No C 56/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 3. 89 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision concerning a Community programme in the 
field of strategic analysis, forecasting and evaluation in matters of research and technology 
(1988-1992), MONITOR 
(89/C 56/05) 
On 19 August 1988 the Council 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 2 December 1988. The 
Rapporteur was Mr de Normann. 
The Committee adopted unanimously the following Opinion at its 261st plenary session 
(meeting of 14 December 1988). 
1. Introduction 2- General comments 
1.1. The Committee endorses the need for each of 
the three functions covered in this proposal: 
FAST—Forecasting and assessment in science and tech­
nology (S & T) which is in effect a mechanism (popu­
larly called a think-tank) for considering the contri­
bution that science and technology might make to furth­
er the Community economic and social objectives. 
SAST—Strategic analysis in the field of science and 
technology which is intended as a mechanism (a think-
tank) to study long-term technological aspects and to 
conduct exploration analyses in new but specific areas 
(for example micro-electronics). 
SPEAR—Support programme for assessment of 
research to include: 
— the preparation of 4 to 5 horizontal evaluations of 
certain activities common to Community national 
or international research in order to analyse their 
impact and to identify means to improve their effec­
tiveness at Community level, 
— research actions into methodologies of evaluation 
of programmes of research and development 
(R &C D) in order to increase their utility and make 
them more credible to users. 
1.2. Under the combined proposal MONITOR they 
form an integral part of the mechanism involved in 
formulating and evaluating an integrated science and 
technology policy leading to the framework programme 
for Community research and technology development 
activities. 2.1. The MONITOR proposal modifies and replaces 
the FAST proposal (*) which combined the three func­
tions: 
— forecasting, 
— assessment, and 
— monitoring. 
2.2. The proposal is seen by the Commission to 
follow logically from the Single European Act which 
calls for the integration and balance of a science and 
technology policy with the economic and social require­
ments for: 
— the health, safety, welfare and quality of life of 
people, 
— the strategic requirements imposed by a highly com­
petitive world, and 
— the need for value for expenditure through the 
efficient management of resources. * 
The Committee supports this and emphasizes science 
is for the people. 
2.3. The Committee sees this proposal as a step 
forward in the derivation of an integrated science and 
technology policy but not the ultimate. 
2.3.1. It notes that these three proposals are put 
forward as research programmes within the framework 
programme rather than essential on-going functions. It 
urges the Commission to continue to develop and refine 
its procedures for developing a S & T policy and the 
necessary framework programme to put it into effect. 
2.4. The Committee is concerned that the Com­
mission give continuing attention to the improvement 
of techniques for coordination throughout its S & T 
activities. 
1.3. This endorsement is subject to comments given 
below. (*) OJ NoC38, 11.2. 1988, p. 5. 
6. 3. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 56/11 
2.4.1. This applies not only to scientific and bureau­
cratic coordination but also to coordination with the 
Member States and between the Member States within 
the Community. 
2.5. Funding 
2.5.1. The programme is proposed for a period of 
5 years, from 1st January 1988 to 31st December 1992. 
The funding proposed is 22 million ECU split: 
Million ECU 
FAST (Forecasting) 10,45 
SAST (Strategic and impact analysis) 6,55 
SPEAR (Support for evaluation of 
R&D programmes) 5 
22,00 
2.5.2. The existing framework programme which 
extends from 1987 to 1991 provides 23 million ECU in 
line 8.3 to cover 'forecasting and assessment and other 
back-up measures (including statistics)'. 
2.5.3. To cover this current proposal for 
MONITOR, 3 million ECU has been called down from 
line 8.1 'Stimulation enhancement and use of human 
resources'. 
2.5.4. The Committee considers that the FAST pro­
gramme now proposed has a funding commitment of 
8,75 million ECU in comparison with the 14 million 
ECU provided for the old FAST activity up to the end 
of 1991. 
2.6. Economic and social considerations 
2.6.1. The Committee considers that science and 
technology have a vital contribution to make to the 
economic and social objectives of the Community in 
terms of: 
— health, safety and welfare of the people of the 
Community, 
— the quality of life, 
— the economic climate, 
— the protection of the environment, and 
— the conservation of scarce resources. 
2.6.2. The Committee supports the view of the Com­
mission that 'it is necessary to reinforce the specificity 
and utility of the forecasting activities by developing 
'global' analyses and studies at the interfaces science/ 
technology/economy/society, particularly with refer­
ence to the two major objectives of the Community for 
the 1990s: the completion of the internal market and 
the reinforcement of economic and social cohesion 
within the Community'. 2.6.3. The Committee considers that the new FAST 
as defined in this proposal and shorn of its previous 
other functions is a key function for consideration of the 
contribution that science and technology could make to 
achieving the above objectives and in defining this 
contribution in scientific terms. 
2.6.4. Science and technology and the social partners 
must advance together hand in hand with an organized 
dialogue if the objectives are to be met. 
2.6.5. The Committee notes that the Commission 
proposal for FAST is concerned to 'promote the associ­
ation of concerned socio-economic groups and insti­
tutions' in the FAST programme. This is supported 
by the opinion of the management and coordination 
advisory committee for FAST and accepted by the 
Commission as a main conclusion relating to the initial 
FAST proposal. 
2.6.6. The preamble to this current proposal empha­
sizes the growing impact of science and technology on 
economic and social life. 
2.6.7. The Committee notes that the FAST pro­
gramme proposal includes the preparation every two 
years of a report on the economic and social impli­
cations of technological change particularly in Europe. 
It assumes that a mechanism will be proposed whereby 
the Economic and Social Committee will be involved 
in this work rather than simply informed after the work 
has been completed. 
2.6.8. Such a proposal should be anticipated by con­
sidering ways and means to set up a mechanism for a 
continuing dialogue between the Economic and Social 
Committee and the Commission to match the FAST 
proposal in considering the relation of new technology 
to the overall economic and social activity of the Com­
munity. 
2.7. FAST - the old and the new programmes 
271 A. The Committee prepared an Opinion on the 
proposal for a Council Decision concerning Community 
action in the field of forecasting and assessment in 
science and technology (FAST) (!) (2). It largely 
endorsed the continuation of FAST activities in so far 
as FAST is the research programme for forecasting long 
term changes in the field of science and technology and 
assessment of their implications and consequences for 
the future development of the Member States. 
(!) OJNoC39, 11.2. 1988, p. 5. 
(2) OJ No C 80, 28. 3. 1988, p. 11. 
No C 56/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 3. 89 
2.7.2. The programme proposed three basic func­
tions: 
— forecasting—to focus on key global problem areas 
and examine their long term implications, 
— assessment—to analyse certain issues such as the 
prospect for a technology, the economic and social 
implications of likely developments in selected tech­
nologies and the international competitive position 
of the Community, 
— monitoring—to examine issues such as methods of 
forecasting use of scenarios and technology indi­
cators. 
2.7.3. The Opinion emphasized: 
— FAST activities should extend beyond requests from 
the Commission and Member States to include those 
from the ESC and institutional bodies of the Com­
munity. 
— Strategic assessment of science and technology 
should be based on the inclusion in the process of 
assessment of all persons involved in and affected 
by science and technology. 
— The limited extent to which the existence of FAST 
is known in the Member States is to be deplored. 
Attention to the diffusion and development of FAST 
results must be a priority for 1988. 
— The funding for the new FAST programme within 
the framework programme is modest in relation to 
its objectives. 
2.7.4. The Committee now urges in addition: 
— FAST must be properly integrated into the decision 
making process of the Community, the Community 
S & T policy and the resulting R&D framework 
programme. This will involve a mechanism to 
ensure the cooperation of all Commission Director­
ates and full use of the institutes of the Joint 
Research Center (JRC). 
— FAST needs to be flexible and responsive to the 
changing requirements of the Community and 
Member States. A continuous mechanism of input 
of these requirements to FAST therefore needs to 
be devised. 
— FAST needs to take full account of Member States' 
activity in order to make best use of its resources. 
This includes both forecasting activity and S & T 
policy and the results of implementation of R & D 
programmes both under the framework programme 
and in the Member States. The Section notes the 
'12 + 1 Network' proposed in this respect. — With special reference to competitivness FAST 
needs to take account of international competition 
and not just trade within the Community. 
— With special reference to the developing countries 
FAST needs to take account of their needs for new 
and relevant technologies and of the effects of new 
technologies on them. 
2.7.5. The Committee considered it to be of the 
utmost importance that FAST should contribute 
directly to Community cohesion and that priority 
should be given to examining the implications of the 
new Community policies for economic and social 
cohesion, the social and regional impact of R & D 
programmes and projects and obstacles to the diffusion 
of findings. 
2.7.6. The MONITOR proposal now brings FAST 
into the overall policy-forming and planning mechan­
ism as a key function in a continuous and integrated 
mechanism. 
2.7.7. The Committee notes with approval that a 
special interservice group, involving the Directorates-
General of the Commission concerned, is to be set 
up to coordinate FAST and to approve its annual 
programme. It feels that this confirms the horizontal 
function of FAST. 
2.7.8. However, the Committee urges the Com­
mission to be more specific with regard to: 
— the position of the FAST team within the R&D 
planning organization, 
— the mechanism for directing FAST studies, 
— the integration of FAST results with the S & T 
policymaking function in the Commission, 
— the integration of FAST results with the framework 
planning function, and 
— the means that FAST will adopt to establish work­
ing relations and a practical link with Member 
States. 
2.8. SAST 
2.8.1. The Committee regards SAST as the think-
tank function which when required, analyses in depth 
areas of science and technology especially in the light 
of the competitive state of the art as a contribution to 
framework programme planning. 
2.8.2. The Committee regards this function as 
important especially with regard to international devel­
opments in new technologies. 
2.8.3. The Committee therefore urges the Com­
mission to be equally specific in answering the questions 
6. 3. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 56/13 
posed above with regard to the new SAST proposal. 
2.9. Research intelligence 
2.9.1. The Committee suggests that the Commission 
considers its offices in the Member States of the Com­
munity and in the technologically advanced countries 
as centres for technological liaison. Such offices could 
be used to locate a scientific member of the Commission 
staff who would be responsible for organizing both 
the gathering and the dissemination of technological 
information and opportunities. 
2.9.2. The JRC might be a source of the necessary 
personnel. 
2.10. Evaluation - SPEAR proposal 
2.10.1. This proposal extends the function of moni­
toring formerly covered by the earlier FAST pro­
gramme, formalizes and clarifies it as the evaluation 
function. 
2.10.2. This proposal follows the Communication to 
the Council concerning a Community plan of action 
relating to the evaluation of Community research and 
development activities for the years 1987 to 1991 (l) and 
the Resolution adopted by Council of 9 December 
1986 (2). This Communication was not referred to the 
Committee for its Opinion. 
2.10.3. The Committee supports this plan of action 
which regards the evaluation of research as a key 
element in R & D management and hence as an essential 
part of the implementation of the framework pro­
gramme. 
2.10.4. The Committee believes that the evaluation 
function must meet these key criteria: 
— every R&D programme should be designed and 
formulated in such a way that practicable evaluation 
can be made at appropriate intervals with clear 
distinction between real-time evaluation (monitor­
ing) and end-point (final) evaluation, 
— the results of that evaluation must form an integral 
part of the R&D programme management and 
must be fed back into that management, thus for­
ming a closed loop of information, 
— the evaluation must be carried out independently of 
line management and of the Commission staff by 
people who will be respected by the project man­
agers so that it is and is recognized to be unbiased 
and hence acceptable, 
i1) OJ No C 14, 20. 1. 1987, p. 5. 
(2) OJ No C 2, 6. 1. 1987, p. 1. — there must be a continuous review of the balance 
between under and over evaluation so that evalu­
ation remains an unobstructive tool of management 
rather than its suppressive master, 
— there must be a continuing search for improved 
methodology, 
— elements of industrial and commercial experience 
and of social and consumer interests should be 
introduced into the evaluation procedure. 
2.10.5. The SPEAR proposal is somewhat limited in 
defining these criteria. The Committee would like to 
see the proposal strengthened by a recital of the main 
principles of evaluation and a commitment by the Com­
mission to put them into practice. 
2.10.6. This proposal introduces a new element of 
horizontal evaluations of certain activities common to 
Community, national or international research. The 
Committee suggests that this work be specified more 
precisely with a clear statement of its objectives 
although it understands that the Commission will give 
priority to the horizontal evaluations of cohesion, train­
ing and the problems of small and medium-sized enter­
prises (SME). 
2.10.7. The Committee feels that SPEAR should con­
tribute directly to Community cohesion through its 
research into methods of evaluating R&D programmes 
by developing quantitative indicators, improving evalu­
ation methods and drafting guidelines for evaluation. 
The Committee feels this is specially important for 
Member States which can devote only limited resources 
to R & D. 
2.10.8. The Committee does not believe that this is 
an appropriate moment to introduce any element of 
evaluation of Member States R&D programmes other 
than those for evaluation methodology. 
2.11. Consultation 
2.11.1. The Committee asks that the Commission 
include in their proposal the nature of the groups which 
they propose to use to advise them on the three sub-
programmes of MONITOR. It assumes that the Scien­
tific and Technical Research Committee (Crest) and the 
Committee for the European Development of Science 
and Technology (Codest) will be included. 
2.11.2. The Committee draws attention to the 
importance of the industrial Research and Development 
Advisory Committee (IRDAC) to ensure a dialogue 
with the social partners. 
2.12. Management 
2.12.1. The Committee notes that the Commission 
will be assisted in the implementation of this pro-
No C 56/14 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 3. 89 
gramme by a management and Coordination Advisory 
Committee (CGC) which will be set up for this purpose. 
2.12.2. The Committee asks that the rules determin­
ing the structure and operation of this Committee be 
formulated to allow variable composition relevant to 
subjects as different as forecasting and evaluation. 
2.12.3. The Committee assumes that the Advisory 
Committee on Programme Management on FAST II 
will cease to operate. 
Done at Brussels, 14 December 198? 
1. Introduction 
1.1. The Committee endorses the proposal that the 
Commission spend 439,5 million ECU over the four 
years 1989 to 1992 to promote collaborative technologi­
cal research to enhance the precompetitive position of 
the Community's manufacturing industries in particular 
small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). 
(!) OJ No C 228, 3. 9. 1988, p. 3. 2.13. Information of the ESC on the programme 
implementation 
2.13.1. It is asked that Article 4 of the Commission 
proposal be amended to include the Economic and 
Social Committee as recipients of the review of the 
programme, any proposals for modification or pro­
longation, the evaluation of the results and the regular 
information on the state of Commission activities. 
2.13.2. Since the Council Decision will have regard 
to its Opinion, the ESC should equally be asked to give 
its view on the development of the programme. 
2.13.3. Therefore, the Committee asks the Council 
to request the Commission to make the appropriate 
amendments. 
1.2. The four areas of work which will be chosen 
from the fields of industrial manufacturing technologies 
and advanced materials applications are critical for 
many industries but nevertheless common to several. 
1.3. The Committee recognizes that a main purpose 
of this European Community programme is to bring 
about complementary research by industrial companies, 
research institutes, universities and other higher edu-The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE 
Opinion on a proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific research and technological 
development programme of the European Economic Community in the fields of industrial 
manufacturing technologies and advanced materials applications (BRITE/EURAM) 
(1989-1992) (^ 
(89/C 56/06) 
On 19 August 1988, the Council of the European Communities decided to consult the 
Economic and Social Committee, under Article 130Q (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 2 December 1988. The 
Rapporteur was Mr de Normann. 
At its 261st plenary session (meeting of 14 December 1988) the Economic and Social 
Committee adopted unanimously the following Opinion.