20. 1.88 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 15/13 
Proposal for a Council Decision revising the multiannual research action programme for the 
European Economic Community in the field of biotechnology (1985 to 1989) 
COM(87) 481 final/2 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 29 October 1987) 
(88/C 15/05) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 130 Q 
(2) thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
In cooperation with the European Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas Article 130 K of the Treaty provides that the 
Framework Programme is to be implemented through 
specific programmes developed within each activity; 
whereas the Council, when adopting the Framework 
Programme of Community activities in technological 
R&D (1987 to 1991), recognized the interest of 
exploitation and valorization of biological resources, and 
particularly biotechnology; 
Whereas the Council Decision 85/195/EEC (') 
introduced a multiannual research and training action 
programme for the European Economic Community in 
the field of biotechnology; whereas Article 3 of that 
Decision makes provision for the programme to be 
revised as from its second year of implementation; 
Whereas the re-examination which has been undertaken 
and whose conclusions where transmitted to the Council 
on 21 May 1986 (2) has led the Commission to present a 
proposal for the revision of the programme motivated by 
the need to ensure its adequacy to the objective assigned 
to it; 
Whereas the implementation of the research and training 
programme for the European Economic Community in 
the field of biotechnology has proved to be insufficient 
as yet for setting up, on a scale commensurate with the 
multiple implications of biotechnology in agriculture, 
industry and the environment, of transnational 
cooperation networks addressing the various levels of 
risk and their evaluation; 
Whereas the area of bio-informatics requires both to 
ascertain the constitution of integrated networks for the 
storage, circulation and treatment of biological data, and 
to stimulate further computer-aided approaches in 
biotechnological research; Whereas it is necessary to step up training activities and 
to evolve training schemes including, in particular, the 
organization of short intensive workshops, allowing 
research scientists in the Member States to benefit from 
all the research facilities and scientific expertise in the 
Community; 
Whereas it is essential to increase the involvement of 
Community industry in the activities and results orig­
inating from the research work under contract; 
Whereas it is necessary to step up the concertation 
activities carried out, alongside the Community research 
and training effort, to improve national and Community 
activity in the field of biotechnology; 
Whereas the recent emergence of certain critical areas of 
biological sciences (e.g. genome mapping and 
sequencing, and the exploitation thereof) means that 
Community biotechnology is relatively weak unless 
exploratory activity can be rapidly initiated before a new 
programme in biotechnology R&D (1990 to 1994) is 
prepared; 
Whereas it is necessary to ensure participation by Spain 
and Portugal in the activities envisaged by the 
programme; 
Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research 
Committee (CREST) has expressed its opinion, 
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
Article 1 
The research action programme for the European 
Economic Community in the field of biotechnology 
(1985 to 1989) is hereby revised on the basis of the 
specifications in the Annex. 
Article 2 
The funds necessary to increase and expand the activities 
as planned in this revision, to which must be added the 
funds already allocated to the programme, are estimated 
at 20 million ECU, including expenditure on an 
additional staff of five. 
(') OJNo L83, 25. 3. 1985, p. 1. 
(2) COM(86) 272 final. 
No C 15/14 Official Journal of the European Communities 20.1.88 
ANNEX 
REVISION OF THE MULTIANNUAL RESEARCH ACTION PROGRAMME FOR THE 
EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY IN THE FIELD OF BIOTECHNOLOGY 
(1985 to 1989) 
— Intensification of the current research effort in the sector of the programme that concerns the 
assessment of risks associated with modern biotechnology, and particularly with the deliberate release 
of genetically engineered organisms. 
— Intensification of the current research effort in the area of information technology with emphasis upon 
processing data related to culture collections, genome sequences and protein modelling. 
— Increase in the volume of current activities (visits, publications, electronic networks, meetings, summer 
workshops, etc.) aiming at a timely dessemination of information on the programme and of research 
results; involvement of Community industry in the research activities and in the utilization of the data, 
materials and methods stemming from the research work under contract. 
— Studies and feasibility pilot projects for the preparation of future Community R&D activities in 
biotechnology during the period 1990 to 1994. 
— Increase in training activities in all parts of the current programme. 
— Matching of resources (manpower) for the concertation activity to the requirements defined in the 
programme. 
— Extension to Spain and Portugal of the totality of the activities envisaged by the programme.