7. 2. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 33/17 
satisfactory than the present one. In this respect the 
draft Directice does not live up to its aim of 
establishing the most favourable conditions for the 
export of compensating products. 
We would accordingly urge that the following clause 
Done at Brussels, 16 December 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 29 June 1982 for an 
opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision 
concerning a plan for the transnational development 
of the technology transfer (1983 to 1985). 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
29 June 1982 instructing the Section for Industry, 
Commerce, Crafts and Services to draw up an 
opinion and a report on the matter, of Directive 73/82/EEC be incorporated in Article 
1 (1) of the draft Directive: 
'The person carrying out the processing may 
request that the taxes be levied in accordance with 
Articles 16 and 17 of Directive 69/73/EEC 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francis CEYRAC 
Having regard to the opinion adopted by the 
abovementioned Section at its meeting on 
1 December 1982, 
Having regard to the oral report made by Mr 
Nierhaus in the absence of the rapporteur, Mr 
Goris, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 203rd plenary 
session held on 15 and 16 December 1982 (meeting 
of 16 December 1982), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
unanimously, but with one abstention: Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision concerning a plan for the transnational 
development of the supporting infrastructure for innovation and technology transfer 
(1983 to 1985) 
The text referred to the Committee has not yet been published in the Official Journal 
of the European Communities. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 29 June 1982 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic 
and Social Committee in accordance with Article 198 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 
203rd plenary session held in Brussels on 15 and 16 December 1982. 
No C 33/18 Official Journal of the European Communities 7.2.83 
The Committee has examined the Commission 
document and would make the following 
comments: 
1. General comments 
1.1. In numerous past opinions and reports the 
Committee has mentioned the importance which it 
attaches to innovation and technological 
development, and their relevance to a revival of the 
Community economy and to social progress. 
Generally speaking, therefore, the Committee goes 
along with the Commission's plan to take measures 
at Community level to promote innovation and 
technology transfer through the development of a 
transnational infrastructure; another critical look 
will, however, have to be taken at the proposed 
measures to see if they all lend themselves to 
immediate implementation. 
It must be said that the Commission's proposal 
would have a greater chance of success if the 
objectives of the measures proposed in the 
programme were better formulated and backed up 
by more convincing arguments. 
1.2. In this opinion the Committee wishes to 
confine itself strictly to the programme as submitted. 
It does not think that this is the place for an in-depth 
examination of the instrinsic merits of technology 
and innovation and all the relvant factors. 
The same applies to an examination of the — 
undoubtedly just as important — effects of 
technological innovation on social and labour 
market problems. 
1.3. Nor did the Committee feel the need to take 
up points of a purely terminological nature. It 
would, however, urge the Commission to prevent 
confusion in this field. 
1.4. The Committee approves the special emphasis 
on the role of small and medium-sized businesses in 
innovation and technology transfer. It very much 
welcomes the fact that the Commission takes the 
market economy as its starting point and draws 
attention to the fact that in the last analysis it is 
industry which will have to be primarily responsible 
for industrial and technological innovation. 
1.5. An important aim of the programme is to 
make people more aware of the need to encourage 
the introduction of new technologies, with a view to improving competitiveness, and to open up 
potential markets. This applies particularly in the 
small and medium sector. 
1.6. The Committee is inclined to place a 
question-mark against the financing of the 
Commission's programme. While it is undoubtedly 
true that the programme could have a multiplier 
effect, the Committee thinks that the proposed 
appropriation is too small. To a considerable extent 
the balanced implementation of the programme is 
dependent on the Commission adopting a flexible 
approach to the proposed measures. 
1.7. In this connection it is necessary to bear in 
mind the need to ensure continuity in the financing 
of projects which in all probability will take more 
than three years. 
1.8. The Committee trusts that the programme will 
not lead to an increase in bureaucracy. As the 
Commission itself indicates, the ultimate goal must 
be to ensure that the work of existing institutions 
and organizations is more customer-oriented. 
2. Comments on the detailed proposals for action 
2.1. The Committee endorses the Commission's 
intentions, i.e. to supplement existing national 
measures, to add a Community dimension to them 
and to encourage mutual support. This definition of 
the Commission's activities and scope for action is 
fundamental. 
2.2. The Committee thinks that a large proportion 
of any measures proposed by the Commission with 
respect to training will require much longer than 
three years. It assumes that provision will be made 
for the continuation of such measures. 
2.3. As regards action to improve information and 
documentation in the Community, it is necessary to 
campaign for clear and readable language in the 
interest of small and medium-sized businesses, 
especially in specialist periodicals and the 
documents put out by institutions and organizations 
(e.g. chambers of commerce, industry and 
handicrafts). Here too, there is a special need to be 
more customer-oriented. 
2.4. The Committee regards the funding of 
innovation and technological renewal as extremely 
important. It therefore welcomes the proposals to set 
up a Community association of organizations 
7. 2. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 33/19 
specialized in the financing of innovation. It is 
considering returning in a separate document, at a 
later stage, to the financing of high-risk activities. 
2.5. As far as the measures on technology and 
management advisory services are concerned, the 
Committee would give priority to building up 
'reference networks of experts and consultants'. The 
goal must be to assist businesses, especially smaller 
firms, in assessing technological, financing, 
marketing and labour problems. 
2.6. Regarding the chapter 'additional exploration 
and promotion of further initiatives', it should once 
again be emphasized that the Community must be 
able to react flexibly and quickly to new 
developments, given the limited financial resources 
available for such an ambitious programme. 
2.7. The Committee considers that a distinction 
should be drawn between access to patents and 
access to licences. 
As far as access to patents markets is concerned, the 
Committee believes that special attention must be 
paid to the problem of costs and the intricacy of 
procedures. For small and medium-sized businesses 
in particular these are almost insurmountable 
obstacles to patent protection. In general the costs 
are much too high (European patents especially) 
and it takes so long to obtain patents that it is 
usually not worth applying for them. Joint 
promotional efforts should be made by the 
Commission and the European Patent Office to put 
this right. 
Access to licences depends in reality on the 
dissemination of technological information 
stemming from patents and know-how. Such 
information exists and the informatics industry 
should help to make it more widely available, more 
especially to small and medium-sized businesses. 
Adoption of the statutes of the European 
Cooperation Grouping should also facilitate the 
Done at Brussels, 16 December 1982 transnational cooperation of small and 
medium-sized businesses anxious to make use of 
new technologies. 
2.8. Great importance is attached to the 
coordination of Member States' and Community 
action, with priority being accorded to the 
inventories of programmes and measures. 
2.9. The Committee sees only limited possibilities 
for encouraging the introduction of new methods in 
national programmes. Moreover, it is not entirely 
clear what these new methods are intended to 
achieve. Further explanation in the Commission's 
proposal would be desirable. 
3. Required resources 
3.1. As already mentioned, the Committee does 
not regard the appropriation for the proposed 
programme as entirely adequate. It is possible that 
the size of the appropriation allows for the fact that 
most of the measures will not get underway until the 
end of 1983; in this case the appropriation is only 
intended to cover two years. The Committee is 
happy to give the Commission the benefit of the 
doubt. 
3.2. The provisional financial schedule: after it has 
studied the reactions it receives, the Commission is 
urged to consider whether there is any need to 
redistribute the funds among the different 
measures. 
4. The Advisory Committee 
4.1. The Committee endorses the clearly defined 
technical terms of reference of the Advisory 
Committee. In view of the importance of this matter 
for the various socio-economic groups represented 
on the Economic and Social Committee, the latter 
would ask to be included among those bodies 
mentioned in Article 6 who receive an annual report 
from the Commission. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Francois CEYRAC