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DOCUMENTS "COM"
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Vol.1981/0176

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(81)574 final
Brussels.12thOctober1981
SCIENTIFIC ANDTECHNICAL RESEARCH ANDTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITY
PROPOSALS FORTHE1980s
(Communication fromtheCommission totheCouncil)
COM(81)574final

SCIENTIFIC ANDTECHNICAL RESEARCH ANDTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITY
Proposalsforthe1980s
1.Thechallenge
2.Towards-acommonR&Dstrategy
-Communityactivityuptonow
-ThevalueoftheCommunity'sexperience
-Theneedforanoverallapproach v,-
3.Guidingprinciplesandtheobjectivesofacommonstrategy
'-GettingthebestoutoftheCommunity'sexperience
-ExploitingthebenefitsconferredbytheCommunitydimension
A.DefiningthecommonR&Dstrategyandgettingitofftheground
-Thebasictheme:ageneralframeworkprogramme
-Methods , --
-Communityactionsandinstruments
-Increasingthescopeofactivities
» ,.
5.Structuresandprocedures
-Assessing,adoptingandcarryingoutthecommonstrategy r
-Consultation .atthescientificlevel
-Consultation atthe'levelofthoseresponsiblefornational
R&Dpolicyandwithgovernmentexperts
-Consultation withthesocialpartners
6.Finance
Conclusions

ThechaiLenge
TheCommission ,,asithasalreadyemphasizedinits.response .to
the30thMayMandate,hasshownitswillingnesstoconfrontthe
challengesofthe1980s. <
Itisclearthatduerecognition mustbegiventothepartwhich
scientificresearchandtechnological development canplayin
anystrategyforregeneration,arisingfromitscapacityto
anticipatethelongtermandbecauseoftheinescapablelinks
betweengrowth-technological innovationandsocialchange.

2.TowardsacommonR&Dstrategy
Communityactivityuptonow
2.1.TheMemberStatesoftheCommunityhavelongrecognisedtheimportance
"andvalueofjointactioninscienceandtechnology.TheCouncilthere­
foreapprovedCommunityinvolvement inthewholefieldon14January
(1)1974,andtheCommission wasgiventhetasknotonlyofprogressively
coordinating nationalpoliciesbutalsoofundertaking R&Dprogrammes
itselfwheretherewasaCommunityinterest.
2.2.Onthebasisofthis,afterthephaseofdevelopingvariousspecialized
researchactivitiesundertheauspicesofEURATOMandtheECSC,the
Commissionhasprogressively definedandcarriedoutaseriesofresearch '
programmes.Inadoptingthispragmaticapproachtowhatithasdevised,
putforwardandcarriedout-theCommissionhastreatedeachproposalon
Iitsmerits.Theoverridingconsideration wasthateachshouldcontribute
totheestablishment ofthevariousappropriate Communitysectoralpolicies
(particularly energy,rawmaterialsandtheenvironment).-
2.3.Itisinthiswaythat,since1974,theCommissionhasbeenableto
createasophisticated mechanismforevolvingR$Dactivities,andfor
carryingout,evaluating andexploiting them.Itsuseofthismechanism
hasgivenrisetoanextradimensionofEuropeanscientific andtechnical
cooperation inmanysectors.Community R&Disclearlyheretostay:t
severalthousandresearchers fromallthecountriesintheCommunity
areworkingtogethernowandfortheforseeablefutureinpursuance
ofCommunityobjectivesin'themajorsectoralprogrammes.
(1)exceptforareascoveredbymilitaryorindustrialsecrecy.

-3-
*
2.4 .Thebudget devoted tothese R&Dactivities hasgrown steadily from
70Mio ECU in1974 tomore than 300 Mio ECU in1980 .The finances are
distributed asfollows :
Priority areas %ofthe total R&D budget
1.Energy 72.0 \
2.Raw materials 2.3
3.Environment 8.4
4.Agriculture 1.1
5.Industrial sectors>■9.7
•
TOTAL 1+2+3+4+5 93.5
6.Other 6.5
TOTAL (R&Dbudget 1979 ):
« **
100.0
2.5 .Although itmight appear that Community R&Dspending hasbuilt up
rapidly itshould besaid that itisstill relatively feeble compared
towhat Member States spend ontheir ownprogrammes (about 1.5 %),to
what Member States devote tointernational cooperation (about 16%)
andtothegeneral budget oftheCommunity (about 1.8%).

_L-
2.6.ThevalueoftheCommunity'sexperience .
y <
Giventhatboth.the,availab,leresourcesandtheareascoveredhavebeen
limited,itisremarkablethatmostoftheworkundertakenhasledto
significantresults.InsomecasesCommunityworkhashadaworldwide
impact.
2.7.Takingenergyasanexample,theworkdoneinthefieldofnewand
renewablesourcesservedasastimulusandcatalystfornationalefforts.
Thiswasespeciallytrueofsolarenergywheretheworklaidthefoun­
dationforcooperation betweenindustrialcompaniesandforfruitful
collaboration betweenEuropeanlaboratories .ThisprovidedMemberStates
withthechancetoacquireascientificandtechnical'capabilityin
thefieldmorequicklythaniftheyhadbeenlimitedtoisolatedor
dispersedinitiatives . .-
-2.8.*Thesamecombination ofcatalysisandpromotioncanbeseenatwork,
intheenvironmentsector,whereCommunity R&DactivitiesInsupport
ofselectedpriorities,suchastheexamination oftheeffectsofpollutants
likeleadinpetrol,havebeenadirectstimulustonationaleffortsin
thefield.Theyhavealsoledtocoordination whichnowapplies,directly
.>orindirectlyto20%oftheresearchundertaker )inMemberStates.
Inthecaseofrawmaterialsitwasthenationalexpertsthemselves
whoproposedamajorextensionofCommunityinvolvement ^rangingfrom i
metalsandminerals(locatingseams,methodsofextraction andtreatment)
torecycledmaterialssuchaspaperandboard.
Again,withsteel,the^Communitycantakethecreditformanymeasures
whichhavereducedproductioncostsandimprovedproductquality.
2.9.Fusionisanothercaseinpoint.Itisafineexampleofthebenefits
ofjointworkingforlongtermbenefits;inJETtheCommunitywillhave|
afacilitywhichwillkeepitonaparwiththeUnitedStates,theSoviet I
UnionorJapan. * !

-5-
t
Programmesdealingwithnuclearfission,suchasreactorsafety,.the
management andstorageofradioactive wasteproducts,controloffissile
in-iterialsandradioprotect ion,makeupajointresponsetoproblemswhich
"■'.'mberStateshaveincommon.Thequalityandscopeoftheprogrammestogether
withtheavailability ofmajorexperimental installations meanstheCommunity
wellplacedforinternational cooperation .Thishasbeenunderlined by
treatiessignedwiththeIAEA,theUnitedStatesandCanada.
2.10.Otherprogrammes haveprovedtheirworthinspiteoftheirrestrictedscope.
Thefirstmedicalresearchprogrammedemonstrated-theeffectiveness ofjoint
actionfocusedon.subjectssuchastheextracorporeal oxygenation ofblood,
andcellularageing.Theagricultural researchprogramme,initsturn,has
hadconsiderable successinthefieldofanimalhealthandsoilfertility.
. . '\ /
2.11.Therecognition earnedbytheCentralBureauforNuclearMeasurements a'ndthe
'CommunityReferenceBureau(SCR)emphasizestheneedtoundertakespecific
actions(suchasonreference -materialsandtechniques )andtoprovide .a
"publicserviceforlaboratories andEuropeanindustfyso"farasnormsand
standardsareconcerned. . 1
I. * * , -'" -'. -
\*
2.12.Communityactivitiesofamoregeneralcharacterwhichshouldbementionedinclude
-actionstodowithinformation andwithscientific andtechnical
'documentation ,particularly inthecontextoftheEURONET/DIANE
network(1);
-thetrainingofresearchers andmeasurestopromotetheirjobmobility
(whichappliesparticularlyinthecontextofthefusionprogramme).
Asafinalpointoneshouldnote .-
-cooperation withEuropeannon-MemberStatesintheframeworkofCOST.
(1)Communitytelecommunications networkspecially'designed forthe
diffusionofscientificandtechnicalinformation (itgivesmore
than2000usersdirectaccessto120databasesanddatabanks).

-6-
ι
2.13.AlthoughtheLevelsofqualityandeffectiveness whichCommunityresearch
hasattaineduptothepresentarewidelyrecognised/factorssuchas
Europe'sfallingbehinditsmaincompetitors,thescaleoftheproblemsto
befacedandtheurgentneedtomakethebestuseofitsfinancialresources
compeltheCommunitytosetitssightsconsiderably higher. •
Theneedforanoverallapproach
2.14.Itistheexperiencewhichpastachievements havebroughttotheCommission
whichgives-itboththerightandthejustification tosuggestanewstage
intheprogressofEuropean R&D.Itmustbesaidthatthepragmaticapproach,
whichhas,uptonow,beenamatterofundertaking successiveresearch
programmesinseparatesectors,hasnotbeenparticularly helpfulinenabling
theCommunitytomakethebestuseofthewholerangeofitsresources
(financial,fiscal,regulatory,supportforinnovation )withaviewto
achievingspecificsocio-economic objectives.Inparticulartheapproach .has
madeitdifficulttoarticulatecertainactionsandintegratethemintoan
overallstrategy.Whateverthevalueandeffectiveness oftheprogrammes
andthecoordination whichtheCommunityhascarriedout.todateinthe
fieldofscienceandtechnologyitwouldseemthattheyarenoLonger,
adequatetomakeasufficientResponsetothechallenges whichconfront
/ ...
theCommunityortorallynationaleffortsinthelightofthatresponse.
2.15.Betterthananyamountoftheorising,atablebringsoutthefactthat
Europe'sdeficiencies inthisfieldarenotduetoanylackofmanpower
orresources . •
9
1980(1)
CountryTotalgrossPublicTotalR&D.TotalR&DScientists Population
spendingonspendingspending staff and
R&DonR&DasXof Engineers
(MioECU)(MioECU)6NP • ',
EUR-9
JAPAN
USA'39500
15160
4337019405
6560
220302.0
2.0
2.31100000
619000
1520000370000
363000
659000260M
113M
230M
(1)Comparisonbasedondatacollectedbythestatistical workinggroupof
CREST,andthescientificservicesofOECDandUNESCO.

-7-
2.16.IfMemberStates,despitetheimportanceandworthofthescientificeffort
theycanmuster,seemfrequentlypoorlypreparedtorespondinisolationto
thescientificneedswhichhavearisenorareabouttosurfacethroughthe
changesinEuropeansocietythisismainlyduetothefactthattheirpotential
forR&Dandfortechnological innovationisweakenedbythefollowingfactors:
-theslownessofpublicresearch-particularly intheuniversities -*to
adaptitsstructurestochangingcircumstances ;
-MemberStatesareeachtryingtotackletoomanyofthesametopics-
thisleadstodissipation ofeffort;<
-thereisn'tafavourableclimateforpursuingresearchbearingsimultaneously
onseveralsectorsofactivityorfortheexploitation oftheresultsof
bothfundamental andappliedresearch;
-lackofsufficiently closerelationsbetweenpublicresearchandindustry.
Thesefactorsreducetheeffectiveness oftheEuropeanresearchsystemand
meanthat,often,theresponseofferedbyscience%othedemand(whether
fromindustry,governmentorsocietyatlarge)isinadequate.Atthesame
timetherearecleargapsintheresearchcontinuum,wheresomeactivities
areconsideredtobetoomuchlikeappliedresearchbytheuniversities and
toomuchlikefundamental researchbyindustry.Thevalidityofthis A
diagnosisisconfirmedbytheneedfeltbysomelargeindustrialcompanies
togettheirtjasicresearchcarriedoutininstitutions outsideEurope.
* • . <
i „ .
2.17.Thesecircumstances callforthesettingoutofanoverallstragegy,the
generalconceptionandguidelinestobeagreedbetweenallparties,which
wouldconstitutetheframeworkinwhichtheobjectives arfdprioritiesfor
Communityresearchanddevelopmentactivitycouldbeestablished inclear
continuitywithactionsalreadyundertaken.

-8-
3,Guidingprinciples andtheobjectivesefacommonstrategy
WorkingcloselywithMemberStatestheCommissionintendstosetoutthe
identifyingfeaturesofthisnextstageinthelightoftwoguidingprinciples :
-gettingthebestoutofCommunityactivitieswhileensuringthatthey
areintegratedintoanoverallstrategy,
-exploitingtothefullthebenefitsconferredbytheEuropeandimension,
> •
3.1.GettingthebestoutoftheCommunity'sexperience
TheCommissionexpectstobeabletodevelopitsactionalongthelines
laidoutinitsreportonthe30thMayMandate,aimingparticularly atnew
possibilities ofgrowthandanimprovement intheemploymentsituation.Thiswill*
meanbuildingontheevaluation workwhichhasalreadybeendoneinconnection
withcommonR&DactivitiesandupontheresultsoftheFAST*programmeinorder
to: r
-consolidate andstrengthen someoftheexistingprogrammes ;
-selectguidingthemesforchoosingR&Dactionstopursueinthelongerterm;
3.1.1.Adaptingongoingorforthcomingactivities
« I
Overandaboveitsscientificvalue,jointR&Dactivitymustbeseenintermsofj
whatitcancontributetotheCommunity'soverallstrategy,andthewayitcan^
underwritevariousCommunityactivities.
Seeninthislightanumberofnewprioritiesandorientations couldbeapplied >
at"oncetoongoingorforthcoming programmes.
\ *3
Λ-Intheenergysectoritwouldbepossibletostrengthentheresearch i
connectedwitheconomising onenergyortodowithalternative
fuels.Thiscouldbeachievedinsuchawayastoensuremorecoherence
betweenCommunityscientificactivityinthisfieldandtheCommunity's
policyobjectives(managementofresources,energy,employmeht).
FAST:ForecastingandAssessmentinthefieldofScienceandTechnology

-9-
-Atthesametimethelinksbetweenenvironmental research,energyresearch
(e.g.coal)andagricultural research(e.g.agricultural waste)wouldbe
reinforced .
-Activities aimedatsupportingcertaintraditional industrieswhicharenow
indifficulties wouldbeextendedsoastobeofrealhelpinmakingthe
changeswhicharenecessaryandtogiveafilliptotheircompetitiveness
(e.g.steel,textilesandclothing).
-stepswouldbetakentoencouragethegreatestpracticableexploitation
ofthebasesofmodernbiologyandthedevelopment withinEuropeofapplica­
tionswheretheUSandJapanhavegainedalead(taminggenesandwhatthey
canproduce).
-InanattempttoimproveEurope'scompetitiveness inthemediumandlong
termmorewillhavetobedoneintherealmofnewtechnologies forinfor­
mationhandling„communicationsandautomation.TothisendtheCommissionwill
suggesttherapidimplementation of-anR&Dprogrammefirmlyaimedat
ithelongterm,withtheobjectofincreasingEurope'scapacitytoproduce-
micro-processors andopto-electronic equipmentdesigned>totransmit,handle
/
andprocessinformation .
-Animprovement intheCommission'scapacitytoanalyseandevaluatelikely
developments inthefuturewouldbemadesothatprioritiesforthe
Communitycanbeassessedinaconsistent way.Forthisreasonitis
*
suggestedthataregularandsystematicreviewofthestrengthsandweak­
nessesoftheCommunity'sscientificandtechnicalpotentialbeundertaken
byastructurefor"perceptionandevaluation". 's
3.1.2.Prioritythemesforanevenmoresignificant R&Daction>
Theeffectiveness ofCommunityactionisboundupwiththeextenttowhich
itisformulatedintermsofjointlyagreedgeneralobjectives.
1.Agriculture
Agriculturalresearchshould,asamatterofpriority/beencouragedto
|makeacontributiontoalleviatingtheproblemsexperiencedbythe
ICommonAgriculturalpolicy.Ontheonehanditshouldhelptorelieve

-10-
someoftheshortageswhichEuropesuffers(oil,proteins,wood,tobacco)
andatthesametimecontribute toreducingthesurpluses.Ontheother
handitoughttoopenupnewmarketsforcertainfoodproductsoreven
energysources.Lastlyitshouldleadtotheidentification ofnew
production techniques whicharelesscostlyintermsofinputandless
damagingtotheenvironment .
Thisrenewedresearcheffortinagricultural researchshouldpreferably
bedirectedtowardsthose.areaswhichhavebenefitted theleasttodatefrom
technological innovation.TopofthelistoftheseistheMediterranean
regionwhichneedsarealtechnological renaissance .Thedevelopment of
agricultural researchisalsoconsistent withthedesireoftheCommission
tomakethebestpossibleuseoftheresourcesalreadyavailableto.it
beforeseekinganymore.
2.Industriesofstrategicimportance whichareundergoingdrasticchanges,
suchasthechemicalandmotorvehicleindustries .
\
Itismostimportantthatthesesectorscontinuetobegeneratorsofwealth,
foreigncurrencyandemploymentforEurope.Tothisenditisimportant
thatCommunityresearchprogrammes beundertakenwiththeobjectofcoordinating
effortsalreadymadeandincreasingtheireffectiveness ,especially wherethey
correspondtowishesexpressed bytheindustries themselves .
3.Developing countries
TheCommunity,inthespiritoftheLom£Convention andin-theframeworkof
cooperation agreements madewithMediterranean countries,couldmakeamuch
greatercontribution withitsscienceanditstechnological potentialtothe
pressingproblems(nutrition,energy,health)ofalargenumberofSouthern
hemispherecountries.Aswellasactionssuchasremotesensing,wideranging
programmesareneededfromthispointofview(agricultural research,research
intonutrition andrenewablesourcesofenergy).
Throughthisresearchprogramme,theprincipalobjectivemustbethedevel­
opmentofthenationalandregionalcapacitiesoftheassociatedcountries
inthefieldofscientific research.

-11-
Inthiscontext,theCommissionintendstogivedeeperthoughttoamore
generalissue:-
/
;Masteringtherelationship betweentechnological progressandsocial
change -
Themovetowardsanewworldenergyorder,thebattleagainstinflation
andunemployment,theproblemsofcomingtotermswithmodernisation and
change,callforjustasmuchinnovationinthesocialsphereasinthe
technological .Itisclearlynecessarytobemuchmoreawarebothof
thepre-conditions andthelikelysocietalimpactsbefore,forexample,
introducingrobotsintofactories,electronicofficetechnologyinto
administrative organizations ,computersintoschoolsandinformation
technologyintothehome.Itisplainlynotenoughsimplytodevelopthe
technology;onemustbecarefultopavethewayforitsacceptance.
\ . ι
\
3.2ExploitingthebenefitsconferredbytheCommunitydimension
WhilstitmightwellbesaidthattheMembe>Statescannolongeraffordto
spendenoughtoachievetheirambitions,it,isequallytruethattheCommunity
towhichtheybelongneedstodevelopambitionstomatchtheresourcesit
coulddeploy.
TheCommunityisbothalargescaleorganizational frameworkandamarketin
whichEuropean R&Dactivitiesasawholecanbeputtothemosteffective
possibleuses.
3.2.1.Researchanddevelopmentcallforascaleofinvestmentinthemediumtolong
termwhichisoftensubstantial .Inaperiodofbudgetaryconstraints and
highratesofinterest,oneisentitledtoaskhowitispossibletobring
aboutthenecessary conditionsofstabilityandcontinuity.TheCommunity
mustbegiventhemeanstoachievethisaimthroughbindingundertakings made
bytheCouncil.TheCommunityisuniquelywellplacedtotaketheleadin
jointactivitiescarriedoutattheleastcostforeachparticipating Member
.State(e.g.nuclearsafety,newenergysources,theenvironment),orto
promoteactivitiesofascopewhichoneMemberStateonitsowncouldscarcely

contemplatee.g.thermonuclear fusion.TheCommissionshouldalsomakeit
itsbusinesstodoallthatisnecessarytomakesuretheCommunity'soverall
scientificandtechnicalcapacities donotruntheriskofsufferingfrom
anydamagingweaknessesordefects.
TheCommunitymustseethatpreparations aremadeforactionsinthelong*
term,andensurethattheyareproperlyintegratedwithwhatisbeingdone
iinthemediumterm(e.g.newtechnologies ofinformation,biotechnology ,
aswellastheirlongtermconsequences forCommunitypolicies).
3.2.2.TheCommunityshouldbecornetheforumforaregularreviewprocesswhich
wouldenableMemberStatestohammeroutthepreferredoptions,andto
choosetheapproach(i.e.national,international orCommunity)mostsuitable
forimplementing scientific'andtechnicalactionsofjointconcernandwhich
contributetoCommunitysolidarity.Inordertoensureasatisfactory outcome
tothisdiscussiontheCommissionwillobviouslyhavetoprovideanevaluation
ofCommunitylevelactions,aspartoffurnishingthenecessaryassurahces
thatfundsarebeingwellspent,thatthequalityofscientific workishigh.j
andthat,theobjectives whichhavebeensetarebeingfulfilled. 1
;|
3.2.3.Evenif,fromtimetotime,Communityactioncostsmorethatitmighthavej
donehaditbeen,carriedoutexclusivelyatanationallevel,itisclearly j
*
almostalwaysfarmorefruitfulintermsofscientificresultsandsocio­
economicimpact.Bysettingoutresearchactionsinthecontextofanoverall
strategy,theCommunitycanensuretheircontinuity fromtheeconomicpointof
view(themarket),theindustrialpointofview(innovation)ortheregulatory
pointofview(financialincentives,standards,competition).Thisishow
thebestcanbemadeofR&Dactionattheearlieststage.
*
3.2.4.Finally,alongsidetheworkthatneedstobedoneonbehalfofdeveloping I
countriestheCommunityoughttoplayagreaterpartininternational cooperation ,
bothinrespectofthemajortradingpartners(suchastheUSandJapan)and
international organizations suchasESA,EMBOandtheESF.(1)
TheCommunity,becauseofitssize,hasconsiderable negotiatingstrength.
»
Itoughttomakemoreuseofthisvisavismajorthirdcountries.(The
caseofFusionisagoodcaseinpoint,whereasharingoutofworkandrisk
betweenMemberStatesandvariousothercountrieshasbeenpossible).
(1)EuropeanSpaceAgency,EuropeanMolecularBiologyOrganization,EuropeanScience
Foundation

-13-
Sofarasinternational scientificandtechnicalorganizations are
concerned,theCommunitycouldnotonlyplayapartirtthedevelopmentof
theirworkbutalsosupportorpromoteactionswhichwouldmaketheirs
morecompleteintermsofinteresttotheCommunity.Thusinthecaseof
theESA,theCommissionconsidersthattheactivitiesofthisAgencyneed
tobereinforcedonthebasisofanobjectiveexamination andanalysis
whichtheCommunitycouldmake.
A.DefiningthecommonR&Dstrategyandgettingit,offtheground'
4.1.Thebasictheme-Ageneralframeworkprogramme
WhattheCommissionintendstodevelopisanoverallframeworkprogramme
embracingallCommunityresearch,settingoutagainsttheoptionsputforward
fortheCommunityaswhole,thoseactionsandinitiatives whicharealready
beingundertaken onthebasisofthethreetreatiesandthosewhichare
likelytobecarriedoutinthefuture.Buildinguponth'isbasistheMember
StatesandtheCommunityInstitutions willbeableto:
-discussnationalpoliciesandbringthemtogether*(makingthenecessary
choicesbetweennational,international andCommunitylevelaction);
-re-arrangeprioritiestotakeaccountofchangesirjthemedium6ndthe
longterm;
-decidewhatjointactionsandinitiatives shouldbeselected.
Theframeworkprogrammewillneedtoberegularlyrevisedandreadjustedto
takeaccountofobservedchanges.InthiswaytheCommunitywillhaveatits
disposalexactlythesortofconcertation mechanismwhichhasbeenmissingup
tonow,amountingalmostliterallytoacontrolpanelforCommunity R&D.
Thiswillgiveanoverviewmakingitmucheasiertoplanactivityina
dynamicandresponsiveasopposedtoarigidandinflexible way.
Theexistenceofthemechanismwillmakeitpossibletotakeaccountofthe
necessarilyvariedtimesp.insofR&Dprogrammes-somethingwhichisinevitable
*
giventheirspecializednature..Some,forexampleThermonuclear Fusion,need
amuchlongerprogrammethanothersdo.Andsomeofthe"service"type
activities (notablyscientificandtechnicalinformation anddocumentation,
andtheCommunityReferenceBureau)arebydefinitionalmostpermanent.
*Afterallitisnotworthtryingtobringpoliciestogetherifthecontext
inwhichtheyaregoingtounfoldhasnotbeenclarifiedinadvance.

-14-
Atthesametimemtersectoral programmingguidelines,spellingoutthe
mainpriorities,couldmoreeasilybeputtothoseresponsible for
individual R&Dprogrammes.Theyinturncouldthusmakesurethatthe
necessaryadjustments weremadeintheiractivities.
Newprojectswhichprovedtobenecessarycoul.dbemoreconvincingly
justifiedandaboveallmoreeffectiveiftheyweremorecloselylinkedto
theCommunity'soverallobjectivesintftisway.
4.2.Methods
Theimplementation ofacommonR&Dstrategycallsfortheoptimumuseof
theCommunity'sscientificandtechnicalinstruments.Tothisenditwill
benecessaryto:
-givepreferencetothedevelopment ofscientific andtechnicalactivities
whicharebothofinteresttoandtotheultimatebenefitoftheCommunity,
innationalcentreswheretheyarebeingundertaken noworwheretheycould
beundertaken,whichistosaygiveassistancetolaboratories,whether
public,semi-public orprivate,whereworkisbeingcarriedoutwhichisx
ofinteresttotheCommunity. N
-giveaboosttothosecentresofcollectiveresearch .Whichwouldbe
capableofdevelopingprogrammesofinteresttotheCommunity.Thesort
ofintervention proposedwouldbeintendedtostrengthen,widenand
coordinatenationalactivities.
Inthusseekingtooptimisethescientificandtechnicalpotentialofthe
Community,theadoptionandregularreviewofclearlystatedstrategic
•,priorities,basedonrecognisedmutualinterest,wouldmakeitpossibleto
giveaninitialboostorlendsupporttocertainactionswhereonlyafew
MemberStatestakeanactivepart,withabeneficialeffectforall.At
thesametimeparticularattentionshouldbepaidtotheactionsand
instrumentsoftheCommunityitself.
4.3.Communityactionsandinstruments
Whentalkingaboutconsolidating theCommunity'saccumulatedexperienceit
isnotintendedtoimplythatcurrentactionswillsimplycarryonasbefore.
New"centresofgravity"willhavetobeconsidered.Again,theCommission

willseewhethersomeoftheworkwhichisbeingdonemightnotbe
drasticallyrevisedorevenabandonedaltogether.Theinternalcoherence
betweenprogrammeswillbecloselystudiedfromtimetotimewithaview
totighteningupexistinglinkagesasoftenasitprovestobenecessary,
particularly thosewithotherCommunityactions..
TheJointResearchCentreisalreadybeingexaminedwithaviewtoaprogramme
adjustmentofthiskind.Withoutwishingtoprejudgetheoutcomeofthis
reviewonemightventuretomapoutsomeofthemajorfuturelinesofaction
fortheJRCviz:
-toconcentratetheworknowbeingdoneonnuclearfissionquestions(which
nowpredominate )onthepriorityareasconcerningtheacceptability of
thisformofenergy-forexamplethehandlingandstorageofradioactive
waste,thesafetyofreactorsandthecontroloffissitematerials,
-todevelopshortandmediumtermscientificandtechnicalsupportactivities
asabackuptothesystemforformulating andimplementingpriority ~
Communitypolicies,andtoinvolve.theJRCmuchmorecloselywiththe
managementofallthevarioustypesofresearchaction-andpilotprojects,
forexamplethestudyofhowhothousescouldmakebetteruseofsolar
energyforheatingandventilation, '
-toestablishalongtermresearchactivitywheretheCCRwillbepreeminent,
forexampleinthefieldoffusiontechnology, <■:
t
-maketheISPRA-establishment freelyavailableforscientificandtechnical
activitiesofbenefittodevelopingcountries,eitherfortrainingpurposes
(courses,traineeposts,etc.)or,fordevelopingresearchprojectsbiassed
towardstheirparticularneeds(e.g.remotesensingfromtheair,newforms
ofenergy)andinwhichtheycouldplayapart,
-improvethelinksbetweentheJRCandthenationalresearchenvironment-in
particularindustry-bygivingpreferential treatmenttoresearchcontracts
placedbyoutsidebodies.Asafirststageatleasttheideawouldbeto
includesomeform"offinancialincentive,suchaschargingonlythedirect
costsoftheresearch,theoverheadsbeingmetbytheJRC.*
' /*
Increasingthescopeofactivities -' - >
Thepolicyofindividualprogrammeswhichhasbeenfolloweduptonow-
comparableinmanywaystothebasicpoliciesfollowedbynationaltechnical
ministries-iscircumscribed byitsownlimits.Inordertobesurethat

-16-
theCommunity'spotentialisfullyrealised,theCommission,feelsthat
thiswayofworkingmustbemadestrongerandmorewellroundedby
introducing astrategygearedtostimulating theefficacyofEuropean
Scienceandtodevelopingspecificmajorprojectsofparticularinterest
totheCommunity. /
-Stimulating theefficacyofscience '
AlleffortstopromoteR&Dmustdependonpeople,onteams,andonthe
.creativepotential,orthepotentialforexploitingresearchresults,
whichtheyembody.Thepoolofscientificandtechnical''knowledge -
_ . .ι
subsistsinthemandcanonlyberenewedbythem.Soitwouldbeagood
thingfortheCommunitytoputitsweightbehindresearchexchangesand
schemestoenhanceteammobility,andtogiveaIpoosttothose"advanced"
teamswithintheCommunityspecialising invariousaspectsofresearchfrom
themostfundamentaltoindustrialinnovation.Itwouldalsobenecessary
todosomethingabouthaltingthedeclineofscientificpublications in
Europe.Itismoreandmorethecasethatreviewsofothercountriesare
themediumforEuropeanresults.ThiscannotbehealthyforEuropean».scientific research. '
-Developingscientific andtechnicalprojects •"
Tokeepabreastofthetideofworldwidescientificinnovationitis
«necessarytobeabletoformulateandimplementspecificprojectsina
mannerwhichisgenuinelyflexibleandspeedy,projectswhich:
.respondtochangesinworldcompetition (e.g.space)
.servetodemonstratetechnicalfeasibility andeconomicviability
(e.g.aquaculture ) '
.holdouttheprospectofparticularsclentificortechnological
benefitsbyvirtueoflikelyspinoffeffects(e.g.labellingmicro­
organismstosafeguardindustrialpropertyrightsinthefieldof
geneticengineering )
Theimplementation ofthissortof'policyofstimulation andofprojects"
wouldmakeitpossibletomakebetterjudgementsofopportunities andof
whichmulti-annual actionstopursue,judgements whichwould"bebasedon
tangibleexperiments.'Suchactionswould,asappropriate,beintegrated
r .I ''''
intothegeneralframeworkprogramme.Thepolicywouldequallywellmake
itpossibletocarryoutthoseprojectsofmajorinterestwhicharisefrom
1
' ' i
• ■j

17
timetotimeoutofworkdoneaspartofthemulti-annual programmes
butwhich,byvirtueoftheircostorthewaytheywouldhavetobe
implemented cannotbeconsideredinthatcontext.
Effortsjoiningtogetheractivitiesrelatedtoprogrammes ontheone
handandtostimulationontheotherwouldguaranteecoherencebetween
thevariousCommunityinitiatives,andwouldbethemanifestation ofa
permanentwillingnesstoadaptprogrammesinthelightofchanging
"scientific andsocio-economic circumstances . •'
Moregenerally,thenecessarycorollarytotheimplementation ofa
.• 1 ■ ' » »
commonR&Dstrategyofthiskindwillbe '.
"-thestrengthening andsystematisation ofthewayinwhichCommunity .
R&Dresultsareevaluated
-thedevelopmentofapolicyaimedatmakingthemostoftheseresults,
diffusing andexploiting them.
5.Structures andprocedures .
5.1.Assessing,adoptingandcarryingoutthecommonstrategy
•, -. . Ν -
- t "■ '
TheCommission feelsthatitwouldbedesirablefortheCouncilofMinisters
(Research)tomeetonaregularbasis,atleasttwiceayear,inorderto
guidechoicesandmakethenecessarydecisions.
5.2.Consultation atthescientific level .
Withaviewtobenefitting fromthehelpitcouldreceiveinthepreparation
ofitsproposals andmakingsurethatthenecessarybutcomplicated linkages
,areestablished theCommission intendsto: '
-equipitselfwithamechanismcapableofperceiving andjudgingthe
scientific andtechnical needsoftheCommunity..Asafirststageit
•couldbebuiltuparoundCERD(theEuropeanResearchandDevelopment
V ~ ^
Committee)thescopeofwhosetermsofreferencewouldbeexpanded,and
bymakinguseoftheexistingFASTteam,whichwouldbestrengthened and
mademorepermanent.

-18-
-toarrangethatitcancallforadhocadvicefromateamofscientific
andindustrialadvisersofhighqualityandworldstanding,givingthe
Commissionthebenefitofdirectadvicefromthebestexpertsfromall
countriesoftheCommunity.
5.3.Consultation atthelevelofthoseresponsible fornational R&Dpolicyand
withgovernmentexperts
Withoutwishingtothrowopenthewholebasisofthepresentconsultative
machineryfordebate,itwouldbeadvisabletomakethemostofit,seeking
abovealltoshortenthetimeittakestoprepareproposals.TheCommission
intendstomakerecommendations totheCouncilandtotakeimmediateaction
ofapracticalnatureinareaswhereitisitselfresponsible,inorderto
improvetheoperationalqualitiesofthesystem.
TheEuropeanScientificandTechnicalResearchCommittee (CREST),themain
\
consultative bodyfortheCommissionandtheCouncilforR&Dmatters,plays
aparticularly importantpartintheCommunity'sdecision.makingprocesses.
TheCommissionthereforeconsidersitextremelydesirablethatthegovernments
oftheMemberStatesmandatetheirrepresentatives ontheCommitteetotake
apositiononallaspectsofitemsplacedbeforethem,particularly onthe
financialresourcesneededforCommunity R&Dprogrammes.
*
TheCommittee'sroleintheprocessofcoordinating nationalpolicieswill
similarlyhavetobespeltoutinthecontextoftheproposedstrategy,as
wellasthatofthoseconsultative committeesinvolvedinthemanagementof
programmes . •
5.A.Consultation withthesocialpartners
TheCommission intendstoreviewandrestateinaclearerfashionthemethods t
.andtheworkprogrammesofthevariouscommittees-inwhichthe-ccialpartners '
(1)takepart-whichhavethetaskofadvisingit(CORDIforexample). ■,
ItisalsointendedtoimproveitslinkswiththeEconomicand.Social
Committeeandinamoregeneralwaytomakeitscontactswiththeindustrial
andunionworldsmoresystematic.Thefactisthattheinformationavailable
fromindustryandtheunionsisstillinadequatesofarasresearchand
developmentattheCommunitylevelisconcerned.
(1)AdvisoryCommitteeonIndustrial^searchandDevelopment

Finance ■
ThecommonRSDstrategywhichisneededintheyearstocomeimplies
anincreaseinthefinancialresourcesrequiredtoeffectit,Itis
theCommission'sintentionoverthenextfewyearstoseekthisincrease "■
bothintheframeworkofCommunitybudgetresourceswhicharealready
available(particularly bymakingmoreuseofexistingfunds)andby
askingtheCouncilforadditionalresources. ~
Becauseitissodifficultto^appreciateanddefinethenewneedswhich
arelikelytosurfaceinthecomingyears,itisdifficult,andinmany;-
caseshighlyHsky,tosetdownprecisely .whatbudgetaryprovisionis
goingtobeneeded.Nevertheless apreliminaryestimatehasbeenmadeof
whatwouldberequiredtocorrespondtoadevelopmentofanR&Dstrategy
assetoutinthisdocument;thisestimatedoesnottakeintoaccount
decisionswhichmighigivetheCommunityresponsibility forthedevelopmentof
majornewprogrammessuchas,isalreadythecasefor"Fusion".Fromthis
exerciseitwouldappearthatfromnowuntil1986oneistalkinginterms
ofadoubling,irrrealterms,oftheamountofmoneyfromtheCommunity
budgetdevotedtoResearchandDevelopment.Thissum,althoughinabsolute
f
termsnotinsubstantial,stillconstitutesonlyarelativelyinsignificant
sumbycomparisonwiththetotalofthepublicRSDbudgetsoftheMember
StatesandwiththetotalbudgetoftheCommunities ..,

20-
Conclusions
Facing profound changes insociety and intheeconomy ,theEuropean
Community must remain thenucleus around which national policies are
brought together . •> • i
The risk isreal ofnotpreparing adequately for change and,because of
this ,ofnothaving available instruments sufficiently capable ofhaving
aninfluence onthefuture andofreaping the social andeconomic benefits
ofscientific discoveries .
Theautonomy ofEurope ,thedemands ofoursociety ,theneeds ofthe
economy and industry aswell astheaspirations ofthe scientific
community all call for atrue Community R&D strategy .
Such astrategy presupposes theestablishment ofobjectives for themedium
aswell asfor the long term ,andthen theselection ofthemeans to
realise them *
Atatime ofbudgetary constraint ,theCommunity dimension must beus6d
inorder to : .1
-provide extra guarantees ofeffectiveness and ofcontinuity ,
-allow fortherealisation orthestimulation ofactions orprogrammes on
aEuropean scale with aspecial degree ofexcellence ,
/
1
-make iteasier tosetpriorities ,
-assure acontinuous andmore widely based scientific evaluation ofthe
results obtained and the choices made ,
-associate thescientific community with action undertaken inorder to
improve themobility ofresearch' workers and tospeed upthediffusion
)
anc (assimilation ofknowledge .
4
The strategy proposed implies aCommunity-wide desire toobtain Commu -
nity-wide results .Italso facilitates thebetter integration ofnational ,
international andCommunity action ,totheultimate benefit oftheCommu­
nity . " '
The successes ofthepast ,thedeficiencies oftheprese /itandthedemands
ofthefuture arethus themain elements which justify theambitiousness of
'the programme which theCommission nowproposes totheCommunity .