No C 174/72 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 7. 90 
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific programme of research and technological 
development in the field of life sciences and technologies for developing countries 
(1990 to 1994) 
COM(90) 163 final — SYN 268 
(Submitted by the Commission on 3 May 1990) 
(90/C 174/11) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 130q 
(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, by Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEQ1), the 
Council adopted a third framework programme for 
Community activities in the field of research and tech­
nological development (1990 to 1994), specifying inter 
alia the activities to be pursued in the area of life 
sciences and technologies for developing countries; 
whereas this Decision should be taken in the light of 
the grounds set out in the preamble to that Decision; 
Whereas Article 130k of the Treaty stipulates that the 
framework programme is to be implemented through 
specific programmes developed within each activity; 
Whereas an estimate should be made of the amount of 
Community financial resources needed to carry out this 
specific programme; whereas the definitive amounts 
will be fixed by the budgetary authority in line with 
the financial perspectives covering the period 1988 to 
1992 included in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 
29 June 1988 (2) and with any future financial perspec­
tives covering the period 1993 to 1994; 
Whereas, pursuant to Article 4 of and Annex I to 
Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC, the amount deemed 
necessary for the whole framework programme includes 
an amount of ECU 57 million for the centralized dis­
semination and exploitation of results, to be divided up 
in proportion to the amount envisaged for each activity; 
whereas in view of the importance of this specific 
programme within the 'Life sciences and technologies' 
action the estimate of the financial resources needed by 
this programme is to be reduced by ECU 1 100 000, 
which amount is to be allocated to the centralized 
activities, in order to comply with the second sentence 
of Article 130p (2) of the Treaty; 
(*) OJ No L 117, 8. 5. 1990, p. 28. 
(2) OJ No L 185, 15. 7. 1988, p. 33. Whereas this programme must be implemented by the 
Commission; whereas, to help accomplish this, the 
Member States are bound, pursuant to Article 5 of the 
Treaty, to facilitate the achievement of its tasks, where 
necessary, notably within a committee; 
Whereas this programme must be implemented essen­
tially by the selection of research and development 
projects to enable them to benefit from Community 
participation; whereas the Commission should encour­
age the submission of such projects by the usual means 
of publishing calls for proposals in the Official Journal 
of the European Communities; whereas a special pro­
cedure should also be devised so as to maintain a degree 
of flexibility enabling the Commission, in the face of 
the continuous evolution and gradual acceleration of 
technological progress, also to take into consideration 
spontaneous proposals consistent with the objectives of 
the programme; 
Whereas the projects to be carried out under the pro­
gramme must be selected with special attention to the 
principle of economic and social cohesion in the Com­
munity, the transnational nature of the projects and 
the support to be given to small and medium-sized 
enterprises; 
Whereas it is only in the light of experience gathered 
in the course of this programme that the Commission 
will be able to propose and the Council to adopt sup­
plementary programmes by having recourse to the 
means provided for in Articles 1301, 130m or 130o of 
the Treaty, if they contribute to the achievement of the 
programme's objectives, in accordance with the option 
made available by Article 2 (2) of Decision 90/221/ 
Euratom, EEC; 
Whereas, in accordance with Article 130g of the Treaty, 
the Community's activities aimed at strengthening the 
scientific and technological basis of European industry 
and encouraging it to become more competitive include 
promoting cooperation on research and technological 
development with third countries and international 
organizations; whereas such cooperation may prove 
particularly beneficial for the development of this pro­
gramme; 
Whereas it is necessary, as Annex II to Decision 90/ 
221/Euratom, EEC provides, to increase cooperation 
between European scientists and those from developing 
countries in order to facilitate complementarity of 
research and methods and to improve access to the 
16. 7. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 174/73 
different networks of scientific relationships established 
by the Member States with the developing countries 
in the areas of agriculture and health; whereas this 
programme should have as its aim to promote develop­
ment of the research capacity of these countries while 
encouraging the strengthening of that existing in the 
Member States; whereas special rules should be drawn 
up for the dissemination of knowledge resulting from 
the implementation of this programme; 
Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research Com­
mittee (Crest) has been consulted, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION. 
Article 1 
A specific research and technological development pro­
gramme for the European Economic Community in the 
field of life sciences and technologies for developing 
countries, as defined in Annex I, is hereby adopted for 
a period of five years as from 1 January 1990. 
Article 2 
1. The Community funds estimated as necessary for 
the execution of the programme under this Decision 
amount to ECU 111 million. Of this amount ECU 
1 110 000 is drawn for the centralized dissemination 
and exploitation of results. The amount thus reduced 
to ECU 109 890 000 includes staff costs which may not 
exceed 5 %. An indicative breakdown of expenditure is 
set out in Annex II. 
2. Should the Council take a decision in implemen­
tation of Article 1 (4) of Decision 90/221/Euratom, 
EEC, this decision shall be adapted to take account of 
the abovementioned Decision. 
3. The budgetary authority shall decide on the appro­
priations available for each financial year. 
Article 3 
Rules for the implementation of the programme are set 
out in Annex III. 
Article 4 
The rate of the Community financial contribution shall 
be laid down in accordance with Annex IV to Decision 
90/221/Euratom, EEC. Article 5 
1. During 1992 the Commission shall review the pro­
gramme and address a report on the results of the 
review to the Council and the European Parliament, 
together with proposals for any necessary changes. 
2. At the end of the programme the Commission shall 
assess the results obtained. It shall address a report 
thereon to the Council and the European Parliament. 
3. The reports shall be drawn up having regard to the 
objectives set out in Annex I to this Decision and 
in accordance with Article 2 (4) of Decision 90/221/ 
Euratom, EEC. 
Article 6 
1. The Commission shall be responsible for the 
execution of the programme. It shall be assisted by 
an advisory committee, hereinafter referred to as 'the 
Committee', composed of representatives of the Mem­
ber States and chaired by a representative of the Com­
mission. 
2. The contracts concluded by the Commission shall 
govern the rights and obligations of each party, includ­
ing the procedures for disseminating, protecting and 
exploiting the research results, in accordance with the 
arrangements adopted pursuant to the second para­
graph of Article 130k of the Treaty. 
3. A work programme for each year shall be drawn 
up and updated where necessary. It shall set out the 
detailed objectives and types of projects to be under­
taken, and the financial arrangements to be made for 
them. The Commission shall make calls for proposals 
for projects on the basis of the annual work pro­
grammes. 
Article 7 
1. In the cases referred to in Article 8 (1), the represen­
tative of the Commission representative shall submit to 
the Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The 
Committee shall deliver its opinion on this within a 
time limit which the chairman may set in accordance 
with the urgency of the matter, if necessary by holding 
a vote. 
2. The opinion shall be entered in the minutes; in 
addition, each Member State shall have the right to ask 
for its position to appear in the minutes. 
3. The Commission shall take the fullest account of 
the opinion delivered by the Committee. It shall inform 
the Committee of the way in which it has taken account 
of the opinion. 
No C 174/74 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 7. 90 
Article 8 
1. The procedure laid down in Article 7 shall apply 
to: 
— the preparation and updating of the work pro­
grammes referred to in Article 6 (3), 
— evaluation of the projects referred to in point 2 of 
Annex III, as well as the estimated amount of the 
Community's financial contribution when these 
projects are submitted through the ordinary 
procedure referred to in point 4 of Annex III 
and the abovementioned amount is more than 
ECU 5 million, 
— evaluation of all projects submitted through the 
exceptional procedure referred to in point 4 of 
Annex III, as well as the estimated amount of the 
Community's financial contribution, 
— measures for evaluating the programme. 
2. The Commission may consult the Committee on 
any matter falling within the scope of the programme. 
3. The Commission shall inform the Committee with 
regard to: 
— the progress of the programme, 
— planned calls for proposals, referred to in Article 6 (3), 
— projects, referred to in point 2 of Annex III, submit­
ted through the ordinary procedure, for which the 
Community contribution is less than ECU 5 million, 
and the results of their evaluation, — accompanying measures, referred to in point 2 of 
Annex III, 
— concerted actions, referred to in point 2 of Annex III. 
Article 9 
In implementing this programme, supplementary pro­
grammes within the meaning of Article 1301, partici­
pation within the meaning of Article 130m and joint 
undertakings or any other structures within the mean­
ing of Article 130o of the Treaty may also be decided 
on as the need arises. 
Article 10 
Where cooperation with third countries and inter­
national organizations aiming at achieving the objec­
tives of this programme requires legal undertakings 
between the Community and the third parties con­
cerned, the Commission shall be authorized to nego­
tiate, in accordance with Article 130n of the Treaty, 
international agreements laying down the terms of such 
cooperation. 
Decisions on the conclusion of such agreements shall 
be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred 
to in Article 130q (2) of the Treaty. 
Article 11 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States. 
ANNEX / . 
Scientific and technical objectives and content 
The orientations of the third Framework Programme, its scientific and technical objectives, and the motiv­
ations which have inspired it, form an integral part of this specific programme. 
Paragraph 4D of Annex II to the Framework Programme is an integral part in this specific programme. 
The programme will concentrate on two areas fundamental to the development of the Third World i.e. 
agriculture and medicine, health and nutrition. The environmental dimension, both in terms of environmental 
protection and the rational management of resources, will be taken into account. 
On the basis of and in the light of these elements the analytical description of the content of this specific 
programme is given below. 
16. 7. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 174/75 
Area 1: Agriculture 
Reduction of food shortages 
The aim is to improve farm crop and livestock production for local use in regions where, for climatic, 
physical or human reasons, problems of food provision are the first priority. 
The research will cover: the operation and dynamics of production systems with a view to determining the 
constraints on viable and sustainable development; improving the production of food plants, including those 
which, though of secondary importance at international level, are vital locally, by, in particular, improving 
their hardiness and protection and the techniques for growing, preserving and processing them; developing 
livestock fanning and fisheries by effective production systems adapted to local conditions, by better use of 
local freshwater and coastal fishing resources and by aquaculture; and restoring fragile environments in order 
to allow appropriate agricultural activity there, particularly by means of reforestation of degraded areas, the 
association of trees, crop production and livestock (agroforestry), the regeneration of pastureland, better 
water management, etc. 
Agriculture production of high economic value 
The aim is to provide a scientific and technical basis for agricultural activities (including the utilization of 
the forest and the aquatic environment) that are of high economic value at the local level and for exportation 
in regions where there is no substantial food shortage. 
The specific objectives are, on the quantitative side: to improve plants or animal breeds, to reduce pre- and 
post-harvest losses and to improve agricultural and sylvicultural techniques and that of production systems 
management; and, on the qualitative side: to enable products to comply with more and more stringent 
international trade standards, to improve their market acceptability both by socioeconomic studies of the 
impact of the intended improvements and by reducing disease or damage due to harvesting, transport, 
packaging, etc., and to make possible the processing of farm produce on site so as to increase its added 
value. 
The research will cover: the main traditional export crops; the secondary crops giving a product of high 
economic value which could possibly replace crops from which narcotics are extracted; certain food products 
commanding a high price on urban markets or for export to neighbouring countries; the regeneration and 
management of forest resources by sylvicultural improvements, and the well-planned utilization of forest 
products and by-products (resins, gums, colourants, fibres, pharmaceutical substances); and bioenergy 
production. 
Area 2: Medicine, health and nutrition 
Prevention and treatment of the predominant diseases in the developing countries 
The aim is to reduce the impact of the transmissible diseases which continue to be the major public health 
problem in most of the developing countries. 
Research will focus on: perfecting new methods of diagnosis, using the most advanced techniques of molecular 
biology and immunology; developing new medicines with the help of innovative strategies for identifying 
biochemical targets for chemotherapy; preventing infectious diseases not only by developing vaccines but 
also by adapting existing vaccines to the specific needs of the developing countries. In the field of parasitology, 
the emphasis will be on a multi-antigenic approach taking into account, in certain cases, the different stages 
in the biological cycle of the parasite; the biology of the vector and its control by combining the traditional 
methods with the new ones of molecular biology and genetics; haemoglobinoses, diarrhoea and the sexually 
transmitted diseases, including AIDS, taking into account the socioeconomic context of the developing 
countries. 
Health care systems appropriate to the rural or urban environment of the developing countries 
The objective is to study ways of organizing health care taking into account the specific constraints and the 
socioeconomic context of the developing countries (financial, human and material resources) and the new 
opportunities offered by the results of biomedical research. 
No C 174/76 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 7. 90 
This research comprises a number of themes, such as the selection, evaluation and validation of health 
strategies, the management and financing of health services, the study of the optimum development of human 
resources, the prerequisites for the transfer of existing and new technologies, and the elucidation of the 
factors determining the participation of the population. 
Nutrition 
The aim of this research is to develop the scientific basis necessary for improving the nutritional condition 
of underprivileged populations by means of a multidisciplinary approach between medicine, agronomy, 
economics and the social sciences. This embraces research on nutritional interventions, specific shortages, 
and protection mechanisms in the event of food shortage at the individual, family and community levels. 
ANNEX // 
Indicative distribution of expenditures for the period 1990 to 1994 
(%) 
Area 1: Agriculture 63-69 
Area 2: Medicine, health and nutrition 31-37 
The breakdown between different areas does not exclude the possibility that projects could cover several 
areas. 
ANNEX /// 
Rules for implementing the programme 
and activities for dissemination and exploitation of the results 
1. The Commission shall implement the programme on the basis of the scientific and technical content 
described in Annex I. This programme concerns all developing countries. 
2. The rules for implementing the programme, referred to in Article 3, comprise research and technological 
development projects, accompanying measures and concerted actions. 
The projects shall be the subject of shared-cost research and technological development contracts. 
The accompanying measures consist of applying the means to ensure proper technical execution, manage­
ment and evaluation of the programme, as well as adequate dissemination and accessibility of the results, 
and coordination, training and consciousness-raising of the participants in the programme. 
The concerted actions are those defined in the Financial Regulation. 
3. The participants in the projects must be natural or legal persons established either in the Community or 
in developing countries, such as universities, research organizations and industrial firms, including small 
and medium-sized enterprises, or associations thereof, in particular European economic interest groupings 
(EEIGs). 
Natural or legal persons established in countries other than developing countries which have concluded 
agreements with the Community foreseeing scientific and technical research, may, based on the criterion 
of mutual advantage, take part in the projects undertaken in the context of this programme. The 
contracting parties under such arrangements shall not benefit from Community funding. They shall 
contribute to the general administrative costs. 
16. 7. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 174/77 
4. The choice of projects shall be carried out according to the following order of priority, the first method 
being the rule, the second the exception. 
The participants in the projects shall be selected on the basis of the ordinary procedure of calls for 
proposals referred to in Article 6 (3) and published in the Official journal of the European Communities. 
The Commission may also accept proposals according to an exceptional procedure and under the 
conditions mentioned below, when they make a particularly promising and significant contribution as 
regards the originality of the theme proposed, the novelty of the scientific and technical approach and 
the methodology of execution, also taking into account the particular nature of the proposers. 
A favourable technical evaluation of such proposals shall not by itself be a sufficient justification for 
accepting a project; this exceptional procedure may only apply after verification that the nature of the 
project, as defined above, does not justify the use of the normal procedure for calls for proposals. 
The exceptional procedure must be completed before the ordinary procedure in such a way that the 
available amount for the Community's financial participation in projects retained by the ordinary 
procedure can be determined precisely. The closing date for the exceptional procedure shall be published 
each year in the Official Journal of the European Communities. 
The amount of the financial participation of the Community for all the projects retained by the exceptional 
procedure will be decided each year, in relation to the projects selected according to particularly strict 
criteria of excellence. In any case, this amount may not exceed 15%; it may be revised each year in the 
light of experience. 
The Commission shall draw up a vade mecum setting out all the rules applicable to this exceptional 
procedure in order to guarantee full transparency. 
5. The projects must provide for participation by at least two mutually independent partners established in 
different Member States, as well as at least one partner established in a developing country. 
6. The Commission may encourage the participants to form a European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG) 
or make other arrangements for carrying out projects, such as those on a large scale, permitting 
decentralized management adapted to the specific requirements of the project. 
7. The knowledge acquired during the course of the projects shall be disseminated on the one hand within 
the specific programme and on the other and by means of a centralized activity, pursuant to the Decision 
referred to in the third subparagraph of Article 4 of Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC. 
This dissemination and exploitation will be characterized by the results obtained being placed directly 
and systematically at the disposal of all the developing countries. 
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific programme of research and technological 
development in the field of non-nuclear energies (1990 to 1994) 
COM(90) 164 final — SYN 269 
(Submitted by the Commission on 3 May 1990) 
(90/C 174/12) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 130q 
(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, by Decision 90/221/Euratom, EECf1), the 
Council adopted a third framework programme for 
Community activities in the field of research and tech­
nological development (1990 to 1994), specifying inter 
alia the activities to be pursued for developing the 
scientific knowledge and technical know-how needed 
by the Community, in particular in the field of non-
nuclear energies; whereas this Decision should be taken 
in the light of the grounds set out in the preamble to 
that Decision; 
(!) OJNoL117, 8. 5. 1990, p. 28.