  reliably  and 
profitably  executed  in a Community  context.  Whereas  some simply involve 
coordination with the  Member  States, others are  more specifically  orientated 
towards  joint  action. 

3 
The increase  in expenditure  can thus be measured  in terms of the  expected 
economic  benefit  for the  Community  as a whole. 
• Telecommunications, biotechnology, development  of innovation: Faced with 
the speed  at which changes occur  and their magnitude,  the Commission 
proposes  to adopt a medium-term  approach  in each of these areas, all  of 
which are of  vital importance  for the  future and, in  particular,  industrial 
competitiveness. 
Before the objectives  have been defined, there  can be no  genuine  agreement 
as to the  need for,  or value of, a Community  approach.  It will thus be 
impossible  to assess the content  and potential  benefits  of each of the  concrete 
proposals. 
The proposed approach  fulfils  the objective  requirements  of Community 
development,  whilst  at the  same time guaranteeing  optimum  use of the  necessary 
financial  resources. 
The rate at which these  policies  or new  projects  are implemented  will depend  on: 
- actual  need; 
- the priorities  fixed; 
- the resources  made available;  these  will be determined  on the  basis of the 
task to be  accomplished  and its expected  benefit  for the  Community  both in 
economic terms  and from the point of view of its unification. 
A Community  cannot  live off its past achievements. Opposition  to change 
clearly  leads to erosion.  Even more serious,  however,-  is the  fact that 
failure to take account  of new  problems  may cast doubt on the  Community's 
ability to exert any favourable  influence  on our  future. 

- A -
II. The above principles  have informed  the Commission's  communications 
to the Council  in recent weeks,  concerning  the R8D  framework  programme, 
Esprit,  biotechnology, telecommunications  and the  multiannual  programme 
in the energy  field. 
1. FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME FOR  RESEARCH  1984-87 
In the field of science  and technology,  the Commission  is essentially 
proposing  the following: 
- five criteria  by which to define the specific  scientific  and technical 
objectives  to be  adopted; these  criteria  relate  to both the Community 
dimension  (level  of human and financial  resources required,  size of 
the potential  market,  "transnationality"),  and to  Community  interests 
(collective  needs,  support for  the Community's  major  objectives), 
- the  definition  and implementation  at Community  level of an  overall 
research,  development  and demonstration strategy, 
- the preparation  of a general  framework  programme  of Community 
scientific  and technical  activities,  to serve as an  instrument  for 
the implementation  of the  strategy, which defines  the options  and 
objectives  to be  adopted, 
- the  priority  options  to be  taken into account: 
. agricultural  competitiveness, 
. industrial  competitiveness (with  special  attention  to the new 
technologi  es), 
. scientific  competitiveness, 
. stepping-up  of aid to the  developing countries, 

- 5 -
. adaptation  of R&D  activities  already  undertaken,  by means of their 
incorporation into the overall strategy:  energy,  raw materials, 
environment,  health and safety, 
. development  of analysis  and forecasting capacity, 
. reorganization  of structures  and procedures  on the basis  of the proposed 
strategy. 
. systematic  evaluation^ 
- a gradual  increase  in the Community's  financial  resources. 
2. ESPRIT 
Information technology  is a  strategic sector  in which Europe  suffers  from 
inadequate  production  and restricted  growth.  The  acceleration  of technological 
progress is disrupting production conditions;  industrial  expansion  is becoming 
dependent  on the growth of research  and access to a large market. 
It is only  in a Community  framework  that industry  can enjoy the vast 
continental  market and the security  of the stable  and homogeneous  legal and 
political  environment  it needs in order to organize its  own development 
strategy at the  European  level. 
In-depth  consultation with the  major companies  specializing  in information 
technology, small  and medium-sized  enterprises, the universities  and the 
administrations  of the Member  States made it possible for the  Commission  to 
prepare  the proposal for the Esprit  programme  which  it sent  to the Council 
at the end of May  1983. This proposal provides for  five areas of pre-competitive 
research. Industry is  making  available substantial  amounts  of its own 
resources for allocation  to Esprit. Maintaining the present  tempo in the 
preparation  of the programme  will also be a test of the Community"s 
decision-making capacity. 

6 
3. TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
It is recognized that there  are three factors  which determine  the performance 
of the telecommunications  industry: technological effort,  the size of the 
market and the  direct role played  by the  public authorities, particularly 
through the posts and telecommunications  administrations. 
A Community  approach  can give industry  the support  it needs to: 
- ensure  technological progress; 
- operate  on a large scale; 
- provide stimulation  to ways of increasing  demand,  by modernization  of 
networks  and deregulation  of terminals. 
This approach  calls for a common  strategy,  a legal framework  and a  specialized 
executive  body at Community  level. 
4. BIOTECHNOLOGY 
There are two  priority  objectives: 
- the development  of basic biotechnologies  by means of  training  and research; 
- establishment  of the  conditions  necessary  for the  development  of biotechnology 
in the Community  (access  to raw  materials  of agricultural origin, setting 
up of homogeneous  systems  of rules and regulations  and adaptation  of 
systems of industrial,  commercial  and intellectual  property). 
In view of the  scale of the  problems  and the  need to ensure  that Community 
action has the  necessary  continuity  to be  effective,  the Commission  proposes 
a phased  R&D programme  with well-identified objectives. During  1983, in 
close consultation with  the industries  and scientific  laboratories  concerned, 
the Commission  will make precise  and detailed proposals with  the particular 
aims of: 
- reinforcing basic biotechnology,  and 
- supporting  Community  policies  in respect  of the  agricultural processing 
and health industries. 

7 
5. ENERGY 
The guidelines of the multiannual  programme  are concerned  with: 
- reducing  waste  and the duplication of efforts and establishing the 
appropriate scale for financial contributions; 
- creating a  framework  of rules and regulations  which  will encourage  operators 
to take the correct  long-term  decisions. The  Community  does not intend 
to take  over their responsibilities; 
- taking appropriate action in  areas where  this has  been shown  to be 
beneficial  at Community  level,  both in terms  of a common  interest and 
of effectiveness in the allocation of financial resources. 
The programme  also incorporates the  time and flexibility  elements  essential 
to its  efficient  operation.