26.7.93NoC201/36 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
OpinionontheFourthFrameworkProgrammeofCommunityactivitiesinthefieldof
researchandtechnologicaldevelopment (1994-1998)
(93/C201/15)
On23March1993theEconomicandSocialCommittee,actingunderthefourthparagraph
ofArticle20ofitsRulesofProcedure,decidedtodrawupanOpinionontheFourth
FrameworkProgrammeofCommunityactivitiesinthefieldofresearchandtechnological
development (RTD)(1994-1998).
TheSectionforEnergy,NuclearQuestionsandResearch,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon11May1993.TheRapporteur
wasMrRoseingrave .
Atits306thPlenarySession(meetingof26May1993)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
unanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
1.Introduction
1.1.TheThirdFrameworkProgrammeofCom­
munityactivitiesinthefieldofresearchandtechnologi­
caldevelopment,coveringtheperiod1990-1994,was
adoptedbyCouncildecisionof23April1990(x).The
CommitteeissuedanOpiniononthecorresponding
Commissionproposalon15November1989(2).
1.2.InadoptingtheThirdFrameworkProgramme,
whichlinkedinwiththesecondprogrammespanning
1987-1991,theCounciltookonboardtheprincipleof
a'rollingprogramme'ofCommunityRTDactivity,
wherebytwoconsecutiveprogrammesoverlapbyone
ortwoyears.
1.3.Thisprinciple(whichtheCommitteeendorsed
intheabovementioned Opinion)wasintroducedto
ensurethenecessarycontinuityofresearchworkandto
adjustprioritiesinthelightofexperienceandchanging
needs.
1.4.Underthisprinciple,thefinancingofthethird
programmewastobewounddownin1993/1994,and
afourthprogrammewastobedecidedfor1993-1997.
TheCommissionwasinitiallyduetopresentitspro­
posalonthisinSeptember1992.for1993-1999,includingperspectivesforRTDspending
overthesameperiod.
1.7.AstheMaastrichtTreatyhasnotyetbeenrati­
fiedbyallMemberStates,theCommissionisnot
expectedtopresentitsformalproposalfortheFourth
FrameworkProgrammebeforetheautumnof1993.
1.8.TheCommitteewillreceiveaformalreferralon
thisproposal.Inthemeantime,aninter-institutional
dialoguehasgotunderway,inwhichtheCommittee
isinvolved,concerningtheprinciples,conceptsand
strategywhichshouldunderlietheFourthFramework
Programmeanditsobjectives,aswellastheresearch
prioritiestoadopt.Thisdialogueisintendedtofacili­
tateandspeedupthesubsequentadoptionand
implementation oftheFourthFrameworkProgramme.
1.9.ThefollowingOpinionshouldbeseenaspart
ofthisprocess.ItdrawsespeciallyontwoCommission
documents :
—theCommunication entitledResearchafterMaas­
tricht:Anassessment,astrategy[doc.SEC(92)682
finalof9April1992],and
—aWorkingDocumentontheFourthFramework
Programme [doc.COM(92)406finalof9October
19921.
1.5.Variousfactorscombinedtocallthisscenario
intoquestion:theabsenceofaCommunityfinancial
frameworkfortheperiodbeginning1993,anddelays
intheentryintoforceoftheTreatyonEuropeanUnion
(the'Maastricht'Treaty),whichlaysdownanew'co­
decisionprocedure'fortheadoptionoftheFramework
Programme .1.10.ThepurposeoftheCommunication wasto
'presenttheCommission'sreflectionsontheprincipal
issuesofresearchandtechnologicaldevelopmentpolicy
inacoherentmanner'(paragraph12).Itcontainsthe
fullanalysisandgroundsonwhichtheCommission
feelstheFourthFrameworkProgrammeshouldbe
based.
1.6.TheEuropeanCouncilinEdinburghon11and
12December1992reachedagreementonthefuture
financingoftheCommunityandafinancialframework1.11.TheWorkingDocumentcontainspractical
detailsofhowtheCommissionintendstoimplement
itsstrategy,andprovidesdetailedinformationonthe
researchactivitytobeincludedintheFourthFrame­
workProgramme,whichtheCommissionnowpro­
posestoimplementin1994inordertocovertheperiod
1994-1998 .(1)OJNoL117,8.5.1990,p.28.
(2)OJNoC56,7.3.1990,p.34.

26.7.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC201/37
roleanddetermineswhetherEuropeanfirmscanhold
theirownontheworldmarkets'.Itaddedthat
'measuresforenhancingcompetitiveness shouldnotbe
confinedtoafewhigh-techsectorsbutmustalso
addressbroadlybasedtechnologies'(par.3.4.1).1.12.TheCommissionveryrecentlysubmitteda
secondWorkingDocument[doc.COM(93)158final]
whichtakesspecificaccountoftheconclusionsofthe
EdinburghSummitandofthecommentsandviews
expressedonitsfirstWorkingDocument.Thegeneral
tenorofthesecondWorkingDocumentandanumber
ofmodificationsitcontains,couldbesaidtorepresent
apraiseworthymovetowardstherecommendations of
theCommitteeinthisOpinionandinpreviousOpin­
ions.ThissecondWorkingDocumentwas,however,
receivedtoolatetobereferredtoatthisstage.When
referencesaremadeintheOpiniontotheCommission's
WorkingDocument,theyarereferencestodoc.
COM(92)406final.
1.13.ThisOpinionmakesimportantcontributionsto
theongoinginstitutionalconsultationswhichwilllead
toafinalproposalfromtheCommission .TheCom­
mitteewillbecommentingonthenewWorkingDocu­
mentinduecourse.2.3.3.Thequalityofproductsandmanufacturing
processeswhichmeettheexistingandemergingneeds
ofconsumersisthekeytoachievingcompetitivity .
TheWorkingDocumentgivesconsiderableattentionto
RTDforproductandproductionquality.Ageneral
objectiveoftheproposedFirstActivityisstatedtobe
thecontributionofscienceandtechnologytosociety's
needsandthereareindicationsofattentiontoneedsin
someresearchthemes.Theidentificationofneedsas
marketopportunities isnotsufficientlystressed,
however.Inparticular,theHorizontalSupport
Measure—StudyandExploratoryActivities—doesnot
appeartogivesufficientattentiontoresearchtoidentify
andanalyzethemarketopportunitiesofexistingand
emergingneedsofthecitizensofEurope.
2.3.4.Themorerapiddisseminationandvaloriza­
tionofresearchresults,reducingthetimefromresearch
tomarket,isevenmoreimportantinaneraofglo­
balizedenterprisethanwhentheCommitteedrewatten­
tiontoitinpreviousOpinions.
2.3.5.Anessentialelementofthecommonpolicies
oftheCommunity,toprovideincreasedemployment
opportunitiesforthecitizensofEurope,deservesmore
emphasisandattentionthanisgiveninboththeCom­
missionCommunication andtheWorkingDocument.
2.3.6.Asfarbackas1986,initsOpiniononthe
SecondFrameworkProgrammeof27November
1986(2)theCommitteestateditsviewclearly:2.ObjectivesgoverningtheFourthFrameworkPro­
grammeandpolicyguidelines
2.1.TheCommissionstatesinparagraph16ofits
WorkingDocumentthat'thecontentsoftheFourth
FrameworkProgrammeweredeterminedinaccordance
withtwomainobjectives:strengtheningthecompetitive
positionofourindustryatinternationallevelandthe
improvementofthequalityoflife.Thesetwomain
objectivesarecloselylinkedandinterdependent'.
2.2.TheCommitteeendorsesthedeterminationof
thecontentoftheFourthFrameworkProgrammeon
thebasisofthesetwoobjectives.Thestatementthat
theyarecloselylinkedandinterdependent isinaccord­
ancewiththeviewsoftheCommittee.Itmustalso
beborneinmindthatallCommunityresearchand
technologicalactivities,whatevertheirformandunder
whichevercommonpolicytheyfall,willbeincludedin
theFrameworkProgrammeinitsroletosupportother
Communitypoliciesandtheobjectivesofotherchapters
oftheMaastrichtTreaty.
2.3.Competitivity
2.3.1.TheCommitteebelievesthatresearchaimed
atachievingcompetitivityintheCommunityandglobal
marketsrequiresanddeservesmoreresourcesatCom­
munitylevelthanhavesofarbeenallocatedinthe
FrameworkProgrammes .
2.3.2.TheCommitteeOpinionof27November
1991(!)ontheCommissionCommunication onindus­
trialpolicyinanopenandcompetitiveenvironment
[doc.CC)M(90)556final]stressedthat'thetechnologi­
calcompetitiveness ofEuropeanindustryplaysakey'Thestrengtheningofthescientificandtechnologi­
calbasisofEuropeanindustryandthedevelopment
ofitsinternationalcompetitiveness aremajor
objectivesofaresearchandtechnologicaldevelop­
mentstrategy,butinturntheyconstituteonlyone
elementinthedevelopmentofaEuropewhichwill
beabetterplaceforitscitizens.Thisrequires,as
anessential,increasedemploymentopportunities
andanimprovedqualityoflifeforthecitizensof
theCommunity'(par.1.1).
2.3.7.Theunemployment positionhasworsened
ratherthanimprovedsince1986.Globalization of
industrialenterprisesandthereorganization ofthe
manufacturing systemwiththepresentapproachof
HOJNoC40,17.2.1992,p.31.(2)OJNoC333,29.12.1986,p.45-54.

26.7.93NoC201/38 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
aboutthereductioninopportunitiestowork,EC
researchplanningshouldproposetostudytheprocess
ofchangeinthisrespectinoursocietyandalsoits
implications.ThechangingneedsinEducationand
Trainingarealsoanurgentresearchprioritywitha
viewtoanimprovementinskillsandthedevelopment
ofapopularscientificandtechnicalculture.Indeed
EducationandTrainingcouldwellconstituteaseparate
sectionintheFrameworkProgrammeactivities.emphasizingtheapplicationofthenewtechnologiesto
increaseproductivityintheinterestofachievingthe
objectiveofcompetitivityinglobalmarketsmayaggra­
vateunemployment problemsinEuropeunless
accompaniedbyanongoingdrivetoimprovetheskills
oftheworkforceandcreatenewproductsdesignedfor
needswhichexistalready.Productorientedappli­
cationsoftechnologicalinnovationcouldbeasource
ofnewmarketsand,asaresult,ofemployment .This
shouldevenmorebethecasetakingintoaccountthe
opportunitiesprovidedbytheSingleEuropeanMarket.
Researchtoidentifyemergingandfutureneedsisvery
desirable.Similarly,thepotentialofRTDforthedeliv­
eryandimprovementofservicescouldbeexploited
moreeffectively.2.3.10.Over-concentrating RTDonincreasingthe
speedofproductionofnewmodelsmayevenbecoun­
terproductiveforthegrowthofexistingmarkets,as
wellasforemployment .
2.3.8.TheCommissionwoulddowelltogobackto
itsowndiscussiondocumentbeforetheThirdFrame­
workProgrammeProposal,AFrameworkforCom­
munityR&DActionsinthe1990s[doc.SEC(89)675/
5]whereparagraph25providesagoodbasisfor
approachingplansforscienceandtechnologyfor
society.Thisparagraphstatesthat:2.3.11.Whatistechnologically possibleandecon­
omicallydesirableintermsofahigherstandardof
livingforsome,maynotultimatelybesociallyand
culturallyacceptable.Thenowall-embracingFrame­
workProgrammeshouldincluderesearchaimedat
exploringwaysofreconcilingthetwoobjectives,
achievingcompetitivityinworldmarketsandachieving
anacceptablequalityoflifeforthecitizensofEurope.
TheCommitteebelievesthatresearchanddevelopment
aimedatimprovingthecompetitivityoftheeconomic­
industrial-employment systemoftheCommunityis
neededforexampleonadaptationandreconversionof
existingmanufacturingplants,instrumentsofpro­
ductionandtheirpotentialformaintainingemployment
whileachievingcompetitivity .
Particularattentionmustbegiventoimplementing
simultaneoustechnicalandorganizationaladjustments .
Tothisend,modelprojectstocreateinterfacesshould
beencouraged;theyshouldhelptosupportthetransfer
ofresearchfindingstouser-orientedproduction.'Afurtherissuethatwillhavefar-reachingimpli­
cationsforS&Tpolicyinthe1990sisthegrowing
needforclosercontactandinteractionbetweenthe
'consumers'oftechnologiesandthe'producers'of
technologies (thescientificandindustrialcommuni­
ties).Acceleratingscientificandtechnological
changesprovidenewopportunitiestoenhancethe
qualityoflifeandtowidenpersonalfreedoms,
creatingnewandbetterwaysofservingconsumers
andsolvingsocietalproblems.ButS&Tcanalso
createnewsourcesofconcern—fromagrowing
awarenessofenvironmental impacts,toworries
abouttheprivacyofpersonalinformation,ethical
concernaboutthepossibilitiesopenedupby
biotechnologyandconcernabouttheimpactof
newtechnologiesonemploymentandsafety.2.4.QualityofLife
IfthebenefitsofS&Tadvancearetobefully
realizeditwillbecomemoreandmorenecessary
toensurethatproducersareabletorespondrapidly
andeffectivelytoconsumerrequirementsandcon­
cerns,whileconsumersarebetterinformedofthe
potentialimplicationsofnewdevelopments.'2.4.1.TheCommitteewelcomesthecommitment in
theWorkingDocumenttotheQualityofLifeasone
ofthetwomainandinterrelatedobjectivesandthe
contributionofscienceandtechnologytothesatisfac­
tionofsociety'sneedsasageneralobjectiveoftheFirst
ActivityoftheproposedFourthFrameworkPro­
gramme.TheCommitteeurgesthatRTDfortheQual­
ityofLifebegiventhespecialattentionwhichitneeds
ifitistoemergefromtheunderdeveloped statuswhich
ithashithertohadinCommunityscientificresearch
programmes .Thiswillrequireaninnovativemultidisci­
plinaryapproach,suchastheWorkingDocumentrefers
tointheFirstActivityundertheresearchthemes16
'S&Tforanewurbanhabitat'and18'S&Tforthe
struggleagainstsocialexclusion'.TheCommitteerec­2.3.9.Workandemploymentconstitutethebasisof
ourmodeofliving.Inadditiontobeingconcerned

26.7.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC201/39
ommendsthatthefinalProposalcontainmorereference
toandemphasisonthisinnovativemultidisciplinary
approachanditsextensiontootherthemes.Thereisa
needforanemphasisontheimportanceoftheQuality
ofEuropeanSocietyasaciviccultureandonthesocial
qualityoflifeofthecitizensofEurope.
2.4.2.Aspecificinstancewhereaninnovativemulti­
disciplinaryapproachiscalledfor(asfortheUrban
Habitat)istheRuralHabitat,butthereferencetothe
RuralHabitatismuchlesscreativewhenitappearsin
theme26'Agriculture,ForestryandRuralDevelop­
ment'.ThisshouldberemediedinthefinalProposal.
2.4.3.ConcernfortheQualityofLifeofthecitizens
ofEuropeisimportantandvaluableinitselfanditalso
offersmarketopportunitiesandapossiblemarketniche
inwhichEuropecoulddevelopacompetitiveadvan­
tage.Themuchtalkedofspin-offfrominvestmentsin
militaryRTDcould.besubstitutedinEuropebyspin­
offfrominvestmentsinsociallyusefulandQualityof
Liferesearch.2.5.3.TheCommissionappearstohavedonewhat
theCommitteerequestedinitsOpinionontheProposal
fortheThirdFrameworkProgramme :
'TheCommitteebelievesitisnecessaryforthe
Commissiontodefineclearlywhatitmeansbythe
principleofsubsidiarityandtoformulateasetof
criteriaagainstwhichprogrammeproposalswill
beassessed'(par.5.11).
2.5.4.TheCommitteeisoftheopinionthatthereis
aneedforfurtherdiscussionbothatthelevelofgeneral
formulationandinrelationtothespecificquestion
addressedbytheCommissionwhich'concernsthelevel
ofdesegregation—programme,sub-programme ,pro­
ject—tobetakenintoaccountindecidingwhetherthe
principleofsubsidiarityhasbeenrespected'.Paragraph
99oftheCommissionCommunication concludesthat
itistheproject'takenasapartofamorecomplex
activity'.
2.5.5.Theprincipleofsubsidiaritycouldbesaidto
havebegunitsprogresstowardsitscurrentplacein
CommunitypolicywhenAltieroSpinelliandtheEuro­
peanParliamentgaveitacentralplaceintheirDraft
TreatyonEuropeanUnion(1984).
2.5.6.Theprincipleofsubsidiarityhasbeen
developedandrefinedovertheyears.TheCommittee
regardsitasimportantthatbothrestrictiveanddevel­
opmentalimplicationsoftheprinciplebeaffirmed.
Responsibilities andactivitiesshouldbeundertakenat
themostdecentralisedlevelconsistentwiththeireffec­
tiveperformance .ThisconceptisaffirmedbytheMaas­
trichtTreatyunderArticle3b.Thewordingofpara­
graphs1and2ofArticle3bisasfollows:
'TheCommunityshallactwithinthelimitsofthe
powersconferreduponitbythisTreatyandofthe
objectivesassignedtoittherein.Inareaswhich
donotfallwithinitsexclusivecompetence,the
Communityshalltakeaction,inaccordancewith
theprincipleofsubsidiarity,onlyofandinsofar
astheobjectivesoftheproposedactioncannotbe
sufficientlyachievedbytheMemberStatesandcan,
therefore,byreasonofthescaleoreffectsofthe
proposedaction,bebetterachievedbytheCom­
munity.'
2.5.6.1.Equally,wheresatisfactoryperformance
exceedsthecompetenceandresourcesofanylevel,the
responsibilityshouldbetransferredtothefirstgreater
socialaggregatewhichhassuchcompetence .Thislatter
positiveaspectoftheprincipleofsubsidiarityappears
tobewhatisinmindinthereferencetoreasonsof
scaleinArticle3boftheMaastrichtTreatywhere
deficitsinresearchresourcesatthelowerlevelof
regionsofMemberStatescouldbesuppliedatthe
higherleveloftheCommunity .
2.5.7.Intheapplicationoftheprincipleofsubsidiar­
ityasadeterminantofappropriatecompetenceinCom­
munityRTD,thelevelofdisaggregation suggestedby2.4.4.Thereshouldbemoreattentiontoresearching
thepotentialofRTDformaintainingandimproving
thequalityoflife,withrelatedmarketopportunities .
Similarly,thesocialusesoftechnologyappeartooffer
vastopportunitiesfornewmarketsintheEuropean
Community .Theenvironmental andlifescienceshave
considerablepotentialalso.Researchonthesethemes
deserveshighpriorityintheFrameworkProgramme.
2.5.'Subsidiarity
2.5.1.AstheCommissionsaysinparagraph94of
ResearchafterMaastricht'TheEuropeanCouncilat
MaastrichtlaiddownafundamentalprincipleforCom­
munityactivities:theprincipleofsubsidiarity'.The
CommissiondiscussesitsapplicationinCommunity
RTDProgrammesinparagraphs93-102ofResearch
afterMaastricht .
2.5.2.Thereis,ontheonehand,theworrythatthe
Commissionmaybereluctanttoloseauthorityand
theconcernthatCommunityRTDhasbecometoo
bureaucratic .Thereis,ontheotherhand,thedefects
ofawateringcanapproachandthedangerofMember
Statesusingtheirownbudgetswithoutintegrationinto
Communityeffort.Toeffectivelyapplytheprincipleof
subsidiaritythereshouldbeencouragementofcooper­
ationandcoordinationamongtheMemberStatesin
theirresearchactivities.

OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities26.7.93
NoC201/40
theCommissioninResearchafterMaastricht(par.99)
andappliedintheWorkingDocumentistoolow.The
criteriaare'byreasonofthescaleoreffects.The
Commission'slevelofdisaggregation isthat'takenas
partofamorecomplexactivity,theprojectcould
wellpresenttherequiredcharacteristics'(par.99).This
appearstobeappropriateonthecriterionofscale.The
effectsare,however,relatedtotheobjectivesofthe
RTDactionandforthistheprojectappearstobetoo
lowalevelofdisaggregation .Toevaluateimplemen­
tationinrelationtoobjectivesrequiresassessmentata
higherlevelthantheprojectlevel.Thecriterionshould
thenbe'byreasonoftheeffectsoftheproposedsub­
programmetheproposedactioncanbebetterachieved
bytheCommunity'.—thesustainedinvolvementofscientistsfromless
favouredregions,aswellastheencouragementof
anewgenerationofyoungscientists;
—thedisseminationandcommercialutilizationof
R&Dresults,includingtheuseofmassmedia;
—thelevelandextentofrelevanceoftheprogrammes
oftheFrameworkProgrammetothecapacitiesand
interestsofallregions,includingthelessfavoured
regions;
—awarenessoftheFrameworkProgramme,infor­
mationondeadlinesandassistanceforfindingnew
partners,statisticsonFrameworkProgrammecon­
tractsanddataonthecohesionimpactsofpro­
grammes;
—bureaucracyisaparticularproblem:itisabarrier
asfaraslessfavouredregionsareconcerned,and
itmustbesimplified.Therearelongdelays(e.g.in
releasingfunds).Substantialprogressreportsare
required.Guides,officialannouncements ,andother
materialofthistypetendtobeverylong,suchthat
thenovicecannoteasilyfindtherelevantinfor­
mation(2).
2.6.5.WhenplanningthewayinwhichtheFourth
FrameworkProgrammewillcontributetosocialand
economiccohesion,useshouldbemadeoftheresults
ofthevariousandrelevantresearchprojectscompleted
aspartoftheMonitorProgramme.
2.6.6.Thereisaneedtopromotecoordinationof
activitiesoftheStructuralFundsandresearchinitiatives
undertheFourthFrameworkProgramme .2.6.EconomicandSocialCohesion
2.6.1.TheCommittee'sapproachinitsOpinionon
theProposalfortheThirdFrameworkProgrammeis
vindicatedintheapproachoftheMaastrichtTreaty.
2.6.2.TheCommitteeagreeswiththeCommissions
positionintheopeningofparagraph111ofResearch
afterMaastrichtthat'cohesionandcompetitivityare
notexclusivebutcomplementary andtheirsynergy
shouldbebetterexploited'.TheCommitteepointsout,
however,thatArticles130aand130boftheMaastricht
Treatyapplytoalltheactivitiesandarenotconfined
todissemination,accesstotechnologiesandmobility.
ThisrequiresarevisioninthefinalProposal.
2.6.3.TheHumanCapitalandMobilityProgramme
decidedundertheThirdFrameworkProgramme(x),
withitsspecialprovisionofmeasurestopromote
cohesionandreducetheeffectsofperipherallyisan
initiativewhichshouldbedevelopedintheFourth
ActivityoftheFourthFrameworkProgramme .
2.6.4.Theconclusionsofthereport'Evaluationof
theEffectsoftheECFrameworkProgrammefor
ResearchandTechnologicalDevelopmentonEconomic
andSocialCohesion'(Monitor-Spear No18)should
bereflectedintheactionsoftheFourthFramework
Programme .
InanumberofimportantaspectstheEvaluationPanel
whichpreparedthereportisoftheopinionthatthe
contributionoftheFrameworkProgrammetothe
cohesiongoalneedstobestrengthened .Theseinclude:
—theinvolvementofsmallandmedium-sized
enterprises(SMEs),particularlythoselocatedinless
favouredregions;3.ScopeandcontentoftheFourthFrameworkPro­
gramme
3.1.ThescopeoftheFourthFrameworkProgramme
hasbeendeterminedonthebasisofoneofthemost
importantnewRTDprovisionsintroducedintheMaas­
trichtTreaty,i.e.Article130f(3).Underthisprovision
theFrameworkProgrammeistoincludealltheRTD
activitiescoveredbytheTreaty,includingdemon­
strationprojects.
5.2.TheCommissionWorkingDocumentremoves
alltheambiguityregardingtheactivitieswhichgoto
makeuptheFrameworkProgramme.Tothateffect,
AnnexIItotheWorkingDocumentisstructured
accordingtofouractivitiesdescribedinArticle130gof
boththeSingleActandtheMaastrichtTreaty.These
fouractivitiesare:
(a)implementation ofresearch,technological
developmentanddemonstration programmes ,
(!)OJNoL107,24.4.1992,p.1.(2)EUR13994EN,p.VII.

26.7.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC201/41
bypromotingcooperationwithandbetween
undertakings ,researchcentresanduniversities;
(b)promotionofcooperationinthefieldofCom­
munityresearch,technologicaldevelopment
anddemonstration withthirdcountriesand
internationalorganisations ;
(c)disseminationandoptimisationoftheresultsof
activitiesinCommunityresearch,technological
developmentanddemonstration ;
(d)stimulationofthetrainingandmobilityof
researchersintheCommunity .3.3.6.AlatersectionofthisOpinionreferstoappro­
priateattentiontoSMEs,theirpotentialandtheir
needs.Inthecontextof'concentratingmajorresources
onpreciseobjectivesproposedbybusinessesontheir
owninitiative'(paragraph18oftheExplanatoryMem­
orandum),attentionshouldbegiventotwofactors
whichimpedeSMEsaccesstoresearchsupportviz.lack
ofcapacitytodesignaresearchprogrammeresponding
toamarketproblemandinadequatestaffandfinancial
resourcestocarryoutresearchandensurethedevelop­
mentoftheresearchresults.Thespecialfundingfor
SMEsundertheThirdActivityoftheproposedFourth
FrameworkProgrammeisextremelyimportant.The
experienceoftheCraftprogrammeisclearlyrelevant.
3.3.Generalcomments ■
3.4.EconomicandSocialScientificResearch
3.4.1.AProgrammeofSocialResearchwasthe
emphaticrecommendation oftheCommitteeinits
OpinionontheProposalfortheThirdFramework
Programme,whereaseparatesectionoftheOpinion
wasdevotedto'theneedforsocialresearch'(See
Section4oftheOpinion).
3.4.2.TheCommitteewelcomestheCommission's
commitmenttosocialresearchintheproposedFourth
FrameworkProgramme,asexpressedintheWorking
DocumentandotherCommunications .TheCommittee
isoftheopinion,notleastbecauseofitscorrespondence
tothecurrentemphasisontheimportanceofexplicit
referenceinallCommunityproposalstorelevancefor
thecitizensofEurope,thatthewordingintheWorking
Documentwhichimpliesasocialscientificresearch
elementshouldbecomeanexplicitsocialscientific
elementinthefinalproposal.
3.4.3.ThereshouldbeaSocialSciencescoretheme
intheFourthFrameworkProgrammeentitled'Social
andEconomicResearch'.Thedescription'Socialand
Economic'shouldbeused(e.g.inpreferencetothe
narrower'socio-economic ')bothbecauseofthemulti­
disciplinaryperspectiveitindicatesandbecause'social
andeconomic'ismoreconsonantwiththescopeofthe
FourthFrameworkProgrammeasdeterminedbythe
MaastrichtTreaty.3.3.1.TheCommitteestronglysupportstheempha­
sisoncoordinationbetweentheRTDpolicyofMember
StatesandCommunityRTDpolicy,soastoensure,
inaccordancewiththeprincipleofsubsidiarity,that
nationalandCommunityRTDpoliciesareconsistent
witheachother.
3.3.1.1.TheCommitteeneverthelessbelievesthatit
willbeessentialthatthebureaucracyinevitablyassoci­
atedwiththewide-rangingresponsibilitiesforcoordi­
nationiskeptunderthestrictestcontrol,ifinnovation
andinitiativearenottobeaffectedadversely.
3.3.2.TheWorkingDocument,followingthepro­
visionsoftheMaastrichtTreaty,statesthatacentral
featureoftheFourthFrameworkProgrammearethe
RTDactivitiesrelatingdirectlytotheimplementation
ofthecommonpoliciesoftheCommunity .TheCom­
mitteeemphasisesthatallofthecommonpoliciesare
included.
3.3.3.Thestrategicroleofgenerictechnologiesin
theindustrialeconomyisanimportantfeatureofthe
FrameworkProgramme,asenvisagedintheWorking
Document .
3.3.4.Thecomplementary top-downandbottom-up
approachesoutlinedintheWorkingDocumentarein
linewiththeCommittee'srecommendation in
itsOpinionontheThirdFrameworkProgramme
(par.3.3).
3.3.5.InitsOpinionontheThirdFrameworkPro­
grammetheCommitteealsorecommended closercoor­
dinationwithand'morefrequentconsiderationof
Eurekaintheutilisationplanwhichshouldaccompany
programmeproposals'(par.12.3).TheWorkingDocu­
ment'ssummaryintroductiontotheproposedFirst
ActivityoftheFourthFrameworkProgrammeindicates
that'theEurekaschememaybeusedtocarryout'
'prioritytechnologyactivities'(page20).Alreadyinits
OpinionontheSecondFrameworkProgrammethe
Committeedrewattentiontotheimportanceofregard­
ingEurekaandtheFrameworkProgrammeRTDactivi­
tiesascomplementary .3.4.4.WiththenewdimensionstoCommunityRTD
introducedbytheMaastrichtTreaty,anevengreater
needforSocialResearchexistsbyvirtueofotherChap­
tersoftheTreaty.
3.4.5.Buildingonasynergyofdiversitywithina
commonculturaltraditionrequiresempiricalknow­
ledgeandunderstandingofculturalpatterns,values
andattitudesandpatternsofbehaviour.Atatheoretical
levelconceptsofnationalidentity,minority/majority

26.7.93NoC201/42 OfficialjournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
researchresults;dissemination ,applicationand
exploitationoftheseresults.
3.5.2.ThespecialassistancefundforSMEstohelp
thembridgethegapbetweendiscoveryandcommer­
cialisationindicatedinparagraph125ofResearchafter
MaastrichtandreferredtoundertheThirdActivityin
theWorkingDocument,isaveryworthwhileinitiative.
Attentionwillhavetobegiventohowitcanbeoper­
ationalizedeffectively.relationsandimagesofothermembersarecentralto
achievementoftheaspirationsofthe'TreatyonEuro­
peanUnion'.
3.4.6.Subsidiarityisaformofhumansocialorgan­
ization.Planningforitwouldbenefitfromtheinsights
ofpoliticalandsocialscience.
3.4.7.TheeffectivenessofvalorizationofCom­
munityRTDProgrammesmightbeenhancedbyin­
depthstudiesofpatternsofbehaviourandunderlying
attitudes.Thishasbeenrecognised,forexample,inthe
EnvironmentProgramme(*)undertheThirdFrame­
workProgramme.EconomicandSocialSciencesare
alsoincludedintheHumanCapitalandMobilityPro­
grammeundertheThirdFrameworkProgramme.The
COSTSocialSciencesProgramme,whichwasformally
launchedinNovember1991,alsoappearstohave
developedveryrapidlyandsatisfactorily .
3.4.8.Economicandsocialscientificresearchactivi­
tiesshouldbepartofthehorizontalsupportmeasures
similartothefiveotheractivitieslistedunderthat
headinginAnnexIIofdoc.COM(92)406final.An
explicitreferenceshouldbemadeastotheinclusionof
socialscientificresearchunderStudyandExploratory
Activities .
Economicandsocialscientificresearchactivitiesshould
haveaclosethematiclinkwiththeresearch,develop­
mentanddemonstrationmeasuresinthefirstactivity
field.Thiswouldenablethemtocontributetoimprov­
ingtheuseoftheinnovativepotentialofscienceand
technologyintheinterestsoftheEuropeanCommunity
anditscitizens.3.5.3.Inadditiontotheoverallimplementation of
thecommitmenttocohesioninrelationtoRTD,with
theparticularimportanceofSMEsintheObjectiveI
MemberStatesinmind,thepotentialoftheStructural
FundsforthedevelopmentoftheRTDcapacityof
SMEsshouldberesearchedfurtherinordertoimprove
it.Thereshouldberesearchalsoonthecriteriaforthe
useofthestructuralfundsandtheobligationonMem­
berStatestoadheretotheprinciplesgoverningthe
implementationandoperationoftheStructuralFunds.
3.5.4.ExperimentsintheUSAandJapaninpromot­
ingtheRTDcapacityofsmallenterprisesshouldbe
reviewedinasearchfortransferableknowledgeand
experience.
3.5.5.TheCommitteewarmlywelcomesthe
measurestostimulateSMEparticipationinCommunity
programmes,withparticularreferencetothereinforce­
mentof'bottom-up'programmes,suchastheCraft
sub-programme ,carriedoutundertheBrite/Eurampro­
gramme(2)theextensionoffeasibilitystudiestomore
programmesandthestreamliningofadministrative
procedures.Itadvocatestheidentificationofnew
measuressuchastheintroductionofproceduresdesign­
edtostimulatecooperationbetweenlargeandsmall
businessesandbetweenbusinessesandtheuniversities
throughparticularlysuitablechannelsofevaluationor
increasedfunding.3.5.SmallandMediumEnterprises
3.5.1.PreviousFrameworkProgrammeshavegiven
attentiontotheproblemsofSMEsingainingaccessto
theresultsofCommunityRTDandinexploitingthose
results.
ThoughthisattentionhasbeenpraisedbytheCom­
mittee,ithasfailedtoproduceprogrammes ,instru­
mentsandresourcesonthescaleneededforeffective
SMEparticipationintheresearchprojectsandexploi­
tationofresults.
ProvisionshouldbemadeforanRTDOptimization
FundofferingSMEsanintegratedaidpackagecovering:
—preparationoftheproposal;
—drawing-upofthecontract;
—implementation oftheproject;
—thepost-researchstagesinvolving:promotionof3.5.6.ThepotentialandtheachievementsofSMEs
inthecreationofemploymentopportunitiesandin
theirinnovativecapacityhavebeenclearlydemon­
stratedbothintheCommunityandelsewhere.Every
appropriatemeansshouldbeutilisedinCommunity
programmestoenablethemtobenefitfromsuccessful
innovationandresearchcarriedoutinthemorehighly
financedareasoftheprivateandpublicsectors.To
fosterRTDbySMEsthereshouldbeasupportfund
forSMEscorrespondingtotheEureka-typeinitiative
intheproposedFirstActivity.
(!)OJNoL192,16.7.1991,p.29.(2)OJNoL375,31.12.1991,p.18.

26.7.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC201/43
shouldcoordinationofresearchfocusedonaparticular
areaofapplication,e.g.transportandinformation
exchangesystems.3.6.TheFirstActivity:Implementation ofresearch,
technologicaldevelopmentanddemonstration
programmes,bypromotingcooperationwithand
betweenundertakings,researchcentresanduni­
versities
3.6.9.2.Thefacilitationoftechnologyexchangeand
transferappearstobepossibleespeciallyinthesoftware
field.Softwareappearsasanintegralelementorassoci­
atedrequirementinothersectionsoftheFirstActivity
andthisgivesithighimportanceinplanningRTD.
3.6.9.3.Inframingtheinformationandcommuni­
cations'technologiesprogramme,apriorityaimshould
betoselectappropriatethemesarisingoutofthe
interfacebetweenITproducers'andusers'require­
mentssoastorespondmoreeffectivelytosociety's
needs.
3.6.9.4.Continuitywiththeresearchactivitiesofthe
ThirdFrameworkProgrammesuggestsahighpriority
forimagetechnologiesandadvancedcommunications ,
butthereshouldbeanevaluationofresearchtodate
andanassessmentoftheprobablemarketdemand.
3.6.9.5.Thecentralimportanceoftransportand
relatedinfrastructure needstobestressedasdoesthe
needforacomprehensive strategyinthatfield.Pro­
visionforcoordinationisnecessaryandanoverview
wouldindicatehowcompletetheproposedprogramme
is—forexample,iselectrictractionincluded?Thisarea
ofresearchdeservesmoreattentionandcoordination
andindeedallresearchactivitiesrelatingtotransport
couldappropriatelybebroughttogetherinasectionof
theFrameworkProgramme .3.6.1.TheobjectivesgivenarethoseoftheFourth
FrameworkProgrammeandassuchareendorsedby
theCommittee .
3.6.2.Thethematicframeworkisausefulmethod
ofpresentation .Inpractice,however,ithasledtoa
verylonglistingofthemeswithoutanyindicationof
theCommission'sprioritiesand,ofnecessity,noinfor­
mationcanyetbegivenonthefinancialenvelope.
3.6.3.Giventheverylargenumberofthemes,and
sincethisOwn-initiative Opinionisamatterofurgency,
ifitistobeinfluentialintheprocessofinter-insti­
tutionalconsultation ,theCommitteewillnotatthis
stagecommentoneachoftheproposedthemes.
3.6.4.Prioritiesdependonprinciplesand,fromthe­
se,strategiesaredeveloped.TheCommittee'sprinciples
foraFrameworkProgrammehavebeensetoutabove.
Inthissectiontherearesomeobservations onthe
themespresentedbytheCommissioninAnnexIIofits
WorkingDocumenttogetherwithindicationsofthe
importancewhichtheCommitteeattachestosome
fieldsofRTD.
3.6.5.TheCommitteewouldaskthatprioritybe
giventoresearchwhichleadstoindustrialapplications .
3.6.6.PositivecriteriaforareasofRTDinclude
researchlikelytogenerateapositivecycleofemploy­
ment;hightechnologysectorswhicharenotexcessively
capitalintensive;researchwhichfosterscoordination
withSMEs;researchwhichconsolidatesEuropean
experienceandexpertise;researchwhichwillprovide
employmentforyoungresearchers .
3.6.7.Separatelyfromthesecriteriaarethosewhich
derivefromtheneedtoconcentrateresourcesonRTD
insupportofthecommonpoliciesoftheCommunity
tothesatisfactionofsociety'sneeds.
3.6.8.Inevaluatingproposalsforresearchactivities,
thereshouldbeemphasisonensuringthattheresearch
isintheinterestoftheCommunityandisprimarily
orientedtowardsemploymentwithintheCommunity .
3.6.9.Information andCommunication
Technologies
3.6.9.1.Theoverviewcontentdoesnotshowthe
linksbetweenenvisagedresearchactionsinthevarious
themes.Informationexchangeshouldbepromoted,as3.6.10.Industrialtechnologies
3.6.10.1.Successincompetitivityinglobaltermswill
notbeachievedinindividualindustriesinisolation
fromageneraladvanceinknowledgeanditsrapid
valorization .Thisgivesimportancetothetheme
'AdvancedManufacturing Technologies (AMT)'.The
commentsalreadymadeabouttherelationshipofAMT
andemployment (par.2.3.7)arerecalled.Research
aimedatimprovingqualityandspeedingthetimeto
marketareahighpriority.Researchshouldbeunder­
takentoexplorethepossibilitythatimprovedinterface
ofhumancompetenceandtechnologycanreducecosts
withoutreductionofemployment .
3.6.10.2.Theinterfaceofhumancompetenceand
technologyshouldbeahighpriorityinRTDforthe
reasonmentionedaboveandalsobecausewithoutan
effectiveinterfacetheeconomicreturnsfromtechno­
logicaladvancearereduced.
3.6.10.3.Themes16,17and18arehighlydesirable
movestoreducedagapinCommunityRTDtodate.

NoC201/44 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 26.7.93
Themultidisciplinary approachenvisagedisan
importantinnovation.Theaimsofthethreethemesare
laudable.Thethemesdonotfiteasilyunder'Industrial
Technologies'exclusivelyandresearchproposedin
othersectionsisclearlyacontributiontothesethemes,
whichshouldbere-groupedtofacilitategreatermultidi­
sciplinarityandsynergyandtoemphasizeinteraction
ratherthanimpactanalysis.
3.6.10.4.Thethemespresenteddonotappearto
adequatelyrepresenttheMaastrichtTreatyprovision
thattheFrameworkProgrammeshouldincludeRTD
activitiesrelatingdirectlytotheimplementationofthe
commonpoliciesoftheCommunity (3.3.2).Industrial
technologiesrelatingtoAgriculturalPolicy,e.g.food­
processingtechnologies,arenotafocusforresearchin
thissectionwhichtheyshouldbetocomplementthemes
26previouslymentionedand29'Fisheriesandaquacul­
ture'intheLifeSciencesandTechnologiesSection.3.6.11.3.Theme20'Environmental Qualityand
HumanHealth',whichisofhighimportance,needs
expansiontoembracehumanactivities,relatedaspects
ofhumanhealth,e.g.nutrition,andresearchtoidentify
underlyinghumanattitudesaswasprovidedforin
AreaIIIoftheThirdFrameworkProgrammeonthe
Environment .
3.6.11.4.Theme22'InnovativeTechnologiesand
InfrastructureforMarineandPolarResearch'presum­
ablyincludesmarinelifeandthisshouldbemade
explicit.ResponsibilityforRTDrelatedtothecommon
policiesoftheCommunityshouldalsobemadeexplicit
inthistheme.Thereshouldbeclosecoordination
betweentheme22and29.
3.6.11.5.TheSectionontheEnvironment ,ascur­
rentlydrafted,doesnotappeartohavebeenwritten
withsufficientattentiontothenewandall-inclusive
scopeofRTDintheMaastrichtTreaty.
3.6.11.6.Researchrelatingtoenvironmental edu­
cationandthepotentialofinteractivecommunication
withcitizensisnotsufficientlyprovidedforinthis
section.
3.6.11.7.Researchconcernedwithglobalproblems,
notablythoseoftheenvironment,requirescoordinated
internationalarrangements .Careshouldbetakento
avoidduplicationofsuchresearchundertheFrame­
workProgrammeactivities.3.6.10.5.TheWorkingDocumentprovidesforthe
theme'HumanCentredTechnology'astheme12under
'IndustrialTechnologiesActivities'intheFirstActivity.
Thereshouldbeareferenceinthetexttotheimportance
ofresearchontheinterfaceoftechnologyandhumans.
CommunityresearchaspartoftheMonitorpro­
gramme(*)hashighlightedtheinterfaceascriticalfor
productivityandcompetitivenessbothatthelevelof
productionsystemsandatthelevelofthestrategic
capabilitiesofindustrialenterprises.
3.6.11.Theenvironment
3.6.11.1.Theeffectsofhumanactivityonthe
environmentingeneralandonspecificaspectsofitis
aproblemofcrisisproportions .Inadditiontothe
emphasison'GlobalChange'intheme19thereisa
needforgreaterattentiontoevaluationoftheeffects
ofhumanactivitiesinsuchfieldsaswaterresources,
industrialhazardsandsystemsoftransport.3.6.12.Lifesciencesandtechnologies
3.6.12.1.ThetitleoftheSectionistoonarrowfor
thethemesincludedunderit.Forexample,themes26,
27,28,29and31shouldcovertopicsmuchwider
thanLifeSciencesandTechnologies .Forexamplethe
descriptionsof'RuralDevelopment'and'Addressing
Europe'sMajorHealthProblems'areevidentlyrestric­
tedinanunfortunatewayduetothenarrowperspective
adopted.ThesetwohighlyimportantfieldsforRTD
shouldbeexpandedandregrouped.Ashasbeensaid
in2.4.2,thereshouldbearesearchtheme'ANewRural
Habitat'similartotheme16onaNewUrbanHabitat.
3.6.12.2.Researchintheserviceofthereformed
CommonAgriculturalPolicyshouldbeundertaken
withabroaderperspectiveandwithparticularreference
totheconsequencesforruraldevelopmentofthepro­
posedprogrammeforset-asideland.Attentionshould
begiventoresearchforhighqualityagriculturalprod­
uctsdrivenbyconsumers'wantsandneeds.
3.6.12.3.Researchtoimprovethedevelopmentof
aninteractiveweatherserviceforfarmersshouldbe
intensifiedandintegratedwiththeresearchenvisaged
inthethemesontheEnvironmentanddevelopments in
'InformationandCommunication Technologies'.3.6.11.2.Theavailabilityoffreshwatersuppliesis
soimportanttothecitizensofEuropethatitdeserves
greateremphasisandexpansionofthethinkinginthe­
me19.Theprotectionofaquaticresourcesisaconti­
nental-wideproblem,whichrequirestheelaborationof
aEurope-widecomparablebasicscientificinformation
forstandardsandcriteria.Theirbroadacceptancein
Europe,aswellastheneedtodevelopthemfurther,
requirefurtherscientificresearchandalsogreater
knowledgeofrelatedsocialbehaviourandattitudes.
Watermanagementandwatercontroldeservesatten­
tion.
3.6.12.4.Similarly,inthesphereoflifesciencesand
technologies,itisimportantthatexplicitprovisionbe(i)OJNoL200,13.7.1989,p.38.

26.7.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC201/45
madeforresearchonbiomedicaltechnologiesand
biotechnologies relatingtopharmaceuticals .
3.6.12.5.AnewSectionshouldbeincludedtocover
FoodScienceandTechnology .Theobjectivewouldbe
toimprovefurtherthefoodsupply,includingsafety,
consumeracceptance,nutritionalstatusandbasic
knowledge.Foodsafetyshouldincluderiskassessment
(focussingbothontherealrisksandtherisksasper­
ceivedbytheconsumer),predictivemicrobiological
tests,hygienicdesignofmanufacturingequipment,
methodsofdetectingnon-metalforeignbodiesand
othersensingsystems.Thereshouldberesearchonnew
methodsforminimalbutsafeprocessing.Themore
fundamentalworkshouldincludebiologicalprocessing
andresearchintothemolecularbasisofeatingquality.
3.6.12.6.Inrelationtothemes23'Genomes',
24'Moleculargeneticsofplantsandbiodiversity'and
25'Thecellfactory'attentionisdrawntotheCom­
mittee'sviewsinitsrelevantOpinions.
3.6.13.Energydevelops.Anobviousregroupingistohaveaseparate
groupofthemesintheFirstActivityconcernedwith
scienceandtechnologyforsocietyandthequalityof
lifeofthecitizensofEurope.
3.6.14.2.Theresearchunderthisthemewouldbe
multidisciplinary ,drawingonthehuman,socialand
economicsciencesandRTDsimultaneously .
3.6.14.3.AnumberofthemesintheFirstActivity
areverymarginallyandinadequatelylocatedintheir
presentgroups.Theywouldbemuchmoreappropri­
atelylocatedintheproposedgroupandadoptingthe
multidisciplinary researchapproachadvocatedin:
Theme8Informationexchangebetweenadminis­
trations,broadenedtobeInformationexchangeinthe
serviceofthecommonpoliciesoftheCommunity
Theme16Scienceandtechnologyforanewurban
habitat
Theme18Scienceandtechnologyforthestruggle
againstsocialexclusion
Theme26,lastpartRuraldevelopment
ThreethemesofEuropeanHealthPolicy:
Theme31AddressingEurope'smajorhealthproblems
Theme30Developmentofprotocolshaselements
whichwouldbenefitfromamultidisciplinary approach
Theme20Environmentalqualityandhumanhealthis
aninstancewheretheinterfaceofthehumanand
technologicaliscentral.
SomeelementsofHorizontalsupportmeasurestudy
andexploratoryactivities,notablyAssessmentand
Forecastingwouldalsobeappropriatelyassignedto
thisGroup.
3.6.14.4.TheproposedGroupisconcernedwith
muchmorethantheimpactoftechnologyonthequality
oflife.ItsfocusistheinterfaceofTechnology,the
HumanFactorandSociety.Ithasapositiveorientation
towardsimprovingthequalityoflifeofthecitizensof
Europeand,intheprocess,itshouldidentifynew
markets.Itrecognizestheinteractionofthehuman,
socialandtechnologicalaspectsandhas,asaresearch
objective,greaterunderstanding ofthatinteraction.
Greaterunderstandingofrelevantpatternsofbehaviour
andattitudesshould,interalia,leadtofasterinnovation
andadvancesininformationandcommunication tech­
nologiesandmoreproductiveuseofindustrialtechnol­
ogiesandmoreeffectiveactioninsupportofthecom­
monpoliciesoftheCommunity .3.6.13.1.TheCommittee'semphasisontheimport­
anceofrenewableenergieshasbeenmadeclearina
numberofOpinions.Similarly,theCommittee'sview
isclearonthecontinuingimportanceofresearchrelated
tonuclearenergyandassociatedsafetyissues.Itis
importantthatthesecontinue.Theconcentration on
.largeprojectsintheme32shouldnotreduceresearch
oneffectiveuseofrenewableenergiesinsmall-scale
projects.
3.6.13.2.Thedemonstrationprojectswhicharemen­
tionedintheme33'Betterandcleanerproductionand
useofenergy'andtheirclosenesstoviableproductive
unitsrequireclarificationandattention.
3.6.13.3.Sincestandardsarechangingrapidlyin
relationtotheenvironmentitisveryimportantthat
arrangements formanagingenergyresearchinclude
promptfeed-backtocontractors,basedongoodcom­
municationwithintheCommission .
3.6.13.4.InseveralOpinionstheCommitteehas
expresseditsconcernovertherepeatedcutbacksinthe
'NuclearSafety'and'RadiationProtection'pro­
grammesandregardsanyfurtherreductioninthe
FourthFrameworkProgrammeasunjustifiable .
3.6.14.ScienceandTechnology for
Societyandthequalityoflife
oftheCitizensofEurope
3.6.14.1.TheCommissionWorkingDocument3.6.14.5.Thereisnoimplicationthatthequalityof
envisagesregroupingofthemesastheproposallifeandtheinterfaceofscienceandtechnologyand

26.7.93NoC201/46 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
technologicalriskshouldincludetheassessmentofboth
realandperceivedrisks.Technologyassessmentwhich
thethemeincludesisveryimportant,soimportantin
termsofeffectsthatitshouldnotbeleftatthelevelof
theMemberStatesbutshouldbeaCommunityresearch
activity.
3.8.5.Themes4and5areveryimportantandshould
beveryhelpfultoSMEsandthevalorisationfundfor
SMEsisaparticularlyvaluableinnovation.
3.9.TheFourthActivity:Stimulationofthetraining
andmobilityofresearchersintheCommunitysociety'sneedswouldbeexcludedfromotherresearch
activities.
3.7.TheSecondActivity:Promotionofcooperation
inthefieldofCommunityresearch,technological
developmentanddemonstrationwiththird
countriesandinternationalorganizations
3.7.1.ThelinkagewithEurekaandtheimplications
ofsuchalinkageneedcarefulattention.Thepositive
valueoftheclosenesstothemarketofEurekaresearch
isacknowledgedanditisveryimportant.Tooclosea
linkageortheallocationoftoohighaproportionof
resourcestoitcouldhaveseriousnegativeimplications
forS&Tcooperationwithdevelopingcountries.Com­
plicatedmanagementarrangementsmayslowdown
theprocessofcooperationwithotherindustrialised
countries.Theneedforattentiontotherequirements
ofSMEshasbeenmentionedin3.3.6and3.5.
3.7.2.TheCommitteeregardsasofhighimportance
theme5'CooperationthroughCOSTActions'where
thecooperativereturnisverygoodfromverylimited
resources .
3.7.3.Recentprovisionstosupportbothpartici­
pationandresearchbysomeCentralEasternEuropean
countrieshasbeenverysignificantforthem.Similar
supportforCommunityObjectiveIMemberStates
wouldbeaveryeffectiveexampleofimplementingthe
cohesionapproachofArticles130aand130bofthe
MaastrichtTreaty.
3.7.4.Supportforresearchandthedisseminationof
researchresultsinDevelopingCountriesisofhigh
importance .
3.8.TheThirdActivity:Disseminationandoptimisa­
tionoftheresultsofactivitiesinCommunity
research,technologicaldevelopmentanddemon­
stration
3.8.1.TheimportancewhichtheCommitteeattaches
todisseminationandoptimisationoftheresultsof
activitiesinCommunityRTDandDemonstration has
alreadybeenindicatedinpreviousCommitteeOpin­
ions.
3.8.2.Methodstoincreaseeffectivetranslationof
researchresultsintosuccessesinthemarketplaceare
veryimportant.
3.8.3.Theinterdisciplinary interactiondeservesto
becontinuedandbroadenedsoastoenhancetheeffec­
tivenessofthescientificcommunity .
3.8.4.Theobjectiveoftheme3shouldbere-written
toavoidtheimplicationthatitisconcernedwiththe
impactoftechnologyratherthantheinterfacewhich
appearsinthetitleoftheTheme.Theassessmentof3.9.1.Measurestosupporttrainingandmobility
areextremelyimportantforthefutureofscienceand
technologicaldevelopmentintheCommunity .
3.9.2.Measurestoreducetheisolationofresearchers
insmalllaboratoriesorinperipheralareasoftheEuro­
peanCommunityareimportantnotonlyforthe
researchersbuttoensurethatthereisaddedvalue
fromtheActivityinitsemphasisonitscontributionto
economicandsocialcohesion.
3.9.3.TheActivityshouldpromoteanensembleof
activitieswithacomplementarity inapproachesand,it
istobehoped,aresultingsynergy.
3.9.4.Themeasurestopromotecohesionandthe
supportforthedevelopmentofcompetencyinObjec­
tiveIMemberStatesareveryimportantelementsof
thisActivity.Theme4shouldbeexpandedtofacilitate
moreshort-termmobilityofbothresearchersandyoung
graduatestoreceivetrainingonindustrialresearchpro­
jectstobepursuedinthecontextofnetworks.
3.9.5.TheUniversity-Industry linkshouldbeempha­
sisedintrainingandmobilityactivities.Itshouldbe
orientedtowardsreciprocalsupportandstimulation
betweenuniversitiesandindustry.
3.9.6.ThisActivityhasimportantpotentialforthe
objectivesoftheSecondActivity.
3.9.7.TheCommitteehopesthattheFourthActivity
willbeimplementedwithaconsciousnessoftheover­
ridingimportanceofpoliciesandactionwhichbearin
mindthecrisisofunemployment intheCommunity .
3.10.Horizontalsupportmeasures
3.10.1.TheExplanatoryMemorandumoftheCom­
missionWorkingDocumentintroducestheHorizontal
SupportMeasures'asactivitiestoprepare,accompany
andpromoteinitiativestakenwithintheframeworkof

26.7.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC201/47
4.5.InthisconnectiontheCommitteewouldalso
pointoutthattheFourthFrameworkProgrammewill
includeactivitieswhichhavehithertobeencarriedout
andfinancedoutsidetheFrameworkProgramme,such
asdemonstrationprojectsandso-calledAPASmeasures
('ActionsdePreparation,d'Accompagnement etdeSui­
vi').TheTreatyonEuropeanUnionalsoprovidesfor
allresearchactivitiescarriedoutinsupportofthe
commonpoliciesoftheCommunitytobeincludedin
theFrameworkProgramme,thusalsoextendingits
scope.
4.6.Sothatitcanassessthetruescaleofthepro­
posedfinancing,theCommitteeurgestheCommission
toprovideitwiththerequisiteinformation,particularly
withregardtoalltheabove-mentioned activities,their
durationandcurrentfunding.
4.7.Bearinginmindtheforegoing,theCommittee
canonlytakenoteoftheamountproposedbythe
Commission ,withoutbeingreallyconvincedthatthis
representsaverysignificantincreaseinrealtermsin
CommunityRTDfunding.thefourFrameworkProgrammeActivities'(para.24).
Thisisaveryimportantinitiative.
3.10.2.ThewordingoftheIntroductionappearsto
confinetheseactivitiestothefourFrameworkPro­
grammeActivities.Toconfineforecasting,assessment
andevaluationactivitiesinthiswayisnotdesirable
asitwouldnegativelyaffectthecontributionofthe
horizontalsupportmeasurestofutureCommunity
RTDpolicy.Thechangehererecommended would
requiretheamendmentoftheproposedprocedurefor
allocatingresourcessetoutinAnnexIoftheCom­
missionWorkingDocument.
3.10.3.Thatsocialscientificresearchactivitiesbe
amongthehorizontalsupportmeasureshasalready
beenstronglyrecommendedinparagraph3.4.
4.Financialaspects
4.1.TheCouncilDecisionof23April1990,as
amendedbytheDecisionof15March1993(*),setthe
totalappropriationfortheimplementation oftheThird
FrameworkProgramme (1990-1994)atECU6600
million.
4.2.Inthelightofthefinancialperspectivessetout
initsCommunication of10March1992on'TheCom­
munity'sfinancesbetweennowand1997'[doc.
COM(92)2001final],theCommissioninitiallypro­
posedallocatingECU14700millionfortheimplemen­
tationoftheFourthFrameworkProgramme1994-1998.
4.3.AsaresultofthedecisionstakenbytheEuro­
peanCouncilinEdinburgh,includingthefinancial
frameworkfor1993-1999,theCommissionhasnowset
thebudgetfortheFourthProgrammeatECU13100
million.Thisfigure,whichappearsinthesecondWork­
ingDocumentadoptedbytheCommissionon21April
last[doc.COM(93)158final],represents62%ofthe
totalfundsearmarkedfor'InternalPolicies'.
4.4.TheCommitteewillgiveitsviewslaterin
greaterdetailonthebudgetfortheFourthFramework
Programmeanditsallocationbetweenthevarious
researchactionsandthemes.Itisalreadyclearthatthe
proposedamountdoesnotinanyeventmeanthatthe
fundingfortheFourthProgrammewillbetwicethat
fortheThird.5.Additionalcomment
5.1.TheCommitteehopesthattheFourthFrame­
workProgrammewillmaintainthemomentumachiev­
edbytheearlierFrameworkProgrammesandthatit
willbeinoperationwiththeminimumofdelayinview
oftheutmostimportanceofitsobjectiveofstrengthen­
ingthecompetitivepositionoftheCommunityindustry
attheinternationallevel.Itisunfortunatethatthe
complexandtime-consuming proceduresagreedat
MaastrichtfordecidingfutureRTDframeworkpro­
grammesappearlikelytodelaytheentryintoactionof
theactivitiesplannedunderthisprogrammeaswellas
futureprogrammes .
5.2.SuchdelayscouldplaceCommunityRTDactivi­
tiesataseriousdisadvantagetointernationalcompeti­
torsabletomovemorequicklyindevelopingtheirown
RTDprogrammes .Thisisamatterofconsiderable
concern.TheCommitteebelievesthatitwouldbehigh­
lydesirabletointroducemuchquickeraswellasmore
flexibleproceduresfordeterminingCommunityRTD
attheearliestpracticableopportunity .(!)OJNoL69,20.3.1993,p.43.
DoneatBrussels,26May1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN