No C 346/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 31. 12. 82 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision amending Council Decision 79/783/EEC of 
11 September 1979 adopting a multiannual programme (1979 to 1983) in the field of data 
processing 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 193 of 26 July 1982, page 4. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 23 July 1982 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic and Social 
Committee in accordance with Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic 
Community. 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 
202nd plenary session held in Brussels on 24 and 25 November 1982. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 198 
thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of the 
European Communities on 23 July 1982 for an opinion 
on the proposal for a Council Decision amending Council 
Decision 79/783/EEC of 11 September 1979 adopting a 
multi-annual programme (1979 to 1983) in the field of 
data processing, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its chairman on 
9 August 1982 instructing the Section for Industry, 
Commerce, Crafts and Services to draw up an opinion 
and a report on the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by the 
abovementioned Section at its meeting on 
3 November 1982, 
Having regard to the oral report made by the rapporteur, 
Mr Nierhaus, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 202nd plenary 
session held on 24 and 25 November 1982 (meeting of 
25 November 1982), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously: 
1. General comments 
1.1. The proposed Council Decision makes it clear 
that the measures to promote data processing are to be 
continued beyond 1982 in line with the objectives set for 
the programme. The Committee is aware of the cardinal importance of these technological developments for the 
future of the Community's economy both domestically 
and internationally and for this reason welcomes in 
principle the extension of the multiannual 
programme. 
1.2. The Committee also recognizes the need to give 
special encouragement to developing practical 
applications of new technologies to the stage where the 
product is ripe for marketing, if the Community is to close 
the gap with its American and Japanese competitors. 
1.3. Care must be taken that the expertise of firms 
based in non-member countries - some of which have 
invested considerable sums in the Member States -
continues to be available to the Community EDP sector. 
At all events, appropriate steps must be taken to ensure 
that the benefit of results of Community-sponsored 
research actually accrues to the Community. 
1.4. As software development is currently something 
of a bottleneck in EDP technology and will most probably 
remain so in the immediate future, the Committee would 
stress the need to step up further development in this 
sector. 
1.5. Regarding the work on research and 
development and on the sector's 'environment' (structural 
changes in employment, effects on working conditions 
and on training, acceptance of the new technologies by 
workers, data protection, etc.), i.e. the first part of the 
programme, the Committee expects that: 
— this work will be stepped up within the limits of the 
expenditure committed, 
— the funds will be increased at a later stage if essential 
additional projects so require, 
31. 12. 82 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 346/13 
the abovementioned 'environment' will be taken into 
account in the implementation of the promotion 
measures in the second part of the Council Decision -
in so far as is possible and expedient under the 
particular circumstances. 
2. Specific comments 
2.1. Since the resources allocated (about 5% of the 
funding for national programmes in Europe) are 
relatively small, it is absolutely essential that they be 
concentrated to a large degree on a few key areas if they 
are to give an effective stimulus to further development. 
The emphasis must be placed on projects which are 
inadequately covered by national programmes since they 
are intended to further the common market. In the 
Committee's view this precondition is met by the 
proposed projects. 
2.2. The further development of programming 
languages, international standardization in particular, is 
a matter of priority for the software industry over the next 
few years. The programming language ADA offers 
excellent prospects, particularly for systems 
programming. The Committee would, however, point 
out that previous work in particular sectors of industry 
should play a special part in the selection of projects, in 
order to enhance efficiency. For the same reason national 
developments should be monitored and taken into 
account in the promotion plans. 2.3. The financial aid must be used to ensure that the 
results of the assisted projects are documented and 
disseminated as quickly as possible so that industry and 
science have access to them and can use them. In the case 
of pilot applications, special encouragement should be 
given to projects involving the training of instructors to 
train EDP specialists. 
2.4. The Committee endorses the promotion and 
development of cross-frontier information systems as 
they are an important precondition for the exchange of 
information within the Community and thus for greater 
integration of the national economies. 
2.5. As far as the choice of terminals is concerned, the 
ergonomic aspect and user convenience should figure in 
the development work. This will provide special 
opportunities to pursue further the items in the first part 
of the programme (sector 'environment') (cf. point 1.5 of 
this opinion). 
2.6. The Committee attaches key importance to the 
solution of the problem of data security, especially in the 
case of distributed data bases for public health. The 
complete confidentiality of personal data should be 
guaranteed before there is any participation in the 
project. 
2.7. It is anticipated that before any decision is taken 
on support for application projects, a careful 
examination will be made of current requirements so as to 
avoid misinvestment. 
Done at Brussels, 25 November 1982. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francois CEYRAC 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision on a preparatory phase for a Community 
research and development programme in the field of information technologies 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 314 of 30 November 1982, page 44. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 16 November 1982 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic 
and Social Committee in accordance with Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community.