No C 326/2 Official Journal of the European Communities 13. 12. 82 
programmes and, in addition, the Commission found 
that the information supplied did not enable the 
Commission to send to the Council suitable proposals on 
harmonization and that the Commission has had to ask 
the Member States for supplementary information, which 
means that the deadlines in the original Directive cannot 
be met. 
3. The Committee supports the Commission 
proposals to extend the legal deadlines to 30 October 
1982 for the submission of a proposal for the 
Done at Brussels, 27 October 1982. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 198 
thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of the 
European Communities on 19 August 1982 for an 
opinion on the proposal for a revision in the year 1983 of 
the multiannual research programme (1980 to 1983) of 
the Joint Research Centre, 
Having regard to its Rules of Procedure, and in particular 
Article 18 thereof, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
13 October 1982 to appoint a rapporteur-general for the 
drafting of this opinion, 
Having regard to the opinion it has already delivered on 
the multiannual research programme of the JRC (1980 to 
1983 (»),• 
0) OJ No C 297, 28. 11. 1979. harmonization of national programmes and from 
1 January 1982 to 1 June 1983 for bringing the 
programmes into operation. 
4. However, the Committee deplores the fact that the 
Member States did not draw up and submit to the 
Commission the information within the time limit 
specified in the original Directive, and urges the 
Commission to take a decision on the harmonization of 
the national programmes in accordance with the 
deadlines set out in the new proposal. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francis CEYRAC 
Having regard to the draft opinion and report submitted 
by Mr von der Decken, rapporteur-general, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 201st plenary 
session, held on 27 and 28 October 1982 (meeting of 
27 October 1982), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
with no dissenting votes, but with one abstention: 
1. The ESC very much regrets that the very tight 
deadlines, compounded by the fact that the request for an 
opinion coincided with the renewal of the Committee, 
have prevented it from examining the Commission 
proposal with the close attention which its subject matter 
deserves. The proposal deals with the overall programme 
for all the Community's joint research establishments; 
major changes are to be made in this programme in its 
final year. These changes are so radical that they will 
affect the JRC's programme for 1984 to 1987 and Opinion on the proposal for a revision in the year 1983 of the multiannual research programme 
(1980 to 1983) of the Joint Research Centre 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 315 of 1 December 1982, p. 16. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 19 August 1982 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic and 
Social Committee in accordance with Article 18 of the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community. 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 201st 
plenary session held in Brussels on 27 and 28 October 1982. 
13. 12. 82 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 326/3 
beyond. Consequently, the ESC can only give its views on 
a few major points and must postpone detailed discussion 
until it examines the 1984 to 1987 programme in Spring 
1983. 
2. In its opinion on the current 1979 to 1983 
programme, the ESC welcomed the Commission's 
intention of gradually reducing the dominance of the 
nuclear aspects of the JRC's programme over the 
non-nuclear aspects; at the same time it was obvious how 
difficult such a change of direction would be for the 
research establishments since they were set up almost 
exclusively to examine nuclear questions (Euratom). The 
ESC regrets that the proposed trend has been interrupted, 
though this would seem to be unavoidable on account of 
the importance and scale of the Super-Sara project. 
3. The ESC is pleased that the scope of the Super-Sara 
project appears to be clearly defined and that it can now 
play the important part which the experts assign it in the 
major programmes of international cooperation in this 
field. A better understanding of the potential repercus­
sions of major accidents, however remote the possibility, 
is very important in view of the large number of light-
water reactors in service in Europe. 
4. The ESC regrets that the scale and importance of 
the Super-Sara project have obviously necessitated 
cutbacks in the reactor safety and nuclear fuel 
management projects; these cuts are controversial and 
jeopardize the balance of the programme. 
5. The ESC welcomes the Commission's intention to 
divide the Super-Sara project into clearly defined phases, 
the decisions on the individual phases being taken 
progressively when sufficient detailed information is 
available. The ESC would, however, urge the 
Commission to ensure that the necessary decisions are 
taken in good time so as to avoid unnecessary, and hence 
costly, delays. 
Done at Brussels, 27 October 1982. 6. The ESC welcomes the Commission's proposed 
modifications which are intended to tie the JRC in more 
closely with overall R&D strategy. In this connection it 
notes with satisfaction the measures aimed at: (i) using 
remote sensing to benefit the common agricultural policy, 
(ii) setting up a special service to back up the work of the 
Community Bureau of References, (iii) building on 
existing experience to set up a training institute for the 
developing countries and (iv) reinforcing information 
research. 
7. The Commission has requested a number of 
additional posts,' some of which it plans to axe again from 
1985. The Commission gives several reasons for these 
extra posts: 
— implementation of the Super-Sara project, 
— reinforcement and renewal of infrastructure, 
— reinforcement of some non-nuclear activities, 
— greater mobility and alleviation of the age-structure 
problem. 
Although the ESC has serious misgivings about endorsing 
the additional posts, it cannot entirely close its eyes to the 
need for such an increase and gives its approval subject to 
the following conditions: 
— the posts must definitely be cut from 1985, 
— the Commission must do everything in its power to 
reduce the number of additional posts by involving 
national research centres, 
— no new administrative posts must be created. 
8. To avoid further delays in the planned work, and 
hence unnecessary additional cost, the ESC expressly 
recommends that the funds requested be approved as 
soon as possible so that, above all, the contracts for the 
Super-Sara loop and the renewal of the infrastructure can 
be awarded without delay. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francois CEYRAC