16. 7. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 174/19 
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific programme of research and 
technological development in the field of telematic systems in areas of general interest 
(1990 to 1994) 
COM(90) 155 final — SYN 260 
(Submitted by the Commission on 3 May 1990) 
(90/C 174/03) 
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 opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas, by Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC(1), the 
Council adopted a third framework programme for 
Community activities in the field of research and tech­
nological development (1990 to 1994), specifying inter 
alia the activities to be pursued in the field of telematic 
systems in areas of general interest; whereas this 
Decision should be taken in the light of the grounds set 
out in the preamble to that Decision; 
Whereas Article 130k of the Treaty stipulates that the 
framework programme is to be implemented through 
specific programmes developed within each activity; 
Whereas an estimate should be made of the amount of 
Community financial resources needed to carry out this 
specific programme; whereas the definitive amounts 
will be fixed by the budgetary authority in line with 
the financial perspectives covering the period 1988 to 
1992 included in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 
29 June 1988 (2) and with any future financial perspec­
tives covering the period 1993 to 1994; 
Whereas, pursuant to Article 4 of and Annex I to 
Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC, the amount deemed 
necessary for the whole framework programme includes 
an amount of ECU 57 million for the centralized dis­
semination and exploitation of results, to be divided up 
in proportion to the amount envisaged for each activity; 
whereas in view of the importance of this specific 
programme within the 'Information technology and 
communications' activities the estimate of the financial 
resources needed by this programme is to be reduced 
by ECU 3 800 000, which amount is to be allocated to 
the centralized activities, in order to comply with the 
second sentence of Article 130p (2) of the Treaty; 
(!) OJ No L 177, 8. 5. 1990, p. 28. 
(2) OJ No L 185, 15. 7. 1988, p. 33. Whereas this programme must be implemented by the 
Commission; whereas, to help accomplish this, the 
Member States are bound, pursuant to Article 5 of the 
Treaty, to facilitate the achievement of its tasks, where 
necessary, notably within a committee; 
Whereas this programme must be implemented essen­
tially by the selection of research and development 
projects to enable them to benefit from Community 
participation; whereas the Commission should encour­
age the submission of such projects by the usual means 
of publishing calls for proposals in the Official Journal 
of the European Communities; whereas a special pro­
cedure should also be devised so as to maintain a degree 
of flexibility enabling the Commission, in the face of 
the continuous evolution and gradual acceleration of 
technological progress, also to take into consideration 
spontaneous proposals consistent with the objectives of 
the programme; 
Whereas the projects to be carried out under the pro­
gramme must be selected with special attention to the 
principle of economic and social cohesion in the Com­
munity, the transnational nature of the projects and 
the support to be given to small and medium-sized 
enterprises; 
Whereas it is only in the light of experience gathered 
in the course of this programme that the Commission 
will be able to propose and the Council to adopt sup­
plementary programmes by having recourse to the 
means provided for in Articles 1301, 130m or 130o of 
the Treaty, if they contribute to the achievement of the 
programme's objectives, in accordance with the option 
made available by Article 2 (2) of Decision 90/221/ 
Euratom, EEC; 
Whereas, in accordance with Article 130g of the Treaty, 
the Community's activities aimed at strengthening the 
scientific and technological basis of European industry 
and encouraging it to become more competitive include 
promoting cooperation on research and technological 
development with third countries and international 
organizations; whereas such cooperation may prove 
particularly beneficial for the development of this pro­
gramme; 
Whereas trans-European telematic services networks 
will contribute to the successful completion of the large 
internal market and at the same time improve the 
performance of large public services facing the new 
technological, social and economic challenges at Com-
No C 174/20 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 7. 90 
munity level which are implied by European inte­
gration; whereas cooperation, area-by-area, of all the 
parties involved, especially users and providers of ser­
vices and systems, network operators and equipment 
manufacturers, is an essential condition to ensure that 
the services are suited to needs; whereas the six main 
priority areas have been selected as those best able to 
benefit from progress in information technology and 
communications and the European dimension; whereas 
the specific programme aims to provide the conceptual, 
technological and prenormative bases to enable the 
gradual introduction of such trans-European telematic 
networks; 
Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research Com­
mittee (Crest) has been consulted, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1 
A specific research and technological development pro­
gramme for the European Economic Community in the 
field of telematic systems in areas of general interest, 
as defined in Annex I, is hereby adopted for a period 
of five years as from 1 January 1990. 
Article 2 
1. The Community funds estimated as necessary for 
the execution of the programme under this Decision 
amount to ECU 380 million. Of this amount ECU 
3 800 000 is drawn for the centralized dissemination 
and exploitation of results. The amount thus reduced 
to ECU 376 200 000 includes staff costs which may not 
exceed 8%. An indicative breakdown of expenditure is 
set out in Annex II. 
2. Should the Council take a decision in implemen­
tation of Article 1 (4) of Decision 90/221 /Euratom, 
EEC, this decision shall be adapted to take account of 
the abovementioned Decision. 
3. The budgetary authority shall decide on the appro­
priations available for each financial year. 
Article 3 
Rules for the implementation of the programme are set 
out in Annex III. 
Article 4 
The rate of the Community financial contribution shall 
be laid down in accordance with Annex IV to Decision 
90/221/Euratom, EEC. 
Article 5 
1. During 1992 the Commission shall review the pro­
gramme and address a report on the results of the review to the Council and the European Parliament, 
together with proposals for any necessary changes. 
2. At the end of the programme the Commission shall 
assess the results obtained. It shall address a report 
thereon to the Council and the European Parliament. 
3. The reports shall be drawn up having regard to the 
objectives set out in Annex I to this Decision and 
in accordance with Article 2 (4) of Decision 90/221/ 
Euratom, EEC. 
Article 6 
1. The Commission shall be responsible for the 
execution of the programme. It shall be assisted by a 
committee, hereinafter referred to as 'the Committee', 
composed of representatives of the Member States and 
chaired by a representative of the Commission. 
2. The contracts concluded by the Commission shall 
govern the rights and obligations of each party, includ­
ing the procedures for disseminating, protecting and 
exploiting the research results, in accordance with the 
arrangements adopted pursuant to the second para­
graph of Article 130k of the Treaty. 
3. A work programme for each year shall be drawn 
up and updated where necessary. It shall set out the 
detailed objectives and types of projects to be under­
taken, and the financial arrangements to be made for 
them. The Commission shall make calls for proposals 
for projects on the basis of the annual work pro­
grammes. 
Article 7 
1. In the cases envisaged in Article 8 (1), the Com­
mission representative 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 set according to the urgency of 
the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by qualified 
majority as provided for 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 Member States' representatives within the 
Committee shall be weighted in the manner set out in 
that Article. The chairman shall not vote. 
2. The Commission shall adopt the measures envis­
aged where they are in accordance with the Commit­
tee's opinion. 
3. If the measures envisaged are not in accordance with 
the Committee's opinion, or if no opinion is delivered, 
the Commission shall forthwith submit to the Council 
a proposal relating to the measures to be taken. The 
Council shall act by a qualified majority. 
16. 7. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 174/21 
4. If the Council has not acted within one month of 
submission of the proposal, the proposed measures 
shall be adopted by the Commission. 
Article 8 Community contribution is less than ECU 5 million, 
and the results of their evaluation, 
accompanying measures, referred to in point 2 of 
Annex HI, 
concerted actions, referred to in point 2 of Annex III. 
1. The procedure laid down in Article 7 shall apply 
to: 
— the preparation and updating of the work pro­
grammes referred to in Article 6 (3), 
— evaluation of the projects referred to in point 2 of 
Annex III, as well as the estimated amount of the 
Community's financial contribution when these 
projects are submitted through the ordinary 
procedure referred to in point 4 of Annex III 
and the abovementioned amount is more than 
ECU 5 million, 
— evaluation of all projects submitted through the 
exceptional procedure referred to in point 4 of 
Annex III, as well as the estimated amount of the 
Community's financial contribution, 
— measures for evaluating the programme. 
2. The Commission may consult the Committee on 
any matter falling within the scope of the programme. 
3. The Commission shall inform the Committee with 
regard to: 
— the progress of the programme, 
— planned calls for proposals, referred to in Article 6 (3), 
— projects, referred to in point 2 of Annex III, submit­
ted through the ordinary procedure, for which the Article 9 
In implementing this programme, supplementary pro­
grammes within the meaning of Article 13&, partici­
pation within the meaning of Article 130m and joint 
undertakings or any other structures within the mean­
ing of Article 130o of the Treaty may also be decided 
on as the need arises. 
Article 10 
Where cooperation with third countries and inter­
national organizations aiming at achieving the objec­
tives of this programme requires legal undertakings 
between the Community and the third parties con­
cerned, the Commission shall be authorized to nego­
tiate, in accordance with Article 130n of the Treaty, 
international agreements laying down the terms of such 
cooperation. 
Decisions on the conclusion of such agreements shall 
be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred 
to in Article 130q (2) of the Treaty. 
Article 11 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States. 
ANNEX I 
Objectives and scientific and technical content 
The guidelines, scientific and technical objectives and underlying purposes of the third Framework Programme 
form an integral part of this specific programme. 
Paragraph LLC of Annex II to the Framework Programme forms an integral part of this specific programme. 
On this basis and in the light of the above, there follows an analytical description of the contents of this 
specific programme. 
Area 1: Support for the establishment of trans-European networks between administrations 
The objective of this area is to carry out studies and research, in particular at prestandardization level, for 
the definition and subsequent establishment of the trans-European telematic services networks essential to 
national administrations for the completion of the single market and the provision of the services necessary 
to the free movement of persons, goods, services and capital. 
No C 174/22 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 7. 90 
The priority sub-areas are those most closely linked to the completion of the internal market. In the first 
instance they will be customs, social security, frontier police, indirect taxation and statistics. 
With the elimination of frontiers within the Community as a result of the completion of the internal market, 
it will no longer be possible to monitor goods in transit at national frontier posts. Monitoring of goods in 
transit will require information to be exchanged between the customs of the country in which the goods 
enter or leave Community territory and the country of destination or origin of the goods. A new need will 
therefore be felt which new IT and telecommunications tools can help to satisfy. 
Free movement of persons within the Community also requires means of controlling illegal movements of 
persons and goods. With the elimination of customs checks, cooperation between frontier police and the 
administrations concerned must be stepped up. Furthermore, the problems due to the incompatibility of 
existing national telematic systems and to relations with non-Community countries, legal constraints and 
differing procedures and methods must be surmounted. The setting-up of trans-European telematic services 
can help to do this, by ensuring rapid and secure information exchange, guaranteeing the compatibility of 
the operational procedures while respecting citizens' rights, and promoting international coordination. 
The elimination of frontiers within the Community will also mean drastic changes to the present fiscal 
procedures for VAT and excise duties. For the transitional period between the present situation (application 
of the destination principle) and the final situation (application of the origin principle), whatever the practical 
taxation procedures which are decided, mutual assistance between national tax administrations would seem 
to be essential to prevent the risks of fraud. From this transitional phase, the telematic services of the 
competent administrations must be interconnectable and interoperable in order to guarantee fraud prevention. 
The development of telematic services networks satisfying the new specific needs required in the final stage 
(those linked, in particular, to the compensation mechanisms) must be taken into account. The interconnection 
and interoperability of already existing statistical tools will allow the implementation of a European system 
of statistical information. 
Identification of needs and implementation strategies 
It will be necessary, sub-area by sub-area, and under the conditions set out below, to identify needs and 
describe the existing situation. The results of this work, which will also include development and validation 
as described below, will enable the relevant administrations of the Member States and the Commission, 
with the help of hardware and software producers, telecommunications operators, and possibly specialist 
consultancy firms, to seek a consensus on the functional technical specifications of the services required and 
strategies for setting up the trans-European networks to provide these services. 
The comparison of these descriptions with needs should enable the work remaining to be done to be identified 
by mutual agreement; this may involve some or all of the following tasks: description of the information 
desired, precise description of the types of messages required (free text, statistical tables or highly structured 
administrative messages), their format, the functional specifications and standards to be used, adapted or 
developed, as appropriate, and the protocols to be developed or converted. 
Preference will be given to systems which are designed to inter-communicate using key elements, particularly 
those which have been standardized at European or world level. The standards relating to database access, 
storage and access protocols, languages, etc. will be identified and adapted where necessary. 
Arrangements must be made to ensure secure transmission. They will be based on the Community's work 
on security in computers and communications. They will have to be defined on the basis of common 
functional specifications. Their functions will include authentication of the sender and receiver, data integrity 
and confidentiality of information. 
Development of the technologies relating to telematic services 
In order to take account of the complexity of these networks of services, the number of parties involved, the 
variety of information, real-time or batch processing, and capacity requirements, the architectures and the 
management of these trans-European networks will have to be thoroughly studied and researched in order 
to achieve the performance and reliability required to satisfy the specific needs of each administration. These 
studies and research which relate both to the choice (or definition) of hardware and to the development of 
complex software will have to be carried out jointly by users of dedicated networks, manufacturers of 
information and communications equipments, telecommunications operators and possibly specialist consult­
ancy firms. 
This work will complement that conducted in the specific programmes on IT and communications. 
Official Journal of the European Communities No C 174/23 
Validation of common functional specifications 
The general objective is to ensure, by means of a limited number of experimental development activities 
relating to the validation of functional specifications, the interoperability of the telematic systems used by 
the administrations and users. Special attention will be paid to the quality, reliability, security and ease of 
use of these services. 
To this end, pilot projects will be carried out to test the validity of the options selected. 
Some of these experimental development activities will be carried out in cooperation with the work carried 
out under the Insis, Caddia and Tedis programmes and, where appropriate, certain parts of the Esprit and 
RACE programmes. 
Area 2: Transport services 
The activities aim to contribute to the development, in the field of transport, of integrated trans-European 
services using advanced IT and communications to improve the performance (security and efficiency) of 
passenger and goods transport services, and at the same time reduce the impact of transport on the 
environment. There will be close liaison with the Prometheus project (part of the Eureka initiative). 
Account will have to be taken of the peculiarities and specific needs of the various parties involved, notably 
private and business users. Security and ease of access for all users will be given special attention. 
Sub-area 1: Road transport 
The activities will be divided into three interactive parts: the definition of functional specificati6ns in the 
context of a global strategy for the use of technology and telematic systems for communication and traffic 
control, the development of new technologies and systems, and validation work. 
Strategies for the use of technologies, telematic services and systems and contribution to the definition of 
common functional specifications 
The results of the work carried out under the Drive programme allowed the needs specific to road transport, 
and the technologies and systems available for communication and traffic control to be identified. On the 
basis of these results, a strategy for using these technologies and systems will be sought in cooperation with 
transport users, business, providers of transport-related services and the administrations concerned. 
This strategy will help to draw up the functional specifications in terms of equipment, services and operating 
procedures, and to make recommendations for standardization by the European standards bodies. 
Technologies and development of systems 
The work on technology will take account of the technologies emerging within IT and communications, 
progress in vehicle design, and research carried out under Drive/Prometheus and Community programmes. 
The technologies and telematic systems for managing transport and controlling road traffic will be developed 
for both passenger and goods transport. 
Safety systems will be developed to help drivers on long journeys. The research will aim to develop on-board 
safety systems and equipment able to communicate with the new fixed infrastructure equipment. 
Research and technological development work specific to goods transport will also be undertaken. It will 
cover the software, hardware and telematic systems needed to improve goods traffic management. This work 
will concern real-time monitoring of the various forms related to transactions, the goods themselves and 
vehicles; management systems for all kinds of vehicle fleets will also be developed. 
The technological solutions will have to ensure that the telecommunications equipment to be introduced is 
suited, in terms of size and cost, to the intended specific uses and the needs identified. 
No C 174/24 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 7. 90 
Validation and pilot projects 
In order for the new devices to be accepted by both the public and the administrative authorities, they must 
be of proven performance and reliability. This will require full-scale checks and experiments. These will be 
oriented towards the integration of multiple subsystems, functions and services. 
Sub-area 2: Air transport 
Research will concentrate on new approaches to automating air-traffic control, the development and 
validation of the new software needed to improve safety and reliability in the context of substantially 
increased traffic. It will include work on data communications, such as interchange of data between computers 
located in neighbouring air-traffic control centres and the design of an integrated European air-traffic control 
system. 
It will also include studies on air traffic management which will cover communications, navigation and 
surveillance. The work will make use of results of research at national and Community levels, most of which 
is coordinated by Eurocontrol. 
Area 3: Health care 
Work in this area will help to develop European networks and systems for the provision of telematic health 
services, so improving citizens' access to health services throughout the Community. It will be carried out 
along three main lines, making use of the exploratory work of the AIM programme (advanced informatics 
in medicine) and in close cooperation with other Community programmes. 
Strategies for the use of technologies, telematic systems and services and contribution to the definition of 
common functional specifications 
The nature of research and technological development activities will depend to a large extent on user needs 
and the general constraints associated with the transnational nature of the information infrastructure required. 
This transnational aspect requires compliance with three principles: integration (notably the emergence of 
standards); modularity, to facilitate adaptation to different types of needs, and data security. The research 
and technological development activities will depend on the assessment of technological needs in the light of 
the main factors affecting the development of health care. They will also depend on the strategic options for 
European telematic services in the sector. They will take account of essential problems such as confidentiality 
and data protection. 
Development of telematic technology applied to medicine 
This research will relate to the development of distributed computer systems designed to support multimedia 
medical teleservices with the aim of allowing doctors, hospitals and health administrations to exchange data 
and set up centres of expertise in Europe. In order to ensure that these services are accepted they will be 
made easy to use, reliable and will conform to standards. 
Remote diagnosis and monitoring technology will be developed; this will allow physiological functions to be 
monitored in the home and the specialist knowledge most suited to the diagnosis and treatment of each 
patient to be made available anywhere in the Community. 
Validation and integration 
Pilot applications will be set up to demonstrate and evaluate the innovative nature of using IT and 
communications in the area of medical teleservices. Tests of the applicability of the R&cD results and the 
interoperability of telemedicine services will be conducted. 
Area 4: Distance learning 
On the basis of the exploratory work of the Delta programme and in close cooperation with other Community 
activities such as Comett and Eurotecnet, the work in this area will be carried out in three interdependent 
16. 7. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 174/25 
parts: drawing-up of implementation strategies, development of technologies and systems, and validation 
and integration of services. 
Strategies for the use of technologies, telematic systems and services and contribution to the definition of 
common functional specifications 
In the light of the interests of the various categories of users and taking account of the technological potentials, 
the various possible options to satisfy these needs will be identified. The measures needed to overcome the 
difficulties of implementing educational technologies will be determined. 
Systems engineering work will be carried out: it will consist of identifying user needs and then reaching a 
consensus on specifications and functional standards which satisfy the needs of the various categories of 
users, producers of educational materials and providers of distance learning services. 
The work will centre around the development of production methods for multimedia educational materials 
which are portable and transferable between various systems with the prospect of transnational use, including 
remote assistance and help procedures for the various categories of users. 
Development of systems and technologies 
The work will relate to the technologies required to obtain a telematic service for distance learning which is 
flexible, effective, modular and interoperable. 
It will be necessary to integrate and adapt the communications technologies, hardware configurations and 
protocols for educational and training applications and ensure compatibility and portability of the various 
systems developed for the potential users, whether they be students, authors, tutors, producers or simply 
people requesting information on education services. 
Experiments on the validation and integration of services 
The performance of the various possible services and technical configurations must be evaluated. Experiments 
in the real environment will allow testing of the value added by interconnecting the various systems 
using new technologies for education, information and user assistance. The experiments will establish the 
comparative advantages and the performance, in relation to their cost, of these various configurations of 
flexible distance learning systems for different categories of users. 
Area 5: Libraries 
The objective is to facilitate user access, by optimum use and development of equipment and telematic 
systems, to the wealth of knowledge held in libraries, while reducing the handicaps caused by the present 
disparate infrastructures in the Community. 
To this end, the work will have to help develop modern library services all over the Community by promoting 
faster, but orderly and cost-effective penetration of new technologies into libraries. 
Initial Community activity in this area must be selective, concentrating on urgent problems which can catalyse 
change in a concrete and practical way. Applied R&D will therefore be used to support the development of 
appropriate tools, methods and resources which will be able to stimulate modernization of the operational 
infrastructure and services provided, and facilitate cooperation and resource sharing at national and European 
levels. 
This activity will consist of setting up computerized national bibliographies where these are lacking, and 
helping to improve existing national computerized bibliographies or collective catalogues. Support will also 
be given to retrospective conversion of catalogues of large collections at international level. 
Projects will be set up to facilitate the international interconnection of the systems managing these basic data 
for particular functions (shared cataloguing, inter-library loans, etc.) and thus help to prepare and apply a 
range of international or European standards. 
The provision of new library services using IT and communications in small units will be stimulated. Initial 
support will be given to the creation of a range of innovative experimental services for library users, taking 
account of the different levels of development of library services in the Member States. 
No C 174/26 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 7. 90 
Finally, projects will be set up to encourage the development of a European market in telematic products 
and services specific to libraries. Interaction between libraries and IT industries will be stimulated by 
improving the definition of libraries' needs which new IT and communications can satisfy. Limited initial 
support will be given to experimental demonstrations of products (such as software) and services. 
Area 6: Linguistic research and engineering 
The aim of this area is to develop a basic linguistic technology which can be incorporated into a large number 
of computer applications where natural language is an essential ingredient. This requires the creation of 
linguistic resources (grammars, dictionaries, terminology collections, and corpora of text) for the nine official 
Community languages, and the definition of standards for these data. A number of pilot applications and 
demonstration projects will be undertaken to show how the technology will be used and demonstrate the 
technical and economic feasibility of the solutions adopted. 
The area is divided into three parts: research, development of resources and pilot applications. It is based on 
the results and experience drawn from Eurotra and certain specific projects conducted under Esprit and 
national research programmes. 
The research work will concentrate on the development of a common computer-based linguistic model for 
text representation in different languages and on the pursuit of automated techniques for reducing the number 
of possible interpretations of a given text. The development of advanced computational technologies will 
encourage the application, for linguistics, of progress made in the field of advanced expert systems, database 
technologies, speech processing and computer architectures. It is also intended to create methods, tools and 
linguistic resources, especially portable software tools, grammars, dictionaries, domain specific terminological 
collections, as well as large, high quality corpora and the stimulation of standards work. Pilot applications 
and demonstration projects will help to test the progress of research work and to demonstrate the technical 
and economic feasibility of tools, methods and resources in an operational environment. 
ANNEX 11 
Indicative breakdown of expenditure 
Development of trans-European telematic networks and systems applied to: 
(%) 
— Administrations 29-33 
— Transport services 30-34 
— Health care services 15-17 
— Distance learning services 10-12 
— Libraries 6-7 
— Research and technological development in linguistics 5-6 
The above amounts include administrative and staff costs. 
Despite this breakdown into different areas, projects may nevertheless fall under several areas. 
16. 7. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 174/27 
ANNEX HI 
Rules for implementing the programme 
and activities for dissemination and exploitation of the results 
1. The Commission shall implement the programme on the basis of the scientific and technical content 
described in Annex I. 
2. The rules for implementing the programme, referred to in Article 3, comprise research and technological 
development projects, accompanying measures and concerted actions. 
The projects shall be the subject of shared-cost research and technological development contracts. 
The accompanying measures consist of applying the means to ensure proper technical execution, manage­
ment and evaluation of the programme, as well as adequate dissemination and accessibility of the results, 
and coordination, training and consciousness-raising of the participants in the programme. 
The concerted actions are those defined in the Financial Regulation. 
3. The participants in the projects must be natural or legal persons established in the Community ('), such 
as universities, research organizations and industrial firms, including small and medium-sized enterprises, 
or associations thereof, in particular European economic interest groupings (EEIGs). 
Natural or legal persons established in countries which have concluded agreements with the Community 
foreseeing scientific and technical research, may, based on the criterion of mutual advantage, take part 
in the projects undertaken in the context of this programme. The contracting parties under such 
arrangements shall not benefit from Community funding. They shall contribute to the general administrat­
ive costs. 
4. The choice of projects shall be carried out according to the following order of priority, the first method 
being the rule, the second the exception. 
The participants in the projects shall be selected on the basis of the ordinary procedure of calls for 
proposals referred to in Article 6 (3) and published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. 
The Commission may also accept proposals according to an exceptional procedure and under the 
conditions mentioned below, when they make a particularly promising and significant contribution as 
regards the originality of the theme proposed, the novelty of the scientific and technical approach and 
the methodology of execution, also taking into account the particular nature of the proposers. 
A favourable technical evaluation of such proposals shall not by itself be a sufficient justification for 
accepting a project; this exceptional procedure may only apply after verification that the nature of the 
project, as defined above, does not justify the use of the normal procedure for calls for proposals. 
The exceptional procedure must be completed before the ordinary procedure in such a way that the 
available amount for the Community's financial participation in projects retained by the ordinary 
procedure can be determined precisely. The closing date for the exceptional procedure shall be published 
each year in the Official Journal of the European Communities. 
The amount of the financial participation of the Community for all the projects retained by the exceptional 
procedure will be decided each year, in relation to the projects selected according to particularly strict 
criteria of excellence. In any case, this amount may not exceed 15%; it may be revised each year in the 
light of experience. 
The Commission shall draw up a vade mecum setting out all the rules applicable to this exceptional 
procedure in order to guarantee full transparency. 
5. The projects must involve at least two mutually independent partners established in different Member 
States. 
6. The Commission may encourage the participants to form a European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG) 
or make other arrangements for carrying out projects, such as those on a large scale, permitting 
decentralized management adapted to the specific requirements of the project. 
(') For the purposes of this programme, the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN), whose headquarters are in Geneva 
and most of whose installations are on Community territory, may be a party to the contracts. 
No C 174/28 Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 7. 90 
7. The knowledge acquired during the course of the projects shall be disseminated on the one hand within 
the specific programme and on the other and by means of a centralized activity, pursuant to the Decision 
referred to in the third subparagraph of Article 4 of Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC. 
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific programme of research and 
technological development in the field of industrial and materials technologies (1990 to 1994) 
COM(90) 156 final — SYN 261 
(Submitted by the Commission on 3 May 1990) 
(90/C 174/04) 
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 opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas, by Decision 90/221/Euratom, EECf1), the 
Council adopted a third framework programme for 
Community activities in the field of research and tech­
nological development (1990 to 1994), specifying inter 
alia the activities to be pursued for contributing to the 
rejuvenation of European manufacturing industry by 
strengthening its scientific and technological basis 
through research and development work; whereas this 
Decision should be taken in the light of the grounds set 
out in the preamble to that Decision; 
Whereas Article 130k of the Treaty stipulates that the 
framework programme is to be implemented through 
specific programmes developed within each activity; 
Whereas the Joint Research Centre shall contribute 
through its own programme to the implementation of 
the aforesaid activities; 
Whereas an estimate should be made of the amount of 
Community financial resources needed to carry out this 
specific programme; whereas the definitive amounts 
will be fixed by the budgetary authority in line with 
the financial perspectives covering the period 1988 to 
1992 included in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 
29 June 1988 (2) and with any future financial perspec­
tives covering the period 1993 to 1994; 
(!) OJ No L 177, 8. 5. 1990, p. 28. 
(2) OJ No L 185,15. 7. 1988, p. 33. Whereas, pursuant to Article 4 of and Annex I to 
Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC, the amount deemed 
necessary for the whole framework programme includes 
an amount of ECU 57 million for the centralized dis­
semination and exploitation of results, to be divided up 
in proportion to the amount envisaged for each activity; 
whereas in view of the importance of this specific 
programme within the industrial and materials tech­
nologies' action the estimate of the financial resources 
needed by this programme is to be reduced by ECU 
6 700 000, which amount is to be allocated to the cen­
tralized activities, in order to comply with the second 
sentence of Article 130p (2) of the Treaty; 
Whereas this programme must be implemented by the 
Commission; whereas, to help accomplish this, the 
Member States are bound, pursuant to Article 5 of the 
Treaty, to facilitate the achievement of its tasks, where 
necessary, notably within a committee; 
Whereas this programme must be implemented essen­
tially by the selection of research and development 
projects to enable them to benefit from Community 
participation; whereas the Commission should encour­
age the submission of such projects by the usual means 
of publishing calls for proposals in the Official Journal 
of the European Communities; whereas a special pro­
cedure should also be devised so as to maintain a degree 
of flexibility enabling the Commission, in the face of 
the continuous evolution and gradual acceleration of 
technological progress, also to take into consideration 
spontaneous proposals consistent with the objectives of 
the programme; 
Whereas the projects to be carried out under the pro­
gramme must be selected with special attention to the 
principle of economic and social cohesion in the Com­
munity, the transnational nature of the projects and 
the support to be given to small and medium-sized 
enterprises; 
Whereas it is only in the light of experience gathered 
in the course of this programme that the Commission 
will be able to propose and the Council to adopt sup-