25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/1 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting multiannual research and development programmes 
in the field of the environment (1986 to 1990) 
I. Environmental protection 
II. Climatology 
III. Major technological hazards 
COM(85) 391 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 1 August 1985) 
(85/C 301/01) 
CONTENTS 
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting three Multiannual Research and Development Programmes 
in the field of the Environment (1986 to 1990) 1 
I. Environmental Protection , 5 
II. Climatology 6 
III. Major Technological Hazards 7 
Draft Council Decision 9 
DETAILED PROPOSALS: 
PART I: Environmental Protection 14 
— Annex IA: Scientific Content of the programme 21 
— Annex IB: Scientific Programme of Concerted Actions 26 
— Annex II: List of Publications 29 
— Annex III: Opinion of the Management and Coordination Advisory Committee (CGC) 33 
PART II: Climatology . 35 
— Annex: Opinion of the Management and Coordination Advisory Committee (CGC) 43 
PART III: Major Technological Hazards 45 
— Annex A: Brief Outline of Research areas of Sector A 53 
— Annex B: Opinion of the Management and Coordination Advisory Committee (CGC) 55 
No C 301/2 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
A. Introduction 
Concern for the environment is now a matter of 
national and international policy throughout the world. 
Whereas, initially, the main preoccupation was to pro­
tect people against pollution and to preserve wildlife, 
it has been realized during recent years that long-term 
economic development is predicated upon the conser­
vation of environmental resources. 
The international dimension of environmental prob­
lems is generally acknowledged. It is also recognized 
that science and technology can help bridge the gap 
between economic and environmental policy by provid­
ing, on the one hand, a sound basis for environmental 
regulation and, on the other, the technical means to 
correct or prevent environmental damage. High-quality 
objectives for the environment may indeed spur techni­
cal innovation and can contribute to energy and raw 
materials conservation. 
Community cooperation in environmental research is 
thus particularly appropriate as it addresses a common 
policy concerned with essentially cross-frontier prob­
lems for which two main instruments are joint regulat­
ory measures such as standards and incentives for the 
development of technologies. 
The European Community has been involved in 
environmental research since 1972, initially in the 
COST (European cooperation in the field of scientific 
and technical research) framework and subsequently 
through programmes carried out at the Joint Research 
Centre (JRC) and through shared-cost contract pro­
grammes and concerted actions. 
In 1981, these programmes, except that of the JRC, 
were grouped in a sectoral R&D programme (1981 to 
1985) — Environment (environmental protection and 
climatology). 
They have produced a large number of results which 
are valuable from both the scientific and the practical 
standpoints, recognized, for instance, by the report of 
the independent panel entrusted with the evaluation of 
the environmental protection programme. Results of 
research funded by the Community are recorded in 
numerous publications in international scientific jour­
nals. Wherever appropriate, the Commission has edited 
specific reports which have received a wide distribution. 
The Environmental Research Programme contributed 
significantly to the scientific basis of various Com­
munity Directives and proposals at present under dis­
cussion by the Council. Details are given in the pro­
posals for the individual programmes. The proposals presented hereafter aim at further 
developing these research activities and defining them 
for the period 1986 to 1990, taking into account 
— new research requirements derived from the evol­
ution of the European Community Environmental 
policy and other sectoral policies dealing with 
environmental problems, for instance in areas like 
acid deposition, toxic and dangerous waste, soil 
protection and the increase of atmospheric C02, 
— the redefinition of the Communities' R&D Policy, 
laid down in the Framework Programme, including 
the concept of Research Action Programmes. 
They are part of the Research Action Programme (RAP) 
— Environment (*). 
B. The European Communities' Environmental Policy 
The Community Environmental Policy was defined in 
1973 in a first Environment Action Programme (*) and 
reconfirmed and updated in 1977 (2). A further revision 
of this policy resulted in the Council Resolution of 
7 February 1983 on the continuation and implemen­
tation of a European Community policy and action 
programme on the environment (1982 to 1986) (3), 
which identified also a list of priority actions. 
It is obvious that Environmental Research must be 
consistent with the goals of the Community Environ­
mental Policy, inasmuch as research needs are derived 
therefrom, and this not only as far as the short term 
goals are concerned, but also with regard to the foresee­
able medium- and long-term objectives. Emphasis is 
therefore given to elaborating the links to this policy, 
implemented through the Environment Action Pro­
gramme, which essentially consists of an inventory of 
environmental problems identified on Community level 
(*) The term 'Action Programme' is currently used in various 
contexts. In this document, the following terminology is used: 
— 'Environment action programme' is the legal instrument 
(Council Resolution) defining the Environmental policy 
of the European Communities, 
— 'Research action programme— Environment' is an instru­
ment for the management and coordination by the Com­
mission of various R&D programmes (JRC, contract 
research, concerted actions) in the field of the environ­
ment. For convenience, the abbreviation 'RAP — Environ­
ment' is used. 
(') OJ No C 112, 20. 12. 1973, p. 1. 
(2) OJ No C 139, 13. 6. 1977, p. 1. 
(?) OJ No C 46, 17. 2. 1983, p. 1. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the 
together with a framework of Community actions 
envisaged for their solution. 
The main objectives of the Community environmental 
research are therefore as folows: 
— to establish a scientific basis for the implementation 
of the Community environmental policy, 
— to promote long-term basic research on important 
environmental problems, 
— to coordinate relevant national research in selected 
and suitable areas. 
A more specific definition of these and other objectives 
is given in the individual programme proposals. 
Within this context, the proposed programmes corre­
spond to the objectives of the Environment Action 
Programme as follows: 
— the environment protection programme addresses 
most of the short- and medium-term policy goals 
of the Action Programme, as far as they imply 
research requirements, 
— the climatology programme addresses the effects 
of human activities on climate, such as those of 
increased C02 levels as a consequence of burning 
fossil fuels and deforestation, and the impact of 
climate on natural resources, referred to in the 
Environment Action Programme, 
— the programme on major technological hazards 
addresses primarily the issues underlying the Direc­
tive on the major accident hazards of certain indus­
trial activities. 
As mentioned above, the Environment Action Pro­
gramme identifies a list of priority actions; emphasis is 
given, of course, to these same subjects in the research 
programmes, and specific reference is made to these 
where appropriate in the proposals. 
Furthermore, the research programmes take into 
account the updating of the Environment Action Pro­
gramme for the period 1987 to 1990, at present in 
preparation. 
C. The Community Framework Programme for 
Science and Technology 
In the Council Resolution of 25 July 1983 on Frame­
work Programmes for Community research, develop­
ment and demonstration (R, D & D) activities and a 
first Framework Programme 1984 to 1987 (1), seven 
Community goals and corresponding scientific and 
(') O] No C 208, 4. 8. 1983, p. 1. European Communities No C 301/3 
technical objectives are defined. The following pro­
posals find their main justification within the goal — 
Improving living and working conditions: 
— improving safety and protecting health, 
— protecting the environment. 
They will contribute substantially to all other goals. 
While it is difficult and, to a certain extent arbitrary, 
to give indications regarding the relative contribution 
of the proposed programmes to the various goals of 
the Framework programme, the Commission services 
estimate that the distribution will be as roughly follows: 
Community goal 
Promoting agricultural com­
petitiveness 
Promoting industrial com­
petitiveness 
Improving the management 
of raw materials 
Improving the management 
of energy resources 
Reinforcing development aid 
Improving working and liv­
ing conditions Approximate contributions in % 
En-
mental 
Protec-
10 
10 
5 
5 
— 
70 tology 
20 
— 
— 
— 
20 
60 Major 
nologi-
cal 
hazards 
— 
20 
— 
— 
80 Total 
10 
10 
2,5 
2,5 
5 
70 
The Council resolution on the Framework Programme 
lists 4 selection criteria, to be taken into account for 
defining specific Community R&D Programmes; three 
of these criteria apply to the proposed programmes for 
the following reasons: 
— in view of the regulatory power of the Community 
concerning environmental matters, a joint research 
effort to back Community regulations will obvi­
ously offer financial benefits, 
— many environmental problems are of a transbound-
ary nature and hence involve research on a large 
geographical scale, 
No C 301/4 Official Journal of the 
— the impact of environmental regulation on the free 
trade of products demands the development of uni­
form standards, common assessment procedures, 
etc., for which the proposed programmes will pro­
vide a scientific basis. 
D. The Research Action Programme (RAP) — 
Environment 
In its proposal for the Framework Programme (]) the 
Commission stated its intention to apply for its 
implementation the concept of research action pro­
grammes as a tool for improving the management of 
its specific R, D & D programmes. 
The RAP — Environment covers the following pro­
posals on R & D programmes: 
— Environmental Protection (contract research, con­
certed actions and coordination), 
— Climatology (contract research and coordination), 
— Major technological hazards (contract research and 
coordination), 
together with the relevant sections of the programme 
of the JRC (1984 to 1987): 
— Environmental Protection, 
— Industrial Risk, 
— Remote Sensing. 
With the present proposals, an effort is being made to 
increase the coherence between the various parts of the 
RAP — Environment; thus the proposal for the R & 
D programme on Environmental Protection is designed 
to match the relevant programme of the JRC and 
will be complemented by parts of the remote sensing 
activities of the JRC, which as such do not correspond 
to an objective, but to the application of a new tech­
nique to various environmental and agricultural prob­
lems. The new action on major technological hazards 
complements and augments the JRC programme on 
industrial risk. 
The research activities within the RAP — Environment 
are complemented by a demonstration programme 
defined in the Council Regulation on Action by the 
Community relating to the Environment (ACE) of 
28 June 1984, mainly in the area — clean technol­
ogies^). 
There are also close links to other research programmes, 
in particular the R&D Programme — Recycling of 
urban and industrial waste, which is part of the RAP 
— Materials and Materials 1 echnology. 
The objectives, justifications and scientific/technical 
contents of each of the three programmes are summari­
zed below. 
(}) COM(83) 260 final. 
(2) OJNoL 176,3.7. 1984, p. 1. uropean Communities 25. 11. 85 
E. Implementation 
The programmes will be implemented in four ways: 
(a) shared-cost contracts concluded with research 
organizations, universities and industry: preference 
will be given to transnational projects which may 
be carried out under a single contract or a set of 
related contracts. The call for proposals will stipu­
late as precisely as possible the objectives of each 
project, which will relate to one of the research 
areas and topics listed in the programme proposals. 
A certain amount of funding will however be 
reserved for original proposals proposed singly; 
(b) coordination, either by formal concerted actions 
in suitable research areas, in which a substantial 
amount of research is on hand at national level, or 
by ad hoc arrangements with research institutions 
in the Member States whenever this offers benefits 
for Community research; 
(c) 'catalytic' activities consisting of workshops, assess­
ment studies, etc.; 
(d) training activities (doctoral and post-doctoral fel­
lowships, exchange of scientists, etc.). 
In view of the nature of the programmes international 
collaboration will be encouraged, especially in the 
COST framework. 
The Commission will manage the programmes with 
the assistance of the Management and Coordination 
Advisory Committee (CGC) — Environment and 
Climatology. 
F. Funding and staff 
For a five-year period (1986 to 1990) the following 
financial allocations are requested: 
— Environmental Protection (con­
tract research, concerted actions 
and coordination) 65 million ECU 
— Climatology (contract research 
and coordination) 25 million ECU 
— Major technological hazards 
(contract research and coordi­
nation) 15 million ECU 
105 million ECU 
The allocations take account of 
— the enlargement of the Community to be effective 
in 1986, 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/5 
— the incorporation of training activities, so far finan­
ced from a specific budget. 
In addition to these provisions no significant increase 
in the allocations for the Environmental Protection 
Programme is foreseen above the level of funding for 
the period 1984 to 1985 (after the revision of the third 
programme) although new activities have been incor­
porated. This can be achieved only by shifting emphasis 
from contract research to coordination and concerted 
actions in some areas, which implies a modest increase 
in staff. 
For the Climatology Programme, besides the reasons 
given above, the allocations take account of the costs 
necessary to increase modelling capabilities, especially 
in view of the seasonal (three to six months) forecasting 
of the European climate, to the analysis and application 
of satellite data, and to the intensification of research 
on the climatic effects of enhanced C02 and consequent 
climatic impacts. 
The allocation of the Major Technological Hazards 
Programme only reflects initial activities. This pro­
gramme addresses, by its very nature, a great many 
scientific, technological and regulatory/policy issues. 
Relevant experimental and modelling work, inevitably 
expensive and diversified, constitutes a large part of the 
activities. 
The structure and funding of the whole RAP — 
Environment are shown in the following table: 
Environmental 
Protection 
Climatology 
Remote sensing 
Industrial risk (major 
technological hazards Contract 
Research 
1986-1990 
60,45 (43,3)(!) 
25,0 (8,0) t1) 
— 
15,0 (OX1) Concerted 
Actions 
1986-1990 
4,55 (3,2)0 
— 
— 
— JRC 
1984-1987 
(2) 
48,2(3) 
— 
29,0(3) 
21,5(3) 
The staff requested to manage the new programmes is 
27, subdivided as follows: 
— environmental protection 17 (13)(1) 
— climatology 6 (3)(!) 
— major technological hazards 4 (0)(1) 
27 
(1) Corresponding allocations for 1981 to 1985. 
(2) Adopted programme. 
(3) 1983 ECU. G. Outlines of the three Programmes 
I. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 
The proposal concerns the fourth Community R&D 
Programme in the field of Environmental Protection 
(1986 to 1990), covering contract research and Con­
certed Actions. The proposed programme is a logical 
continuation of the present programme (1981 to 1985), 
taking into account new research needs identified after 
a careful analysis of the achievements of previous pro­
grammes and of the requirements derived from the 
implementation of the Community Environmental 
Policy. 
The programme is the core of the RAP — Environment 
and is closely connected with environmental research 
at the Joint Research Centre as well as with other 
Community research programmes (climatology, recyc­
ling of wastes, etc.) 
The main aim of the programme is to give scientific 
support to the implementation of the Community 
Environmental Policy (Environment Action Pro­
gramme) by providing specific knowledge needed, at 
short- and medium-term, for its implementation. The 
programme addresses, however, also longer-term 
environmental problems in view of the development of 
preventive and anticipatory policies. Emphasis is given 
to promoting, at Community level, the coordination of 
national research activities by fostering joint projects 
and by implementing concerted actions and by less 
formal arrangements for cooperation. A further scope 
of the programme is the promotion of training in 
environmental sciences. 
The programme will contribute significantly to most of 
the other objectives of Community R & D, as defined 
in the Community R, D & D Framework Programme. 
The programme covers research on: 
— Health effects of pollutants, 
— Ecological effects of pollutants, i.e. effects on non-
human targets, 
— Assessment of chemicals, in particular improvement 
of the methodology for testing, 
— Air quality, including the effects of air pollution on 
terrestrial (e.g. forests) and aquatic ecosystems, 
— Water quality, aimed at protecting the freshwater, 
estuarine and marine environment, 
— Soil quality, in view of an integrated approach to 
the protection of soil, 
No C 301/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
— Noise research, 
— Ecosystem research, mainly in view of the acqui­
sition of basic knowledge on the dynamics of ecosy­
stems and their vulnerability, 
— Waste research with emphasis on treatment of toxic 
and dangerous waste and recycling, 
— Reduction of pollution by 'clean' and advanced 
abatement technologies. 
The programme will be implemented in part by contract 
research and coordination, in part by concerted actions. 
In addition to a renewal of five existing concerted 
actions: 
— Air pollution effects on terrestrial and aquatic eco­
systems, 
— Physico-chemical behaviour of atmospheric pol­
lutants, 
— Organic micropollutants in the aquatic environ­
ment, 
— Treatment and use of sewage sludge, 
— Coastal benthic ecology, 
two new concerted actions are proposed: 
— Indoor-air quality and its impact on man, 
— Bird protection. 
The programme provides also for the possibility of 
extending laboratory and field research to evaluation 
and assessment, aiming at the establishment of a con­
solidated scientific basis of environmental legislation 
and management. 
The proposal provides for the possibility of associating 
interested non-Member States, in particular within the 
COST framework. 
The allocations necessary to implement the programme, 
for the five-year period, are estimated at 65 million 
ECU, 4,55 million ECU of which are earmarked for the 
management of concerted actions. For the implemen­
tation a total of 17 staff (10 A, 2 B, 5 C) is necessary. 
II. CLIMATOLOGY 
The continuation of the First Climatology Programme 
(1981 to 1985) of the Research Action Programme — 
Environment into a Second Programme (1986 to 1990) 
is proposed as a component of the European Communi­
ties' Environmental Policy, of which the long-term 
availability and rational management of climate-depen­
dent resources is a declared objective. As one of the most important components of man's 
environment, climate is the factor upon which the qual­
ity and quantity of our water resources, our harvests, 
our needs in terms of energy and shelter, ultimately 
depend. Therefore, the economic implications of what­
ever knowledge we may gain about climate need not 
be stressed. Intrinsically variable, climate can have in 
store a major change which could be brought about by 
the increase of atmospheric C02, mainly due to fossil 
fuel burning. Hence the urgent need of improving our 
understanding of climate and of the response of land 
and water resources to any climate variation. 
As the first Programme has shown, the complex and 
transfrontier character of climatic problems need an 
interdisciplinary approach and international cooper­
ation such as a Community Programme can ensure. 
The European programme would thus contribute in an 
effective way to the solution of the problems posed to 
our age by climate and its interactions with man. 
The Programme consists of the following three 
Research Areas: 
1. THE PHYSICAL BASIS OF CLIMATE 
1.1. Past climates and climatic change. 
1.2. Climatologically significant processes. 
1.3. Modelling and predicting European climates 
within a global context. 
1.4. Seasonal (three to six months) forecasting of 
elements of the European climates. 
2. CLIMATE SENSITIVITY 
Priority will be given to studies related to the possible 
effects of human influences and concerning Euro­
pean climates particularly. 
2.1. The climatic effect of changes in atmospheric 
composition, especially the enhanced carbon 
dioxide. 
2.2. The climatic effect of changes in land-surface 
properties. 
2.3. Early detection of climate change. 
3. CLIMATIC IMPACTS 
3.1. Impact of climatic change or variability on 
Ian d resources, including soil and ecosystems, 
with special attention to desertification prob­
lems. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/7 
3.2. Impact of climatic change or variability on 
European water resources, including the devel­
opment of climate-based models for their evalu­
ation and forecasting. 
3.3. The photosynthetic response of European veg­
etation to increasing atmospheric carbon 
dioxide. 
3.4. Impact of climatic change or variability on sea 
resources and fisheries. 
3.5. Application of climatic knowledge to a better 
management of land and water resources. 
3.6. Causes, mechanisms and impacts of climatolo-
gical anomalies and extreme or abrupt events, 
with the aim in view of reducing human and 
material losses. 
In addition to contract research the programme will 
include an effort to coordinate the ongoing research 
activities within the Member States of the European 
Community. 
The amount of EC funding estimated necessary for the 
five-year period is 25 million ECU and the number of 
staff is set at six. 
III. MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL HAZARDS 
This new programme focuses on the understanding, 
prevention and mitigation of major industrial and trans­
port-related accidents, of chemical and petrochemical 
origin, recent examples being e.g. Bantry Bay, Mexico 
City, Bhopal, etc. In a majority of cases, large inven­
tories of flammable, very reactive or toxic substances 
are involved. Other major hazards (natural/ecological, 
high explosives) or other regulated activities (mining, 
transportation of people, nuclear energy) are not 
addressed at this stage. 
A Community aproach to research and regulation in 
this field is needed for several substantial reasons. The 
considerable problems extant are shared by the entire 
European chemical/petrochemical sector and exhibit 
transnational aspects. The research is complex and 
expensive, calling for a pooling of expertise and 
resources. Common, mutually agreed predictive or 
regulatory tools, to prevent and mitigate major techno­
logical hazards, are the ultimate objective, in view of 
the implementation of the Council Directive. On the 
major accident hazards of certain industrial activities. 
The programme is one element of this broader Com­
munity approach, which includes on-going research at 
the JRC (industrial risk sector, within the RAP — Environment), activities of other Directorates-General 
and exchange of information schemes. It meets several 
options and objectives of the Framework Programme, 
on life and work quality, industrial competitivity and 
management of energy resources. 
The three sectoral aims of the programme are improv­
ing the scientific foundations of risk analysis; improving 
or substituting hazardous processes/technologies; tak­
ing account of the human/geographical context and of 
the likelihood of catastrophic events. Correspondingly, 
the scientific and technical contents are subdivided as 
follows: 
Sector A — Physical and chemical phenomena and 
mitigation of consequences of accidents, 
covering 
— Source term aspects, 
— Dispersion in air of dense/cold clouds, 
— Combustion of flammable/explosible clouds, 
— Blast propagation and interactions; missiles; con­
fined explosions, 
— Catastrophic fires; fireballs; conflagrations, 
— Runaway reactions, 
— Toxic substances dispersion, excluding toxicology, 
— Dust explosions, physics and venting. 
The areas listed are closely interrelated, calling for 
large-scale experimentation, reduced-scale simulations 
and theoretical modelling. Sector A is given high initial 
priority, as problems are well identified. 
Sector B — Technological aspects, covering 
— Safety and reliability of existing technologies, their 
improvement, 
— Alternative, safer technologies and processes, 
— Instrumentation, for detecting/mitigating high-risk 
situations. 
Sector B calls for predominant industrial participation. 
Sector C — Assessment and management of risk, 
covering 
— Risk analysis and accident prevention: hazards' 
mapping, risk aggregates; cost/benefit of safety in 
complex systems; human factor; risk perception; 
development of expert systems; probabilistic 
approach, 
No C 301/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
— Accident management: measures in an emergency; 
population behaviour; emergency planning. 
Several of those aspects are also addressed by the JRC 
programme, industrial risk sector. 
Several 'cross-sectoral' studies, to be launched first, will 
identify links and feedback between sectors and guide 
research options and topic selection in Sectors B and 
C. As examples of relevant themes: transportation of bulk hazardous substances; hazardous production cycl­
es (pesticides) involving highly toxic substances. 
Implementation will be by way of shared-cost contracts, 
with emphasis on transnational projects; cross-sectoral 
studies; coordination actions. 
For the five-year period of validity, an allocation of 
15 million ECU and a management staff of four are 
foreseen. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/9 
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting multiannual research and development programmes 
in the field of the environment (1986 to 1990) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 235 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research Com­
mittee (CREST) has delivered its opinion on the Com­
mission's proposal, 
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia­
ment, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas Article 2 of the Treaty assigns to the Com­
munity the task, inter alia, of promoting throughout the 
Community a harmonious development of economic 
activities and an accelerated raising of the standard of 
living; 
Whereas the Council on 7 February 1983 approved a 
resolution on the continuation and implementation of 
a European Community policy and action programme 
on the environment (1982 to 1986) (*); Article 1 
1. The research and development programmes of the 
European Economic Community in the field of the 
environment covering the areas of environmental pro­
tection, climatology and major technological hazards, 
as described in the Annex, are hereby adopted for a 
period of five years from 1 January 1986. 
2. The programmes shall cover work carried out as 
shared-cost contract research, concerted actions, coor­
dination and training activities, as described in the 
Annex. 
Article 2 
Whereas in that resolution the Council stated that the 
harmonious development of economic activities and a 
continuous and balanced expansion are inconceivable 
without making the most economic use possible of the 
natural resources, which is one of the fundamental tasks 
of the European Economic Community; 
Whereas the European Council at its meeting at 
Stuttgart from 17 to 19 June 1983 emphasized the urgent 
necessity of accelerating and reinforcing action at 
national, Community and international level aimed at 
combating the pollution of the environment; The appropriations necessary for the execution of the 
programmes shall be fixed at 105 million ECU, includ­
ing expenditure on a staff of 27, subdivided as follows: 
— Protection of the environment: 65 million ECU, 17 
staff; 
— Climatology: 25 million ECU, six staff; 
— Major technological hazards: 15 million ECU, four 
staff. 
Article 3 
Whereas in its Resolution of 25 July 1983 the Council 
adopted a first framework programme for Community 
research, development and demonstration activities (2); 
Whereas Community research in the field of the 
environment and climatology has contributed and will 
contribute effectively to the implementation of the pol­
icy and action programme for the environment; The programmes shall be reviewed in the course of the 
third year; this review may lead to a revision of the 
programmes effective at the beginning of the fourth 
year, following the appropriate procedures, and after 
the Committee referred to in Article 4 has been con­
sulted. The Council and the European Parliament shall 
be informed of the results of the review. 
Whereas the Treaty does not provide the specific 
powers of action required for these ends; 
(!) OJ No C 46, 17. 2. 1983, p. 1. 
(2) OJ No C 208, 4. 8. 1983, p. 1. Article 4 
The Commission shall be responsible for the execution 
of the programmes. It shall be assisted in its tasks by the 
Management and Coordination Advisory Committee 
(CGC) on the environment and climatology. 
No C 301/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
The terms of reference and composition of that Com­
mittee shall be in accordance with Council Decision 84/ 
338/Euratom, ECSC, EEC of 29 June 1984 dealing with 
structures and procedures for the management and 
coordination of Community research, development and 
demonstration activities (M. 
Article 5 
1. With regard to the concerted actions, the participat­
ing Member States and the Comunity shall, in accord­
ance with a procedure to be laid down by the Com­
mission, after having consulted the Committee referred 
to in Article 4, regularly exchange all useful information 
concerning the execution of the research covered by 
such activities. 
The participating Member States shall provide the 
Commission with all information relevant for coordi­
nation purposes. They shall also endeavour to provide 
the Commission with information on similar research 
planned or carried out by bodies which are not under 
their authority. 
Any information shall be treated as confidential if so 
requested by the Member State which provides it. 
2. Following completion of the programme, the Com­
mission shall, after having consulted the Committee 
referred to in Article 4, send to the Member States and 
the European Parliament a summary report on the 
implementation and results of the concerted actions. It shall publish this report six months after it has been 
sent to the Member States, unless a Member State 
objects. In the latter case, the report shall be distributed, 
in agreement with the said Committee, only to those 
institutions that request it and whose research or pro­
duction activities justify access to the results of the 
research arising from the concerted actions. The Com­
mission shall make the necessary arrangements for the 
report to remain confidential and not to be divulged to 
third parties. 
Article 6 
1. In accordance with Article 228 of the Treaty, the 
Council may conclude agreements with third States, in 
particular those involved in European cooperation in 
the field of scientific and technical research (COST) 
with a view to associating them wholly or partly with 
these programmes. 
2. The Commission is hereby authorized to negotiate 
the agreements referred to in paragraph 1. 
The agreements with third States participating in Euro­
pean Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Techni­
cal Research (COST) shall be negotiated in accordance 
with the conclusions of the Council of 18 July 1978 
concerning COST(2). 
(') OJNoL 177,4.7. 1984, p. 25. (2) O] No C 100, 21. 4. 1979, p. 1. 
ANNEX 
PARTI 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 
Scientific Content of the Programme 
1. Health effects of pollutants 
— Chronic and late effects at low exposure levels and early indicators of health effects 
— Epidemiology and exposure trends 
2. Ecological effects of pollutants 
— Effects on sensitive key species 
— Effects on ecosystems 
3. Assessment of chemicals 
— Development and assessment of testing procedures 
— Replacement of vertebrates used for toxicity testing 
— Structure/activity relationships (SAR) 
— Evaluation of chemicals 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/11 
Air quality 
— Analysis, sources, transport, transformation and deposition of pollutants 
— Effects of air pollution on the natural environment 
— Effects of air pollution on materials 
— Stratospheric chemistry 
— Remote sensing techniques 
— Indoor-air quality 
5. Water quality 
— Analytical methods 
— Biotic and abiotic degradation of pollutants 
— Eutrophication 
— Remote sensing techniques 
6. Soil quality 
— Analytical methods 
— Behaviour of pollutants in soil 
— Effects of pollutions in soil 
— Effects of agricultural and forestry practice on soil quality 
7. Noise research 
— Effects of noise on the cardiovascular system 
— Comparison between effects of impulse noises and those of continuous noises 
— Synergism between noise and vibrations 
8. Ecosystem research 
— Basic research on the functioning of ecosystems 
— Effects of agricultural practice and urbanization on ecosystems, loss of genetic diversity 
— Environmental oceanography 
— Bio-geochemical cycles 
— Conservation of flora and fauna 
9. Waste research 
— Waste management 
— Organic wastes 
— Toxic and dangerous waste 
— Abandoned disposal sites 
10. Reduction of pollution 
— Advanced abatement technologies 
— Clean technologies 
11. Scientific basis of environmental legislation and management. 
Concerted Actions 
In the following areas within the scientific programme, concerted actions are implemented: 
1. Air pollution effects on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; 
2. Physico-chemical behaviour of atmospheric pollutants; 
3. Organic micropollutants in the aquatic environment; 
4. Treatment and use of sewage sludge; 
5. Coastal benthic ecology; 
6. Indoor-air quality and its impact on man; 
7. Bird protection. 
No C 301/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
PART II 
CLIMATOLOGY 
Scientific Content of the Programme 
1. THE PHYSICAL BASIS OF CLIMATE 
1.1. Past climates and climatic change. 
1.2. Climatologically significant processes. 
1.3. Modelling and predicting European climates within a global context. 
1.4. Studies concerning the feasability of the seasonal (three to six months) forecasting of European 
climates. 
2. CLIMATIC SENSITIVITY 
2.1. Changes in atmospheric composition. 
2.1.1. The climatic effect of enhanced C02. 
2.1.2. Aspects of the global carbon cycle important for climatic prediction. 
2.1.3. The climatic effect of other trace gases. 
2.2. The climatic effect of changes in land-surface properties. 
2.3. Early detection of climatic change (identification and monitoring of parameters which could be used 
as early indicators of climatic change. Improvement of techniques for detecting the signal above 
noise level). 
3. CLIMATIC IMPACTS 
3.1. Impact of climatic change or variability on land resources, including soil, and ecosystems, with 
special attention to desertification problems. 
3.2. Impact of climatic variations on European water resources, including the development of climate-
based models for their evaluation and forecasting. 
3.3. The photosynthetic response of European vegetation to increasing atmospheric C02 in the context 
of a climatic change. 
3.4. Impact of climatic variations on sea resources and fisheries. 
3.5. Application of climatic knowledge to a better management of land and water resources. 
3.6. Causes, mechanisms and impacts of climatological anomalies and extreme or abrupt events, with 
the aim in view of reducing human and material losses. 
PART III 
MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL HAZARDS 
Scientific Content of the Programme 
A. Physical and chemical phenomena and mitigation of consequences of accidents 
A.l. Source term: phenomenology/modelling of release, its influence on early stages of dispersion; 
A.2. Dispersion: atmospheric advection, diffusion and deposition, with emphasis on dense/cold gases, 
mists and aerosols; 
A.3. Combustion: flammable clouds and mists covering flash fires, deflagration, transition to detonation 
and detonation (unconfined/partly confined situations); 
A.4. Blast formation, propagation, interaction with structures; generation of missiles; confined explosions 
and their venting; 
A.5. Catastrophic fires: pool fires, torches and fireballs; highly reactive substances; conflagrations; 
A.6. Runaway reactions: thermodynamics, flow dynamics, venting aspects; 
A.7. Toxic substances: dispersion in air, synergies; excluding toxicology; 
A.8. Dust explosions: phenomenology and venting. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/13 
B Technological aspects 
B.l. Safety and reliability of existing technologies and their improvement; 
B.2. Alternative technologies and processes, susceptible of increasing the safety of processes, plants and 
production cycles; 
B.3. Instrumention, for the detection and mitigation of high-risk situations. 
C. Assessment and management of risk 
C.l. Hazards' identification and mapping, risk aggregates, vulnerability of complex industrial/urban 
systems; 
C.2. Safety and reliability of complex industrial systems, cost/benefit of safety/mitigation devices; 
C.3. Human factor, man-machine interaction; 
C.4. Risk perception by the public, acceptable risk level; 
C.5. Development of 'expert systems' (coupled to data banks), for risk assessment and accident manage­
ment; 
C.6. Probabilistic approach to the analysis and simulation of major accident scenarios, with emphasis 
on hazardous transports; 
C.7. Decision-taking and countermeasures in an emergency, emergency planning; 
C.8. Behaviour of populations in an emergency. 
Cross-sectoral studies, to be launched early, will evidence interrelationships and determine priority issues, 
guiding selection of topics and implementation in Sectors B and C. 
No C 301/14 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
PARTI 
Proposal for a research and development programme in the field of environmental protection 
(1986 to 1990) as part of the RAP—Environment 
A. INTRODUCTION 
This proposal is concerned with a new R&D pro­
gramme in the field of environmental protection for 
the period 1986 to 1990. It is the fourth Community 
programme in this area concerning contract research 
and Concerted Actions (first programme: 1973 to 1975; 
second programme: 1976 to 1980; third programme 
1981 to 1985) and is a logical continuation of the 
preceding ones. 
The programme should be seen as an integral part of 
the RAP—Environment, which at present encompasses, 
in line with the Council Resolution of 25 July 1983 on 
Framework Programmes for Community R, D & D 
(1984 to 1987) (1), research in four different sectors: 
— environmental protection, 
— climatology, 
— industrial risk, 
— remote sensing, 
implemented either as part of the JRC Programme 
1984 to 1987 (2) or by means of contract research and 
concerted action. were redefined in close association with Com­
munity programmes. 
In 1981, the third Environmental Research Pro­
gramme (1981 to 1985) was approved, which 
encompassed for the first time both contract 
research and Concerted Action, providing for 
the association of non-Member States. 
With the presentation of the Framework Pro­
gramme in 1983 (see below), the RAP concept 
was introduced, providing for a closer connec­
tion between contract research and Concerted 
Action on the one side and the pertinent JRC 
research on the other; however, for legal 
reasons these are based on separate Council 
Decisions. 
The present proposal is a logical continuation 
of the third Environmental Research Pro­
gramme (1981 to 1985), approved in 1981 (3) 
reviewed in 1983/84 and formally revised by 
Council Decision in 1984 (4). 
B. JUSTIFICATION AND AIMS 
1. Community Environmental Research; History, 
Aims and Achievements 
1.1. Evolution 
Research of Community Environmental 
Community Environmental Research has evol­
ved, in parallel with the definition and updat­
ing of a Community Environmental Policy (see 
below), from a modest start in 1971 to a sub­
stantial research activity. Three COST agree­
ments, signed in 1971, were followed by a 
first (1973) and second (1976) programme on 
contract research. 
Environmental Research was incorporated in 
the early seventies and gradually increased. 
During the seventies, several COST projects 1.2. Aims of Community Environmental Research 
In preparing the last (third) Environmental 
Research Programme three major aims were 
defined, which are still valid. These are 
— to provide scientific and technical data 
which support the Community Environ­
mental Policy (Environmental Action Pro­
gramme, see below), 
— to address longer-term environmental 
problems, thus preparing the way for the 
development of preventive and anticipatory 
policies taking account of foreseeable 
environmental trends, and to provide the 
means to evaluate the effectiveness of cur­
rent environmental policies, 
— to serve as an instrument for enhancing 
further, at Community level, the coordi­
nation of national research activities in the 
environmental field, in order to improve 
(') OJNoC208, 4. 8. 1983, p. 1. 
(2) OJ No L 3, 5. 1. 1984, p. 21. (3) OJ No L 101, 11. 4. 1981, p. 1. 
(4) OJ NoL71, 14. 3. 1984, p. 13. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/15 
the productivity of the overall effort 
through the encouragement of joint pro­
jects; the elimination of duplication; and 
the evaluation of gaps in research coverage. 
In the light of the R & D Policy of the Com­
munities defined in the Framework Programme 
and after a review of the achievements of the 
previous programmes, these aims need to be 
supplemented by three further items: 
— improvement of industrial competitivity, 
— the processing and evaluation of research 
results in the environmental field in view 
of their use in environmental regulation 
and management, 
— promotion of training in environmental 
sciences. 
These supplementary aims can be justified as 
follows: 
Reduction of emissions, waste disposal, testing 
of products, etc., are more and more of an 
economic factor for industry. It should be men­
tioned that a number of processes, e.g. the 
removal of nitrogen oxides from flue gases or 
the catalytic conversion of car exhausts are at 
present mainly based on imported technol­
ogies. Any development which will result in 
an improvement of the economic viability of 
abatement technologies or the acceptability of 
products from an environmental point of view 
will certainly increase the competitivity of 
European industry. The assessment of cost/ 
benefit relationships of various options for 
regulatory approaches will also contribute to 
this goal. 
Since the establishment of a Community 
Environmental Policy in 1973, substantial data 
have been generated on the effects of a multi­
tude of pollutants; much of this information, 
however, still awaits qualified-expert appraisal 
in order to make it usable for regulatory pur­
poses. Community regulation of chemicals 
covers with few exceptions only products not 
previously marketed; there is a need for the 
evaluation of data on an enormous number of 
'existing' chemicals for which only scarce and 
often contradictory information is available, 
waiting for a critical assessment, also in view 
of setting priorities for testing. Furthermore, 
the Commission was encouraged, in a more 
general way, by the panel entrusted with an 
evaluation of the preceding programmes (see 
below), to make strong efforts to present the 
results of the programme in a form which 7j7 
enhances their immediate utilization for regu­
latory purposes. The scientific expertise associ- (2) 
ated with the programme can profitably be used for assuming an important role in this 
task. 
The training of scientists, in particular through 
transnational exchange, has always been recog­
nized as an obligation of the Community. To 
date, this has been promoted as an independent 
activity; this has now to be incorporated within 
the specific research programmes, as appro­
priate. 
1.3. Achievements of Community Environmental 
Research 
It is widely recognized that the Community 
Environmental Research Programmes have 
contributed significantly to present knowledge 
in environmental sciences, and many results 
have found practical applications or have been 
considered in drawing up the environmental 
legislation of the Communities. These achieve­
ments are well documented. 
Syntheses of selected results are given in general 
reviews of Community research {l) and of the 
Community Environmental Policy (2). 
In Annex II, a list is given of Commission 
publications which either summarize the results 
or give, via their bibliographies, access to spec­
ific publications on research funded within the 
programme. 
As far as contract research is concerned, con­
tract partners were encouraged to publish in 
the open literature, hence ensuring a wide dis­
semination of results. The summary reports on 
research contracts, published in several vol­
umes by the Commission, comprise extensive 
bibliographies (see Annex II). 
In suitable areas, reports have been prepared 
which provide a critical synthesis of Com­
munity research (e.g. epidemiological survey of 
La politique communautaire de la recherche et la technologie; 
ses developpements jusqu'en 1984, EUR 9229 (in print). 
Ten Years of Community Environment Policy, Commission 
of the European Communities, 1984. 
No C 301/16 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
air-pollution effects; interim report on the ILE-
project, conjointly with the JRC). 
With regard to Concerted Actions, special 
emphasis has been given to collate the results 
at various levels of condensation: 
— executive reports have been edited at reg­
ular intervals, outlining the main achieve­
ments in a condensed way, 
— numerous 'European Symposia' and work­
shops on specific subjects have been pub­
lished and made available to the scientific 
community and to regulatory bodies. 
In addition to the conferences directly connec­
ted to the programme, many open conferences 
were organized by the Commission, alone or 
in cooperation with other institutions, and con­
tract partners were preferentially invited to 
report on results from Community research. 
Such conferences served in particular to better 
define Community research and to identify 
priorities (e.g. Clean Technologies, 1980; Acid 
Deposition, 1983; Environment and Chemicals 
in Agriculture, 1984). 
As regards the utilization of research results 
for regulatory purpose, a few examples are 
highlighted below: 
— many data sets on the effects of various 
pollutants on health and the environment 
have been used by the Commission as a 
basis in proposing quality objectives for 
various subtances (heavy metals, organic 
pollutants), 
— a series of tests for the assessment of chemi­
cals elaborated or evaluated within the pro­
gramme are already incorporated or pro­
posed for inclusion in the protocols 
annexed to Directive 67/548/EEC (base set 
and level 1 and 2) and other regulatory 
texts, 
— the results from sewage-sludge research 
provide the main scientific basis of a pro­
posed Directive on the use of sewage sludge 
in agriculture, are an integral part of the scientific basis 
for various regulations enacted or proposed 
for the control of air pollution. 
The second programme (1976 to 1980) and the 
first phase of the third programme (1981 to 
1983) together with the relevant JRC activities 
are at present subject to an evaluation by an 
independent panel of high-ranking scientists. 
The evaluation report will be available by mid-
1985. 
2. R & D in support of the Environmental Action 
Programme 
In preparing the programme proposal, the Com­
mission has been guided mainly by the updating of 
the Environmental Action Programme approved by 
the Council in 1983 (Resolution of the Council of 
the European Communities and of the representa­
tives of the Governments of the Member States, 
meeting within the Council of 7 February 1983 on 
the continuation and implementation of a European 
Community policy and action programme on the 
environment (1982 to 1986)) {l). 
In the annex describing the content of this pro­
gramme, reference is made to the relevant chapters 
of the third Environment Action Programme and to 
the priorities identified in the Council Resolution; 
these are the following: 
(a) integration of the environmental dimension into 
other policies; 
(b) environmental impact assessment procedure; 
(c) reduction of polluction and nuisance, if possible 
at source, in the context of an approach to 
prevent the transfer of pollution from one part 
of the environment to another, in the following 
areas: 
— combating atmospheric pollution, 
— combating fresh-water and marine pol­
lution, 
— combating pollution of the soil; 
(d) environmental protection in the Mediterranean 
region, paying particular attention to the specific 
aspects of that region when giving practical 
application to the action programme; 
(e) noise pollution and particularly noise pollution 
caused by means of transport; 
— the elucidation of the mechanisms of the 
conversion of pollutants in the atmosphere (>) OJNoC46, 17. 2. 198.3, p. 1. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/17 
(f) combating transfrontier pollution; 
(g) dangerous chemical substances and prep­
arations; 
(h) waste management, including treatment, recyc­
ling and re-use and in particular toxic and 
dangerous waste; 
(i) encouraging the development of clean tech­
nology; 
(j) protection of areas of importance to the Com­
munity which are particularly sensitive environ­
mentally; 
(k) cooperation with developing countries on 
environmental matters. 
It should be emphasized, that the above Resolution 
underlines the need to carry out careful research 
before submitting proposals for regulation to the 
Council. 
This proposal also takes into account the research 
needs derived from the implementation of various 
specific Council Directives approved during recent 
years or at present under discussion by the Council. 
An effort has been made to anticipate new research 
needs which will arise from the next Environment 
Action Programme (1988 to 1991), at present in 
preparation, such as research related to an integral 
concept of soil protection. 
3. Environmental R&D and the Framework Pro­
gramme 
As regards the general research policy of the Com­
munities, in preparing this document attention has 
been paid to the Council Resolution of 25 July 
1983 on framework programmes for Community 
research, development and demonstration activities 
and a first Framework Programme, 1984 to 1987, 
in which protection of the environment is among 
the scientific and technical objectives, related to the 
goal 'improving living and working conditions'. The 
contributions to all other goals, in particular to 
— promoting industrial competitiveness, 
— improving the management of raw materials, 
— promoting agricultural competitiveness, More specifically, the proposal for the Environmen­
tal Research Programme takes into account the 
relevant chapter (6.2) of the Framework Pro­
gramme (!), as well as the 'Plan by Objective Protec­
tion of the Environment and Prevention of Health 
Hazards' (2) elaborated during the preparation of 
that Programme. In the latter document, an attempt 
is made to put Community research on the Environ­
ment in the general context of research in Europe 
and overseas. 
The programme proposal meets three out of the 
four selection criteria for Community R&D pro­
grammes: 
— financial benefits arising from a joint research 
effort by providing input to Community regu­
lations, in view of the regulatory responsibilities 
of the Communities in environmental matters, 
— research over a large geographical scale which 
is required in view of the transboundary nature 
of environmental pollution, 
— research strengthening the cohesion of the com­
mon market and leading to the establishment of 
uniform standards, justified by the impact of the 
Community Environmental Policy on free trade 
(regulation of products, common assessment 
procedures, etc.). 
C. RESEARCH PRIORITIES AND SCIENTIFIC CONTENT 
OF THE PROGRAMME 
1. Research Priorities 
Environmental research in general covers a huge 
area of activities, encompassing also investigations 
of sometimes only local importance. Specific con­
sideration was therefore given to setting priorities 
on problems of undoubted importance at Com­
munity level. The main criteria for setting research 
priorities were the requirements derived from the 
Community Environmental Policy (Environment 
Action Programme). 
Furthermore, in setting such priorities, the Com­
mission could not ignore recent strong reactions of 
the public to major environmental problems such 
as acid deposition, forest die-back, disposal of toxic 
and dangerous waste, protection of soil, etc. Due 
are fully recognized. f1) Doc. COM(83) 260 final. 
(2) Doc. XII/35/82, January 1983. 
No C 301/18 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
consideration was given, in particular, to several 
resolutions of the European Parliament on such 
issues, many of which include forceful recommen­
dations for increased research effort in these areas. 
Substantial input to the definition of the programme 
came from the numerous symposia and workshops 
organized by the Commission, alone or in cooper­
ation with other institutions (see Annex II). Usually, 
outstanding personalities were entrusted with draw­
ing the conclusions of these conferences, with par­
ticular attention to the establishment of research 
priorities. The most important of these conferences 
were 
— Clean Technologies, The Hague, November 
1980, 
— Acid Deposition — a Challenge for Europe, 
Karlsruhe, September 1983, 
— Environment and Chemicals in Agriculture, 
Dublin, October 1984. 
The Commission cosponsored the Conference on 
Environmental Research and Management Priori­
ties for the 1980s, organized by the Swedish Acad­
emy of Science in Rattvik in 1982, which had, as 
the prime objective, the establishment of research 
priorities. Among those identified, this proposal 
addresses, in particular, the following: 
— Reduction of biological diversity, 
— Acid deposition, 
— Impact of hazardous substances on ecosystems 
and man, 
— Impact of urbanization 
(the other priorities concern mainly climatology and 
problems in developing countries). 
With regard to acid deposition and effects of air 
pollutants, intensive discussions within the Com­
mission's services took place in order to match 
regulatory and research activities which resulted in 
a specific report (1). 
This programme proposal attempts also to meet 
some requirements of the Community in view of its 
(!) Report on the actions of the Commission of the European 
Economic Community on acid deposition, Doc. CI/886/84, 
December 1984. involvement in the follow-up to the 1982 Versailles 
Summit of the Heads of State and Government and 
the Representatives of the European Communities, 
reconsidered at the 1984 London Summit; during 
the latter, environmental protection was identified 
as a major issue of cooperation. The Working 
Group—Technology, Growth and Employment, 
established to respond to the summit declarations, 
reviewed the situation in environmental research, 
recognized the value of the Community programme 
and recommended the following research priorities, 
which are to a large extent identical to those of the 
RAP—Environment: 
— atmospheric pollution, 
— toxic and radioactive wastes, 
— marine pollution, 
— pollution of soils and waters, 
— appropriate land husbandry, 
— climatic change. 
The Commission's services, with the assistance of 
the formal advisory bodies and in numerous infor­
mal contacts with Member States, analysed the 
national environmental research programmes and 
their funding, in order to avoid duplications, to 
identify those areas requiring specific input by Com­
munity research and to explore the possibilities for 
effective coordination (e.g. by concerted actions). 
Guidance for setting research priorities was given 
during comprehensive discussions during 1984 by 
the Advisory Committee on Programme Manage­
ment for Environmental Research. These dis­
cussions were continued by the recently established 
Management and Coordination Advisory Commit­
tee (CGC)—Environment and Climatology, which 
expressed a formal Opinion on 19 March 1985 
(Annex III). 
The scientific content of the programme is outlined 
in Annex I and is introduced in the following chap­
ter. This content represents a balanced conclusion 
of the aforementioned considerations. The most 
appropriate ways of implementing the proposed 
scientific programme are indicated. 
2. Scientific Content of the Programme 
In the light of experience gained in the preceding 
programmes, which were divided into rather broad 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/19 
areas, it is proposed to subdivide the fourth pro­
gramme into 11 more strictly and logically defined 
areas as follows: 
1. Health effects of pollutants. 
2. Ecological effects of pollutants. 
3. Assessment of chemicals. 
4. Air quality. 
5. Water quality. 
6. Soil quality. 
7. Noise research. 
8. Ecosystem research. 
9. Waste research. 
10. Reduction of pollution. 
11. Scientific basis of environmental legislation and 
management. 
A detailed description of these areas is given in 
Annex IA. Area 8 will allow a better insight into the function­
ing of ecosystems, which is vital for a sound, long-
term approach to environmental protection. 
Areas 9 and 10 are focused on technological research 
aimed at investigating efficient means to reduce 
pollution. 
Area 11 encompasses activities which will permit a 
better application of research results to management 
and the establishment of links to other scientific 
disciplines (economics, sociology) which are of vital 
importance for the implementation of the Com­
munity Environmental Policy. 
With regard to the distribution of available funds 
between these research areas and to the priorities 
within them, the Commission will consult the Man­
agement and Coordination Advisory Committee 
(CGC)—Environment and Climatology. 
Annex IB describes the content of formal concerted 
actions; these require further details in view of the 
possible association of non-Member States within 
the framework of the COST. The scientific content 
of these actions was reviewed in 1983 in preparing 
the revision of the third Environmental Research 
Programme; a major updating at this stage is there­
fore not necessary. 
The proposed subdivision meets best the require­
ments of the Environment Action Programme and 
will facilitate the management of the programme, 
in particular the formulation of well-defined calls 
for proposals. D. WAYS OF IMPLEMENTATION 
It is proposed, to introduce 'catalytic activities' as a 
further type of activity complementing contract 
research and formal concerted actions and also to incor­
porate training activities. It is hoped that by these 
means sufficient flexibility will be obtained to respond 
to new problems arising during the implementation of 
the programme. 
Thus, in the future, the programme should 
implemented using the following means: be 
Areas 1 and 2 concern the establishment of 
exposure/effect relationships (criteria) within the 
meaning adopted for the first Environment Action 
Programme, and as required for the regulation of 
individual pollutants. Research in these areas has 
been considerably reduced compared to previous 
programmes. 
Area 3 is related essentially to the assessment of 
chemicals, with a strong emphasis on the develop­
ment of methodologies. (a) Contract Research 
Shared-Cost Research Contracts should be funded 
in areas which are of immediate relevance to 
environmental policy, as defined in the Environment 
Action Programme, in order to generate, within 
acceptable time limits, the knowledge necessary for 
its implementation. 
Projects will be selected normally on the basis of 
well-defined calls for proposals, phased in such a 
way as to allow continuity in the work of the 
Commission's Services and the advisory bodies. 
Areas 4, 5 and 6 permit a consistent approach to 
the protection of the media air, water and soil. (b) Coordination and Concerted Actions 
Area 7 concerns noise research. Formal Concerted Actions should be defined in 
suitable areas, preferably those in which research is 
No C 301/20 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
more of a long term nature. They should receive a 
specific budget for their implementation; the 
Council Decision should, as in the past, incorporate 
an obligation on the Member States to introduce 
appropriate national research into the coordination 
process. In general, such actions should be open to 
cooperation with Non-Member States within the 
framework of COST. 
Concerted Action can be complemented by contract 
research, provided that the projects to be funded 
fill real gaps. Such projects should be identified in 
cooperation with the Member States. 
Formal concerted actions will be complemented in 
a flexible way by coordination of national research 
in areas which, due to their size or nature, do not 
justify a formal concerted action, whenever such a 
coordination offers benefits to the Community. 
(c) Catalytic Activities 
A number of areas within the programme to date 
could not be handled in the most appropriate way 
since the available tools (contract research and con­
certed action) were not sufficiently flexible, e.g. 
— the evaluation of chemicals, 
— 'packaging' of knowledge, in order to make it 
easily accessible to the users, 
— societal and economic aspects of environmental 
protection. 
Such 'catalytic activities' should allow 
— the organization of panels to evaluate chemicals 
and to draw up assessment papers on specific 
problems pertinent to the Environment Action 
Programme, 
— the organization of workshops in certain areas 
(also with the participation of scientists from 
Non-Member States) and the subsequent compi­
lation and evaluation of the results, in general 
to be commissioned to qualified scientists, 
— the award of small (normally fully paid) con­
tracts for handling specific problems mainly in 
borderline areas, e.g. societal or economic 
aspects of environmental protection. 
Specific examples of such 'catalytic activities' are 
given in Annex IA under the respective programme 
areas. (d) Training Activities 
These will allow support for the transboundary 
exchange of scientists between institutes participat­
ing in the programme, and to organize, if appropri­
ate, training courses in suitable subject areas. 
The Management and Coordination Advisory Commit­
tee (CGC)—Environment and Climatology will be con­
sulted to give guidance on the most appropriate means 
of implementation of research in the various areas. 
E. FUNDING AND STAFF 
For a five-year period (1986 to 1990) the allocations 
necessary to implement the programme are estimated 
at 65 million ECU, comprising 4,55 million ECU ear­
marked for the implementation of seven concerted 
actions. 
These allocations constitute a small increase in real 
terms above the present level of funding, as calculated 
on the basis of annual appropriations to the third 
Environmental Research Programme (subprogramme 
—Environmental Protection), after the programme 
revision in 1984. 
Such an increase is justified by 
— a shift of emphasis to research in more resource 
intensive technical disciplines (waste research, 
abatement technologies, clean technologies), 
— the incorporation of two new concerted actions, 
— the enlargement of the Communities by two new 
Member States, to be effective in 1986, which will 
require supplementary funds to promote research 
in these countries, 
— the incorporation of training activities, which were 
financed till now from a separate budget. 
For the implementation of the programme, a total of 
17 staff is necessary. This constitutes an increase of 
four, justified by supplementary concerted actions and 
by new tasks, in particular scientific input to a number 
of catalytic activities (evaluation of results, coordi­
nation of national research) which are not part of 
formal concerted actions. Furthermore, the general 
trend to reduce contract research while expanding con­
certed actions and coordination of national research 
in suitable areas will inevitably increase manpower 
requirements for the execution of the proposed pro­
gramme. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/21 
ANNEX IA 
SCIENTIFIC CONTENT OF THE PROGRAMME 
Health effects of pollutants This area covers the effects of pollutants of all environmental 
media on human health. 
1.1. Chronic and late effects at low In view of the considerable knowledge accumulated in recent years, 
exposure levels and early indicators it is intended to limit the research effort (essentially by contract 
of health effects research or, wherever appropriate, by catalytic activities) to a 
number of issues particularly relevant to environmental exposure, 
i.e. low-exposure levels for prolonged time, such as: 
— effects of lead on the CNS and on intellectual performance, 
— effects of certain metals and organic pollutants on specific 
organs (e.g. effects of cadmium on kidney function), 
— identification of subclinical effects and of 'early indicators' of 
exposure, 
— risk of cancer induction form pollutants, e.g. organic products 
in diesel exhausts, solvents, agrochemicals (e.g. EDB), 
— effects at molecular level. 
1.2. Epidemiology and exposure trends Epidemiological research, in view of its long-term nature, should 
be promoted predominantly as catalytic activity, e.g. by contri­
butions to planning and coordinating such studies, but not to the 
operational cost. Example: Monitoring the decrease of blood-lead 
levels following regulatory action to be implemented (reduction or 
elimination of lead in fuel). 
Ecological effects of pollutants This area, to be implemented mainly by contract research, covers 
the effects of individual pollutants (organic and inorganic) on non-
human targets in all media (marine and freshwater environment, 
terrestrial environment) in order to support the establishment of 
quality objectives. Consequently, it is intended to limit research, 
as far as the aquatic environment is concerned, essentially to those 
substances which are in the priority list of Council Directive 76/ 
464/ECC (Official Journal of the European Communities No C 176 
of 14 July 1982). Emphasis will be on effects at low concentrations; 
compounds already regulated are excluded. Interactive effects are 
dealth with in areas 4, 5 and 6. 
2.1. Effects on sensitive key species To a limited extent, laboratory and field research (by contracts) 
on sensitive key species should be funded, in view of their use as 
bio-indicators or for the definition of pollution indices. 
2.2. Effects on ecosystems Emphasis is to be on overall effects at the ecosystem level, by field 
studies, model ecosystems or experimental microcosms. 
3. Assessment of chemicals 
Environment Action 
Programme: 
Chapter 22, priority item Research in this area is directly related to existing Community 
regulations on dangerous substances, in particular to the sixth 
Amendment to Council Directive 67/548/EEC and to forthcoming 
initiatives to be taken with regard to existing chemicals. 
No C 301/22 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
3.1. Development and assessment of 
testing procedures Research will be limited to test systems likely to be considered for 
incorporation in Annex VIII of Directive 67/548/EEC (levels 1 and 
2) and to research necessary for the interpretation of test results 
(e.g. mechanistic and quantitative aspects of mutagenicity and 
carcinogenicity testing, which will permit the comparison of con­
centration in vitro v. dose in vivo, tests for epigenetic carcinogens, 
etc.) to be implemented mainly by contract research. 
3.2. Replacement of vertebrates used 
for toxicity testing It is likely that some of the tests already specified in the sixth 
Amendment of Directive 67/548/EEC and other Community regu­
lations will have to be replaced by tests using no, or considerably 
fewer, laboratory animals. Contract research in this area will be 
promoted (complementary to some aspects of the Communities' 
biotechnology programme). 
3.3. Structure/activity relationships 
(SAR) SAR are of increasing importance for the evaluation of chemicals 
and for the selection of existing chemicals for testing and assess­
ment. This topic is to be dealt with by catalytic activity. 
3.4. Evaluation of chemicals It is considered necessary' to generate within the Environmental 
Research Programme a capacity to generate reports, assessments, 
etc., compiled by competent scientists, for the evaluation of import­
ant environmental chemicals, also with a view to assist the 'user 
packaging' of knowledge elaborated within the programme. This 
topic will be handled by catalytic activities only (panels, small 
fully-paid contracts). 
4. Air quality 
Environment Action 
Programme: 
Chapter 21, priority item This area will be one of the most important within the programme 
in view of current regulatory activities of the Communities. Dra­
matic effects on terrestrial ecosystems (in particular forests) and 
aquatic ecosystems have been observed in recent years, which gave 
rise to major public concern. These effects are attributed, at least in 
part, to the influence of air pollutants and their reaction products, 
although the exact mechanisms and the interaction with other 
environmental factors are poorly understood. A greatly increased 
research effort is needed immediately to elucidate these phenomena. 
Similar concern is expressed with regard to the effects of air 
pollutants on buildings and monuments (see also research area 8, 
in particular 8.4). 
4.1. Analysis, sources, transport, trans- Mainly by concerted action (follow-up of COST 611, see Annex 
formation and deposition of pol- IB) with some complementary contract research to fill gaps in 
lutants national research. 
4.2. Effects on air pollution on the natu- Research will cover the effects on 
ral environment 
— terrestrial ecosystems, in particular forests, 
— aquatic ecosystems and wetland ecosystems, 
— agricultural productivity, 
and will be executed by a combination of contract research and 
concerted action (follow-up of COST 612, see Annex IB). 
4.3. Effects of air pollution on materials Contract research will be essentially limited to the mechanisms of 
deterioration of materials used in historical buildings and monu­
ments, and to fundamental aspects of their conservation. 
4.4. Stratospheric chemistry The follow-up to ongoing activities will be done essentially by 
catalytic activities (panels, workshops), not excluding, however, 
some selected contracts. Emphasis will be given to exchange with 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/23 
the troposphere and to the role of the stratosphere as a sink for 
tropospheric pollutants (e.g. N20) (see also 8.4, biogeochemical 
cycles). 
4.5. Remote sensing techniques Catalytic activities only (organization of measurement campaigns 
and evaluation of new instruments). 
4.6. Indoor-air quality Concerted Action only, complementing JRC activities (see Annex 
IB). 
5. Water quality 
Environment Action 
Programme: 
Chapter 16, priority item Research in this area will cover freshwater, estuarine and marine 
environment (work on ground water quality is to be handled 
withing the context of area 6). 
5.1. Analytical methods Development of analytical methods with emphasis on organic 
compounds which might be included in Directive 76/464/EEC, by 
concerted action only (COST 641 — follow-up, see Annex IB). 
5.2. Biotic and abiotic degradation of Mainly as concerted action within the framework of COST 641 
pollutants follow-up with some complementary contract work, in particular 
with regard to mechanisms of abiotic degradation especially by 
photochemical processes. 
5.3. Eutrophication Although substantial knowledge is available in this area, some 
specific problems, in particular in the coastal and estuarine environ­
ment, may be subject of contract research and/or evaluation of 
control measures. 
5.4. Remote sensing techniques Catalytic activities (e.g. organization of campaigns for comparative 
measurements) in support of the JRC programme. 
6. Soil quality 
Environment Action 
Programme: Chapter 26 and 
others, priority item There is increasing concern about the deterioration of soil quality, 
the accumulation of pollutants in soils and their transfer to ground 
water and the food chain, which justifies a significant research 
effort in this area, to be complemented by specific research on 
waste disposal (see area 9). 
6.1. Analytical methods Exclusively, as part of a concerted action (COST 681 follow-up, 
see Annex IB) with emphasis on problems arising from Annex IIB 
of the sewage sludge Directive (under discussion by the Council), 
taking into account possible future amendments of this Directive 
(in particular organic pollutants). 
6.2. Behaviour of pollutants in soil Substantial gaps in knowledge remain in this area regarding 
— the mobility of pollutants (metals and organic pollutants) and 
their transfer to ground water, 
— the degree of availability of pollutants to plants as a function 
of soil type and crop characteristics, 
— degradation of organic pollutants. 
A substantial effort by contract research is required to elucidate 
these phenomena. 
6.3. Effects of pollutants in soil Contract research in this area should elucidate the effects of pol­
lutants and agrochemicals on soil organisms. 
6.4. Effects of agricultural and forestry A limited effort may be devoted to the effects of agricultural 
practice on soil quality and forestry practice (cultivation techniques and management, 
excessive spreading of fertilizers) on soil and water quality, includ-
No C 301/24 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
ing specific erosion problems arising from human activities, as far 
as these are not covered by the Climatology Programme (contract 
research). 
7. Noise research 
Environment Action 
Programme: 
Chapter 23, priority item In this area, essentially a continuation of ongoing activities is 
foreseen, taking into account the priorities, identified at the two 
last congresses 'Noise, a public health problem', organized by 
the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Noise 
(ICBEN) in Freiburg (1978) and in Torino (1983), and also by the 
noise advisory group of the CEC. 
7.1. Effects of noise on the cardiovascu- Experimental data demonstrate that noise is one stressor, among 
lar system others, which induces effects on the cardiovascular system, includ­
ing that of children. It remains to identify groups at risk, and to 
obtain quantitative relationships between noise levels at home, 
during leisure activities and at work, on the one hand, and mor­
bidity on the other. Longitudinal epidemiological studies on is­
chemic heart disease related to noise, carried out in iMember States, 
should be coordinated. 
7.2. Comparison between effects of Because of ISO Standard 1996, accepted by many countries, impulse 
impulse noises and those of con- noise sources have to be considered separately from other noise 
tinuous noises sources in the environment. This distinction creates many difficult­
ies. It is necessary to investigate in detail how to take into account 
the impulsive component of the noise in the environment, in 
particular as a function of the total noise level. 
7.3. Synergism between noise and The drivers and passengers of trains, buses and cars are subjected 
vibrations to a combination of noises and vibrations, each of which may have 
a number of effects. The combination of noise and vibrations at 
special low frequencies corresponding to those of internal organs 
of the human body might provoke enhanced reactions, especially 
on the vigilance of drivers. This synergism has to be investigated 
under laboratory conditions. 
8. Ecosystem research Substantial knowledge on many problems has been accumulated 
with regard to individual pollutants. The current trend in environ­
mental research is towards a more general and multidisciplinary 
approach aimed at a better understanding of the stability (or 
vulnerability) of ecosystems and of the impact of a combination 
of factors on the overall ecological balance as well as on different 
compartments of the environment. It is intended, during the fourth 
programme, to gradually introduce such concepts. 
.1. Basic Research on the Functioning It is envisaged to gradually extend the concerted action COST 647 
of Ecosystems from a baseline study to a more comprehensive research on coastal 
ecosystems. A further example is research into the characterization 
of a number of typical European forest ecosystems, with particular 
emphasis on their resistance to the effects of acid deposition. Such 
research is first to be tackled (in addition to the concerted action 
mentioned above) by catalytic activities (panels, workshops, etc.), 
not excluding, however some selected contracts. 
.2. Effects of agricultural practice and The rapid changes in land and crop management in agriculture, as 
urbanization on ecosystems, loss of well as urbanization and other human activities (e.g. tourism) lead 
genetic diversity to disturbances in ecosystems and to the extinction of species. Loss 
of genetic diversity causes growing concern (second priority among 
10 identified by the Conference on Environmental Research and 
Management Priorities, Rattvik, 1982). To be implemented mainly 
by catalytic activities. 
8.3. Environmental oceanography Apart from soil, ocean and estuaries are the only significant sink 
of persistent pollutants; little knowledge is available on the fate of 
such substances. In particular, the processes of sedimentation and 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/25 
coprecipitation merit a more careful examination, with a view 
to predicting the potential for immobilization of pollutants, in 
particular heavy metals. Catalytic activities will be complemented 
by some contract research (links to 8.4: biochemical cycles). 
8.4. Biogeochemical cycles The debate on acid deposition has given a new impetus to this 
area, since any sound strategy for curing effects and restabilizing 
ecosystems is impossible without a thorough understanding of the 
natural cycles of sulphur and nitrogen. Research executed by 
contracts should also incorporate phosphorus. The carbon cycle is 
to be handled within the Climatology Programme. 
8.5. Conservation of flora and fauna 
Environment Action 
Programme: 
Chapter 22, priority item Research on birds as support to Community regulation will be 
essentially done by concerted action (see Annex IB); more specific 
problems (marine mammals, reptiles, amphibia) derived from the 
Community Environment Policy (e.g. Mediterranean Action Plan) 
will require contract research. 
Waste research 
Environment Action 
Programme: 
Chapter 24 and 29, priority item This area should receive particular attention within the fourth 
programme, in view of the growing concern about the long-term 
effects of waste disposal on soil and aquifers and the multiple 
health problems arising from inappropriate waste disposal. As a 
general rule, research will emphasize the possibilities for waste 
recycling instead of disposal. Overlaps with the complementary 
R&D programme — Recycling of urban and industrial waste will 
be avoided. As far as appropriate, research into biotechnological 
methods of waste treatment will be considered in close cooperation 
with the Biotechnology R&D Programme. 
9.1. Waste management Catalytic activities are foreseen for a number of general aspects, 
such as waste characterization and classification. 
9.2. Organic wastes Research on sludges and manures will continue in the form of a 
concerted action (COST 681, see Annex IB). With regard to other 
organic wastes, the borderlines with the recycling programme will 
be defined. 
9.3. Toxic and dangerous waste Contract research will give particular emphasis to the following 
topics: 
— special treatment of toxic industrial waste (e.g. solvents, tem­
pering baths, residues from electrolytic surface treatment, 
chemical waste), 
— solidification of waste prior to disposal, 
— specific recycling methods (e.g. recovery of hydrocarbons from 
cutting oils). 
9.4. Abandoned disposal sites As special effort is necessary for research (by contracts) on monitor­
ing abandoned waste dumps and, possibly, their recovery. 
10. Reduction of pollution 
Environment Action 
Programme: Chapters 25 and 30, 
priority items Research in this area will require significant allocations (contract 
research) and may encompass projects for upscaling of processes 
developed in the laboratory in selected areas. 
10.1. Advanced abatement technologies Contract research in selected areas of air- and water-pollution 
abatement for developing new, improved or more cost-effective 
technologies should be funded, including the computer-assisted 
automation or optimization of treatment processes aiming at a 
reduction of energy consumption. 
No C 301/26 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
10.2. Clean technologies The efforts made within the third programme should be continued, 
aiming at the development of technologies designed to avoid or 
reduce particular types of pollution and waste or to reduce signifi­
cantly energy and material consumption, in line with the con­
clusions of the Commission of the European Communities (CEC) 
symposium 'Clean technologies', The Hague, November 1980. As 
in the third programme the following industrial sectors will receive 
priority: 
— chemical industry, 
— glass and ceramics, 
— pulp and paper, 
— metallurgy, 
— metal finishing and coating, 
— food and feed, 
— fibres and textiles, 
— tanning. 
Research will be complementary to the demonstration activities in 
this area implemented by the Commission. 
11. Scientific basis of environmental Catalytic activities (reviews, workshops, pannels, etc.) will allow 
legislation and management the utilization of knowledge acquired within the programme (and 
assessing complementary information) in regulatory procedures. 
The scientific expertise available in the institutes under contract or 
associated with the programme within the framework of concerted 
actions should be used to achieve a presentation of the results in a 
way which makes them easily accessible. Due consideration will 
be given to the sociological and economic aspects of environmental 
regulations. 
ANNEX IB 
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME OF THE CONCERTED ACTIONS 
1. Physico-Chemical Behaviour of Atmospheric Pollutants (COST 611) 
(a) Improvement and standardization of analytical methods, especially for nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons 
and photochemical oxidants. 
(b) Elucidation of mechanisms and rate constants of the reactions between atmospheric pollutants and 
of their reactions with natural constituents of the atmosphere, in particular in the aqueous state, 
including oxidation and degradation chemistry of selected atmospheric pollutants in fresh and sea 
water, reactions with soil constituents, and the investigation of catalytic processes in cloud and 
rainwater chemistry. 
(c) Investigation of the physico-chemical processes leading to the formation of particles, characterization 
of the chemical and physical nature of very fine aerosols, and determination of the chemical 
composition of aerosols. 
(d) Identification and quantification of sources and sinks of various pollutants, especially for nitrogen 
oxides. 
(e) Investigation of phenomena leading to acid deposition with particular emphasis on: 
— conversion, transport and deposition (dry and wet) of S02, NOx and aerosol particles, 
— analysis of precipitation chemistry data for acidity trends, 
— NOx chemistry in cloud droplets and chemical composition of cloud and rain water, 
— dry deposition of NOx and HNO?, 
— the role of oxidizing agents like OH, HO,, H20?, 
— physico-chemical conversion of air pollutants after deposition, considering water bodies and soil, 
analytical techniques for the measurement of ammonia, nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide in both 
gas and liquid phase at low concentrations, 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/27 
— analytical methods for the determination of acidity of aerosols. 
(f) Modelling of atmospheric chemistry related to photochemical pollution and acid deposition; 
coordination between data-producing teams and mathematicians for the quantification of source-
receptor relationships with emphasis on modelling of emissions, transformation, transport and 
deposition of precursors and reaction products. 
(g) Elaboration of test protocols which permit the prediction of abiotic degradability of chemicals, in 
particular for persistent compounds. 
2. Air Pollution Effects on Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems (COST 612) 
(a) Direct effect of air pollutants, (SO„ NO , HC1, ozone, photochemical oxidants and their atmospheric 
reaction products) on plants and terrestrial ecosystems. 
(b) Indirect effects of such air pollutants on plants and terrestrial ecosystems, e.g. via the acidification of 
soil and the mobilization of phytotoxic elements. 
(c) Links between the effects of air pollutants and other factors involved in the observed phenomenon of 
severely damaged terrestrial ecosystems, in particular forests, such as drought, plant diseases, fungi 
and pests. 
(d) Effects of air pollutants and their reaction products on crop plants, in particular reduced productivity. 
(e) Effects of air pollutants and their reaction products on aquatic ecosystems (reduction of the population 
of fish and other aquatic organisms due to acidification and mobilization of trade elements). 
3. Organic Micropollutants in the Aquatic Environment (COST 641) 
(a) Analytical methodologies and data treatment: 
— Basic analytical techniques, including sampling and sample treatment, gas chromatography, high-
pressure liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, 
— Specific analytical problems, in particular analysis of selected classes of compounds, such as those 
likely to be regulated by Council Directive 76/464/EEC, chlorinated paraffins, tensides, optical 
brighteners, organo-metallic and organo-phosphorus compounds, 
— Collection and treatment of analytical data. 
(b) Physical/chemical behaviour of organic micropollutants in the aquatic environment: 
— Distribution and transport mechanisms, 
— structure/activity relationships, 
— bioavailability and bioaccumulation. 
(c) Transformation reactions in the aquatic environment: 
— chemical and photochemical reactions, 
— biological transformations. 
(d) Behaviour and transformation of organic micropollutants in water-treatment processes: 
— infiltration, 
— waste-water treatment, 
— drinking-water treatment (including haloform formation). 
4. Treatment and Use of Organic Sludges and Liquid Agricultural Wastes (COST 681) 
(a) Treatment of sludges and agricultural wastes: 
— further improvement of conventional treatment methods, mainly with regard to their economic 
aspects, and of processes for fuel production from sludges and manures, 
— study of technologies specifically applicable to small plants and of processes to eliminate heavy 
metals at their source. 
No C 301/28 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
(b) Analysis of sludges and residues: 
— development and standardization of economic multi-element methods for the analysis of trace 
elements in sludges, soils and plants, and for the analysis of organic pollutants. 
(c) Hygienic aspects of treatment and use of sludges: 
— elaboration and improvement of methods for the detection and identification of bacteria, viruses 
and other pathogens, and study of their survival and contamination potential, 
— investigations of the efficiency of hygienization processes, definition of 'indicator organisms'. 
(d) Nuisances: 
— odour characterization and emission control. 
(e) Environmental effects of spreading of sludges and manure: 
— long-term field experiments on the accumulation of heavy metals, their availability to crops and 
on transfer of pollutants via soil to plants, and assessment of various application methods with 
regard to ground and surface water pollution. 
(f) Improvement of land-use of sludge and manure: 
— long-term field experiments on fertilizing value and soil-improvement properties of sludges and 
manures, 
— improvement of treatment processes and spreading equipment with regard to optimum land use, 
— study of the agricultural value of residues from treatment processes, 
— use of sludges and derived products for land reclamation and specific crops (e.g. biomass 
production). 
5. Benthic Coastal Ecosystems (COST 647) 
Implementation of 'baseline studies' for selected key species in undisturbed conditions along the Norwegian 
Sea and Atlantic coast, in the Mediterranean and in the Baltic Sea for the following habitats: 
— subtidal sediments, 
— intertidal sediments, 
— subtidal rock, 
— intertidal rock. 
Assessment of the role of 
— local physical factors, 
— biological interactions, 
— climatic and hydrographic factors on the population dynamics of selected components of benthic 
coastal ecosystems. 
The programme should gradually evolve into a comprehensive investigation of the dynamics of coastal 
ecosystems and their modelling. 
6. Indoor-Air Quality and its Impact on Man 
Investigation of a variety of indoor pollutants and pollutant classes, in particular N02, RSP (respirable 
suspended particulate), formaldehyde, organics, allergens, CO, S02, asbestos and other mineral fibres, 
comprising 
(a) Exposure determination and estimates: 
— modelling, 
— source strength determinations, 
— infiltration and ventilation rate determinations, 
— methods of field measurements: 
— spot sampling, 
— time integrated sampling, 
— continuous monitoring, 
— personal and population exposure, 
— biological monitoring. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/29 
(b) Health effects measurements: 
— controlled human exposure studies, 
— design of sequential studies, 
— epidemiological studies. 
(c) Collection of exposure and health effect related data. 
7. Bird Protection 
(a) Habitat selection by birds and breeding distribution. 
(b) Passerine migrations. 
(c) Waterfowl census according to the Annex V of the Directive on Conservation of Wild Birds (1). 
(d) Requirements of bird species dependent upon threatened habitats (notably coastal and other wetlands, 
scrubland, etc.). 
(e) Habitat requirements and biology of endangered species. 
(f) Collection and compilation of the results of research on bird conservation and on wintering sites in 
Africa and exploitation of the information already available. 
(') OJ No L 103, 25. 4. 1979. 
ANNEX II 
R&D PROGRAMME ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 
List of reports published by the Commission (') 
1975-1985 
A) GENERAL REPORTS 
1) Final reports on research sponsored under the first Environmental Research Programme (1973-75), 
EUR 5970, 1978 (in series 'Environment and Quality of Life') 
2) Second Environmental Research Programme 1976-80, reports on research sponsored under the first 
phase 1976-78, EUR 6388, 1980 (in series 'Environment and Quality of Life') 
3) Environmental Research Programme 1976-80, report on the first phase 1976-78, EUR 6145, 1979 (in 
series 'Environment and Quality of Life') 
4) Second Environmental Research Programme 1976-80, reports on research sponsored under the second 
phase 1979-80, EUR 7884 EN, 1981 (in series 'Environment and Quality of Life') 
B) SPECIFIC REPORTS AND PROCEEDINGS OF CONFERENCES ORGANIZED OR CO-ORGANIZED 
BY THE COMMISSION WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH PROGRAMME (2) 
1) Water Purification in the EEC; a State-of-the-Art Review, report prepared by Water Research Centre 
on behalf of the Commission, Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1977 
2) Tests for Ecological Effects of Chemicals, Proceedings of a Research Seminar jointly organized by 
the Commission of the European Communities and the Umweltbundesamt in Berlin, 7-9 December 
1977, Erich Schmidt Verlag Berlin, 1978 (UBA-Bericht 10/78) 
(!) This list cannot give reference to the numerous publications prepared by scientific institutes under contract 
and submitted to scientific journals. Bibliographies for each contract are contained in the general reports 
1, 2 and 4. 
(2) Proceedings of conferences organized within Concerted Actions are listed separately. 
No C 301/30 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
3) Trace Metals, Exposure and Health Effects, Proceedings of a Research Seminar held in Guildford, 
10-13 July 1978, edited by E. DI FERRANTE, Pergamon Press Oxford, 1979 EUR 6389 
4) Clean Technologies, Proceedings of the European Symposium held in The Hague, 4-7 November 
1980 (jointly organized by the Commission of the European Communities and the Ministry of Health 
and Environmental Protection, The Netherlands), edited by H. OTT and F. VAN DEN AKKER, 
EUR 7108, 1983 (in series 'Environment and Quality of Life') 
5) Proceedings of the first conference on the scientific bases for environmental regulatory actions: 
prevention of pollution by substances derived from wastes, held in Rome, 11-12 May 1981, CNR 
IRSA, Rome, 1984 
6) Proceedings of the second conference on the scientific bases for environmental regulatory actions: 
health-environment, held in Evry (France), 14-16 December 1981, edited by E. DI FERRANTE, EUR 
7952, 1982 (in series 'Environment and Quality of Life') 
7) Proceedings of the Symposium 'Acid Depostion — A Challenge for Europe', Karlsruhe, 19-21 
September 1983 (jointly organized by the Commission of the European Communities and Kernfor-
schungszentrum Karlsruhe), edited by H. OTT and H. STANGL, preliminary edition 1983) (final 
edition in print) 
8) Screening Tests in Chemical Carcinogenesis, Proceedings of a workshop organized by IARC and the 
Commission of the European Communities in Brussels, 9-12 June 1975, edited by R. MONTESANO, 
H. BARTSCH and L. TOMATIS, Lyon, 1976 (joint IARC/CEC publication) 
9) Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Carcinogen Screening Tests, Proceedings of a meeting organized 
by IARC and the Commission of the European Communities in Hannover, 4-9 June 1979, edited by 
R. MONTESANO, H. BARTSCH and L. TOMATIS, Lyon, 1980 (joint IARC/CEC publication) (*) 
10) Host Factors in Human Carcinogenesis, Proceedings of a symposium organized by IARC, the 
Commission of the European Communities, the Greek Ministry of Social Services, the Greek Ministry 
of Civilization and Science and the Hellenic Cancer Society in Cape Sounion, 8-11 June 1981, edited 
by H. BARTSCH and B. ARMSTRONG, Lyon, 1982 (joint IARC/CEC publication) 
11) Evaluation of the Effects of Chlorofluorocarbons on Atmospheric Ozone, report on a workshop 
held in Brussels, 13-15 January 1981, edited by A. GHAZI, 1981 (available on request) 
12) Nickel in the Human Environment, Proceedings of an international symposium held in Lyon, 8-11 
March 1983 (jointly organized by CEC, IARC, IPCS, ILO and the Ministry of the Environment of 
France), EUR 9163, Lyon, 1984 (joint IARC/CEC publication) 
13) Measurement of air pollution at Drax during the 1976 CEC remote sensing campaign, prepared by 
R.A. SCRIVEN (CEGB), EUR 6420, 1979 (in series 'Environment and Quality of Life') (2) 
14) Proceedings of the World Symposium on Asbestos, jointly organized by the Commission of the 
European Communities, the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec, 25-27 May 
1982, Montreal, 1982 
15) Shorebirds and Large Waterbirds Conservation, Proceedings of two workshops held in Durham 
(United Kingdom), 17-18 September 1983, edited by P.R. EVANS, H. HAFNER and P. L'HERMITE, 
Brussels, 1984 (available on request) 
16) Report on the EC epidemiological survey on the relationship between air pollution on respiratory 
health in primary school children, edited by C. DU V. FLORY, A.V. SWAN, R. VAN DER LENDE, 
W.W. HOLLAND, A. BERLIN and E. DI FERRANTE, Brussels, 1983 (available on request) 
17) Cadmium in the European Communities: a prospective assessment of sources, human exposure and 
environmental impact, report prepared by M. HUTTON for the Commission of the European 
Communities, published as MARC-Report No. 26, 1982 
18) Cadmium Exposure and Indicators of Kidney Function, report prepared by M. HUTTON for the 
Commission of the European Communities, published as MARC-Report No. 29, 1983 
19) Stratosphere, Proceedings of a working party meeting held in Brussels on 18 May 1984, edited by A. 
GHAZI, 1984 (available on request) (•*) 
20) Proceedings of the European Symposium on Environment and Chemicals in Agriculture, Dublin, 15-
17 October 1984, jointly organized by the Commission of the European Communities and the Irish 
Government, edited by P. WINTERINGHAM, 1985 (in print) 
21) Atmospheric Ozone, Proceedings of a Symposium held in Halkidiki (Greece), 3-7 September 1984, 
edited by C.S. ZERFOS and A. GHAZI, D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1985, EUR 9574 
(') The reports of ad hoc working groups presented to this meeting are published under the title 'Long-Term 
and Short-Term Screening Assays for Carcinogens: A Critical Appraisal' as Supplement 2 to the IARC 
Monographs, Lyon, 1980. 
(2) The results of other CEC remote sensing campaigns are published in scientific journals or by the co-
organizers; a complete list of these reports is available. 
(5) Comprises also work funded under the Climatology Programme. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/31 
C) REPORT AND PUBLICATIONS GENERATED WITHIN THE CONCERTED ACTIONS 
C.I) Physico-Chemical Behaviour of Atmospheric Pollutants (COST 61a) 0) 
a) Executive Reports (2) 
1) Final Report of the Management Committe of COST Project 61a 'Physico-Chemical 
Behaviour of S02 in the Atmosphere', Brussels 1977 (also available in DE and FR) 
2) Activity report of the Community-COST Concertation Committee covering the period 
October 1978-December 1980 (also available in DE and FR) 
3) Activity report of the Community-COST Concertation Committee covering the period 
January-December 1981 (also available in DE and FR) 
4) Final activity report of the Community-COST Concertation Committee for the period 
1978-1983 
b) Proceedings of Conferences and Other Publications 
1) Proceedings of the First European Symposium 'Physico-Chemical Behaviour of Atmospheric 
Pollutants', Ispra, 16-18 October 1979, edited by B. VERSINO and H. OTT, EUR 6621, 
Brussels/Luxembourg, 1980 
2) Proceedings of the Second European Symposium 'Physico-Chemical Behaviour of Atmos­
pheric Pollutants', Varese, 29 September - 1 October 1981, edited by B. VERSINO and H. 
OTT, D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1982, EUR 7624 
3) Acid Deposition, Proceedings of a CEC-Workshop, Berlin, 9 September 1982, edited by S. 
BEILKE and A.J. ELSHOUT, D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1983, EUR 8307 
4) Proceedings of the Third European Symposium 'Physico-Chemical Behaviour of Atmos­
pheric Pollutants', Varese, 10-12 April 1984, edited by B. VERSINO and G. ANGELETTI, 
D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1984, EUR 9436 
5) Oxidation reactions in the troposphere, Proceedings of a CEC workshop held in Orleans, 
30-31 October 1984 (available on request) 
C.II) Analysis of Organic Micropollutants in Water (COST 64b) 
a) Executive Reports (3) 
1) Summary report on COST Project 64b 'Analysis of Organic Micropollutants in Water' and 
third report of the Management Committee for the year ending 31 October 1975, Brussels, 
1976 (also available in DE and FR) 
2) Activity report of the Community-COST Concertation Committee covering the period 
October 1978-December 1981, Brussels, 1982 (also available in DE and FR) 
3) Summary report (1978-1983) and activity report of the Community-COST Concertation 
Committees covering the period January 1982 - December 1983, Brussels, 1984 (also 
available in DE and FR) 
b) Proceedings of Conferences and Other Reports 
1) Proceedings of the First European Symposium 'Analysis of Organic Micropollutants in 
Water', held in Berlin, 11-13 December 1979, Brussels, 1982 (available on request) 
2) Proceedings of the Second European Symposium 'Analysis of Organic Micropollutants in 
Water', held in Killarney (Ireland), 17-19 November 1981, edited by G. ANGELETTI and 
A. BJ0RSETH, D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1982, (EUR 7623) 
.3) Proceedings of the Third European Symposium 'Analysis of Organic Micropollutants in 
Water', held in Oslo, 19-21 September 1983, edited by G. ANGELETTI and A. BJ0RSETH, 
D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1984, EUR 8518 
(J) From 1972 to 1976, this project was implemented under the title 'Physico-Chemical Behaviour of S02 in 
the Atmosphere'. 
(2) These reports contain a comprehensive list of internal reports available on request. 
(3) These reports contain a comprehensive list of international reports available on request. 
No C 301/32 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
4) A comprehensive list of polluting substances which have been identified in various fresh 
waters, effluent discharges, aquatic animals and plants, and bottom sediments, fourth 
edition, four volumes, Brussels, 1984, compiled by Water Research Centre, Stevenage 
(available on request) (!) 
5) Behaviour and transformation of organic micropollutants in water treatment processes, 
Proceedings of a CEC Workshop held in Barcelona, 19-20 November 1984 (available on 
request) 
6) Methodologies for the analysis of organic micropollutants in the aquatic environment, 
Proceedings of a CEC Workshop held in Ghent, 27-29 November 1984 (in print) 
CHI) Treatment and use of sewage sludge (COST 68) (2) 
a) Executive Reports (3) 
1) Final report of the Management Committee on COST Project 68 'Sewage Sludge Processing', 
1972-1975, Brussels, 1975 (available on request) 
2) Final report of the Community COST Concertation Committee covering the period 1976-
1980, Brussels, 1981 (available on request) 
— Part I: General Report (also available in FR and DE) 
— Part II: Scientific Report 
— Part III: Technical Annexes 
3) Activity report of the Community-COST Concertation Committee covering the period 
October 1980 - June 1982, Brussels, 1982 (available on request) 
4) Final report of the Community-COST Concertation Committee covering the period 1981-
1983, Brussels, 1984 (available on request) 
— Part I: General Report (also available in FR and DE) 
— Part II: Scientific Report 
b) Proceedings of Conferences 
1) Treatment and Use of Sewage Sludge, Proceedings of a CEC Symposium held in Cadarache, 
13-15 February 1979, edited by D. ALEXANDRE and H. OTT, Brussels 1980 (available 
on request) 
2) Phosphorus in Sewage Sludge and Animal Waste Slurries, Proceedings of a CEC Seminar 
held in Groningen, 12-13 June 1980, edited by T.W.G. HUCKER and G. CATROUX, D. 
Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1981, EUR 7112 
3) Copper in Animal Wastes and Sewage Sludge, Proceedings of a CEC workshop held in 
Bordeaux, 8-10 October 1980, edited by P. L'HERMITE and J. DEHANDTSCHUTTER, 
D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1981, EUR 7196 
4) Characterization, Treatment and Use of Sewage Sludge, Proceedings of the Second 
European Symposium held in Vienna, 21-23 October 1980, edited by P. L'HERMITE and 
H. OTT, D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1981, EUR 7076 
5) The Influence of Sewage Sludge Application on Physical and Biological Properties of Soils, 
Proceedings of a CEC seminar held in Munich, 23-24 June 1981, edited by G. CATROUX, 
P. L'HERMITE and E. SUESS, D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1982, EUR 
8023 
6) Disinfection of Sewage Sludge: Technical, Economic and Microbiological Aspects, Pro­
ceedings of a CEC workshop held in Zurich, 11-12 May 1982, edited by A.M. BRUCE, 
A.H. HAVELAAR and P. L'HERMITE, D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1982, 
EUR 8024 
7) Environmental Effects of Organic and Inorganic Contaminants in Sewage Sludge, Proceed­
ings of a CEC seminar held in Stevenage, 25-26 May 1982, edited by R.D. DAVIS, T.W.G. 
HUCKER and P. L'HERMITE, D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1983, EUR 
8022 
(') 1st edition, 1974; 
. 2nd edition, 1976; 
3rd edition, two volumes, 1979 (all out of print). 
(2) From 1972 to 1984, this project was implemented under the title 'Sewage Sludge Processing'. 
(3) These reports comprise a comprehensive list of internal reports available on request. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/33 
8) Nitrogen and Phosphorus Value of Sewage Sludges; state of knowledge and practical 
recommendations, Brussels, 1982 (available on request) 
9) Utilisation of Sewage Sludge on Land: Rates of Application and Long-Term Effects of 
Metals, Proceedings of a CEC Seminar held in Uppsala, 7-8 June 1983, edited by S. 
BERGLUND, R.D. DAVIS and P. L'HERMITE, D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dor­
drecht, 1984, EUR 8822 
10) Methods of Characterisation of Sewage Sludges, Proceedings of a CEC Workshop held in 
Dublin, 6 July 1983, edited by T.J. CASEY, P. L'HERMITE and P.J. NEWMAN, D. 
Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1984, EUR 9171 
11) Processing and Use of Sewage Sludge, Proceedings of the Third European Symposium 
held in Brighton, 27-29 September 1983, edited by P. L'HERMITE and H. OTT, D. Reidel 
Publishing Company, Dordrecht, 1984, EUR 9129 
12) Chemical Methods for Assessing Bio-available Metals in Sludge and Soils. Proceedings of 
a Seminar held at Munster (FRG) on 11-13 April 1984, edited by R. LESCHBER, R.D. 
DAVIS and P. L'HERMITE, Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Ltd. (in print) 
13) Inactivation of Micro-organisms in Sewage Sludge by Stabilisation Processes. Proceedings 
of a round-table held at Stuttgart-Hohenheim (FRG) on 8-10 October 1984, edited by D. 
STRAUCH, A.H. HAVELAAR and P. L'HERMITE, Elsevier Applied Science Publishers 
Ltd. (in print) 
14) Long-term Effects of Sewage Sludge and Farm Slurries Applications. Proceedings of a 
round-table held at Pisa (I) on 25-27 September 1984, edited by J.H. WILLIAM, G. GUIDI 
and P. L'HERMITE, Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Ltd. (in print) 
CIV) Coastal Benthic Ecology (COST 47) 
1) Activity report of the Management Committee for the period April 1979-March 1983, Brussels 
1983 (available on request) 
2) COST 47 Newsletter (Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4), published by the National Board for Science and 
Technology, Dublin, Ireland 
3) Final report of the Management Committee on COST Project 47, Coastal Benthic Ecology, 
(in print). 
ANNEX III 
OPINION 
of the Management and Coordination Advisory Committee (CGC)—Environment and Climatology on the 
draft proposal for an R & D Programme in the field of Environmental protection (1986 to 1990) 
1. The CGC discussed the draft proposal for a Research and Development Programme in the field of 
Environmental Protection (1986 to 1990) (Doc. XII/ENV/50/84). In formulating this Opinion, it took 
into account the views previously expressed by the ACPM—Environmental Research and the CREST 
Environmental Subcommittee. 
2. The Committee notes the substantial achievements of the previous programmes. It emphasizes the 
continuing need for a Community Programme on environmental-protection research, given the current 
concerns about environmental Problems. The Committee's comments and recommendations on specific 
aspects of the Proposal are listed below. 
Aims and objectives 
3. The CGC supports the aims of the proposed Programme which is designed to provide R&D support 
to the environmental policy of the Communities, and in particular to its Environment Action Programmes. 
The Programme should also provide a basis for the development of anticipatory and preventive policies. 
4. The Committee is of the opinion that the proposed Programme contributes to a number of the 
Communities' scientific and technical objectives, as defined in the Framework Programme, in particular 
the 'improvement of safety and protection of health' and 'protection of the environment and prevention 
of pollution'. It stresses the need to ensure coordination with the relevant activities and programmes in 
DG V, VI, XI, to be undertaken in close association with the CGC—Environment and Climatology. 
No C 301/34 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
Ways of implementation 
5. The Committee endorses the three types of activities (contract research, concerted actions and catalytic 
activities) proposed to implement the Programme, and welcomes the introduction of the last (catalytic 
activites) as providing additional flexibility for its execution. 
6. The Committee urges a careful examination of the balance between these three activities, and requests 
an assurance of close links between them, as well as with relevant parts of the JRC R&D programme. 
It also recommends that the distribution of funds between the research areas be decided by the 
Commission in close consultation with the CGC. 
7. As far as Contract Research is concerned, the Committee strongly urges the simplification of procedures 
in the selection, administration and management of research projects, in order to ease the workload on 
Commission Services and on itself. 
8. In general, the Committee is of the opinion that Concerted Actions should be encouraged whenever 
appropriate. Furthermore, within the framework of the proposed Programme, cooperation between 
scientific institutes throughout the Community should be promoted, in particular by initiation of joint 
projects, exchange of scientists and organization of scientific meetings. 
9. The CGC recommends that the reporting of all types of EC-level environmental R & D be further 
improved. 
Scientific Content 
10. The CGC is in agreement with the contents of the proposed Programme. It suggests that within each 
area the priorities for EC environmental R & D be carefully defined by the Commission in consultation 
with it, taking into account the financial and manpower resources available, the scientific and technical 
capabilities within the Community, and the possibilities for effective coordination. 
11. The CGC recognizes that the differences in scientific, technical and economic capabilities within the 
Community should be taken into consideration. In particular, the Commission is urged to promote 
training in the light of the needs arising from the proposed R&D Programme. 
12. The CGC is aware of the current independent evaluation of EC level environmental research; it urges 
the Commission, in consultation with the Committee, to take proper account of the findings in the 
design and execution of future environmental research. 
Funding and Staff 
13. The proposed Programme represents a real, but realistic, strengthening of EC environmental research 
and development, which is necessary to meet the needs of the Environment Action Programmes. 
14. In order to achieve these aims, the CGC recognizes the need for the provision of adequate financial 
resources and staff, and that these will require a real increase compared with the resources provided in 
the third Environmental R&D Programme. The United Kingdom delegation reserves its position on 
this last point. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/35 
PART II 
Draft proposal for a research and development programme in the field of climatology (1986 
to 1990) as part of the research action programme—environment 
A. THE R&D PROGRAMME—CLIMATOLOGY 
1. Introduction: the First Commission of the European 
Communities (CEC) Climatology Programme December 1982; (ii) Symposium on Climate-
Biosphere Interactions, Osnabriick, March 1983; 
(iii) Symposium on Desertification in European 
Countries, Mitilini, April 1984. 
The programme proposed should be the continu­
ation of the first Climatology Research Programme, 
which as a part of the Sectoral R &C D Programme 
in the field of Environment (1981 to 1985) was 
decided upon by the Council on 3 March 1981. The 
contents of the first programme were 
Research area 1: Understanding climate 
1.1. Reconstruction of past climates. Exploration 
and analysis of: (a) natural records; (b) obser­
vational and other historical records. 
1.2. Climate modelling and prediction Three Courses at the International School of 
Climatology (Centre for Scientific Culture, 
Erice, Sicily) have been supported by the Com­
mission, the teachers being chosen mostly from 
research workers involved in the EC Clima­
tology programme, either as Advisory Commit­
tee Members or as Contractors. The third course 
has been directed by a member of the Clima­
tology staff of the CEC. 
(i) Course on Climatic Variations: Facts and 
Theories, March 1980; 
(ii) Course on Carbon Dioxide and Climate, 
July 1982; 
(iii) Course on Climatic Aspects of Desert­
ification, October 1983. 
Research area 2: Man-climate interactions 
2.1. Climate variability and European resources: (a) 
impact on agricultural and water resources; 
(b) climatic hazards' evaluation; (c) impact on 
energy requirements, use and production. 
2.2. Man's influence on climate: (a) chemical pol­
lution of the atmosphere, with special emphasis 
on carbon dioxide accumulation; (b) release of 
energy. 
As regards the implementation of the first pro­
gramme, the following facts and figures can be 
quoted: 
(a) Contracts. Overall, 115 contracts have been 
signed. The Commission of the EC has contrib­
uted to the total costs of each contract an aver­
age of about 30 %. Publications: In addition to publications of con­
tract research results in international Scientific 
Journals, the following books have appeared or 
are in preparation: (i) The Climate of Europe: 
Past Present and Future, H. Flohn and R. Fante-
chi, Editors, Reidel 1984; (ii) Interactions 
between Climate and Biosphere, H. Lieth, R. 
Fantechi and H. Schnitzler, Editors, Swets and 
Zeitlinger 1984; (iii) Palaeoclimatic Research 
and Models, A. Ghazi, Editor, Reidel 1983; (iv) 
Proceedings of a working party meeting 'Strato­
sphere', CEC Report, A. Ghazi, Editor, 1984; (v) 
Climatic Aspects of Desertification, R. Fantechi, 
J.P. Van Ypersele and A. Longhetto, Editors (in 
preparation); (VI) Desertification in European 
Countries, R. Fantechi and N. Margaris, Editors 
(in preparation); (vii) Various Contact Group 
Meeting Reports. 
(b) Meetings. Apart from the review Symposium 
to be mentioned later, and the Contact-Group 
Meetings (Climate Modelling, Reconstitution of 
Past Climates, Anthropogenic Climate Pertur­
bations, Climatic Impacts), the following 
specialized meetings have been organized, sup­
ported or sponsored: (i) Workshop on Palaeocli­
matic Research and Models (PRAM), Brussels, To determine the state of the art as regards the 
development of the previous programme, a review 
Symposium was held in Sophia Antipolis, France, 
from 2 to 5 October 1984. The Symposium was 
devoted to the presentation and discussion of items 
regarded as the highlights of the programme, but 
results from all the contracts were available in the 
form of summary reports (l). The proceedings of 
No C 301/36 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
the Symposium themselves will be published as a 
book. Various rapporteurs were chosen by the-Com-
mission Services, assisted by the Climatology Advis­
ory Committee. On the basis of the evaluation 
offered by their reports, the continuation of the 
Climatology programme is well justified. 
Quoting from the various Reports, it appears in 
particular that the EEC programme, in addition to 
the specific results of the research, has accomplished 
the most useful function of bringing European cli-
matologists into contact and of favouring a flow of 
information between them, so that they became 
aware of the work going on elsewhere in Europe 
while having the opportunity to compare their 
results. It has been recognized that especially in the 
modelling area scientists can learn a great deal by 
close intercomparison of sets of results derived inde­
pendently, since it is extremely difficult to investi­
gate mechanisms by experimental techniques, 
because the climate itself can neither be exper­
imented with nor reproduced adequately in the lab­
oratory. The contacts established between model­
lers and palaeoclimatologists within the CEC pro­
gramme have already proved useful: palaeoclimato­
logists have become more aware of the possibility 
of interpreting their observations by means of 
models, and equally through this interaction model­
lers have learned about past climatic states, the 
simulation of which provides additional tests of the 
applicability of their models. 
Concerning the prediction of climate with a high-
CO atmospheric concentration, the work by Mit­
chell (British Meteorological Office) has in particu­
lar provided data for climatic impact evaluation. 
As regards palaeoclimatic research, the high degree 
of complementarity between various techniques 
which it was possible to compare through the CEC 
programme has emerged. In particular, it would 
now be possible, on the basis of existing skills and 
experience, to develop a large research programme 
on the dynamics of the last glacial/interglacial cycle, 
involving the cooperation of modellers. Concerning 
Anthropogenic Climate Perturbations (the C02 
issue) significant results have been obtained con­
cerning the level of preindustrial C02; a low-C02 
content has been found associated with the last 
glacial maximum; various aspects of the global car-
(') To be published soon as a EUR Report. bon cycle and mechanisms of carbon exchange 
between various compartments have been explored. 
The need for a continuing cooperative research 
effort has been recognized in this area which is 
situated at the intersection between all the others 
The first programme has also been found promising 
as regards impact studies concerning agriculture, 
hydrology and energy, and successful in collecting, 
building and testing impact models. Further collab­
oration in a continuing CEC programme is rec­
ommended in order that the results of the climatic 
impact studies may be soon made operational as 
tools for European decision making. It is recognized 
that impact studies form an essential part of the 
CEC Climatology Programme. 
2. Background and Justification 
The justification given for the first programme 
remains valid, but should be expanded on the basis 
of the results obtained and of the needs which in 
the meantime have emerged. 
Among all the components of the human environ­
ment, climate (!) may certainly be said to be the most 
important, or at least one of the most important. It 
is anyway the one upon which our health and well-
being, the amount of our water resources, the qual­
ity and quantity of our harvests, our needs in terms 
of energy and shelter, largely depend. 
Climate can make any given region habitable to 
man, or the contrary. 
Climate is intrinsically variable, and natural climate 
variations are known to have had a major impact 
on human civilizations in the past, and their effects 
(!) The climatic system embraces atmosphere, ocean, floating 
and continental ice, soil and vegetation. All these sub-systems 
vary on quite different time scales and interact in complex 
ways, partly damping, partly amplifying the motions and 
variations of each other. Therefore the climatic system as a 
whole is capable of undergoing fluctuations on many time 
scales, and because of their different lengths, ranging from 
101 to 109 years, the climatic system can never be in equilib­
rium. 
Climate and weather are associated in the atmosphere 
through a complex interacting hierarchy of processes from 
small fine weather clouds to fully developed hurricanes and 
mid-latitude cyclones. But this fast-living system is only a 
part of the much vaster and much more complex climatic 
system. 
As regard the atmospheric climate, it can be defined as 
the statistical description of the state (temperature, pressure, 
cloudiness, precipitation, wind) of the atmosphere at a par­
ticular location over some specified time period (usually one 
month or longer) together with the oceanic, biospheric and 
land surface data regarded as boundary conditions. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/37 
have been keenly felt in droughts, bad harvests, 
floods and other extremes and catastrophes even in 
recent years. There exists today no generally 
accepted explanation of these fluctuations, and 
there exists no reliable empirical or theoretical 
method for their prediction. The impact of man's 
expanding activities on climate also constitutes a 
potentially grave danger which cannot yet be prop­
erly assessed. 
This is especially true nowadays with the manifold 
problems posed by the increasing of the concen­
tration of the atmospheric carbon dioxide, due pri­
marily to fossil-fuel burning and at the same time 
to the clearing of large forest areas. The carbon 
dioxide issue may well be defined the great environ­
mental issue of the present century and of the next 
one. For the first time man looks capable of inducing 
a drastic change in his environment, the conse­
quences of which may be so far-reaching as to 
cause irreversible disruptions not only in the natural 
equilibrium as known so far, but also in economic 
and social structures. The threat is real and serious 
and much research is certainly needed to at least 
achieve a degree of preparation towards what well 
seems to be an inevitable change. We may at least 
hope to become able to avert some of the foreseen 
consequences. 
Among the latter, those most to be feared are those 
depending on perturbations of the temperature and 
precipitation patterns, which according to a model 
developed within the previous Climatology pro­
gramme could result in an increase in surface tem­
perature over the European Community through 
the year, with a decrease in precipitation in Southern 
Europe and an increase in Northern Europe. The 
land surface in summer would be drier over the 
whole European Community. If these results were 
confirmed by further research, the danger for Euro­
pean soils, agriculture and water resources would 
be evident. 
The hydrologic cycle is in fact an important com­
ponent of the climate system and determines 
regional water availability; precipitation and soil 
moisture storage add to the water supply, while 
evaporation, transpiration, and runoff subtract 
from it. 
The changes in precipitation due to a climate change 
represent a key element in the study of potential 
climatic impacts on water supplies, and hence food. 
Precipitation is, after all, the prime source of all our 
fresh water. Water-resource planning for a future climate regime will depend in large part upon 
changes in the distribution of precipitation and soil 
moisture over time and space, such as we should 
expect on a warmer Earth. 
Climatic research is also justified by the fact that 
our society, due to increasing population and com­
plexity of societal structures, and the consequently 
greater demand upon climate-dependent resources, 
is becoming increasingly vulnerable to such 
extremes as droughts or heavy storms, with all their 
consequences, such as wind or water erosion of 
soils, forest fires, depletion of water resources and 
increased need for irrigation water, occurrence of 
floods, etc. Even less drastic events, depending upon 
the perturbations referred to above, would be cause 
for concern, especially for their occurrence during 
the sowing, growing and harvesting seasons. 
Many such climatic extremes have occurred during 
recent years and the economic and social impacts 
of some of these have sometimes been rather drastic: 
in 1972, for example, climatically caused de­
ficiencies in different production areas accumulated. 
A failure of the global cereal production by a few 
percent was accompanied by a price increase of a 
factor of three (H. Flohn, in 'Climatic Variations 
and Variability', First Course of the International 
School of Climatology, Erice, 1980; Reidel Publish­
ing Company, 1981). The starvation of millions 
of people in developing countries is nowadays an 
example of the kind of tragedies that mismanage­
ment of resources, coupled to adverse climatic con­
ditions, can bring about. For these reasons the need 
has been felt to strengthen the power of existing 
European climate models so as to achieve the pre­
dictability of the European climate on the seasonal 
(three to six months) scale. Such an effort should 
provide the tools we need for the kind of forecasting 
needed for policy decisions as regards the proper 
management of our land and water resources. 
Climatic change is therefore not only a subject of 
theoretical interest: the most compelling reasons for 
its study are in fact the growing awareness that 
not only our climate-dependent resources, but our 
economic and social structures as well, are deeply 
influenced by climate, while man's activities them­
selves may be able to contribute to climate's insta­
bility, possibly in undesirable direrctions. It is that 
No C 301/38 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
awareness that has given rise to the World Climate 
Programme and has led to more intense efforts in 
climate research all over the world. 
The critical nature of climate has to be stressed in 
particular for the EC countries, which are closely 
interrelated both economically and socially, and 
which share regional climates extending across pol­
itical boundaries. Thus any major impact, whether 
of climatic variability on natural resources or of 
human activities on climate, could never be limited 
to any one European country. In this respect it may 
also be observed that the EC Countries cover an 
area which has the ideal dimensions for the study 
of regional impacts, as distinguished from local 
or microclimatic and global effects. It is therefore 
appropriate to have a European programme within 
the broader international context as a contribution 
to the overall effort, in the spirit of the solemn 
Declaration of the World Climate Conference, and 
with a strongly applied character aiming at a better 
understanding and management of our climate-
dependent resources. 
The expansion of the previous programme to the 
size proposed for the new one is therefore motivated 
by actual needs and is aimed at meeting vital chal­
lenges that our future has in store (1). 
Because of the transfrontier nature of climatic prob­
lems, and because of the fact that they can only 
be solved through an interdisciplinary approach, 
climatological research is a field where coordinated 
and problem-oriented activities are most needed and 
efficient. The previous EC programme has proved 
its capability to bring together the best specialists 
available in each discipline, thus making the opti­
mum use of their knowledge and experience, besides 
(') The Subject Area Report VI 'World Climate and Climate 
Change' (TGE ENV 9) issued by the Technology Growth 
and Employment working group instituted at the Versailles 
Summit of 4 to 6 June 1982, states that 'for example, the 
determination of the effect of increased C02 involves palaeo-
climatologists, glaciologists, biologists, chemists, meteorol­
ogists, oceanographers, agriculturalists, economists, etc., that 
'the exchange of scientists, data and intercomparison of 
results between different countries should be encouraged to 
foster the development of new ideas', and that 'given that the 
importance of a full understanding of climate change and its 
impact is essential to the well-being of nations, it is necessary 
to accept that the achievement of this degree of understanding 
requires the commitment of significant resources for a long 
period of time for the necessary projects to be made' (sections 
37 to 39). encouraging present efforts and stimulating new 
research in a field of growing interest and urgency. 
It has accomplished the most useful function of 
bringing European climatologists into contact, thus 
favouring a flow of information between them and 
making them aware of work going on elsewhere in 
Europe. Fruitful cooperation, not existing before, 
has been established between modellers and palaeo-
climatologists, between scientists dealing with cli­
mate impacts and modellers, between theoreticians 
and people concerned with data collection and 
application. The continuation of such a cooperative 
effort has been recognized as being necessary by top 
European climatologists if their work has to bring 
about such an understanding of climate as can lead 
to reliable tools for decision making as regards 
climate-dependent resources. 
Hence the necessity of taking advantage of the many 
opportunities offered by the strengthening and 
widening of the present efforts, and hence the justifi­
cation for the additional effort required for their 
implementation. 
One of the main results would be, inter alia, the 
achievement of an independent European view con­
cerning the serious problems posed to our age by 
climate and its interactions with man. 
As regards the first Framework Programme for 
Community Research, the Climatology Programme 
concerns directly the following Scientific and Tech­
nical Objectives: 
1. Promoting agricultural competitiveness (30%). 
2. Improving living and working conditions 
(70%). 
3. Objectives of the Programme 
As with the previous Programme, the one now 
proposed is concerned with a number of basic ques­
tions concerning the correct understanding of our 
climatic environment and the management of our 
climate-dependent resources. 
1. How does the climate system work? How did it 
evolve in the past, and how is it going to evolve 
in the future? 
2. Upon which factors do climatic variations 
depend? How does the system respond to vari­
ous forcing factors, and especially to the conse­
quences of certain human activities? 
3. Especially as regards Europe, how can climatic 
variations affect our basic resources, namely 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/39 
water, soil, vegetation, food? How can such 
climatic impacts be assessed in order to advan­
tageously plan our future? 
Upon that basis, three Research Areas have been 
defined, namely: 
1. The Physical Basis of Climate. 
2. Climate Sensitivity. 
3. Climatic Impacts. 
A description of these Research Areas is to be found 
in the following Section. greater depth and on a larger scale. Such prob­
lems include the growing vulnerability of par­
ticular areas to climatic factors likely to cause 
aridity and loss of vegetation, forest fires, 
floods, landslides, water and wind erosion of 
soils, and so on. 
(iii) Impossible in the previous programme due to 
the small budget thereto allocated, the need 
for making use of the possibilities offered by 
satellite data analysis and applications is 
becoming increasingly imperative. The Com­
mission has been already approached by vari­
ous sides in search for cooperation in this field. 
Ocean and land surface properties, most con­
veniently explored by satellite data collection 
and imagery, are growing in importance as 
regards climate modelling and resource fore­
casting. 
In respect of the previous programme, which was 
mainly conceived as a pilot programme, the present 
proposals are characterized by a marked expansion 
of various research items and objectives. In par­
ticular: 
(i) The growing importance has been recognized 
of increasing our knowledge of the history of 
climate in the past, especially as regards the 
relationship between climate and biosphere 
conditions. 
Such understanding would improve our capa­
bility of forecasting future situations especially 
as regards climate-vegetation (in particular, cli­
mate-deforestation), climate-water resources 
and climate-soil conditions. 
Hence the need of strenghtening the cooper­
ation between palaeoclimatologists and climate 
modellers, while expanding the power and 
scope of present modelling efforts. 
(ii) Due to the importance of climate models as 
regards forecasting future conditions, signifi­
cantly greater efforts should be exerted to 
improve our modelling capabilities. 
In this context the importance has been recog­
nized, not only of improving existing models, 
but also of engaging in intercomparisons of 
models on the European and world scales. 
In particular, it has been recognized that times 
are ripe for European scientists to engage in 
exploring the feasibility of seasonal (three to 
six months) forecasting of elements of the Euro­
pean climate. All such efforts should provide 
well-tested approaches that could be used for 
policy decisions and resource management. 
Problems arising from possible climate change 
or variations could thereby be studied at a (iv) The fact that Europe finds itself on the border 
of the northern desert belt of the Earth should 
add to our concerns. Desert belts lie beneath 
the two great atmospheric subsidence belts of 
our globe, and the present day circulation pat­
terns of the atmosphere situate those belts in 
the subtropical latitudes. In the perspective of 
a climate change, induced by the increasing 
concentration of atmospheric CO,, the risk of 
a northward shift of the nearest desert belt is 
possible and should therefore receive the closest 
attention. 
The programme would have a twofold structure: (i) 
a conceptual structure defined by the three research 
areas described below, as the basis for judging the 
relevance of research projects to the programme; 
(ii) an operational structure, mainly defined by the 
condition that projects should be cooperative. It is 
in fact felt that a second Climatology programme 
should be based explicitly upon projects involving 
more than one Member State. 
4. The Conceptual Structure of the Programme 
4.1. Research Area I: the Physical Basis of Climate 
The global climate system involves the atmos­
phere, the oceans, the snow and ice masses, the 
land surfaces and the biosphere. Despite the 
complexity of the system, it is essential to 
understand its mechanism, and as a matter of 
No C 301/40 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
fact considerable progress is being made in that 
direction, thanks especially to new empirical 
and theoretical approaches involving the use 
of satellite remote sensing and computer math­
ematical modelling. six months) forecasting of elements of the 
European climate should be studied. Such 
efforts should aim at providing approaches that 
could be used for policy decisions and resource 
management. 
One way of gaining insight into how the mech­
anism behaves would be to understand how 
the climate has varied in the past. Studies of 
past climatic changes provide valuable infor­
mation on the interactions of the atmosphere, 
oceans, ice masses and the land surfaces. The 
responses of the climate system to such forcing 
factors as changes in the orbital parameters of 
the Earth could also be studied. 
Research into the fundamental physical and 
chemical processes that influence climate is also 
needed in order to understand the latter and 
predict its evolution. Studies of those processes 
should therefore be aimed at improving the 
physical formulation and 'parametrization' in 
climatic models. 
Modelling and predicting climate changes, 
especially as regards Europe, have in fact 
acquired a sense of urgency, especially with the 
realization that anthropogenic activities can 
induce or accelerate such changes. The following structure is proposed for the 
present research area: 
4.1.1. Past climates and climatic change 
Coordinated investigations involving 
palaeochmatologists and climate mod­
ellers, or aiming at a quantitative evalu­
ation of palaeoclimatological par­
ameters such as can be used in models, 
will be encouraged. 
4.1.2. Climatologically significant processes 
Studies should be aimed at improving 
the physical formulation of processes, 
for inclusion in preferably complete 3D 
models, and as a basis for investigation 
in all the three research areas. The pro­
cesses concerned include land-surface 
processes, ocean processes, biogeo-
chemical cycles, cloud and related radi­
ation processes, aerosols, sun-earth pro­
cesses, cryosphere. Climatological 
applications of, satellite data analyses 
are here included. 
Models should therefore be developed and 
applied in order to provide accurate predictions 
of both natural and inadvertent climatic vari­
ations, by including as many as possible of 
the components of the system and coupled 
feedback processes in a realistic manner. 4.1.3. Modelling and predicting European cli­
mates within a global context 
Interannual variability and teleconnec-
tions will be priority areas. Studies of 
model intercomparisons would be 
encouraged. 
A certain amount of effort should be devoted 
to investigations dealing with the interannual 
variability of climate and with teleconnec-
tions(1). Understanding gained by such studies 
will be a necessary foundation for simulating 
and predicting European climate on longer 
time scales and for climate sensitivity studies. 4.1.4. Forecasting European climates 
Studies would be encouraged concern­
ing the feasibility of the seasonal (three 
to six months) forecasting of elements 
of the European climate. 
One primary objective is the development of 
climate simulation and prediction models able 
to make forecasts of the European climate. In 
particular, the feasibility of seasonal (three to 
(!) The spatial coherencies that control climatic anomalies at 
different locations. Those anomalies are therefore not ran­
domly distributed. 4.2. Research Area 11: Climate Sensitivity 
Life on Earth depends critically on climate 
factors such as precipitation, temperature and 
sunlight which interact with soil, air, water 
and biomass—our basic resources. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/41 
For the studies of long-term sensitivity of cli­
mate, changes in all these climate factors have 
to be considered. The variations of the atmos­
pheric climate over years to decades can only 
be fully understood when coupled dynamics 
of oceans and global atmosphere and their 
interactions with terrestrial ecosystems are 
adequately described. 
There is no doubt that, as regards climate, the 
most important problems are being posed by 
the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmos­
phere and of the possible response of the 
Earth's climate to that increase. A proper 
research strategy should also include the study 
of the radiative effects of other potentially 
active trace gases (e.g. H20, CH4, 03) and 
aerosols, while paying due attention to the 
study of aspects of the global carbon cycle 
important for climate together with changes 
in land surface factors. In addition, the data 
relevant to the aforementioned climatologically 
significant processes (3.1.2.) should be continu­
ously evaluated and compared with the model 
sensitivity studies. 
In this way a balanced approach on the basis of 
modelling, monitoring and diagnostic studies 
should be developed in order to pave the way 
towards early and reliable detection of climate 
change. 
In this context, priority should be given to 
studies related to the possible effects of human 
influences, concerning European climates par­
ticularly. The following items are considered 
to be essential to this research area: 
4.2.1. Changes in atmospheric composition 
(i) The climatic effect of enhanced 
co2. 
(ii) Aspects of the global carbon cycle 
important for climate prediction. 
(iii) The climatic effect of other trace 
gases and particulates. 
4.2.2. The climatic effect of changes in land-
surface properties 
4.2.3. Early detection of climatic change 
(Identification and study of parameters which could be used as early indicators 
of climatic change. Improvement of 
techniques for detecting the signal 
above noise level.) 
4.3. Research Area III: Climatic Impacts 
It has been noted under Research Area II that 
life on Earth depends critically on climate. 
Therefore studies on the long-term sensitivity 
of climate to various external factors, implying 
changes in the relevant climatic parameters, 
have to be considered. 
Conversely, the impacts that climatic changes 
or variability could have on such vital resources 
as soil, water and vegetation should receive all 
our attention in order to develop the necessary 
preparation to any change that climate may 
have in store. 
The gravity of the problem is easily appreciated 
when one considers that, for instance, the 
hydrological cycle is a major component of the 
climatic mechanism, and that any perturbation 
of the hydrological cycle would affect our only 
source of fresh water and consequently the 
water resources and the agriculture of entire 
regions. Such perturbations would be of great 
importance for Europe, with its southern semi-
arid countries where climate is already a 
problem. 
Three time-and-space scales have to be con­
sidered in this context: 
1. Large-scale changes: the response to global 
long-term climate changes such as those 
resulting from natural or man-induced fac­
tors (C02 accumulation, energy policies, 
deforestation, etc.). 
2. Medium-scale fluctuations: regional 
responses to medium-term climatic events, 
such as droughts or severe cold or heat 
periods. 
3. Short-term events: responses to extreme 
(low-frequency, high-intensity) phenomena 
such as severe storms and floods. 
Correspondingly, the results of research con­
ducted under this area should provide the basis 
for policy decisions and strategies in terms of 
general preparation to the changes, fluctu­
ations and hazards mentioned. 
No C 301/42 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
Efforts should therefore be pursued in order to 
develop a suitable methodology for climatic 
impact assessment. 
With all such aims in view, research work 
under this area should therefore be concerned 
with the impacts of variations in the climatic 
system, or in any of its components, on Euro­
pean land and water resources, and food pro­
duction. Priority would be given to investi­
gations based on well-documented impacts 
from the past and to the response to increasing 
co2. 
The following research items should be con­
sidered under this area: 
4.3.1. Impact of climatic change or variability 
on land resources, including soil, and 
ecosystems, with special attention to 
desertification problems. 
4.3.2. Impact of climatic change or variability 
on European water resources, including 
the development of climate-based 
models for their evaluation and fore­
casting. 
4.3.3. Response of European vegetation to 
increasing atmospheric C02 in the con­
text of a climate change. 
4.3.4. Impact of climatic change or variability 
on sea resources and fisheries. 
4.3.5. Application of climatic knowledge to a 
better management of land and water 
resources. 
4.3.6. Causes, mechanisms and impacts of cli-
matological anomalies and extreme or 
abrupt events, with the aim in view of 
reducing human and material losses. 
5. The Operational Structure of the Programme 
5.1. Implementation 
The Programme will be implemented by means 
of cost-sharing contracts with private and pub­
lic research institutions in the Member States, 
according to the following criteria: 
(i) Research projects acceptable for funding 
should be based on cooperation between 
different research institutions belonging to more than one EEC Member State, with­
out excluding some of them that may 
belong to the same Member State. 
(ii) Research contracts should contain specific 
provisions for stimulating the European 
scientific potential by various means such 
as (a) exchange of research workers 
between institutions cooperating in the 
same project; and/or (b) participation in 
the project of scientists belonging to 
research institutions not receiving funds 
from the CEC Climatology Research Pro­
gramme but considered to be valid collab­
orators within the framework of the coor­
dination action described below; and/or 
(c) training of pre- and post-graduate 
research workers. 
(iii) The contract research should be coupled 
to an effort to coordinate the on-going 
research activities within Member States, 
which should allow the achievement of 
a close cooperation even among research 
institutions not receiving funds from the 
programme. 
(iv) With the assistance of the Advisory Com­
mittee for Management and Coordination, 
the following activities should be carried 
out: 
(a) Interdisciplinary expert meetings, the 
purpose of which should be the examin­
ation and discussion of specific prob­
lems of special importance. 
(b) Courses on selected climatological or 
climate-related problems, to be held in 
turn in various EC research organiz­
ations involved in the programme. 
(c) Especially as an output of (a) and (b), 
the publication of a series of volumes 
dealing with important, climate-related 
problems. 
5.2. Management and funding 
The Programme will be managed by the Com­
mission Services, assisted by the Environment 
and Climatology Advisory Committee for 
Management and Coordination. 
The distribution of resources between research 
areas should be determined by the Commission 
in consultation with the Advisory Committee 
for Management and Coordination. A small 
indicative amount of about 5 % of the total 
budget should be used for the coordination, 
education and training activities described 
above. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/43 
the incorporation of training activities, so 
far financed from a specific budget, 
the necessity of improving our modelling 
capabilities, through expansion of the pre­
sent models and model intercomparisons, 
the planned attempt at forecasting the 
European climate on a seasonal scale (three 
to six months), 
the analysis and application of satellite 
data, 
the intensification of research on the cli­
matic effect of enhanced C02 and conse­
quent impacts on land and water resources. 
ANNEX 
OPINION 
of the Management and Coordination Committee (CGC) — Environment and Climatology on the draft 
proposal for and R&D Programme in the field of Climatology (1986 to 1990) 
1. The CGC discussed in detail the draft proposal for a Council Decision adopting a Research and 
Development Programme in the field of Climatology and in formulating this opinion took into account 
the fact that its contents have been drafted with the close cooperation of the Climatology ACPM 
established to assist the Commission in implementing the first research programme in Climatology (1981 
to 1985). 
2. Subject to the comments below the Committee strongly endorses the proposed programme because of 
the overwhelming importance of climate and its possible variations on human activities, the transnational 
nature of climate issues, and the very successful outcome of the first EC research programme in 
climatology which will come to an end in 1985, with regard to both the scientific results and the 
development of European cooperation. 
Aims and Objectives 
3. The CGC endorses the aims and objectives of the proposed Programme as defined in the draft proposal. 
Within this framework, it recognizes the continuing need to provide R&D support to the environmental 
policy of the Communities, and in particular to the Environment Action Programme. 
4. The Committee is also of the opinion that the proposed Programme will provide a positive contribution 
to a number of the Communities' scientific and technical objectives, as defined in the Framework 
Programme, in particular the 'improvement of safety and protection of health' and 'protection of the 
environment and prevention of hazards'. The Committee takes note that in coordination with the 
agricultural research programme, relevant research needs in agriculture will also be convered. 
Scientific Content 
5. The Committee is in agreement with the scientific content of the proposed programme. This is in line 
with the current concern throughout the Community about environmental problems, such as, for 
instance, those posed by enhanced atmospheric C02, to the solution of which climatological research 
can effectively contribute. The scope of the proposed Programme is also in line with the broad tenets of 
the Framework Programme. 
In order to achieve those aims, the CGC appreciates the expansion of the previous programme particularly 
as regards the following items: 
i) the strengthened cooperation both between different areas of the programme (e.g. palaeoclimatology 
and climate modelling) and between teams in different Member States; Considering the transfrontier character of cli­
matic problems, provisions will be made to 
offer participation in the research programme 
to COST countries. 
The amount of EC funding estimated necessary 
for the entire five-year period (1986 to 1990) is 
25 million ECU and the required number of 
staff is six. 
These allocations represent an increase with 
respect to the previous pilot programme. Such 
an increase is justified by: 
— the enlargement of the Community, to be 
effective in 1986, 
No C 301/44 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
ii) the application to climatological research of possibilities offered by modern techniques (satellite data 
analysis, model intercomparison, attempts at forecasting European climates on the seasonal scale); 
iii) the application of climatological data op the forecasting and prevention of climatic extreme or abrupt 
events; 
iv) the study of desertification processes in European countries and of the climate-induced natural 
disasters. 
It considers that the distribution of resources between research areas should be determined by the 
Commission in consultation with the Committee itself. 
6. It also recognizes that the differences in scientific, technical and economic capabilities and requirements 
within the Community should be taken into appropriate consideration. 
7. The CGC strongly supports the further development of anticipatory and preventive environmental 
policies, and considers that EC level climatological R&D should help provide a basis for such policies. 
Ways of implementation 
8. The Committee endorses the ways proposed to implement the programme and especially the fact that 
cooperation between scientific institutes of the Member States will be strongly supported by means of 
joint projects, exchanges of research workers and scientific meetings. 
9. The Committee is also of the opinion that the training activities described in the draft proposal should 
be encouraged whenever appropriate, and that the results of such actions be made widely available. 
Funding and Staff 
10. The proposal represents a realistic programme for EC climate research taking account of the needs and 
opportunities in the field in Europe. 
The CGC recognizes the need for the provision of adequate financial resources and staff, and that this 
will require a real increase in fundings as compared to the first Climatology programme. The UK 
delegation is not able to express an opinion on funding. The German delegation states the programme 
to be absolutely necessary on scientific grounds, but cannot express an opinion on funding. 
.25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/45 
PART III 
Proposal for a research and development programme in the field of major technological 
hazards as part of the 1986 to 1990 research action programme — Environment 
I. INTRODUCTION 
1.1. The present document outlines motivations and 
contents of a shared-cost research programme on 
major technological hazards [x) to be implemented 
in the period 1986 to 1990 as part of the Research 
Action Programme on Environment. 
This shared-cost programme does not purport to 
encompass the whole spectrum of industrial haz­
ards, or of loss-prevention research. As a guiding 
principle, attention is focused on categories of 
comparatively infrequent, but highly significant 
accidents (in terms of loss of lives, material damage 
or environmental impact) which may occur in 
diverse transportation, energy-related or process 
activities. A similar approach is manifest in the 
Member States, where indeed appropriate standing 
bodies exist already, dealing specifically with the 
major hazards issue. 
1.2. Major hazards presently considered are of chemi­
cal and petrochemical origin and associated, for 
instance, with: 
— large inventories of flammable/explosive sub­
stances, principally common hydrocarbon fuels 
and derived chemicals, 
— large inventories of unstable or very reactive 
substances (some nitrates, liquid hydrogen and 
oxygen), 
— large inventories of common toxic chemicals, 
consumed or present in process industries 
(chlorine, ammonia and many other lesser 
ones), -
— small inventories of very toxic and persistent 
chemicals. 
It is indeed in such spirit that the EC Council 
Directive (2) on the major accident hazards of cer­
tain industrial activities was drafted and its 
annexes list process activities and above all sub­
stances, with appropriate threshold quantitives, to 
which its requirements apply. Those thresholds 
embody an approximate 'equivalent hazard' con-
(') The term 'industrial risk' is also used, e.g. with respect to 
certain activities of the JRC, but it has a broader meaning. 
(2) OJ No L 230, 5. 8. 1982. cept. But, statistically speaking, dangers to the 
public-at-large arise primarily from bulk flam­
mable and bulk toxics'and more particularly from 
their bulk transportation and storage. Danger dis­
tances are typically a few kilometres. 
1.3. A number of other issues, sometimes of compar­
able or greater magnitude, are not covered here 
for reasons of consistency of work proposed, or 
because they are subject to own forms of control. 
For instance: 
— natural/ecological disasters; nuclear energy; 
mining activities, 
— high condensed explosives for military pur­
poses, 
— transportation of people, 
— to some degree, a wide variety of industrial 
incidents of lesser impact, or not susceptible of 
escalating to major proportions. 
For the latter category, however, knowledge and 
methodologies often accrue from the major haz­
ards research proposed and a rigid borderline 
should not be drawn always. Conversely too, some 
methodologies developed in other fields of research 
(nuclear safety, atmospheric transport of pol­
lutants, toxicology, etc.) can profitably be trans­
posed and interdisciplinary studies are sometimes 
called for. 
1.4. A second guiding principle restricts however the 
number and nature of research areas one may 
successfully tackle under a shared-cost scheme. 
Shared-cost research consists in sectoral groupings 
of a finite number of projects each, pooling expert­
ise, facilities (often extant) and eventually results. 
The areas proposed below for shared-cost work 
focus on well-defined problems and situations and, 
as a result, potential projects. 
Those projects are generally of marked experimen­
tal, physical-modelling or engineering content and 
often call for complex and expensive experimental 
validations or simulations, justifying a pooling of 
resources and results at EC level. Others address 
common problems, of risk management and 
No C 301/46 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
acceptance. All then lend themselves well to coop­
erative ventures, teaming-up of researchers and 
thorough exchange of up-to-date scientific and 
regulatory information, within the Community. 
1.5. The present shared-cost research programme pro­
posal thus addresses a limited group of highly 
significant issues at this stage. Other facets of 
relevance are already addressed by the on-going 
direct action research programme on 'Industrial 
risk' at the Joint Research Centre, or by other 
Directorates-General of the Commission, and also 
by way of concerted/catalytic actions, as will 
appear next. It should indeed be emphasized, that 
the field of loss prevention and safety promotion 
is extremely wide and calls for a variety of 
approaches. 
Those approaches form a coherent whole and this 
shared-cost proposal should not be viewed in iso­
lation: it is indeed one component of a broader 
overall Community approach, to the major haz­
ards issue. Common guidelines result from: 
— the options and objectives of the Framework 
Programme, 
— the requirements of the Directive, 
— the integration of research efforts within one 
single Research Action Programme (RAP) on 
Environment, major hazards/industrial risk 
sector. 
The last is of particular significance here, allowing 
an optimum repartition of efforts and resources 
between the various types of activities, consider­
ation taken of best competences extant, while pre­
serving the benefit of integration. This is also why, 
of necessity, ample recall is made below (e.g. under 
C: evaluation and management of risk) of topics 
currently addressed at the JRC and elsewhere. 
II. JUSTIFICATIONS 
II. 1. Several recent catastrophic events (Cubatao, Mex­
ico City, Bhopal) have once again illustrated the 
hazard potential of bulk fuels and chemicals. Such 
concern is not new, and extensive lists of case histories could be cited retroactively to the last 
century, covering (in decreasing order of fre­
quency) transportation, storage and process-plant 
disasters. 
Actually, considerable daily attention is paid by 
industry to operational safety and to the control 
and mitigation of accidental events; it should cer­
tainly not be thought, that the issue is one of 
malpractice. The problem rather resides in the 
ubiquity of the chemical/petrochemical hazard 
and, for historical reasons, its proximity to popu­
lated areas and transportation links, potentially 
magnifying accident consequences. 
II.2. Clearly, the siting or transportation situation 
extant could not and cannot be improved upon in 
a very short time, whereas potential problems have 
grown together with the 'size' of carriers, storages 
and plants and the enormous diversification of 
derived substances. Improvements are, however, 
steadily possible on several fronts: 
— prevention, by appropriate design, mainten­
ance, choice of alternative processes, transport 
regulations, etc., 
— mitigation, by appropriate built-in counter-
measures and contingency/emergency plan­
ning, 
— safety audit appropriate siting and monitoring 
of plants and terminals. 
These, in turn, demand well-founded knowledge 
for proper evaluations and predictions, of what­
ever major damage potential and, correspondingly, 
for eventual decisions. This is where and why 
appropriate safety research is needed, in an essen­
tial manner. 
II.3. One cannot but emphasize the extreme complexity 
and manifold aspects of most phenomena dealt 
with here and, as a result, the embryonic state 
of much present knowledge. That complexity is 
physical and intrinsic, it is not simply due to the 
evident variety of accident circumstances and evol­
ution (]), of which proper account must also be 
taken. One reason is, that the underlying processes 
can often be strongly influenced by seemingly lesser 
factors and fraught with considerable 'variability'. 
A fair amount of research has been devoted, some­
times for many years, to certain of those problems. 
More recently, increasing attention being paid to 
some areas proposed below under Sector A, pro-
(') Proverbially, each accident is a unique event (albeit with 
patterns). 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/47 
gress has been achieved topically, (i.e. with respect 
to particular aspects or experimental conditions) 
but knowledge often remains too fragmentary for 
qualified overall predictions. Similarly, 'learning 
from precedents' would be of limited help: the 
number of major accidents on record and 
adequately documented is reduced, the variety of 
conceivable ones endless. 
II.4. The formulation and implementation of the Direc­
tive, its embodiment in national legislations, will 
now result in the systematic safety assessment of 
a great many so-called 'potentially hazardous 
industrial objects' (albeit of relevant magnitude). 
This pertains to fixed installations (process plants, 
storages, terminals), as well as to mobile items 
(rail- and road-tankers, marine carriers), but the 
predictive and assessment methodologies are basi­
cally the same. 
Evaluations to come will thus require better-found­
ed methodologies and data bases and render desir­
able a common approach to risk analysis, guided 
by the common requirements of the Directive. 
Under that heading, research chiefly aims at 
improved physical understanding, modelling and 
simulation, in a determinist spirit, and the shared-
cost approach is eminently suitable in view of 
expertise and facilities extant in the Member States 
and of the cost and complexity of such research. 
Areas outlined under Sector A illustrate its major 
aspects and issues. 
II.5. The evaluation of hazardous plants and carriers 
quite naturally leads to seeking the improvement or 
substitution of processes, technologies and built-in 
devices. Such technological research, evoked below 
under Sector B, is not always amenable to a Com­
munity approach, for reasons of industrial confi­
dentiality. However, aspects of common interest, 
safety improvements in general can be dealt with, 
evidently in a shared-cost approach together with 
the industry. 
Another benefit, less immediately apparent, may 
be to alleviate safety-motivated overconservatisms 
of plant design or built-in devices, which result 
from present insufficiencies of knowledge. Over-
conservatism is not only costly, but at times coun­
ter-productive and a concerted approach, towards a mutually-acceptable safety philosophy, would 
bring very tangible results in the design and oper­
ation of hazardous plants. 
II.6. The quantitative evaluation of single hazardous 
objects is not, however, altogether separable from 
their context, human and geographical, nor from 
the appreciation of the likelihood of predicted 
events. This is why sizeable research efforts are 
also devoted to: 
— human aspects in general, be it plant or carrier 
staff or the public-at-large, 
— global siting and transportation issues, 
— probabilistic approaches. 
Broader issues are often addressed here, interfacing 
with policy or regulatory ones and a variety of 
topics results. Some salient ones are listed below, 
under Sector C, but the list is not exhaustive. 
One may note that some also pertain to the JRC 
'Industrial risk' programme headings and that 
efforts will be integrated, within the RAP — 
Environment. 
II.7. Some broad issues, however, are not reducible to 
the content (or spirit) of one given Sector and call 
for an integrated approach, possibly spanning all 
three. 'Cross-sectoral' studies, to be launched early 
in the programme, on a few relevant themes, will 
highlight their interdependance. They should guide 
the research options and selection of priority topics 
in Sectors B and C. 
II.8. A Community approach to the major hazards issue 
is strongly advocated for several principal reasons: 
— the problems are considerable and extremely 
varied indeed, but shared by the entire Euro­
pean chemical/petrochemical sector. Often 
too, industrial safety issues evidence transna­
tional aspects (e.g. with respect to the export 
of plants and processes or the transportation of 
dangerous substances) part of which of major 
hazards relevance and deserving of a concerted 
approach, 
— the research needed is correspondingly varied 
and can often be quite intricate and expensive. 
Experimentation, simulations, some engineer­
ing developments require specific instrumen­
tation, rigs, sites and proper know-how. For 
No C 301/48 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
adequate scaling, elaborate and extensive field 
trials are sometimes needed (with recent trends 
towards joint projects or multisponsorships, 
for obvious cost reasons). Modelling of com­
plex situations or systems can be computer-
intensive and costly too, 
the ultimate purpose is, to dispose of better-
founded tools, be it for prediction or eventually 
regulation. Three principal research sectors (A, 
B, C) are briefly illustrated below, of somewhat 
different character, but each one is relevant 
to that objective and deserving of a common 
approach: only thus will improved, common, 
mutually agreed tools become available to con­
trol and mitigate major hazards. 
Those are prime, cogent reasons for pooling 
resources and expertise and avoiding duplication 
in a field mostly void of genuine commercial motiv­
ation, but wide-ranging. Outstanding expertise is 
extant in the Member States, on practically each 
topic hereby proposed and many others, but it is 
diffused over many organizations, institutions and 
industries and a need for sustained and improved 
Community-wide communication and cooperation 
is undeniable, which it would be a prime purpose 
of this programme to promote. 
II.9. Finally, the major hazards research proposed meets 
primarily the following options and objectives of 
the 1984 to 1987 Framework Programme, now 
briefly recalled: 
— on life- and work-quality, by insuring a better 
protection of the public at-large against the 
unwanted consequences of large-scale indus­
trial and transportation activities and safer 
work conditions for those so employed. Well 
over one-and-a-half million people work in 
the EC chemical manufacturing industry alone, 
exposed to the diverse magnitudes of its haz­
ards. Millions more work or reside in the near 
vicinity of conceivably hazardous installations 
or transports, 
— on industrial competitivity, by the development 
of safer processes and plants and by the 
implementation of founded siting or transpor­
tation criteria. Not only do repeated cata­
strophic events entail huge economic losses 
(whichever way they are borne), but on the long run they would also lead to a crippling 
public aversion towards those industrial activi­
ties at close quarters. 
III. STRUCTURE 
III. 1. Within the framework of the RAP—Environ­
ment, the Commission intends to promote a 
broad and integrated Community research 
effort on major hazards/industrial risk. 
This—partly new—activity would be 
implemented by way of direct, shared-cost and 
concerted/catalytic actions, also in liaison with 
other Directorates-General of the Com­
mission. It should, of course, be appreciated 
as a relatively long-term effort, in view of the 
magnitude and complexity of problems to be 
tackled, not many of which can be fully solved 
withing the span of one multiannual pro­
gramme, regardless of modalities. 
III.2. It is recalled that, for pre-existing timing 
reasons, the direct action part of this research 
effort was already included in exploratory 
fashion in the 1984 to 1987 multiannual pro­
gramme of the JRC(1), as a new chapter on 
'Industrial risk'. Topics retained therein, under 
Accident prevention or under Accident miti­
gation and management, draw in good part 
on competences earlier acquired in nuclear 
safety and reliability activities and are essen­
tially complementary to those proposed below, 
albeit with points of joint interest and allow­
ance made for the evolutie nature of such 
research activities. 
The areas thus presently under active develop­
ment at the JRC are: 
Under Accident Prevention 
— Industrial systems safety and reliability, 
covering the harmonization of probabilis­
tic risk assessment procedures, technical 
support to Euredata and, in relation to 
the Directive, the development of a major 
accidents reporting scheme (data bank), 
— Structural safety and reliability, covering 
the assessment of the safety margins of 
(aged) containment systems, residual life 
estimates and the evaluation of inspection 
techniques, 
— Management of industrial risk, covering 
the systematic evaluation of industrial risk 
(') OJNoL3, 5. 1. 1984. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/49 
regulations and the sequential computer 
modelling of hazardous substances man­
agement. 
Under Accident Management and Control 
— Dispersion and pathway of chemicals, 
relating to the assessment of the state-of-
the-art and the implementation of certain 
remote-sensing techniques, 
— Emergency plans, covering an information 
Centre on emergency practices and 
exchange-of-information schemes, 
— Runaway reactions, relating to the assess­
ment of the state-of-the-art and prospec­
tive activities. 
Those activities are more amply documented 
in appropriate JRC documents (1). Comp­
lementary aside, their implementation is also 
quite different from the one of the shared-
cost programme, being essentially intra-muros 
work at the Ispra Centre. 
III.3. It is also recalled that the 1979 to 1983 shared-
cost nuclear-safety programme included an 
area on 'the protection of nuclear plant against 
external gas cloud explosions', whereby quite 
significant research was carried out on the 
dispersion, combustion and pressure-wave 
propagation/interaction aspects of dense-gas-, 
cloud explosions, demonstrating too the 
appropriateness of the shared-cost approach. 
This 'major technological hazards' proposal 
represents, in several respects, its follow-on, 
drawing indeed on acquired knowledge and 
advice. It also incorporates under Sector A 
other significant topics than those of vapour-
cloud explosions, yet related to major hazards 
of analogous magnitude and calling for 
research work of comparable style and closely 
interrelated. 
III.4. Finally, mention must be made of diverse Com­
mission activities related to the major hazards/ 
industrial risk theme. For instance: 
(]) Re: Programme progress report 'Industrial risk' January to 
June 1984 Communication — Category 1.6 No 4159; 
Programme progress report 'Industrial risk' June to December 
1984 Communication — Category 1.8 No 4179. — the implementation and updating of the 
Directive (DG XI), 
— the concerted action on man-machine 
interaction and human error and risk 
assessment (COST A 1, DG V), 
— fires and fire safety (DG III), 
— the ESRA (European Safety and Reliability 
Association) exchange of information 
scheme. 
It is a purpose of the Framework Programme 
to place such connected activities in a common 
frame and promote the necessary liaisons, also 
avoiding duplications. 
III.5. The shared-cost part of the programme places 
great emphasis on areas and topics of marked 
experimental, technological and advanced 
theoretical contents, generally leading to rela­
tively sizeable projects and requiring special­
ized know-how, facilities, sites/stations, etc. 
The latter are, as said, available in the Mem­
ber-States with a high level of qualification 
and one essential aim of the programme is, to 
take coordinated advantage thereof and there­
by closely associate researchers and teams. 
Further to that, a limited number of relevant 
so-called 'cross-sectoral' themes are proposed 
for study, which would shed light on more 
global issues and on interrelationships and 
feedback between aspects otherwise studied 
separately. Those studies, to be conducted 
yearly, will give guidance to the detailed for­
mulation and selection of prime topics in the 
three sectors, especially in Sector C which 
addresses also policy and regulation aspects. 
Three sectors are outlined next: 
A — Phenomena and mitigation, focusing 
on physical understanding/experimen­
tation, simulations and modelling. 
B — Technological aspects, with emphasis 
on safer or alternative processes/tech­
nologies and on safety-related instru­
mentation. 
C — Assessment and management of risk, 
covering pre- and post-accident aspects. 
No C 301/50 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
IV. CONTENTS OF THE PROPOSED PROGRAMME A.7. Toxic substances: dispersion in air, 
synergies; excluding toxicology; 
SECTOR A: PHENOMENA AND MITIGATION A-8- Dust explosions: phenomenology and 
protective measures (venting). 
It is emphasized again that these areas are 
closely interrelated and interdependent, also 
calling for very analogous expertise, 
methods, equipment and facilities. In prac­
tice, Sector A is one coherent work scheme 
on its own, given high initial priority in the 
proposed programme. As issues and work 
items are quite well identified in this Sector, 
a more detailed outline is given in Annex A. IV. 1. Consideration of the potential sources of 
majors risks outlined under 1.2 and of the 
correlative needs of the risk analysis disci­
pline (account also being taken of known 
expertise in the Member States and of present 
other Commission activities) has led to the 
restricted list of possible research areas outli­
ned next. The classification is not disciplin­
ary, nor related to a typing of industrial 
activities/processes, but rather phenomeno-
logical. As a result, certain research areas are 
of common relevance to a diversity of hazards 
(atmospheric dispersion for instance is cen­
tral to the build-up and spreading of many) 
and certain research topics (multiphase flow, 
blast-loading, venting) pertinent to several 
areas. (This is illustrated in the diagram in 
Annex A.) 
IV.2. In practically all instances, dangerous sub­
stances are contained and the hazard stems 
from an accidental breach of containment. 
The ensuing accident scenario generally pro­
ceeds step-wise, conceptually at least and the 
identification of such steps facilitates a con­
sensus on the classification of research them­
es. It is stressed again that emphasis is placed 
on physical understanding, simulations and 
modelling in future work envisaged here. 
IV.3. The areas proposed at this stage are the fol­
lowing: 
A.l. Source term: phenomenology/model­
ling of release, its influence on early 
stages of dispersion; 
A.2. Dispersion: atmospheric advection, dif­
fusion and deposition, with emphasis 
on dense/cold gases, mists and aero­
sols; 
A.3. Combustion: flammable clouds and 
mists covering flash fires, deflagration, 
transition to detonation and deton­
ation (unconfined/ partmy confined 
situations); 
A.4. Blast formation, propagation, interac­
tion with structures; generation of 
missiles; confined explosions and their 
venting; 
A.5. Catastrophic fires: pool fires, torches 
and fireballs; highly reactive substanc­
es; conflagrations; 
A.6. Runaway reactions: features of overall 
interest (thermodynamics, flowdynam-
ics, venting); SECTOR B: TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS 
IV.4. The study of the origins of accidental events, 
especially the source term and runaway 
aspects evoked under A.l, A.6, quite logically 
lead to seeking: 
— every possible improvement of the intrin­
sic safety of plants, processes and carriers, 
-— the timely detection and mitigation of 
potentially hazardous situations or con­
ditions. 
IV.5. Research on those aspects is, to some extent, 
more item- or process-specific than under A 
above and calls for appropriate scrutiny of 
their engineering and operational features. 
The intent would then be to promote and 
support certain important topics of 
industrial/transportation safety research and 
development, by way of appropriate shared-
cost projects with industry. It is well recog­
nized that, for industrial confidentiality 
reasons or because of the multiplicity of 
cases, not all such aspects would be tackled 
and that a natural selection will result. 
IV.6. The broad areas, or themes, proposed for 
further exploration are, at this stage 
B.l. Safety and reliability of existing tech­
nologies, towards their improvement 
by appropriate design, operational con­
ditions, layout/siting, control/fault 
detection, built-in countermeasures/ 
relief and mitigation devices, etc. This 
may concern plants/plant items, stor­
age, carriers, albeit of very relevant size 
or containing highly hazardous sub­
stances. 
B.2. Alternative technologies and processes, 
tending to the substitution of particu­
larly hazardous products/intermedi­
ates, processes and plant features and, 
more generally speaking, to the 
reduction of transient inventories, 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/51 
pressures, temperatures, etc. Again a 
selection will be needed, guidance being 
given, e.g. by the analysis of certain 
sequences of feedstock procurement 
and storage, transformation, con­
ditioning and transportation of the 
final product(s). 
B.3. Instrumentation: the aim would be to 
develop systems and detection devices, 
for high-risk situations/substances, and 
to study their possible coupling to miti­
gation devices. 
IV.7. The character of the research to be carried 
out in Sector B is rather akin to the one of 
Sector A: both focus on well-defined aspects, 
features, items of plant, etc. and aim at quan­
titative predictions, Sector B, however, is 
closer to the chemical engineering discipline 
and to actual plant design/operation. 
Preliminary inquiries will be needed, as a first 
priority: 
(a) to limit the (otherwise extensive) range 
of possible research/engineering topics to 
those of common interest and not hin­
dered by considerations of industrial con­
fidentiality; 
(b) to better identify possible industrial part­
nerships (e.g. by way of the 'expression 
of interest' procedure), 
and those activities, as well as 'cross-sectoral' 
studies already mentioned, are an essential 
part of rational programme preparation in 
this Sector. To accomplish such tasks, knowledge and 
evaluation tools derived from the R&D of 
Sectors A and B are quite often needed. How­
ever, some broader issues, some social aspects 
are not simply reducible to the elemental, 
step-by-step or case-by-case approach there­
of. This is why 'cross-sectoral' studies are 
also needed and would guide future develop­
ments. 
IV.9. A great variety of topics could be listed here 
(and, at the limit, a very different balance 
of the programme would result).- Subject to 
priorities which may derive from cross-sec­
toral studies to be first carried out, some 
relevant topics are listed next under Risk 
analysis and accident prevention or under 
Accident management, but the list is not 
necessarily exhaustive. Conceptually, several 
of them relate rather to the direct-action part 
of the programme sketched under III.2, not 
excluding, however, complementary or joint 
undertakings. It is also noted that Sector C 
is probably destined to be evolutive together 
with the implementation of the Directive, 
the emergence of regulatory needs and the 
foreseable amplification and diversification 
of major hazards research. 
IV.10. Topics of relevance to the major hazards issue 
are thus, at this stage: 
Under risk analysis and accident prevention 
C.l. Hazards identification and mapping, 
risk aggregates, vulnerability of com­
plex industrial/urban systems; 
SECTOR C: ASSESSMENT 
AND MANAGEMENT OF RISK C.2. Safety and reliability of complex indus­
trial systems, cost/benefit of safety/ 
mitigation devices; 
IV.8. Whereas Sector A was primarily dealing with 
basic phenomenology and quantitative risk 
analysis and Sector B with existing or alterna­
tive technologies, Sector C addresses broader 
issues: primatily those of the impact of a huge 
and diversified industrial activity on man and 
his environment, albeit always in the context 
of resulting major hazards. Clearly, then, this 
part of the programme is closest to policy 
and regulation and indeed it answers some 
preoccupations of the Member State authori­
ties responsible for the protection of popu­
lations and settlements and the safety of sites, 
industrial complexes, transportation links, 
etc. C.3 Human factor, man-machine interac­
tion (also COST A 1); 
C.4. Risk perception by the public, accept­
able risk level(s); 
C.5. Development of 'expert systems' 
(coupled to data banks) towards risk 
assessment and accident management; 
C.6. Probabilistic approach to the analysis 
and simulation of major accident scen­
arios, with emphasis on hazardous 
transports. 
No C 301/52 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
Under accident management 
C.7. Decision taking and counter-measures 
in an emergency, emergency planning; 
C.8. Behaviour of populations in an emer­
gency. 
Cross-sectoral studies 
IV.ll. The previous three research sectors are of 
somewhat different nature and each calls for 
specific expertise, as illustrated, and this has 
indeed motivated the grouping of research 
topics accordingly. However, not all issues of 
major hazards research and regulation can be 
thus categorized and takled and broad issues 
necessitate a more integrated approach. 
IV. 12. 'Cross-sectoral' studies have been suggested, 
to highlight that linkage of the research sec­
tors. Their guiding theme may be the inter­
disciplinary examination of one particularly 
preoccupying hazard, say a substance or pro­
cess, or the global examination of one major 
hazardous activity, say a production cycle 
or transportation and storage. Examples are, 
non-limitatively 
— the production, on-site consumption and 
off-site delivery of chlorine, 
— the sea and land transportation of bulk 
hazardous substances, 
— the production, transient/intermediate 
storage and transformation of highly 
toxic substances in a production cycle 
(e.g. of pesticides), 
— synergies and domino-effect in major 
accidents or in aspects thereof. 
IV.13. The reasoned choice of a few such integral 
schemes should be made early on in the pro­
gramme implementation. Those studies also 
would 
— highlight differences of approach to the 
evaluation of risks and to resulting 
decision-making, — give guidance, in Sectors B and C, to the 
identification of prime research options 
and to the selection of detailed research 
topics. 
V. IMPLEMENTATION 
V.l. This shared-cost programme would be 
implemented primarily by means of research 
contracts with Member States' research insti­
tutions, public and private, following a call 
for proposals. A significant participation of 
industrial research teams should be sought. 
Emphasis will be placed too on transnational 
ventures, associating several teams. 
Programme management, by the Commission 
services, would be assisted by the Management 
and Coordination Committee on Environ­
ment (CGC), also in its appropriate specialized 
configuration. 
V.2. Prior to this, areas and contents should in 
some respects be further precised, with the 
sustained scientific and technical support of 
Member States' experts. Such forward prep­
aration is deemed beneficial and necessary as 
— sizeable joint undertakings require a leng­
thy setting up, 
— articulated projects of interest must cohere 
with the workload and previsions of estab­
lishments concerned. 
V.3. Fruitful implementation calls for regular meet­
ings of specialized groups of experts and con­
tractors, reporting to the CGC. A diversity of 
complementary activities and initiatives: top­
ical workshops, panels, courses, seconding of 
researchers, etc. is also a quite essential part 
of implementation and coordination. Relevant 
JRC staff will be involved in thos activities, 
with the RAP framework. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/53 
ANNEX A 
BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE RESEARCH AREAS OF SECTOR A 
A.l. Source term 
Following a breach of containment, the hazardous substance is released to the immediate vincinity. 
The Source term designates the nature of the emission (chemical, physical) as well as its rate (instan­
taneous, time-varying, prolonged) as inputs to the next step. 
The condition and tonnage of the original inventory may be quite varied: liquefied pressurized gas; 
refrigerated liquefied gas; pressurized gas; volatile liquid; entrained toxic material, etc. Pressure is often 
at play. 
Prime topics (or physical situations) to be investigated are, in that same order 
— flashing liquid release from the liquid or gas phase, also by instantaneous vessel failure, 
— piped flashing liquid release, pipeline breach, 
— turbulent momentum jet release, air entrainment and jet dilution, 
— refrigerated liquified gas and cryogen spills, evaporation on solid/liquid substrates, pool spreading/ 
evaporation, rapid phase transitions, 
— pressurized gas releases, sudden cloud formation, 
— volatile-liquid spill and evaporation, 
— large toxic-fume releases, highly toxic and persistent substances. 
As a whole, the source term area is generally granted very high priority, in expert opinion. Some 
internal priority may be given to the first four topics, out of remaining uncertainties extant in their 
physical modelling and of preponderant importance of the inventories/releases thus involved in actual 
major accident situations. 
A.2. Dispersion 
This concerns the atmospheric advection and turbulent diffusion of dense, gas/mist jets and plumes 
(generated under IV.1). Almost all substances of interest exhibit a denser-than-air behaviour initially. 
Situations, and needed predictions, fall under two overlapping categories: 
— flammables: concentration limits (LFL — HFL) of some %, early stages of dispersion only, 
— toxics: lower concentration limit in the tens ppm range f1), high degree of passive dilution to be 
considered (under IV.7). 
Research is three-pronged: 
— modelling: ranging from quite simple gaussian and 'box' (input-output) models through intermediate 
(shallow layer) to highly complex 2D/3D time-dependent ones, which solve turbulent flow and 
conservation coupled equations. Present emphasis in on 
validating the simpler (box, intermediate) models with now available field trials data, which pertain, 
however, to idealized conditons; when feasible, extending those simpler models to more realistic 
conditions (of heat/humidity transfer, possibly terrain/obstacles); accounting more exactly for the 
complicated aspects of turbulence generation, entrainment/detrainment, resulting dilution by air 
also in 2D/3D numerical models. The latter imply advanced numerical resolution methods, 
— field- and smaller-scale trials: these either document a postulated spill at reduced scale or supply a 
reliable data base for model validations under well-controlled conditions. Scaling arguments are 
central (and restrictive) here, when defining the test matrix. 
(!) For serious discomfort, or prolonged exposure. Instantaneous lethality limits are rather in the 103 ppm 
range. Also see uncertainties mentioned under A.7. 
No C 301/54 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
Releases over flat terrain/on sea have been performed and documented (Thorney Island, Maplin 
Sands). Attention now focuses on 
continuous plumes, over non-ideal terrain; 
heat/humidity transfer, aerosol clouds; 
transition to passive entrainment; 
meandering and variability. 
Forced dilution by water curtain, a mitigation device is also conceptually part of this heading and 
equally relevant to A.7 below, 
— scaled-down simulations in wind or water tunnels. Considerable expertise, excellent installations 
are available and sophisticated techniques: stratified tunnels, laser velocimetry/tomography, digital-
image treatment, have been developed recently. 
A variety of projects may be considered under this heading, which would also include the digital-
image processing of photo/video records from field trials (the technique is common). The longer 
term objective is to validate the wind/water tunnel as a convenient alternative to field trials with a 
view to siting studies. 
A.3. Combustion 
This covers the deflagrative (mostly laminar flame) and detonative (supersonic shock front) modes, 
fundamentally different, as well as the many mechanisms and situations conducive to flame acceleration 
and transition from deflagration to detonation in a gas (or mist) cloud. 
The phenomenology of combustion is exceedingly complex and influenced by many side-factors. Work 
is primarily experimental, from laboratory — to intermediate-scale to field trials. Topics studied are 
principally 
— under detonation: direct initiation by sparks/charges; jet ignition by hot combustion products; 
shock-wave initiation and planar-to-spherical transition; detonation of mists, foams, etc., 
— under deflagration: spontaneous flame acceleration in unconfined (cloud) or confined (tube, lane) 
situations; influence of obstacles and constrictions and/or of confinement; acceleration due to 
concentration gradients/fluctuations (unconfined cloud); effect of cloud shape and igniter location 
(edge/central); enhancement by jet ignition; effect of dust/aerosols in supsension. 
Much work remains to be done in this area, which should indeed be a strong point of the proposed 
programme. The mechanisms conducive to blast enhancement are reasonably well identified and scaling 
laws have sometimes been derived, for particular configurations. However, larger-scale verifications 
are often still needed. This concerns, in approximate order of priority, jet ignition, lane/duct confine­
ment, repeated obstacles with varying degrees of confinement, strong turbulence, dust/aerosols in 
suspension. 
Modelling is perforce restricted to 'idealized', generally ID-2D geometries. The simpler models (acoustic, 
self-similar, piston, etc.) essentially solve fluid dynamics, but the flame path or combustion rate need 
to be postulated. A few highly complex codes input a turbulent burning subroutine. Solving the entire 
problem, coupling the (actually interactive) flow and combustion kinetics aspects is largely beyond 
present capabilities, but emphasis will be placed on better submodelling of turbulence, turbulent 
combustion and flame-folding processes. 
A.4. Blast and related topics 
A cloud explosion generates an air blast of incipient amplitude and shape determined by the combustion 
mode: slow deflagration (gradual subsonic pressure rise and rarefaction), fast/accelerating deflagration 
(a leading shock followed by gradual decompression), detonation (a steep shock of high amplitude). 
The pressure pulse decays and steepens during travel to become a sonic shock. Hence propagation 
itself markedly influences the loading and response (') of exposed structures. 
(') It is noted that response of structures is part of present JRC activities. 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/55 
There are several approaches to the problem: 
— correlations, by means of empirical scaling laws and TNT equivalences, unsatisfactory with 
extended cloud explosions, 
— modelling: simple acoustic, linear approximation; isentropic approximation (which reduces the 
problem to one non-linear potential equation); numerical solution of the full Euler equations, 
generally limitative to 1D/2D for computer-related reasons. For all, the incipient pulse must be 
input and is crucially dependent on A.3 above, 
— experimentation: subjecting scale models to blast (shock tube, point charges, exploding balloons); 
simulation by the 'water table' technique (a hydraulic blast-analogue); larger-scale blast loading of 
typical structural elements. By extension: damage analysis from accidents/war records, at the basis 
of diverse correlations. 
Emphasis will be placed on the last two approaches. Requirements as regards modelling are better 
prescription of the incipient pressure pulse (derived form A3 above), improved description and 
numerical treatment (isentropy, adaptive grids, FCT, etc.). Experimentation will include realistic 
deflagrative waves and non-infinitely rigid structures. 
Two very relevant topics are associated with this research area: 
(a) the study of large exploding vessels, covering direct blast generation, primary and secondary missiles 
— their travel/distribution/impact, ductile rupture of fire-engulfed vessels and BLEVE (boiling 
liquid expanding vapour explosion) accidents; the latter relates to A.5; 
(b) the study of internal gas/vapour explosions, in large enclosures. This research has common points 
with A.3 (on flame acceleration in confined situations, or jetting) and A.8 (on venting, which is 
central to the problem of mitigating internal explosions). 
A.5. Catastrophic fires 
By definition, of very swift evolution and totally uncontrollable: pipeline torch, gas cloud flash-fire, 
conflagration in a very reactive inventory, fire-engulfed tank BLEVE followed by fireball formation. 
Apart from inescapable engulfment, the danger here is radiant beat at a distance, to be evaluated. Work 
is chiefly experimental, covering 
— pool (bund) and channel fires, also over water; their evolution, 
— vapour cloud burning, over land and water, 
— turbulent torch flames, 
— fireball formation, lift-off and decay following a BLEVE. 
These correspond to classic accident situations. Substances of prime interest are LNG, LPG, ethylene, 
propylene, etc. However, not all topics need to be covered in depth as fairly extensive information is 
already available on large LNG/LPG fires in relevant configurations. Less so perhaps for other 
substances or for large torches/BLEVE/fireballing. 
This area should also include relevant work on 
— mitigation by water/steam curtains, which force-dilute the cloud, the behaviour of fire-engulfed 
vessels and structural elements, 
— the evolution of generated noxious fumes, 
— the hazards of reactive inventories (some nitrates, liquid 02), 
— possibly, radiant damage-at-a-distance criteria. 
A.6. Runaways 
Any exothermic reaction can diverge, from loss of temperature control or chain branching. The 
consequence is reactor-vessel failure and spill of its contents unless adequate and safe venting relief is 
provided for. Considerable attention is paid to runaway potential, by industry. 
Research follows several lines: 
— identification of runaway candidates, their kinetics, 
— stability analyses relating to (T, P) evolution in the reactor vessel, 
No C 301/56 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
— phenomenology and prediction of relief venting, also coupled to reaction dynamics, 
— incipient dispersion following vessel failure or disk/stack venting, 
— alternative, less-sensitive process routes; reduction of reacting inventories. 
Common base research excludes largely product- or process-specific investigations, out of sheer number 
or confidentiality. It would focus on the more general features of divergence, venting and incipient 
dispersion. 
Venting is often from a hot pressurized liquid phase and there is a clear connection with the two-phase 
flow investigations of A.l above. However, even more complicated cases must be addressed: bubbly 
flow, foams, viscous substances, transient reacting flows, etc. The same applies to venting from the 
gas phase, with consideration of liquid drops/slugs entrainment. Those would be essential topics for 
investigation. 
The important topic of alternative, safer technologies/processes is retained under B.2 above. Other 
aspects mentioned may call for complementary exchange-of-information schemes (e.g. topical meetings, 
panels, etc.). It is noted that documentation activities have been initiated at the JRC and that 
complementarity will be particularly sought, in this area, between direct and shared-cost actions. 
A.7. Toxic substances 
Prime candidates are evidently chlorine and ammonia, manufactured and transported in yearly meg-
atonne quantities in the EC, but also intermediates and feedstocks: phosgene, acrylonitrile, S02/H2S 
and many others, of lesser tonnage. 
Research on toxics follows two broad and distinct lines: 
— dispersion: substances of interest are generally denser than air or, like ammonia mists, behave as 
such. Correlatively: mitigation by evaporation — arresting foams, or dilution — promoting water/ 
steam curtains, 
— toxicology: animal testing for LC50/LD™ and analogous limit values; some war records on chlorine 
and phosgene; probit approach. 
Research on the second point is not proposed under this programme outline, as it would call for an 
altogether different specialization from the remainder of Sector A. One may note that considerable 
uncertainties are extant and that reevaluations of existing data by specialized bodies are underway, 
which will be closely followed. 
The first point clearly relates to A.l and A.2 above. However, much less is known than for flammables 
because 
(a) toxics are dangerous at appreciably greater dilution (and downwind distance) and this is most 
difficult to study in the field; 
(b) Cl2 and NH? can display dense or passive/buoyant behaviour, depending on dilution and other 
factors (e.g. droplets entrainment for NH?, or spill temperature), so that an accurate knowledge of 
source term conditions is needed to predict the cloud behaviour properly. 
Experimental evidence is rather limited. For Cl2, open data are either from ancient war records, or 
from limited-scale mitigation tests with suppressing foams and water curtains. For NH3, flashing jets 
and spills on land/water have been studied at moderate scale and, more recently, large on-land releases 
performed in the USA (Lawrence Livermore, also with N704), but detailed data are not available at 
this stage. 
Outstanding issues of bulk toxics dispersion are then 
— the transition from dense to passive behaviour, 
— monogram predictions at low concentration values, 
— 'variability' and the influence of meandering and concentration fluctuations on cloud edge exposure 
and dosage estimates. 
Also, on more practical aspects: 
— forced dilution by water curtains, sprays, etc. (also relating to A.2), 
— mitigation by foams and powders, 
— alarm sensors and real-time prediction systems (also Area B.3 above). 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/57 
It is noted that the field study of transient low concentrations would first require the development of 
adequate sensors/tracers. Some parallel developments would also be required for wind-tunnel simula­
tions of dispersion at these low concentrations. 
Modelling should be extended to those same aspects, as present dense-gas modelling rather concentrates 
on the near-field, or relies on simple gaussian asumptions in the far-field. Advanced treatments extant 
in air pollution modelling may give guidance. 
Acutely toxic and persistant chemicals are a somewhat separate issue, albeit of considerable relevance 
to the implementation of the Directive on major hazards. Research here relates to source term (A.l) 
and near-field dispersion, as well as runaways (A.6) and prime interest is probably in aerosol migration 
and settling. It is noted that relevant information will issue from the nuclear 'source term' research, of 
which aerosol/vapour migration, escape and deposition is a major topic (also at the JRC). More 
'practical' aspects may also be treated under Accident management, Sector C above (e.g. post-accident 
measures, area decontamination, etc.). 
A.8. Dust explosions 
Dust explosions are a common occurence and almost any dispersed organic/metallic powder in 
suspension can sustain a deflagrative process. Flame acceleration and transition to devastating deton­
ation are ascertained in confined situations (coal-mine galleries, grain-elevator shafts, etc.). Dust 
explosions, however, are always internal and confined, prime candidates being grain silos/elevators, 
flour/animal-feed/sugar mills, etc. Major hazard potential is perhaps a matter of opinion but fatalities/ 
casualties and economic losses can be quite elevated and dust hazards are truly ubiquitous, not only in 
manufacturing industries and mining, but in many agriculture- or forestry-related transformation 
activities or transportation. 
Most research so far has come under two categories: 
— laboratory testing of candidate dusts with standardized apparatus, to ascertain equally standardized 
properties (explosible concentration, ignition energy/temperature, maximum pressure/rate of press­
ure rise), 
— venting, by appropriate flaps/bursting panels, and the validation of empirical scaling laws, nomo­
grams, etc. 
It is not proposed to cover the first topic: routine testing, competently done by specialized laboratories. 
Similarly, properties or accident data banks should, if need be, be addressed by the JRC under 'Industrial 
risk'. 
The second topic has given rise to interesting intermediate- and large-scale testing (all the way to small 
silo size) which, however, needs to be part-complemented and should be supported by appropriate 
shared-cost projects. 
What is little known is the physics of dust explosions: combustion process and its propagation; influence 
of turbulence/radiative pre-heating/volumetric combustion; detonative processes. It is suspected that 
somewhat the same processes are extant as for flammable gases (A.3); available evidence is much 
cruder. The reason is too, that explosible dust suspensions are opaque and prevent optical recording. 
Instrumentation needs to be developed or simply taken over from the gas-explosion work for progress 
to be made (fast ionic probes, doppler sounding, infra-red sensors, etc.). 
Much work remains ahead to attain a satisfactory understanding and here then lies a field almost 
entirely open for investigation, guidance being given in many respects by recent advances in the gas-
explosion research outlined under A.3. 
No C 301/58 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
TOXIC 
SUBSTANCES FLAMMABLE AND 
VERY REACTIVE 
SUBSTANCES 
SOURCE TERM INPUTS RUNAWAY 
REACTONS 
DISPERSION IN AIR 
LIQUID CLOUD CONFLAGRATION -
CATASTROPHIC FIRES 
BURNING 
PROCESSES 
BLEVE 
FIREBALLS SINGLE-AND 
MULTI-PHASE 
FLOW STUDIES 
EXPLOSIVE 
COMBUSTION 
EXTERNAL 
RADIATION OR 
ENGULFMENT INTERNAL 
EXPOSURE OF 
PEOPLE, STRUCTURES BLAST 
MISSILES VENTING ^. 
STUDIES ~ 
25. 11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 301/59 
ANNEX B 
OPINION 
of the Management and Coordination Advisory Committee (CGC) — Environment and Climatology on the 
draft proposal for a shared-cost research programme on major technological hazards 
1. The CGC has discussed the draft proposal of the Commission, towards a shared-cost multiannual 
programme in the field of major technological hazards (as defined in the EC Council Directive on major 
hazards (l) (Doc. XII/CGC/85/2/4 Rev. 2). The CGC also took note of supporting documents supplied 
by the Commission. 
2. The CGC concludes that within the framework of the Research Action Programme (RAP) —- Environment, 
this proposal on major technological hazards complements and augments the current activities of the 
Joint Research Centre (2) on 'Industrial risk' which address particular aspects of technological hazards, 
including 
— industrial systems safety and reliability, structural safety and reliability, management of industrial 
risk, 
— dispersion and pathway of chemicals released accidentally, emergency plans, protection against 
runaway reactions. 
Motivations and aims 
3. The CGC endorses the motivations and aims of the proposed shared-cost research programme, as outlined 
in the draft proposal XII/CGC/85/2/4 Rev. 2 and supporting documentation. 
The CGC recognizes the importance of reducing the risks of occurrence and consequences of catastrophic 
events (such as those in Cubatao, Mexico, Bhopal), and that this requires high-quality research support, 
in particular to the many risk analysis activities which the updating and implementation of the Council 
Directive (2) wil entail. 
4. The CGC considers that Community-level research in this field is needed in order to develop and 
harmonize consistent methodologies and standards, make use of existing expertise and facilities and 
promote joint undertakings. It could also benefit from methodologies developed elsewhere. 
5. The CGC considers that the proposed programme should result in 
— more realistic estimates of risks, 
— identification of weak points, uncertainties and gaps in knowledge, 
— development of technologies appropriate to reduce risks, 
— improved information for siting, 
thus significantly enhancing the safety of industrial plants and processes and of transportation and storage 
of dangerous substances. 
6. The CGC is of the opinion, that the proposed shared-cost research programme meets several of the 
Community objectives outlined in the 1984 to 1987 Framework Programme, in particular: 
— the improvement of safety and the protection of health, 
— the protection of the environment and the prevention of hazards, 
— the improvement of industrial competitivity. 
(') OJ No L 230, 5. 8. 1982, p. 1. 
(2) Council Decision of 20. 12. 1983. 
No C 301/60 Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 11. 85 
Scientific and technical content 
7. The CGC is in broad agreement with the major issues and research areas contained in the programme 
proposal 
— under sector A: physical and chemical phenomena and mitigation of consequences of accidents, 
— under sector B: safety and reliability of existing and alternative technologies and instrumentation, 
— under sector C: assessment and management of risk. 
The CGC considers that these fulfil some basic needs of major technological hazards research, including 
the main scientific, technical and social issues. 
The CGC also considers that it is essential to develop an integrated aproach to risk assessment and 
proposes to achieve this by means of cross-sectoral studies of example activities. Such studies would 
highlight different approaches to the evaluation of risks and to decision-making based on these evaluations. 
The CGC considers that initially priority should be given to sector A in view of the available information 
on uncertainties in this sector, and that later consideration of activities in sector B and C should follow, 
in particular based upon cross-sectoral studies. 
Implementation 
8. The CGC considers the proposed programme to be well-suited to coordinated implementation, by way 
of shared-cost contracts with Member States research establishments and industries and through the 
execution of joint projects allowing use of unique facilities. 
The CGC endorses the proposed implementation and further notes that 
— a close collaboration of the interested scientific and industrial parties in the Member States is intended, 
— relevant complementary initiatives and 'catalytic activities', promoting exchange of information, 
training, dissemination of results, are also proposed. 
Funding and staff 
9. In order to achieve these aims, the CGC recognizes the need for the provision of adequate funding and 
staff. 
The Greek and Italian delegations fully endorse the text of this Opinion, but wish to emphasize that the 
financing of the proposed Programme should not result in a diminution of resources for research on other 
types of environmental problems.