A4-0383/96

Resolution on an interim Commission report according to Article 8 of Council Decision 94/78/EC, Euratom establishing a multiannual programme for the development of Community statistics on research, development and innovation (COM(96)0042 - C4-0247/96)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the interim Commission report (COM(96)0042 - C4-0247/96),

- having regard to its resolutions of 14 March 1996 on the Commission communication on Biotechnology and the White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment: Preparing the next stage ((OJ C 96, 1.4.1996, p. 277.)) and of 6 June 1996 on the Green Paper on innovation ((OJ C 181, 24.6.1996, p. 35.)),

- having regard to its opinion of 12 March 1993 on the proposal for a Council Decision establishing a multiannual programme for the development of Community statistics on research, development and innovation ((OJ C 115, 26.4.1993, p. 213.)),

- having regard to its opinion of 25 May 1993 on the proposal for a Council Decision on the framework programme for priority actions in the field of statistical information (1993 - 1997) ((OJ C 176, 28.6.1993, p. 37.)),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy (A4-0383/96),

A. whereas a European statistical system for research, technological development and innovation represents a basic tool for the definition and orientation of Community R & D policy, the achievement of complementarity and coordination with scientific and technological activities in the Member States and in other international organizations, as well as contributing to improving the potential of European science,

B. whereas an important aspect of statistical information is the analysis of public opinion and public trends and attitudes concerning decisions or implementing measures in respect of Community policies in the field of science; whereas the conclusions reached on the basis of questionnaires and surveys - and not only on the basis of specific parameters and objectives - can contribute to improved adaptation of the policy for science and technology already or still to be defined in the context of the Community framework programmes in the areas of research, technological development, demonstration and teaching, the administration of the Structural Funds, the encouragement of technological innovation and the coordination of national policies,

C. whereas members of the public can become clients of the statistical service when acting as economic agents (whether workers, managers or investors) who wish to acquire information on the existing state of science and technology and the relevant social and economic implications,

D. whereas encouragement must be given to the dissemination and interpretation of Community statistics on science and technology, firstly by applying standardized indices and indicators in the Member States, and secondly by processing and disseminating the information obtained in the most comprehensible form which can be achieved without affecting quality, and ensuring rapid and easy access for industrial, economic, scientific and social agents, especially SMUs,

1. Welcomes the fact that the Commission's interim report is sufficiently detailed to explain the actions carried out so far under the multiannual programme for the development of Community statistics on research, development and innovation, and to include comments on future prospects which are both interesting and necessary, together with praiseworthy attempts to harmonize national statistics and surveys, while not refraining from some degree of self-criticism;

2. Recalls the continuing validity of its abovementioned opinion of 12 March 1993, in which it:

- called on the Commission to establish monitoring arrangements with a view to evaluating the impact of the Community's science and technology programmes in such a way as to supply detailed quantitative indicators covering, for instance, commercial and social repercussions, evolution of market share, global cost-benefit analyses, coverage in technical and trade publications, etc, taking the view that this proposal should remain valid under the framework programme for priority actions in the field of statistical information for 1993 - 1997;

- proposed the collection, analysis and publication of international comparisons of global registers concerning the number, types and profile of researchers who are still university students;

- favoured the collection of information on the number of graduating students finding employment in technological professions and their levels of qualification, on individual Member State spending on educational material in the R & D field and on companies' training expenditure;

- called for the publication of data on Community R & D measures (and the contribution to basic research) in the field of science and technology, including, for example, the commercialization index of Community-funded projects (patents, publications, etc), especially those financed under the framework programmes, and, if possible, comparative figures for third countries;

- considered that regular statistics should be published on the number and types of participations in the specific programmes (e.g. SMUs, universities and private research institutes) distinguishing, where possible, between basic and applied research);

3. Supports the Commission's proposal concerning a legal basis for regular Union-wide surveys in the field of science, technology and innovation, which would provide a permanent foundation for data harmonization and comparability, survey procedures and nomenclature in this field as between Member States; considers that this would help the internal market function properly and may be justified in terms of the requirements of the development of competition policy as set out in Title XIII of the Treaty;

4. Calls on the Commission, in the context of the moves to establish a Community statistical information system, to make all efforts to create a database and bibliometric indicator listing science and technology essays and articles of specifically European impact, possibly by amplifying the European report on science and technology indicators which appeared in 1994;

5. Notes the need for specific reference to other types of indicator reflecting organizational changes and other forms of expenditure classified as non- material or intangible assets, which are increasingly perceived as key factors for the competitiveness of companies and industries, and include, among other types of spending, investment in technology;

6. Stresses the informational value of European innovation indicators defined on the basis of size in relation to number of patents, the visible and invisible trade balance in technology and the evolution of the factors of production, as pointed out in the Commission report;

7. Stresses the importance of using indicators with a territorial, sectoral, institutional or other basis, to facilitate the understanding of the values concerned;

8. Calls on the Commission, accordingly, to develop a new method suited to the collection of data of this type - a task which will certainly prove difficult if the relevant headings are not included in companies' accounts - and, ultimately, to collect the data concerned;

9. Calls on the Commission, in its analysis and monitoring of the request for statistical information, possibly in the context of the mandate for pilot surveys referred to in Council Decision 94/78/EC, Euratom ((OJ L 38, 9.2.1994, p. 34.)), to include sources for data concerning public attitudes and awareness in relation to Community-level research and technological development activities;

10. Considers it essential to remove the existing methodological differences between Member States in the preparation of science and technology statistics, and to continue the endeavours towards achieving harmonization and comparability of data in respect of countries belonging to the OECD, UNESCO, EEA, the Nordic group, Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS; proposes that, in the wake of the impetus given by the Barcelona conference of November 1995 to the renewal of relations between countries on either side of the Mediterranean, contacts should be made for this purpose with third countries in the Euro-Mediterranean area where the activities concerned are not covered by the relevant bilateral association agreements;

11. Calls on the Commission to analyse and evaluate Parliament's request in this field, in both the short and the medium term, utilizing the facilities for the evaluation of scientific and technological options provided by the STOA unit and the assistance mandate received by the JRC's Institute for Prospective Technological Studies;

12. Welcomes the timely publication in 1995 of the 'Canberra Manual', drawn up jointly by the OECD and Eurostat, which offers a method for the collection and analysis of data concerning human resources dedicated to science and technology, as well as the 'methodological manual on the regional dimension of R & D and innovation statistics'; suggests that these should be brought into use immediately, with the employment of techniques and registers for the automatic exchange of data between public administrations, utilizing the framework offered by the IDA scheme;

13. Calls on the Commission systematically to include Parliament in the interlinking of data networks referred to in the programme;

14. Calls on the Commission to compensate for the lack of a sufficient volume of data for users in the area of science and technology statistics for specific programmes and for the framework programmes for research, technological development, demonstration and teaching;

15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council.