No C 327/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 20. 12. 88 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting two specific research and technological development 
programmes in the field of the environment (1989 to 1992): 
— STEP: Science and technology for environmental protection 
— EPOCH: European programme on climatology and natural hazards 
COM(88) 632 final — SYN 168 
(Submitted by the Commission on 24 November 1988) 
(88/C 327/06) 
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 Article 130K of the Treaty provides that the 
framework programme shall be implemented through 
specific programmes developed within each activity; 
Whereas by its Decision 87/516/Euratom, EEC (l), the 
Council adopted a framework programme of 
Community research and technological development 
(1987 to 1991), providing inter alia for activities in the 
field of the environment; 
Whereas, for the selection of Community actions, the 
framework programme sets out criteria among which is 
that of contributing to the strengthening of the economic 
and social cohesion of the Community, consistent with 
the pursuit of scientific and technical quality; 
Whereas the Council of the European Communities and 
the Representatives of the Member States, meeting 
within the Council, declared in their Resolution of 19 
October 1987 on the continuation and implementation of 
a European Community policy and action programme on 
the environment (1987 to 1992) (2) that improving the 
(l) OJ No L 302, 24. 10. 1987, p. 1. 
O OJ No C 328, 7. 12. 1987, p. 1. scientific bases of environment policy, inter alia through 
appropriate research programmes, was one of the 
priority areas of Community action; 
Whereas the participation of certain European 
non-member States in a Community R&D programme in 
the field of the environment would be beneficial; 
Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research 
Committee (Crest) has been consulted, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1 
Two specific research and technological development 
programmes for the European Economic Community in 
the field of the environment, as defined in the Annex, 
are hereby adopted for a period of four years, starting 
from . . . 
Article 2 
The amount deemed necessary for the execution of the 
two programmes is Ecu 115 million, including expen­
diture on a staff of 30, subdivided as follows: 
— STEP (Science and technology for environmental 
protection): Ecu 75 million, 
— EPOCH (European programme on climatology and 
natural hazards): Ecu 40 million. 
Article 3 
Detailed rules for the implementation of the programmes 
and the rate of the Community's financial participation 
are set out in the Annex. 
20. 12. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 327/11 
Article 4 
1. In the third years of the programmes' implemen­
tation, the Commission shall undertake a review of the 
programmes and shall report to the Council and the 
European Parliament on the results thereof, together, if 
necessary, with any proposals for modification or 
prolongation. 
2. An evaluation of the results achieved shall be 
conducted by the Commission, which shall report 
thereon to the Council and the European Parliament. 
3. The abovementioned reports shall be established 
having regard to the objectives set out in the Annex and 
in conformity with the provisions of Article 2 (2) of 
Decision 87/516/Euratom, EEC on the framework 
programme. 
Article 5 
1. The Commission shall be responsible for the 
execution of the two programmes and shall be assisted in 
their implementation by the Management and Coordi­
nation Advisory Committee (CGC) on Environment and 
Climatology, set up by Council Decision 
84/338/Euratom, ECSC, EEC (l). 
(*) OJ No L 177, 4. 7. 1984, p. 25. 2. The contracts entered into by the Commission shall 
regulate the rights and obligations of each party, 
including the methods of disseminating, protecting and 
exploiting the research results. 
Article 6 
1. The Commission is hereby authorized to negotiate, 
in accordance with Article 130 n of the Treaty, 
agreements with non-member States and international 
organizations, in particular with those countries partici­
pating in European cooperation in the field of scientific 
and technological research (COST), and those having 
concluded framework agreements for scientific and 
technical cooperation with the Community, with a view 
to associating them wholly or partly with the 
programmes. 
2. Where framework agreements for scientific and 
technical cooperation between non-member States and 
the European Communities have been concluded, organ­
izations and enterprises established in those countries 
may participate in a project undertaken within these 
programmes. 
Article 7 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States. 
ANNEX 
I. OBJECTIVES 
Environmental issues in one form or another, whether air pollution, groundwater quality or the greenhouse 
effect, pervade almost every aspect of human life. This is reflected in the three objectives which are shared 
by the two programmes, STEP (Science and technology for environmental protection) and EPOCH 
(European programme on climatology and hazards), namely 
— the provision of scientific and technical support for the environmental policy of the Community, and 
for other relevant Community policies such as energy, agriculture, industry, aid to developing 
countries, both for the solution of short term policy questions and for the medium and long-term 
formulation of preventive and anticipatory policies; 
— the further improvement of the productivity of the overall research effort in the Community, the 
reduction of overlaps and the identification of gaps, through the coordination of the national R&D 
programmes in the field of environmental research; 
— the promotion of overall scientific and technical quality in the field of environmental research, as a 
contribution to the strengthening of the economic and social cohesion of the Community, R&D capa­
bilities at the highest level in all parts of the Community being one of the prerequisites for its 
harmonious development. 
II. CONTENTS 
STEP (Science and technology for environmental protection) 
RESEARCH AREA 1 
Environment and human health 
1.1. Development of biological markers of exposure and preclinical effects 
No C 320/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 20. 12. 88 
1.2. Development of environmental epidemiology in the European Community 
1.3. Indoor air quality and its impact on man 
RESEARCH AREA 2 
Assessment of risks associated with chemicals 
2.1. Development and validation of protocols in the context of Directive 79/831/EEC for the assessment 
of health risks 
2.2. Alternatives to the use of animals in chemicals testing 
2.3. Assessment procedures for the abiotic degradation of chemicals 
2.4. Research on the assessment of ecological effects of chemicals 
2.5. Refinement and application of quantitative structure /activity relationships (QSARs) 
RESEARCH AREA 3 
Atmospheric processes and air quality 
3.1. Tropospheric chemistry, including analysis, sources, transport and deposition of pollutants and other 
airborne substances 
3.2. Stratospheric chemistry, ozone depletion and related issues 
3.3. Air pollution effects on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems 
RESEARCH AREA 4 
Water quality 
4.1. Analysis and conversion of pollutants 
4.2. Effects of pollutants 
RESEARCH AREA 5 
Soil a id groundwater protection 
5.1. Protection against inorganic pollutants 
5.2. Protection against organic pollutants 
5.3. Effects of agricultural and forestry practice 
RESEARCH AREA 6 
Ecosystem research 
6.1. Terrestrial ecosystems 
6.2. Aquatic and coastal ecosystems (including wetlands) 
RESEARCH AREA 7 
Protection and conservation of the European cultural heritage 
7A. Assessment of the mechanisms of the deterioration 
7.2. Critical environmental factors 
7.3. Damage assessment 
7.4. Material characterization 
7.5. Conservation techniques 
RESEARCH AREA 8 
Technologies for environmental protection 
8.1. Waste research 
20. 12. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 327/13 
8.2. Emission abatement 
8.3. Clean technologies 
RESEARCH AREA 9 
Major technological hazards and fire safety 
9.1. Physical and chemical phenomena 
9.2. Technologies of accident prevention 
9.3. Evaluation and management of risk 
EPOCH (European programme on climatology and natural hazards) 
RESEARCH AREA 1 
Past climates and climate change 
1.1. Modelling of extremes 
1.2. Transient behaviour of the European climate: data and modelling 
RESEARCH AREA 2 
Climate processes and models 
2.1. Climate change detection, modelling and prediction, especially as regards greenhouse gas effects 
2.2. The global carbon cycle 
2.3. Land surface processes 
2.4. Climatic aspects of ozone changes and troposphere-stratosphere interactions 
2.5. Cloud-radiation interactions 
2.6. Ocean circulation and air-sea fluxes 
2.7. Cryospheric processes 
RESEARCH AREA 3 
Climatic impacts and climate-related hazards 
3.1. Sea level change 
3.2. Climatic impacts on land and water resources 
3.3. European land degradation and desertification in a changing climate 
3.4. Instability and erosion of natural slopes 
3.5. Storms and floods 
3.6. Wildfires 
RESEARCH AREA 4 
Seismic hazard 
4.1. Strong-motion measurements 
4.2. European data centres and information services 
4.3. Multidisciplinary earthquake prediction studies 
4.4. Risk assessment including methods of evaluating seismic vulnerability of housing stock, lifelines, 
historical buildings and monuments 
4.5. Establishment of a task force for scientific field missions after a destructive earthquake 
^oC^OBt^ ^hc^l]ourn^lo^rli^Euroo^nCornrriLinin^ ^0 t^ ^^ 
hT ^^L^^t^^TATtO^ 
The programmes shall be implemented by means of ^ sharedcost research contracts, ^ concerted 
actions, ^111^ coordination activities, ^ education and trammgactivities and ^ studies andassessments 
The programmes are open to universities, research organizations and industrial companies, including small 
and medium^sized enterprises,individuals,or any combination thereof estabhshedmthe Community Asa 
rulepro^ects mustbe transnational 
The association and involvement of nonmember states, international and national organizations ^vill be 
foundedonthecntenonof mutualadvantage M the caseof European non member states, their associ 
ation and involvement ^vdl be made possible through the CC^T system and through the bilateral 
frame^vorl^ agreements ^vithr^rTA^uropean^reeTradeAssociation^ countries 
r^or sharedcost contracts,the Community participation ^vill generally be ^O^of the total expenditure,but 
thispercentagemay be varied according tothenatureandthestageofdevelopmentoftheresearch tn 
respect of universities and research institutes carrying out projects, the Community may bear up to tOO^Bo 
of theadditionale^pendituremvolved 
rr ^VALUAT^O^C^T^^A 
The Commission'sCommumcation to the Council concerningaCommumtyman for Action relating to the 
evaluationof Community researchanddevelopment activities for the years t^B^to t^t ^CO^^^O 
finals states that the objectives and milestones of each research programme have to be set outmatestable 
form 
t The first objective of the t^voprogrammes is theprovision of scientific and technical support for the 
environmental policy of the Commumty,and for other relevant Community policies 
Taking into account the general goals of the separate research areas fo the programmes, the evaluation 
criteria should consist of the following 
— the scientific and technical progress made, contributing to the solution of short term policy 
questions, 
— the advancesmtheunderstandingof environmentalprocesses as abasisforthe medium and long 
term formulation of preventive and anticipatory policies, 
— the contribution to the definition of norms and standards 
^ The coordination of national ^^tO programmes ^vdl be evaluated by criteria such as 
— the added value due to coordination ^vhich^vas not obtainable in one national programme alone, 
— the repartition of research tasl^s between national programmes asaresult of coordination 
^ Thepromotionof overall scientificc^ualitymthefieldof environmental research, asacontnbutionto 
the strengthening of the economic and socialcohesionof the Community,^villbeevaluatedbycnteria 
such as 
— the degree of transnational^ of the research projects, 
— the participation in training and educational activities, 
— the application of the results obtained, to regions of the Community other than those^vhere the 
research ^vas conducted, 
— the duality of environmental research as measured by suitable bibliometnc studies