No C 283/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 21.10.87 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Regulation concerning the European strategic programme for research 
and development in information technologies (ESPRIT) 
COM(87) 313 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 29 July 1987) 
(87/C 283/05) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES; 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 130 Q 
paragraph 2 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
In cooperation with the European Parliament, 
Whereas by Decision 84/130/EEC (') the first phase of 
the European strategic programme for research and 
development in information technologies (ESPRIT) was 
adopted by the Council on 28 February 1984; 
Whereas the framework programme of Community 
activities in the field of research and technological 
development (1987 to 1991) was adopted by Council 
Decision 0000/000/EEC ('); 
Whereas the ESPRIT workprogrammes periodically 
established in close consultation with the Information 
Technology (IT) industry, industrial users and science 
have proved to be an efficient means of programme 
management; 
Whereas the Commission set up an independent high-
level body, known as the ESPRIT Review Board, to 
assess the progress of the Programme; 
Whereas the ESPRIT Review Board concluded that the 
Programme has been successfully established and is well 
on its way to meeting its original objectives, is 
progressing faster than initially expected, has initiated 
trans-European cooperation at all levels especially where 
small and medium-sized companies are concerned, has enabled more ambitious research projects and has 
accelerated the execution of these projects (2); 
Whereas the ESPRIT Review Board recommended that 
for the future development of ESPRIT emphasis should 
continue to be on precompetitive research and 
development, the research areas be consolidated and 
restructured and particular attention paid to technology 
integration projects; 
Whereas in a broad consultation process with a large 
number of representatives from industry and science the 
future technical scope of the programme has been 
defined; 
Whereas a continuous need exists to ensure systematic 
coordination between ESPRIT and national programmes 
in the information technology sector; 
Whereas this programme meets the absolute need for the 
constitution or consolidation of a specifically European 
industrial potential in the technologies concerned; 
whereas its primary participants must therefore be the 
undertakings, universities and research centres in the 
Community which are best suited to attain these 
objectives; 
Whereas small and medium-sized companies should be 
encouraged to maintain a high level of participation in 
the programme; 
Whereas adequate dissemination of, and access to results 
of projects of Community interest is essential to the 
pursuit of the aims of the Community and in particular 
to the needs of small and medium-sized companies; 
Whereas there exists a need for periodic assessment of 
the Programme; 
Whereas it is necessary for the execution of the 
Programme that the Commission be assisted by a 
committee; 
C) OINo L67, 9. 3. 1984, p. 54. (2) COM(85) 616, Brussels, 19. 11. 1985. 
21.10.87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 283/5 
Whereas it is in the Community's interest to consolidate 
the scientific and financial basis of European research 
by means of the involvement to a greater extent of 
participants from the EFTA countries in certain Com­
munity programmes and, particularly, in programmes 
involving cooperation in research and development of 
information technology; 
Whereas the implementation of actions in basic research 
providing long term prospects as well as concerted 
actions in the COST framework are essential elements to 
complement industrially-oriented R&D projects; 
Whereas the Council, in its resolution of 8 April 
1986 ('), has re-emphasized its commitment to the 
ESPRIT Programme and requested the Commission to 
ensure, in its implementation of the programme that, in 
scope and flexibility, the programme continues to 
provide an effective response to the ever-increasing 
challenge in the IT field; 
Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research 
Committee (CREST) has expressed its opinion, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
1. A second phase of the ESPRIT Programme of 
research and development for the European Economic 
Community, hereinafter referred to as 'the programme', 
is hereby adopted for a period ending on 31 December 
1992. The technical scope of the programme is described 
in Annex. I. 
2. The programme shall comprise pre-competitive 
research and development projects (hereinafter referred 
to as 'the projects'), actions in basic research (hereinafter 
referred to as 'the actions') and accompanying measures. 
Article 2 
1. The detailed objectives and the type of projects to 
be undertaken as well as the corresponding financial 
plans shall be set out in an annual work programme to 
be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down 
in Article 7. Any updates which may be required during 
the year under consideration shall be adopted in 
accordance with the same procedure. 
2. The evaluation of the projects and actions which 
are submitted shall be undertaken by the Commission 
having due regard to the general objectives of the 
programme and of the annual work programme. With 
regard to projects requiring R&D efforts exceeding 100 
man-years, the eligibility of these projects shall be 
decided in accordance with the procedure laid down in 
Article 7. With regard to the other projects and the 
actions, the results of their evaluation shall be brought to 
the attention of the Committee referred to in Article 6. 
(') OJNoC 102,29. 4. 1986, p. 1/ 3. The projects shall be carried out by means of 
contracts, to be concluded by the Commission with 
companies, including small and medium-sized under­
takings, universities and other bodies established in the 
Community. 
The proposals for projects shall as a rule be submitted by 
the interested parties in reply to an open invitation 
published in the Official Journal of the European 
Communities. The projects must normally involve the 
participation of at least two independent industrial 
partners not established in the same Member State. Each 
contractor will be expected to bring a significant contri­
bution to the project. The contractors shall be expected 
to bear a substantial proportion of the costs, 50 % of 
which shall normally be borne by the Community. 
4. The actions shall be carried out by means of 
contracts to be concluded by the Commission with 
universities, research institutions or undertakings 
established within the Community. The proposals for 
actions shall as a rule be submitted by the interested 
parties in reply to an open invitation published in the 
Official Journal of the European Communities. The 
actions must, normally, involve the participation of at 
least two universities or research institutions not 
established in the same Member State. 
The Community may bear up to 100 % of the costs of 
the actions. 
5. In exceptional cases where the call for proposals 
has not resulted in a satisfactory response, or in cases of 
urgency, or where a call for proposals is not the most 
appropriate procedure on grounds of cost and efficiency, 
it may be decided, in accordance with the procedure laid 
down in Article 7, to depart from the general provisions 
set out in paragraphs 3 and 4, viz. 
— the public call for proposals, 
— the participation in the projects of at least two 
industrial partners not established in the same 
Member State, 
— the participation in the actions of at least two 
universities or research institutes not established in 
the same Member State. 
6. Contracts for the execution of projects and actions 
which conform to the rules laid down in paragraphs 3 
and 4 may include companies, universities and other 
bodies established in one of the non-Member States 
referred to in Annex II. That Annex may be changed by 
the Council, acting by qualified majority, on the basis of 
a proposal submitted by the Commission. 
7. The accompanying measures, in particular those 
referred to in Annex I (C), aim specifically at providing 
an adequate communications infrastructure, access to 
project results and the coordination of research and 
development activities carried out under the programmes 
of the Community and of the Member States. 
^oCh^BD Official journal of the European communities ^.to.^ 
The Commission is hereby authorised to concluded in 
accordance with Articlet^Ol^ of theTreaty^a^reements 
with non^^iember states participating in European 
cooperation in the field of scientific and technological 
research ^CC^T^ with a ^iew to ensuring concerted 
actionhetweenthe Community acti^itiesrelatin^ to the 
collaboration in actions in basic research and 
accompanyin^measuresreferredtoin Anneal and the 
relevant programmes of such states. 
The Community shall contribute to theperformance of 
the programme within the limits of the appropriations 
entered to this end in the budget of the European 
Communities. 
The overall amount of the appropriations estimated to be 
necessary for the Community's contribution to the 
projects^ actions and accompanyin^measures under the 
programme shall be tDOO million ECaU. The amounts 
include expenditure on staff^whose cost shall not exceed 
^^Bo of the community contribution. 
Up to a maximum of ^^Bo of the Community's total 
contribution to new projects launched under this 
programme may for the firstyear be allocated to new 
proiects which fall below the threshold referred to in 
Article^^. If the call for proposals has not resulted in 
a satisfactory response this percentage figure may be 
chan^edinaccordance with the procedurelaiddownin 
Articled. 
The commission shall ensure that the programme is 
properly performed and^ to this end^ shall establish the 
appropriate measures and infrastructures^ without 
prejudice to the powers provided for in Articles ^ 
^and^t. 
^r^AA^^ 
P .Phe Commission shallbe assistedby acommittee^ 
consistin^of tworepresentati^esof each^iember^tate^ 
and chaired by a representative of the Commissions 
hereinafter referred to as ^the committee'. 
members of the committee may be assisted by experts or 
advisers depending on the nature of the issue under 
consideration. 
The proceedings of the committee shall be confidential. 
.Phe committee shall adopt its own rules of procedure. 
secretarial services for the committee shall be provided 
by the Commission. ^. ^Phe commission may consult the committee on 
any matter falling within the scope of this Regulation. 
^here theprocedure laid down in this Article is to be 
followed^ the representative of the Commission shall 
refer to the committee a draft of the measures to be 
adopted. .Phe committee shall deliver an opinion withina 
time limit set by the chairman in relationto the urgency 
of the matter. .Phe opinion shall be delivered by the 
majority specified in Article i^^ of the Treaty for 
decisions which the Council is required to adopt on a 
proposal from the commissions the ^otes of the rep^ 
resentati^es of the member states bein^ weighted as 
indicated in that Article. The chairman shall not ^ote. 
The Commission shall adopt the proposed measures if 
they are in accordance with the committee's opinion. If 
the proposed measures are not in accordance with the 
committee's opinions or if no opinion is deli^ered^ the 
Commission shall without delay submit to the C^ouncila 
proposal concerning the measures to be taken, fhe 
Council shall act byaqualified majority. 
If the council has not acted within a period of one 
month of the proposal bein^ submitted to it^ the 
proposed provisions shall be adopted by the Commission. 
.Phe commission shall address a report to the council 
and to the European parliament at the latest either in 
t^O or as soon as DO^Bo of the appropriations judged 
necessary ha^e been committed^ in order to assess the 
interim results achieved as comparedwiththe objectives 
of thepro^ramme.Thisreportshallbeaccompaniedby 
suggestions for changes which maybe necessary in the 
li^ht of these results. 
^ith regard to the activities provided for in Articlet^ 
the member states and the community shall e^chan^e 
all appropriate information to which they ha^e access 
and which they are free to disclose concerning the areas 
cohered by this Regulations whether or notplanned or 
carried out under their authority. 
The information shall be e^chan^ed in accordance witha 
procedure to be defined by the commission after 
consulting the C^ommittee^ and will be treated as 
confidential at the supplier'srequest. 
fhis Regulation shall enter into force on t Mecember 
fhis Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and 
directly applicable in all member states. 
21.10.87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 283/7 
ANNEX I 
ESPRIT 
The programme contains research and development projects, actions in basic research and accompanying 
measures. 
A. Research and development projects 
Research and development projects will be carried out in the following three sectors: 
1. Microelectronics and peripheral technologies 
2. Information processing systems 
3. It application technologies 
1. MICROELECTRONICS AND PERIPHERAL TECHNOLOGIES 
Work in this sector will have to be addressed primarily at improving the competitiveness of the 
Community microelectronics industrial sector so as to enable it to provide the IT industry with full 
system capability through access to up to date functional components and subsystems based in 
particular on state of the art semiconductor technology. To this end and in support of the 
developments of application systems, it will encompass the provision of the technological capability 
to design, manufacture and test application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) in a 'system on a chip' 
concept. Such circuits to range from high complexity random logic including several million 
elementary devices to very high speed lower complexity circuits capable of operating at up to 
5 GHz. 
The R&D activities to be pursued include: 
— High density integrated circuits: 
The goal is to provide random logic-integrated circuits (ICs), including up to four million gates 
for use in particular where a high degree of parallel processing is possible as, for instance, in 
processor arrays or systolic arrays. To this end it will be necessary: 
— to develop user friendly CAD systems, including automatic layout and design verification 
tools (advanced silicon compilers), 
— to develop low power high density processes, including the optimization of an automated 
flexible manufacturing line for high yield production. 
— High speed integrated circuits: 
The aim is to fabricate devices for use where processing of large quantities of information in real 
time cannot be assured by parallelism due to high serial bit rate. They are potentially valuable in 
supercomputers or front end processors for telecommunications systems. The target performance 
will be: 
— operation between five and 10 GHz clock frequency or gate delays less than 50 ps, 
— complexity greater than 10 000 gates. 
The main activities towards this goal are: 
— development of a very fast silicon bipolar process, 
— GaAs FET technologies will also be considered, as appropriate, 
— special CAD tools to optimize circuit speed, 
— special packaging techniques for GHz operation. 
— Multifunction Integrated Circuits: 
The goal is to build a complete system on a chip with digital and analog functions, operating 
over a wide range of speeds. Complexity up to one million transistors, minimum achievable gate 
delay of 50 ps, power control and non-volatile memory capability will have to be implemented to 
meet the requirements of peripherals (display and LAN control, memory management), 
telecommunications equipments (voice and image processing), factory and office automation 
(intelligent sensors and actuators). 
No C 283/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 21.10. 87 
In order to enhance the performances of very large information systems, optoelectronic ICs will 
be developed and used to optically interconnect distributed processors for instance. 
The main activities to be pursued are: 
— tuning of manufacturing processes for dedicated application, 
— adaptation of CAD tools to mixed functions, such as analog-digital device design. 
Throughout the execution of the programme, a special emphasis will be given to definition of 
standards both on the software side (data exchange, tool portability between CAD system and 
manufacturing equipment) and on the mechanical side to meet requirements for higher degree of 
automation and flexibility. 
— Peripheral Technologies: 
This area of the programme is aimed at ensuring that Europe develops the specific technologies 
necessary to play a sustainable role in future peripheral systems developments. Topics requiring 
action are, in particular, those of magneto-optic and optical mass storage and retrieval systems, 
non-impact printers, displays, devices incorporating logic elements in conjunction with sensors, 
transducers, and actuators. 
2. INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEMS 
The main objective of this sector is to bring together tools and technologies from the hardware and 
software domains in order to enable the design and development of the information processing 
systems of the 1990s. Particular attention will be paid to new approaches to systems design which 
will enable high quality complex systems to be developed efficiently. To develop the methods and 
tools needed, it is imperative that all aspects of the system (e.g. architecture, interfaces) are 
considered while at the same time new technologies like knowledge engineering are integrated. 
As a consequence, work in this sector will provide the capability of producing systems (of similar 
complexity to those produced now) with a significant increase in designer productivity. For example, 
the methods and tools developed will provide the mechanism by which the development costs of 
selected system components (e.g. microprocessors, real-time software modules) will be reduced to 
10 °/o of the current development costs. 
The R&D activities to be pursued fall into four complementary areas: 
— Systems design: 
This area addresses the process from the definition of the requirements of an IT system, through 
to its manufacture, distribution and maintenance. 
Activities include: 
— evaluation of methods and tools, guidance in method introduction and product evaluation 
metrics, 
— integration and rationalization of integrated programming system environment interfaces, 
project support environments and knowledge-based techniques, 
— reusable system components, automated generation of high quality programs for real-time 
systems, formal techniques and methods. 
— Knowledge engineering: 
This area includes the development of systems which help reasoning and decision making under 
conditions of uncertainty and incomplete information. 
Activites include: 
— knowledge acquisition, learning and adaptive systems, knowledge representation, knowledge 
manipulation and validation of knowledge-based system, 
— natural communication processing and user interaction mechanisms, 
— integration of knowledge engineering techniques into systems design. 
21.10. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 283/9 
— Advanced systems architectures: 
This area includes, notably, parallel archicectures aimed at overcoming system limitations and at 
supporting modular construction. 
Activities include: 
— parallel architecture and interconnection of cooperating processors, programming and 
verification techniques, 
— distributed systems of semi-autonomous components, 
— specialized architectures for signal processing and knowledge based information subsystems. 
— Signal processing: 
This area addresses the need to cope with the complexity of processing signals of varied physical 
nature (e.g. temperature, pressure, image, natural voice). 
Activities include: 
— formal description of information flow, symbolic manipulation, 
— preprocessing, feature identification, classification, error correcting methods, 
— system components for signal processing, real-time-systems, 
— advanced technologies for multi-sensor signal processing systems. 
3. IT APPLICATION TECHNOLOGIES 
The main objective of this sector is to enhance European capabilities in the integration of IT into 
systems able to be used in a broad range of applications and to validate the results in selected, 
realistic environments. 
The R&D activities to be pursued in IT application technologies fall into three complementary 
areas: 
— Computer integrated manufacturing: 
The objective is to provide the technology base which is necessary for system vendors in order to 
successfully meet the competitive requirements of the world market. At the same time, it is 
expected that the rapid uptake of these IT-based technologies will induce a completion of the 
modernization process in a wide range of manufacturing industries. 
The scope of work will include the application of IT not only in discrete part production but to a 
wide range of industries up to and including continuous process. 
The establishment of open system concepts to support multi-vendor operation is an important 
means of achieving the objective of the area. 
Activities include: 
— design and analysis systems allowing flexible product development so that time, materials and 
other resources for production are minimized, 
— factory management, planning and production control so that availability and usage of 
equipment are increased, man-machine interactions for production planning and control 
systems optimized, real-time applications implemented and just-in-time production supported, 
— robotics systems, 
— integration of material handling systems (including robots) in the production and assembly 
process. Issues to be addressed are e.g. tool change, monitoring, washing, waste disposal, 
assembling and other tasks associated with production. Particular emphasis will be put on 
solutions for smaller batches, 
— computer integrated control in process industries to create more efficient plant operation, 
— architecture and methods for integration, including the development of methods and tools for 
installing, operating, and monitoring computer integrated manufacturing systems and the 
demonstration of early implementations addressing different manufacturing requirements. 
No C 283/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 21. 10. 87 
— Integrated Information Systems: 
This area addresses systems integration R&D for selected applications. Application domains 
include office environment and the domestic environment. 
Activities include: 
— user environment analysis and support in order to evaluate requirements, constraints, human 
factors, reduce introduction periods and increase productivity through improvement of user-
system interaction. Particular emphasis will be put on the requirements of less skilled users 
and flexibility aspects, 
— systems engineering comprising systems integration and validation tools, reliability, avail­
ability and security of systems, 
— generic communication technologies and integrated office systems comprising multimedia 
handling on the basis of open system architectures, generation, routing, monitoring of office 
information, remote activities support and selected special functions, 
— distributed systems with particular emphasis on integration of knowledge based systems and 
advanced distributed storage systems, 
— data collection and monitoring systems in non-factory environments (e.g. home, laboratory) 
comprising telecontrol and networking of autonomous equipment, management of data 
acquisition systems. 
— IT application support systems: 
This area addresses the integration of basic IT components into subsystems. The major goal is to 
provide low cost technologies and large scale applicability. Particular emphasis will be put on 
modularity and fail-safe aspects. 
Activities include: 
— workstations for multiple application purposes, 
— storage and processing subsystems for stand-alone and distributed systems, 
— local network systems and related basic services, 
— user interfacing subsystems (e.g. visual, vocal, manual), 
— subsystems interfacing the physical environment (e.g. vision and environment understanding, 
laboratory data acquisition, monitoring and control). 
Throughout these three sectors (microelectronics and peripheral technologies, information processing 
systems and IT application technologies) a limited number of technology integration projects will 
be undertaken. These projects will aim at meeting ambitious, well-defined industrial targets, will be 
preplanned at an appropriate level of detail in the work programme, and normally require large-scale 
industrial efforts of a Community dimension. 
B. Actions in basic research 
The envisaged actions in basic research aim at complementing the proposed precompetitive IT R & D 
efforts by providing a Community dimension to fundamental research work in selected areas of long 
lead-time. They include promotion of high level professional training in areas of particular concern to 
the Community. The actions shall, in particular, encourage highly qualified research institutes in IT to 
become international in their orientation. 
The work areas include: 
— molecular electronics, 
— artificial intelligence and cognitive science, 
— applications of solid state physics to IT, 
— advanced System Design, 
and other areas of basic research which may be identified during the course of the programme. 
21.10.87 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC283/ll 
C. Accompanying measures 
The main objective of the accompanying measures is to provide the framework necessary to make 
optimum use of the R&D activities undertaken in the ESPRIT Programme and related activities. 
The accompanying measures include in particular: 
— coordination of Community and Member States research and development programmes and with 
programmes at international level, acquisition of information, both within the ESPRIT programme 
and from the world at large, and its appropriate dissemination, 
— coordination and documentation of standards within the ESPRIT programme and their relationship 
with national and international standards, 
— provision of means to ensure ease of communication, to serve the good technical execution of 
research and development projects as well as their management, and the appropriate dissemination 
of and access to their results, including an Information Exchange System (IES). 
ANNEX II 
The non-member States referred to in Article 2 (6) are: 
— Republic of Austria, 
— Republic of Finland, 
— Kingdom of Norway, 
— Kingdom of Sweden, 
— Swiss Confederation.