8. 2. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 35/3 
munity financial support should indicate how these 
bodies or institutions intend to spend their allocations. 
Article 6 
The results of the evaluation carried out by the Com­
mission at the end of the third year of the plan's 
implementation should be communicated to the Econ­
omic and Social Committee and the European Parlia­
ment. 
This evaluation should also put the Commission in a 
position to submit a proposal for revising the pro­
gramme in accordance with the appropriate procedures. Apart from the evaluation, the Commission is asked to 
take regular stock of: 
— trends in the utilization capacity of large-scale scien­
tific facilities in the Community, 
— the extra utilization potential resulting from a better 
load factor and greater specialization. 
This stocktaking exercise should include a check on 
whether the allocations have been used for the purpose 
specified in the contracts. If this should prove not to 
be so and no sufficient reason can be given, the scientific 
body or institution should be obliged to reimburse all 
or part of the Commission's allocation. 
Done at Brussels, 16 December 1987. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alfons MARGOT 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation on a research and development programme 
in the field of applied metrology and chemical analyses in the European Community (1988-
1992)(1) 
(88/C 35/02) 
On 19 October 1987, the Council of the European Communities, acting under Article 130 Q 
of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, asked the Economic and 
Social Committee for an Opinion on the abovementioned proposal. 
The Committee instructed its Section for Energy, Nuclear Questions and Research to prepare 
the Opinion. The Section adopted its Opinion on 3 December 1987. The rapporteur was Mr. 
Proumens. 
The Economic and Social Committee adopted the following Opinion unanimously, with 
2 abstentions, at its 251st plenary session (meeting of 16 December 1987): 
1. The Committee has endorsed Community activi­
ties in this field on several occasions and four pro­
grammes have so far been implemented; the latest one 
was adopted by the Council on 21 December 1982 (2). 
(!) OJ No C 304, 14. 11. 1987, p. 4. 
(2) Decision 83/19/EEC (OJ No L 26, 28. 1. 1983). 2. The Committee welcomes the encouraging results 
achieved by the programme since its launch in 1973. In 
view of these results and having reviewed the contents 
of the new programme, the Committee endorses the 
proposed Regulation presented by the Commission. 
3. The Commission proposes that the programme's 
funding be very substantially increased from 25 million 
ECU (1983-1987 programme) to 59,2 million ECU 
No C 35/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 8. 2. 88 
(1988-1992 programme), with 38,2 million ECU being 
earmarked for research projects and the balance to 
cover personnel and administrative costs. 
This increase is justified by the results so far, the 
new programme's objectives, and the priority areas 
identified for research. 
4. Over the last ten years, the Community Bureau 
of References (BCR) has established 200 reference 
materials. By way of comparison, the United States 
National Bureau of Standards (NBS), which was set up 
in 1905, has prepared around 1 000 reference materials. 
Between 1983 and 1986, more than 13 000 reference 
material samples were sold, contributing more than 
450 000 ECU to the programme budget. 
5. This sum may not seem very much in comparison 
with the overall programme budget. However, the num­
ber of samples sold is increasing steadily and compares 
satisfactorily with the figure in the United States; fur­
thermore, the price of the samples is based on actual 
project expenditure on the various reference materials, 
i.e. virtually cost price. 
6. The programme will mainly consist of shared-cost 
research contracts with a 50% ceiling on the Com­
mission's own contribution. The remaining costs will 
be borne by research project participants to ensure 
a responsible approach. Furthermore, their work will 
enhance their reputation and status both in their home 
countries and in international organizations. 
7. Although as much as a third of the budget is taken 
up by personnel costs, so many tasks are involved in 
chemical analysis that high staffing is inevitable. 
Applied metrology, on the other hand, is much less 
labour-intensive. The new programme envisages an 
expanded role for chemical analysis in the five priority 
areas. 
8. The Commission proposes that the European Free 
Trade Association countries should be allowed to par­
ticipate in the programme. This is a welcome initiative 
which will strengthen the impact of the programme and 
extend collaboration in the fields it covers to the whole 
of Europe. 
It goes without saying that countries which do decide 
to participate will be expected to contribute to the 
programme budget. 9. Five priority research areas have been established 
for the next programme: 
— food and agricultural products, 
— environment, 
— health, 
— metals, 
— applied metrology. 
This is a wise choice, particularly in view of their 
relevance to the harmonization needed to complete the 
internal market and the importance of social aspects 
such as health and environment. A number of comments 
are, however, called for. 
10. With regard to the environment, it is noted that 
'analyses related to the exposure of workers to danger­
ous industrial atmospheres' are envisaged. This is a 
matter which needs to be looked at extremely closely. 
Indeed, protection at the work-place should be a major 
priority generally. 
11. The cost of diagnosis is a heavy burden on 
national health systems; laboratory tests are often 
wasteful, with the use of different reference materials 
giving rise to duplication. 
The establishment of reference materials for health-
related tests should help markedly reduce costs, by 
improving the quality of medical analyses and matching 
them more closely to requirements. Greater cooperation 
at all socio-professional levels would be useful here. 
Member States also need to ensure that national health 
organizations are kept fully informed of the BCR's 
work in this area. 
12. As regards analyses related to the environment, 
work should be centred not only on water-borne pol­
lutants but on on soil- and air-borne ones as well. 
13. The Commission believes analyses of metals 
should remain a priority area. However, samples of the 
reference materials produced so far have not sold well. 
There must therefore be some doubt as to whether this 
research priority is justified. 
14. Collaboration between the BCR and national 
and European standards organizations unfortunately 
seems to be inadequate, although nearly 50% of the 
projects contribute to standardization. 
This situation is not an isolated case; for example, 
owing to the lack of response, the International Organ­
ization for Standardization has been unable to complete 
8. 2. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 35/5 
its survey of reference material requirements among the 
relevant national bodies. 
15. In view of the growing importance of CEN/ 
Cenelec and of the reforms advocated in order to 
increase its effectiveness, particularly through the active 
participation of consumers in its work, it is desirable 
for the Commission to take even more account of the 
work and achievements of the BCR, especially in the 
priority fields covered by the proposal for a Regulation. 
The reference materials produced by the BCR should 
also facilitate and speed up work on standards, which 
will make it possible to achieve harmonization—the basis of the large European market to be completed by 
1992—as soon as possible. 
16. The BCR needs to become better known and 
recognized by all government bodies, to ensure a wide 
dissemination of its work among all potential users, 
based on its reputation. 
In this connection, it should be noted that the BCR's 
role is to promote research and cooperation rather than 
to act as a referee. 
17. The programme will be reviewed after three 
years and if necessary revised. The Economic and Social 
Committee should be informed of the outcome of the 
Done at Brussels, 16 December 1987. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alfons MARGOT 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation adopting a plan to stimulate the inter­
national cooperation and interchange needed by European research scientists (SCIENCE), 
plan 1988-1992 
(88/C 35/03) 
On 20 October 1987, the Council of the European Communities decided to consult the 
Economic and Social Committee, under Article 130 Q 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 December 1987. The 
rapporteur was Mr Moreland. 
At its 251st plenary session (meeting of 16 December 1987) the Economic and Social 
Committee adopted the following Opinion unanimously, with 2 abstentions: 
1. Background 
1.1. In March 1985 the Community launched a plan 
to stimulate European scientific and technical cooper­
ation. By May 1987, 346 joint projects had brought 
together 2 550 research scientists (full-time equivalent) 
belonging to 950 different teams. 1.2. The existing programme support covers: 
a) research grants to enable scientists to join a team 
in another Member State; 
b) twinnings between research teams from at least two 
different Member States;