No C 102/16 Official Journal of the European Communities 24. 4. 89 
2.2. The Committee observes that each specific 
agreement is governed by stringent formalities and con­
cluded at top level—like more far-reaching agreements 
between the EC and non-member countries. 
2.3. Similarly, the annual joint committee meeting 
takes place at the very top level. 
The Committee wonders whether a more appropriate 
and flexible solution might not be to have only one 
agreement with each country and to attach specific 
Done at Brussels, 22 February 1989. 
The Committee supports the Commission's proposal. 
This support is based on the considerations set out 
below. 
1. Introduction 
1.1. Chapter 7.1 of the framework programme for 
Community activities in the field of research and tech­
nological development (1987-1991) (2) has provided for 
the marine science and technology (MAST) programme. 
(') OJ N° C 298, 23. 4. 1988, p. 15. 
(2) OJ N° L 302, 24. 10. 1987, p. 1. agreements to this framework agreement along the 
lines of appendices, thereby providing greater scope for 
prompt, smooth adjustments to the provisions. 
2.4. The Committee also considers that each EFTA 
country could attach an expert to the relevant Com­
mission departments to achieve more effective cooper­
ation. The aim should, needless to say, not be to give 
the EFTA countries special privileges at the expense of 
other non-member countries but to promote cooper­
ation to mutual benefit. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE 
Its broad objectives are 'to contribute to establishing a 
scientific and technological basis for the exploration, 
exploitation, management and protection of the Euro­
pean coastal and marginal seas' and 'to introduce the 
necessary Community dimension to various on-going 
research activities'. 
1.2. The Committee wishes to emphasize that for 
some Member States (for example Ireland and Portugal 
with its outlying islands) the economic and social impli­
cations of marine studies are not limited to marginal Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific research and technological 
development programme in the field of marine science and technology (MAST) (*) 
(89/C 102/11) 
On 15 November 1988, the Council of the European Communities decided to consult the 
Economic and Social Committee, under Article 130 Q (2) of the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community on the abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for Energy, Nuclear Questions and Research, which was responsible for preparing 
the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 3 February 1989. The rapporteur 
was Mr Campbell. 
At its 263rd plenary session (meeting of 22 February 1989), the Economic and Social 
Committee adopted the following Opinion unanimously. 
24. 4. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 102/17 
coastal seas, but will require investigations of the waters 
of parts of the North Atlantic Ocean. 
1.3. The four main headings covered by the pro­
gramme are: 
— basic and applied marine science (modelling ocean­
ography), 
— coastal zone science and engineering, 
— marine technology (instrumentation for science, 
generic enabling technologies, design aspects of 
large facilities), 
— supporting initiatives. 
1.4. The total cost anticipated over the three years 
of the programme amounts to about 96 million ECU: 
50 million ECU from the Community budget and 
approximately 46 million ECU from other sectors at 
national level, through shared-cost contracts. 
1.5. Administrative and staff costs are estimated to 
amount to 8,2% of total expenditure. 
2. General comments 
2.1. A great deal of marine and oceanographic re­
search is already being carried by the Member States. 
In financial terms, the MAST programme will contribu­
te only a small amount to the total national expenditure 
in this field, probably no more than an additional 5%. 
2.2. The Commission has identified significant gaps 
in research and there is underutilization of knowledge 
and facilities. In the Committee's view the MAST pro­
gramme, despite its limits, can contribute, as a catalyst, 
to filling these gaps, improving productivity and disse­
minating information in this very extensive field of 
research, whilst acknowledging that there are a number 
of intergovernmental and institutional agencies ex­
changing information about marine science. 
2.3. The MAST programme is concerned with the 
acquisition of fundamental understanding of marine 
matters which provide a firm foundation for other 
specific research programmes being undertaken, firstly, 
and of greatest importance, in the field of environmen­
tal protection of the seas together with other important 
areas of research, such as fisheries, hydrocarbons explo­
ration, renewable energies and waste dumping. 2.4. The potential for projects under the four main 
areas of work covered by the MAST programme is very 
great and this is confirmed in a Commission working 
document which gives a more detailed description of 
its technical content and has been prepared after a large 
consultation. 
2.5. The Committee is satisfied that most potential 
areas for research projects have been considered in this 
document. Nevertheless, having regard to the diverse 
nature of projects, the limited finance available and the 
need for commitment by the end of 1990, the Committee 
has some concern on the following points: 
— the Committee is not aware of any inventory of 
research work being carried out in the Member 
States together with the specific Community re­
search programmes referred to in 2.3 above. Such 
an inventory is required to be able to place the 
MAST programme in the context of a Community 
strategy in the field of marine science research, 
— it is not clear what specific criteria will apply for 
selecting projects. There should be a limited number 
of projects, within financial constraints, which are 
feasible, useful and contribute not only to funda­
mental understanding but wherever possible to 
specific applications in the field of protection of the 
environment, and in industry, in particular, 
— whilst the machinery for coordination exists both in 
the Commission and through international bodies, 
there is no clear indication that the necessary posi­
tive decision-making can be exercised in such a 
diverse field of activity to ensure success of the 
MAST programme. 
2.6. The Committee takes note that within Part I of 
the programme, under the heading 'Basic and applied 
marine science', some priorities for work have already 
been identified: ecosystem models, modelling coordina­
tion, biogeochemical cycles and fluxes and biological 
processes. It also notes that this is supported by Crest, 
of which an ad hoc working group on marine science 
and technology has been assisting the Commission in 
defining the technical content of the programme. 
2.7. Part II, under the heading 'Coastal zone science 
and engineering', is concerned to a greater extent with 
physical works and is closely linked to the research 
No C 102/18 Official Journal of the European Communities 24. 4. 89 
work proposed under part I. The Committee considers 
these two parts as being complementary and that there 
should be no unnecessary rigidity in the boundary be­
tween them. 
2.8. The Committee was concerned that the 
constraints of restricting community involvement and 
funding to precompetitive research would limit work 
under this programme to the theoretical studies without 
the prospect of rapid practical use. 'However, it is 
assured that one of the criteria for the selection of 
projects will be the potential for industrial or other 
practical applications.' 
2.9. The Committee is also assured that this restric­
tion will not be a constraint when selecting the projects, 
particularly under part III of the programme—marine 
technology—bearing in mind the close liaison with 
the EUROMAR project, launched under the EUREKA 
initiative. This project is concerned with the develop­
ment and application of modern technologies for the 
exploration of ecological relations and cause-and-effect 
chains in the seas of Europe. 
2.10. Part III of the programme presents, in addition, 
the opportunity for projects related to the development 
of instruments and equipment for measurement and 
data collection. In recent years many small and medium-
sized enterprises have developed their expertise in this 
high-tech field and it is to be hoped that they can play 
a major role in this part of the programme, as well as 
in other projects. 
Done at Brussels, 22 February 1989. 2.11. Part IV of the programme-supporting initiat­
ives will not be the subject of calls for project proposals 
but the Committee hopes that it will be used by the 
Commission to break down the barriers which prevent 
good communication, to optimize the use of existing 
and new data banks throughout the Community and 
of other expensive equipment between Member States, 
and to foster advanced specialists training courses 
where there is a proven need. 
2.12. The Committee has no specific comments on 
the Articles of the proposal, with the exception of 
Article 4. Once again, the Council having sought the 
Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee, the 
Commission presumes that the Committee has no fur­
ther interests or rights. This is of course not so and it 
insists on progress reports and evaluation reports, pla­
cing the Community programme in the wider context 
of national research in this field, to be forwarded to it, 
when available, before considering any proposal for 
modification or prolongation of the programme. The 
Committee asks that Article 4 of the Commission's 
proposal be modified accordingly. 
2.13. Finally, the Committee wishes to state that the 
seas within and surrounding the Member States of the 
Community do not respect State boundaries. They have 
a profound effect on coastal areas of all countries. 
Therefore it is important that the resources allocated 
to the MAST programme are used to maximize the 
total research potential of the Community across State 
boundaries to protect the ever changing balance be­
tween land, air and sea. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE