20. 12. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 318/5 
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific research and technological development 
programme in the field of transport (EURET) 1990-1993 
COM(89) 557 final — SYN 226 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 28 November 1989) 
(89/C 318/05) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 130q (2) 
thereof; 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
In cooperation with the European Parliament, 
Having regard to the opininon of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas Article 130k of the Treaty provides that the 
framework programme shall be implemented through 
specific programmes developed within each activity; 
Whereas by its Decision 87/516/Euratom, EEC ('), the 
Council has adopted a framework programme of 
Community research and technological development 
(1987-1991), providing, inter alia, for activities in the 
field of transport; 
Whereas, for the selection of Community actions, the 
framework programme sets out criteria among which is 
that of contributing to the strengthening of the economic 
and social cohesion of the Community, consistent with 
the pursuit of scientific and technical quality; 
Whereas completion of the internal market will require 
the transport system as a whole to meet the increased 
demand for the carriage of goods and persons, and to do 
so as efficiently, economically and with as little damage 
to the environment as possible and in a manner bene­
fiting the least favoured regions; 
Whereas technological innovation can make an 
important contribution to the efficiency and competi­
tiveness of the various modes of transport and can 
improve their safety and reduce their negative environ­
mental impact; 
Whereas cooperation in research enables progress to be 
made towards the standardization, compatibility and, in 
some cases, unification of transport networks; Whereas small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) 
should be involved as far as possible in developing new 
transport technology; whereas account should be taken 
of their particular needs without prejudice to the 
scientific and technical quality of the programme; 
Whereas the transnational nature of the programme 
should be emphasized by selecting research projects 
involving at least two partners from two different 
Member States; 
Whereas Community transport technology may be 
enhanced by the participation — under appropriate 
conditions — of organizations and undertakings from 
non-member countries in Europe which have concluded 
cooperation agreements with the Community relating to 
scientific and technical research and development; 
Whereas an estimate must be made of the total 
Community financing required for this programme; 
whereas this amount appears in the financial perspective 
set out in the Annex to the Interinstitutional Agreement 
of 29 June 1988 (2); whereas the funds actually available 
will be determined in the budgetary procedure in 
accordance with that Agreement; 
Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research 
Committee (CREST), has been consulted, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1 
A specific research and technological development 
programme for the European Economic Community in 
the field of transport, as defined in the Annex, is hereby 
adopted for a period of four years, from 1 March 1990. 
(!) OJ No L 302, 24. 10. 1987, p. 1. (2) OJ No L 185, 15. 7. 1988, p. 33. 
No C 318/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 20. 12. 89 
Article 2 
1. The total Community expenditure considered 
necessary for the implementation of the programme is 
ECU 25 million, including expenditure for a staff of six 
persons. 
2. The budget authority shall determine the funds 
available for each year. 
Article 3 
Detailed rules for the implementation of the programme 
and the rate of the Community's financial participation 
are set out in the Annex. 
Article 4 
1. In the third year of the implementation of the 
programme, the Commission shall undertake a review of 
the programme and it shall report to the Council and the 
European Parliament on the results thereof, together, if 
necessary, with any proposals for modification or 
prolongation. 
2. An evaluation of the results achieved shall be 
conducted by the Commission, which shall report 
thereon to the Council and the European Parliament. 
3. The reports referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall 
be established having regard to the objectives set out in 
the Annex hereto and in conformity with the provisions 
of Article 2 (2) of Decision 87/516/Euratom, EEC. 
Article 5 
The Commission shall be assisted by a committee 
composed of the representatives of the Member States 
and chaired by the representative of the Commission. 
Article 6 
The representative of the Commission shall submit to the 
committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The 
committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a 
time limit which the chairman may lay down according 
to the urgency of the matter. The opinion shall be 
delivered by the majority laid down in Article 148 (2) of 
the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is 
required to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. 
The votes of the representatives of the Member States 
within the committee shall be weighted in the manner set 
out in that Article. The chairman shall not vote. 
The Commission shall adopt measures which shall apply 
immediately. However, if these measures are not in 
accordance with the opinion of the committee, they shall 
be communicated by the Commission to the Council 
forthwith. In that event: 
The Commission may defer application of the measures 
which it has decided for a period of not more than one 
month from the date of such communication; The Council, acting by a qualified majority, may take a 
different decision within the time limit referred to in the 
previous paragraph. 
Article 7 
The procedure laid down in Article 6 shall apply: 
— to the evaluation of the proposed projects and of the 
estimated amount of the Community's financial 
contribution; 
— to the definition of appropriate procedures for the 
exchange of information proveded for in Article 9; 
— to the participation in any project or scheme by 
European organizations and undertakings under the 
conditions provided for in Article 10. 
Article 8 
The contracts enterd into by the Commission shall 
regulate the rights and obligations of each party, 
including the methods of disseminating, protecting and 
exploiting the research results. 
Article 9 
In respect of the activities provided for in Article 1, the 
Member States and the Community shall exchange all 
relevant information available to them and which may be 
divulged, in the fields covered by this Decision, whether 
or not the activities in question are planned or carried 
out under their authority. 
The information shall be exchanged in accordance with 
the procedure laid down in Article 6; at the request of 
the interested party such information shall be deemed 
confidential. 
Article 10 
1. The Commission is authorised to negotiate, in 
accordance with Article 130n of the Treaty, agreements 
with international organizations, those non-member 
countries participating in European cooperation in the 
field of Scientific and Technological Research (COST) 
and those European countries which have concluded 
framework agreements for scientific and technical 
cooperation with the Community, with a view to asso­
ciating them wholly or partly with the programme. 
2. Where framework agreements for scientific and 
technical cooperation between non-member countries in 
Europe and the European Communities have 
been concluded, organizations and undertakings estab­
lished in those countries may participate in a project 
undertaken within this programme. 
Article 11 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States. 
^0 1^ ^ CO^c^l]ourn^lo^rii^Euro^^nCornrriLin^n^ ^oC31^B7 
A^^^L 
t ODJe^ves 
Completion of the internal market is inconceivable without a Community transport system capable of 
responding to the resulting increase in demand, in volume and qualitative terms, for all types of transport 
TheCommissionemphasizedthis point initscommumcationtotheCouncilon makingasuccessof the 
Single European Act ^CCO^t^) 100),pointing out that^^^^^^^^^c^^^^^^r^c^^^^^^^^^ 
^ut policies and legislation will not be enough without technical progress to follow them up or if 
nonEuropeancountriesgam most fromthee^tra boost totechnicalmnovation 
Against thisbackground,researchwith anaddedCommumtydimension, contributing towards thestan 
dardizationof equipment and systemsanddirectedtowardscommonob^ectivesis vital 
tn this content, EO^ET has three main objectives 
— optimum network exploitation 
— logistics 
— reduction of harmful externalities 
Until the early t^^Os financial resources were the only limit to infrastructure building Things have 
changed since then Although demand will keep growing steadily for the foreseeable future, the limit to 
expansion of the infrastructure network has been reached besides even greater financial difficulties than 
in the past, saturation point is steadily being reached as it becomes harder and harder tofmd room for 
new infrastructure and the resistance to the damage wrought on the environment intensifies 
tt is therefore essential to make full use of the infrastructure already in place 
Considerable research is being done in this field,eg the t0^.1VE programme based on the idea that,via 
modern dataprocessing and telecommunications systems, vehicle drivers can receive advice, warnings, 
information about road conditions and the best route to take, etc Some of the work being done under 
the EO^oE^A programme is ofasimilar kind Existing and future technology makes this idea perfectly 
feasible 
r^owever,the same arguments apply equally strongly to other modes where there is^ust as much need 
andchanceof progress and whereCommumtyresearchmustbebroughttobearin the same way to 
keep to the Commumty^sconstant objective of e^ual treatment for all modes of transport 
Eorthisreason,andmviewofthelackof funds currentlyavailable,theprogrammeconcentrates on 
priority research only 
lustasthehmitstoe^pansionof themfrastructurecallforoptimumnetworke^ploitanon, changesin 
production processes and trade in turn call for new methods of managing the vehicle fleet, or transport 
logistics^ 
These new services will affect first the duality demanded and second the vehicles deployed to satisfy this 
demand C^ualityof serviceembracesspeed,punctuahty,safety and, now, information, particularyon 
the location of goods Concerning the position of vehicles different techi^ues are under examination in 
theframeworkof the tO^tVEprogramme Transport is becoming an integral part of the production 
process, withcarnerse^pectedtoprovide acomple^ wider rangmgservice, mcludinghandhng, stock 
management and order processing 
No C 318/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 20. 12. 89 
Hauliers now play a greater role in organizing deliveries from a freight services centre with the aid of a 
network of consignors and consignees. The traditional modal split is giving way to a broader, more 
complex approach including every mode and looking beyond more physical movement of goods. 
3. Reduction of harmful externalities 
Transport has many adverse side-effects which must be reduced. 
The scale and severity of the accidents reported bear witness to the importance of safety and working 
conditions in the transport sector. Other modes of transport are just as dangerous. Rail accidents are, 
fortunately, much rarer, but the recent spate serves as a reminder to remain on the alert and never to 
become complacent. 
Air transport has achieved a level of safety which makes flying one of the safest methods of travel; yet it 
still presents considerable risks. Air crashes happen rarely but, when they do, they leave no escape for 
large numbers of passengers. Jumbo jet crashes claim hundreds of victims. It is worth mentioning that, 
between 1984 and 1988, an average of 940 persons per year died in aircraft accidents — and this figure 
does not include deaths caused by terrorist attacks, hijackings, etc. The numbers involved are very small 
compared to the total number of passengers carried, but they could be reduced even further. 
Shipping, too, has its share of accidents — and these can also be very serious, particularly in terms of the 
damage they cause to the environment. 
Finally, transport is one of the chief sources of pollution. Car exhausts are to blame for almost half the 
gaseous pollution in towns and cities. Although much is known about their carbon dioxide and 
monoxide content, very little has been discovered about the oxides of nitrogen. Every mode of transport 
is noisy. Road traffic may be the most all-pervading, but railways too are very noisy, not to mention 
airports. All the developed countries, particularly in the Community, spend heavily on pollution 
abatement. It is important to use these sums more efficiently. 
Some of the research directed at optimum network exploitation and logistics is helping to tackle these 
problems. Improved air and shipping traffic management also helps, and the main aim of the DRIVE 
programme is to improve road safety. 
However, more specific research is required. Most work needs to be done and many projects deserve 
support. Only those having the highest priority are included in the EURET programme. 
2. Priority themes 
EURET covers eleven research topics, grouped into three subprogrammes which correspond to the 
programme's three objectives. 
1. Optimum network exploitation 
— Cost-benefit and multi-criteria analysis for new road construction; 
— European rail traffic management conception; 
— Design and assessment of a vessel traffic management system; 
— Trials in automated air/ground data exchange for air traffic management systems in Europe; 
— Study on the controller working position in air traffic management systems in Europe. 
2. Logistics 
— Economic scenario and demand projections for freight transport of the Community; 
— Economic and technical research of the transfer of goods. Design and evaluation of rapid transfer; 
20. 12. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 318/9 
— Optimization of manpower in maritime transport; 
— Taking human factors into consideration in man/ship system. 
3. Reduction of harmful externalities 
— Improved methods for evaluating the road safety of car and trailer trains; 
— Assessment of the driving safety of possible truck and trailer combinations. 
3. Implementation 
The programme shall be implemented by means of: shared-cost research contracts, concerted actions and 
assessments. 
The programmes are open to universities, research organizations and industrial companies, including small 
and medium-sized enterprises, individuals, or any combination thereof established in the Community. As a 
rule projects must be transnational. 
The association and involvement of non-member countries, international and national organizations will be 
founded on the criterion of mutual advantage. In the case of European non-member countries, their asso­
ciation and involvement will be made possible through the COST system and through the bilateral 
framework agreements with EFTA countries. 
For shared-cost contracts, the Community participation will generally be 50 % of the total expenditure, but 
this percentage may be varied according to the nature and the stage of development of the research. In 
respect of universities and research institutes carrying out projects, the Community may bear up to 100 % 
of the additional expenditure involved.