No C 347/16 Official Journal of the European Communities 22. 12. 87 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation concerning the European Strategic 
Programme for research and development in information technologies (ESPRIT) 
(87/C 347/06) 
On 12 August 1987 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, 
under Article 130 letter q of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on 
the abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for Industry, Commerce, Crafts and Services was instructed to prepare the 
Committee's work on the subject. Subsequently the Economic and Social Committee appoint­
ed Mr Vassilaras as rapporteur-general. 
At its 249th plenary session (meeting of 21 October 1987) the Committee adopted the 
following Opinion unanimously less 3 abstentions: 
1. Preliminary comments 
1.1. In its impact on the future economic structure 
and competitiveness of the Community, the First Euro­
pean Strategic Programme for research and develop­
ment in information technologies (ESPRIT) is one of 
the EC's most important R&D projects. 
1.2. The basic starting point for the Community 
activities which led ultimately to the ESPRIT pro­
gramme was Commission document COM (79) 650. 
This document, which was forwarded to the Council 
in 1979, set out the fundamental problems facing the 
Community in keeping pace with the surge in the devel­
opment of information technology (IT). Simultaneously 
a number of studies were carried out with the aim of 
mapping out various areas for Community action in 
the IT field. 
1.3. The outcome of these preliminary discussions 
was three documents launching the ESPRIT pro­
gramme. Doc. COM(82) 287 analyzed the importance 
of information technology from the mainly economic 
angle and introduced the idea of ESPRIT. Doc. 
COM(82) 486 proposed a few specific projects, set 
within the framework of a pilot phase and backed 
by 11,5 million ECU of Community funds. The third 
document, COM(82) 737, merely proposed a pro­
cedural change whereby the pilot phase would be sub­
mitted to the Council as a proposal for a Decision 
instead of a draft Resolution. 
In 1982 the Economic and Social Committee (ESC) 
unanimously approved the proposal for the pilot 
phase (!). 
1.4. The first phase of the ESPRIT programme was 
described in detail in Commission document COM(83) 
258, containing a proposal for a Council Decision. Funding of 1,500 million ECU was provided for the 
implementation of the first 5-year phase, 50% of which 
was to be financed from the Community budget. 
In September 1983 the Committee delivered its Opinion 
on this proposal (2), referring also to the documents 
COM(82) 287, COM(82) 486 and COM(82) 737. The 
Committee has continuously supported the project as 
a key contribution by the Community to the develop­
ment of information technology. 
2. Opinion 
2.1. The present draft Council Regulation proposes 
that the ESPRIT programme be continued. Community 
funds of 1,600 million ECU are estimated for this second 
5-year phase. The Committee welcomes the continu­
ation of the programme as proposed by the Com­
mission. At the same time it hopes that the annual EC 
budget decisions will not lead to cuts in the allocations 
which are already tight given the objectives. 
2.2. The ESC's basic comments on ESPRIT, as set 
out in its Opinion of 29 September 1983 on the first 
phase, apply also to the second phase. The following 
points in particular should be reiterated: 
2.3. The Committee notes with satisfaction that 
there is to be substantial participation from small and 
medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the first phase. It 
assumes that in the second phase too SME will receive 
special consideration when aid is allocated. In this, 
administrative formalities should be kept to the absol­
ute minimum. 
2.3.1. In particular problems in connection with 
acquisition costs, the prompt transfer of the EC funds 
and the timely provision of comprehensive information 
should be avoided wherever possible. Consideration 
(') OJ No C 346, 31. 12. 1982. (2) OJ No C 341, 19. 12. 1983. 
22. 12. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 347/17 
should also be given to the possibility of SME, in 
justified cases, receiving aid over and above the 50% 
of project costs. 
2.4. The Commission should concentrate on the 
inclusion of firms and research establishments from 
disadvantaged regions, and industrial regions in a state 
of crisis. In particular these regions should be included 
in the dissemination of the results of the ESPRIT pro­
jects so as to provide the necessary stimulus for indus­
trial development and recovery. 
2.5. It is also important that the projects be properly 
linked to and coordinated with other EC projects in the 
field of information and communications technology 
and with relevant national R&D projects. In this 
connection the Committee hopes that the committee 
set up under Article 6 of the proposed Regulation will 
provide some valuable suggestions. 
2.6. The Committee especially welcomes the fact 
that firms and research establishments from countries 
of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) can 
now also participate in ESPRIT II projects. The necess­
ary rules on the financing of such projects, which pre­
clude direct aid to non-EC participants, should however 
be incorporated in the text of the Regulation itself. 
Done at Brussels, 21 October 1987. 2.7. The Committee would once again emphasize 
its view that the users of the technology, especially 
manufacturers and the office technology sector, should 
participate in the R&D projects. 
2.8. It is a key technology with repercussions on 
almost all areas of public and private life. Hence the 
Committee considers it important that research projects 
should include the effects on various spheres of society 
(family, workplace, health care, vocational training, 
etc.) in their basic research. Projects already under 
way as part of other programmes, together with their 
findings, should be included in the basic research for 
ESPRIT. 
2.9. The Committee regards the coordination of the 
projects with the relevant national programmes as cru­
cial to the lasting success of ESPRIT. It therefore 
especially welcomes the fact that such coordination is 
expressly provided for in the accompanying measures. 
2.10. The report referred to in Article 8 should also 
be submitted to the ESC. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alfons MARGOT