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COM (84) 046 
 
 
 
Vol. 1984/0 018 
  
 
Disclaimer  
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  
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5  
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.  
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(84) 46 final
Brussels, 3rd February 1984
FIRST PLAN FOR STIMULATING EUROPEAN  
COOPERATION AND SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL INTERCHANGE
1985-1988
(Communication from the Commission to the Council)
COM(84) 46 final

INTRODUCTION
Member States of the European Community have recogni sed and  
frequently re-affirmed the need for the Community to be equipped  
with Science and technology sufficiently powerful and Creative to  
overcome the challenges which face it.
Europe possesses a scientific and technical potential which is  
both considerable and of high quality, and which should, to  
achieve the above objective be kept at or brought up to the  
optimal level of effectiveness .  ^
This was the reason why the Council recognised the value and  
usefulness of increasing the effort devoted to "stimulating the  
Community's scientific and technical potential" and adopted on 28  
June 1  983 an experimental two year action (July 83 - July 85)  
intended to make it possible to establish and to examine the best  
means of achieving this new task for the Community.
The Commission therefore informed the various circles concerned  
and published a call for proposals on 8 July 1983, using official  
information channels Csuch as the Official Journal, the  
Newsletter and CREST) as well as national publications .
So far as the interest evoked by this initiative is concerned it  
is worth noting that, quantitatively speaking, more than 2.000  
requests for information and for application forms were received  
by the Commission in the four months following the announcement.  
More than 250 proposals had been submitted to the Commission by 7  
October 1983, with eligible requests amounting to a total sum of  
more than 24 MioEcus (see annex 2). Speaking qua l  itatively,  the  
evaluation of these proposals, whi ch ^ was undertaken quickly  
thanks to the effort put in by CODEST ,  showed both a large  
number and a great variety of high quality, innovative prcjects.  
On the basis of the advice which it received the Commission  
decided on 7 November what support should be allocated and all  
correspondi ng financial commitments were made by the end of 1  983.  
At the end of this first phase of the experimental stimulation  
action (See Chap.I), the Commission is, ^ in line with  
recommendations made by certain Member States and by CODEST, 
encouraged :
to provide without delay a more detailed definition of the  
first multi-year plan 1985-1988 relating to stimulation  
activities, to be put before the Council
- to propose that this first plan be implemented as f  rom 1  
January 1985
1  30 June 1982
2CODEST :  Committee for the European Development of  
Science and Technology.
^ Cf. National memorahda prepared for the European Council  
in Athens.

-  2 -
- to see to it that the submission to the Council of its proposal  
for the stimulation action  1985-1988 takes place before the end  
of the first half  of 1984.
In order that the formal proposal may be as well prepared as
possible the Conimi ss i on would like to discuss the or i  ent at i  ons
and the scope of this action with the Council at its "research"  
session on 28 February  1984.
I.  WH AT IS AT STAKE
Certain observations can already be made about the first
experimental "stimulation" action, which tend to confirm previous  
analyses mad^ by the Commission, the Parliament and various
Member States4.
1  -  Decline in the competitiveness of European resear  c  h
Among the factors which, all too often, limit the e f  f  e c  t  i  v e n e s  s  
of European RD&D in various fields of activity the following  
might be repeated and stressed :
- the current lack of communication between European scientific  
and technical centres (lack of mobility and interchange)
- the Limited range of cooperation between these centres ;  the
sort of cooperation currently in existence often appears too
restricted or too sectoral
- the under employment of young graduate researchers coming onto
(the job market) in some sectors, and, in others, (eg. new
materials, biotechnology and information technology), training  
which is inappropriate as compared with existing needs, and a  
lack of enough specialised researchers in these sectors to
satisfy requirements. This kind of situation leads to a waste of  
intellectual resources and a loss of potential scientific and  
technical innovation.
2 •  Limitations to the effectiveness of national "stimulation"me a s  ures ~~ ----
It
 is generally recognised that national initiatives comparable  
to Community "stimulation" activities are not always, as is  
clearly demonstrated by the realities of international S/T  
competition, so effective as might be wished and tend to be  
somewhat shackled by the national limits within which they take  
place. At the same time, and in spite of the quality and variety  
of the centres and teams at work in Europe, scientists and  
engineers often seek to maintain preferential links with centres  
located outside the Community, either because they are not  
sufficiently aware of alternative possibilities or because they  
cannot find enough opportunities for exchanges and cooperation at  
the European level. The major national or European facilities  
rema in, in many cases, under used. Very few opportunities are  
made available by individual countries tc make it easier (and  
none at all to make it cheaper) for scientists to undertake moves  
within the Member States. Specific cooperation with rion-European
4 ~ ;  —
Cf. National memoranda prepared for the European Council  
i  n At hens .

- 3 -
companies or centres often seems to be easier than with Community  
companies and centres, although the former often involves  
restrictive conditions which are Liable to exacerbate the  
scientific and industrial imbalances which already exist.
Last L  y,  the initiatives which are taken at nationaL level these  
days to avoid the under-emp loyment of young researchers remain  
extremely l-mited, and this Leads to a "brain drain" which is  
sometimes irreparable. At Community level on the other hand,  
because of its very size, a better match between supply and  
demand can be arranged.
Thus it was that on 30 June  1982, the Council expressed its  
recognition of the value of a Comunity stimulation act ion which  
would complement the efforts already undertaken at national and  
international level.
3. The value of Community action
The experimental "stimulation" action has made it possible to  
gain a better impression of the opinions of interested parties :
- within the scientific and industrial circles of the Community  
it is generally considered that this type of action is an  
excellent accompaniment and reinforcement to the range of  
national and Community RD&D programmes. At the same time these  
actions, which are varied, flexible and subject to time limits,  
seem particularly well suited to the task of reinvigorating or  
"oxygenating" research with the Community
- in various Member States the persons responsible for National  
RD&D who have been consulted recognise that the effective  
devel opment of a European scientific and technical action-space  
calls for original initiatives of this kind and that they should  
be widened and supp lemented.
generally it has been observed that the sharing between  
Community countries of the costs and risks of non programmable  
actions, or ones which are not provided for within the framework  
of multi-annual actions, makes it possible to pursue very  
promising Lines of research which would not always have been able  
to find sufficiënt human or financial support at national level;  
It has, finally, been suggested that specific actions to train  
researchers and improve their mobility should be developed, or  
envisaged for the future, in Community sectoral programmes.
4. Scientific evaluation and management/administration
The stimulation activities should aim basically to fertilise and  
revitalise research systems within the Community. This implies  
the usf of suitable methods. All the experts who have been  
consulted on this matter have recognised, and this is confirmed  
by the experiment now under way, that the system of scientific  
advice and evaluation, as well as the management and  
administration ,should remain as streamlined, rapid and flexible  
as possible.
The system which is currently being tested, i.e. a high level  
advisory Committee, a network of anonymous referees, minimal  
Community administrative service and controlled decentralisation  
of the management of the actions, would appear generally

appropriate. For alt that, the sectoral measures to be taken in  
the framework of the multiannual programmes would be carried out  
by the services current ly responsible for them.
In the Light of these varied assesments and suggestions, the  
Commission feels that it would be the right time to open out to  
its proper scale this function of stimulating the effectiveness  
of RDSD within the Community, which forms one of the basic goals  
of the Framework Programme  1984-1987, and whose value has already  
been formally recognised by the Council.
Such an initiative would enable the effective establishment of a  
European scientific and technical action-space to come about ,  
this is one of the most suitable means of keeping the scientific  
and technical competitiveness and creativity of Europe at its  
h  i  ghest leve l  .
With this in mind the Commission intends to propose the  
implementation of a wide ranging action to "stimulate the  
effectiveness of RD&D". This action would take shape in the form  
o f
- a plan covering muit i  sectoral, multi-annual activities,  1  98 5- 
1988
- the increasingly systematic use within each sectoral programme  
of specific methods of intervention designed to promote the  
training and the mobility of researchers.
I I .  PLAN TO STIMULATE EUROPEAN S C IE N T IF IC  AND TECHNICAL  
COOPERATION AND INTERCHANGE (1 9 8 5 -1 9 8 8 )
11.1. Objectives
The Commission has selected three main objectives for the first  
stimulation plan :
- to increase the mobility of researchers within the EEC as well  
as communication between scientists
- to develop cooperation between European RD teams
- to encourage the training and launching into a career of young  
researchers in the manner most befitting their talents.
11 ■  2. Scientific and technical area of act i  v i  t  y
The Commission feels that by its very nature the stimulation plan  
relates to the whole field of scientific and technical activities  
and to all forms of RD :  basic, applied research and development.  
The intended scientific and technical area of activity thus  
covers all fields connected with "exact" and "natural" Science,  
except those affected by questions of military or industrial  
confidentiality.
The very breadth of the area of activity to be selected means  
that particularly rigorous methods of scientific and technical  
selection will need to be used in order to avoid any dissipation  
of resources and to concentrate efforts upon the men ,the teams  
and the topics most capable of generating major effects of  
stimulation.

- 5 -
I  I  •  3 .  Types of initiative and methods of int ervent i  on
The intervention methods and mechanisms now being tested in the  
framework  of the 1983-1985 action seem generally to be  
appropriate to the impLementation of the first Community  
stimulation plan. However it would appear a l  ready,  in the light  
of experience gained to date, that they need to be reviewed, (for  
example it now seems clear that the support method known as  
"subsidies" can be dropped) widened and supplemented if they are  
to measure up to the objective which it is intended to tackle.  
In fact three types of initiative would seem to be required,  
combining the measures now being tested with various new forms of  
intervention :
II-3.1. Measures to aid intra-european scientic  
and technical communi cation
A European scientific and technical Community requires  
nourishment via many channels of interchange and the compari son  
of ideas and knowledge if it is to retain its vitality .So it is  
implicit in all efforts to stimulate and promote RD that the  
mobility of men and of ideas be encouraged. With this in view a  
whole range of measures should be selected :
- assistance with the mobility of researchers :  awards and
research grants to encourage exchanges (particu l  ar l  y  
university/industry exchanges); "researchers" travel vouchers" to  
facilitate intra-european journeys
- aid to communication :  specialised liaison bulletins, the
establishment of truly european scientific data banks, made  
accessible in particular to small and medium sized research  
teams.
H-3.2. Measures to aid european scientific and  
technical cooperation
The intention is to encourage joint working between teams, both  
in the public and private sector, located in various countries of  
the Community. To this end Community stimulation support could  
take two forms :
- financial support, with a time limit, according to the methods  
used in laboratory "twinning" contracts or operations contracts  
(  see Annex 1)
- help with the better usage of major facilities :  an inventory,
information about current possibi l  ities,  setting up customs  
procedures appropriate for the movement of scientific equipment.
II -3.3. Measures to assi st the training and employment  
of young researchers
By means of financial incentives, subject to a time limit  
(awards, grants as set out in Annex 1) the Commission could offer

-  6 -
young scientists new opportunities for training or research3  
which would help their assimilation into national Science  
systems.
Once the field of activity and the types of initiative have been  
decided, it would be appropriate therefore to assess what value  
there would be in widening the geographical scope of the  
stimulation plan to European non-Member States, who would  
participate in the costs of the plan in ways to be agreed.
11 .  5  .  Priorities
One of the weaknesses of European Science arises from the fact  
that too often basic research is still sectoral in nature and the  
results are insufficiently exploited due to an absence of  
appropriate links between basic and applied research. So far as  
applied research is concerned the Community has a great potential  
in certain sectors where it is vital to maintain its current  
lead .
Three ma in priorities should be selected for Community support  
measures which will be subjected to a verification of scientific  
qua l  i  t  y.
- to inspire the breakdown of barriers between basic research and  
applied research
- to encourage multi and interdisciplinary approaches
- to support strategie research, the results of which could  
contribute to the achievement of the S/T objectives adopted by  
the Community.
One could look forward to a significant increase in knowledge,  
and in promising deve l  opments,  if these priorities were followed.  
As the Commission has previously stressed (Cf. C0MC83) 260 final
- 7th goal of the Framework programme) this is part i  cularly true  
in the case of advanced research in vital sectors of Science and  
technology such as composite materials, basic biology, fine  
chemistry, information Science, basic ecology, scientific  
instrurnentation,  opties and earth Sciences.
III. SCALE
A w i  de ranging Community effort, capable of matching the  
challenge, is required. The analyses and studies which were  
carried out in preparation for the experimental stimulation  
action gave an indication of the scope which should be given to a
These measures will be complementary to actions already  
undertaken by the Commission in the field of education and  
training, particularly the development grants stemming from joint  
study programmes. They will also be in addition to the measures  
proposed by the Commission in its communication to the Council  
upon Technologie al Progress and Social Change (COM(84) 6 final)
which aims, via joint programmes between universities and  
industry, to build up both the training and refresher training of  
high level technicians and specialists.

- 7 -
plan of this kind in order that it might bring about effects  
comparabte to the needs. It woutd appear therefore that, to  
satisfy these estimated needs over the Long term, the objective  
should be to involve some 5% of researchers in the 10 Membe r  
States. The same analyses made it c  Lear that a significant  
effect can be brought about already i  f  synergetic actions and  
incentives to cooperation involve at least 1% of these  
researchers. This gives an indication of what the objective  for 
1985-1 988 should be in the first stirnulation plan. An approach  
to achieving this objective should be made by widely developing  
the experimental stirnulation effort currently under way and  
putting Community measures to encourage the mobility and training  
of European scientists already attempted in certain sectoral  
programmes (e.g. Fusion, biomolecular engineering) onto a  
systematic basis.
Thus two complementary forms of support should be adopted. They  
require financing as fellows :
- on the one hand,  
stirnulation planthe provision of funds for the mu11isectora 1  
itself, funding designed to support
twinmng, operations) in any  
to implement the necessary  
travel vouchers, equipmentmu11isectora l  cooperation (grants,  
field where it is required, and  
contextual measures (researchers  
inventories, etc...).
The Commission estimates that a sum  
aside for this first plan  1985-1988,  
progessively during the period..
(This sort of sum would make it possible each year to disburse on  
average 250 studentships,  150 research grants, 3 or 4 large scale  
operations and to involve somewhere in the region of 500  
researchers in "laboratory twinnings" whilst at the same time  
providing finance for contextual measures).of 90 MioEcus  
the amountneeds 
to beto be set  
allocated
- on the other hand a certain amount of money set aside, withir,  
each of the sectoral programmes, for measures to assist the  
mobility and training of european scientists.
The Commission is already committed to act in this way. The  
approach should be followed up and systematised by providing, in  
every future programme, for a percentage of its funding (the  
percentage to vary according to the field of activity and the
will be 1  reserved for financing  
management and the funds will comeresources a l  l  o c  ,  
measures of this  
from within each:ted) which 
kind. The  
p rog ramme.
IV. CONCLUSIONS
to indicate its agreement The Commission requests the Council  
upon the orientations set out above.
In the light of the Council's discussion on 28 Feb. the  
Commission wilt more precisely define the working methods, the  
fields of activity and the resources to be allocated to the plan  
to stimulate european scientific and technical cooperation and  
interchange which it intends to put before the Council before the  
end of the first half  of 1984.

Annex 1
I. INCENTIVE MEASURES
- "laboratory twinning" contracts
this form of intervention is intended to make it possible for  
groups of researchers and/or engineers from various countries of  
the community to get together in cases where they are nou working  
in parallel (or in sectors which complement each other) in a  
particular advanced or promising field, so that they can,  
together ,achieve the "critical" or optimum scale by forming  
genuine "Laboratories without walls" in a way which avoids any  
great need to transfer individuals. In this case community  
funding covers the necessary costs of meetings between  
researchers, of undertaking joint experiments and of exchanging  
results. It would also, where necessary contribute to expenses  
involved in making up resources (human or financial) where these  
are lacking
research grants (fellowships)
these aim basically to encourage and facilitate the mobility of  
researchers and to open up extra research opportunities for young  
graduate scientists. With this in mind the grant should make it  
possible to cover either the costs involved in seconding  
researchers to a country (within the EEC) other th an t  he i  r  own,  
or of employing a young researcher coming into a team from a  
foreign country- It should be stressed that this second formula  
could be used to encourage the training and employment of the  
sort of young researcher which industry, (particularly small and  
medium sized industry) might like to take on. In such cases the  
salary would be payed by the "employing" company and the  
community contribution would only be towards costs connected with  
mobility and the research work carried out by the young scientist  
in the foreign laboratory
- operations contracts
these make it possible to support original or promising work  
undertaken by scientific and/or technical teams belonging to  
various countries in the community and who agree to work together
to_a  c  h  i  e ve a predeterm i  ned _ ob j  eet i  ve _w i  t  h  i  n a g i _ v  e n time.
Di
fferent forms of research have to be c  om b i  n¥cT’ "Tn ’ ~ö r  d ëT t  h a t 
this can be done :  basic research, applied research and
techno logica l  development.
These operations will act as a supplement to programmed actions,  
or as a possible means of taking rapid multisectoral action in  
the face of scientific or technical challenges, or as a means of  
making preparat i  ons for a continuous, programmed action.  
Operations are also a means of catalysing or encouraging.  
multinational initiatives of value to Europe within the Community

awa rds
these consist of Limited support which would be granted to  
researchers (both beginners and experienced) so that they might  
go to finish off their training or speciaLisation in a laboratory  
in a different country, within the Community. These measures  
could take two forms :
Commission studentships designed to be taken up by young  
European scientists going to finish off their training or  
undertake research in a country within the European Community  
other than their own (the Commission studentship system should be  
opened out to all fields of Science and technology and no longer  
be Limited to fieLds in which the Community has an RD programme)
.  Commission funding for nationaL bodies which distribute grants  
in order to widen the scope of these nationaL aids to incLude  
candidates from other community countries.
II.CONTEXTUAL MEASURES
traveL vouchers" to faciLitate intra-european "researchers  
journeys
- specialised liaison bulletins
- the establishment of truly european  
accessible in particular  
teams
- help with the better usage  
information about current  
procedures appropriate  
equ i  pment.to sma L  Lscientific data banks, made  
and medium sized research
of major faciLities :  an inventory,
possibiLities,  setting up customs  
for the movement of scientific

Annex 2
FIRST PHASE O F  THE EXPERIMENTAL  
STIMULATION ACTION (83)
ELIGIBLE PROPOSALS
TOTAL B Y  FIELD O F ACTIVITY A N D  I1ETHOD O F  SUPPORT
F  i e  l i of Activityé
Twinnings Research Grants Subsidies OPERATIONS* TOTAL
Interface
Phenom ena 20 2 8 4- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - \
34
Solid State  
Physics 22 4 5 2 33
Biology 41 14 7 11 73
Climatology 6 4 4 0 14
Combustion 2 1 5 5 13
Opties 5 2 2 1 10
Pliotometry  
Photoacoost i cs 4 0 0 0 4 l
I
Other 14 0 18 4
36 iTOTAL 114 27 49 27 217 ;
I
(*) Cf. Anna» 1

COOEST
LISTE DES M EM BRESAnne*e 3
Selgique P r o f. I .  PRIG06INE
P r o f. ULB -  P r i k N o b el
D r. P. JANSSEN
D ire c te u r G e l. "Janssen Pharmaceutica"
Danemark D r. N . BUSCH
-  D ire c te u r Risd N a tio n a l L a b o ra to r/
R .F .A . D r. K . 0OHM
D ir . Karlsruhe Gm bH
D r. B . HESS  
V ice-P rés id e n t MPI
D r. G . PAHL  
V ic e -P ré s id e n t DFG
D r. B . SCHMIDT
M itg lie d  des Vorstandes Dornier
France H. CURIEN
Président CNES
C. FREJACQUES  
P résident CNRS
J . LIONS
P r o f. Collége de France
Grèce E . EC0N0M0U
P ro f. U n iv. Crète
I r  lande D r. P. RYAN
D ir e c t. An Foras T alu n tais
I t a l i ë  In g . U. BUSINARO
Délégué F ia t Europe
D r. U. COLOPBO  
Président ENEA
P r o f .  U. RATTI
U n iv e r s it ê  de Rome

A. SOEVER 
P r o f .  H onor#ire
O r. E. D E  H A A N  
Ex D ir e c te u r  R .D . P h ilip s
P r o f .  O E  W A A R D  
P r e s i d e n t  FOP
S ir  G e o ffre y  ALLEN 
O i r . RO  U n ile v e r
S i r  D avid PHILLIPS 
P r o f .  O xford
P r e s id e n t A dvisory Board fo r R esearch  C ouncils
S ir  P e te r  SWINNERTON-DYER 
P r o f .  Cambridge
P r e s id e n t U n iv e r s ity  G ra n ts CommitteeLuxembourg
NL
IK