Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision on a specific programme of research and technological development and demonstration in the area of telematics applications of common interest (1994-1998) () (94/C 388/07)

On 14 April 1994 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 130i of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the abovementioned proposal.

The Committee decided to appoint Mr Tesoro Oliver as Rapporteur-General with the task of preparing its work on the subject.

At its 317th Plenary Session (meeting of 6 July 1994), the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following Opinion unanimously.

1. Preamble

1.1. The Committee deplores the fact that this is the fourth time it has been called upon to deliver an Opinion as a matter of urgency on one of the specific RTD programmes proposed by the Commission. Moreover, the Committee is not convinced that the urgency is justified by the need to avoid discontinuity in research activities or a break in their financing. The reason lies rather more in the progress of the legislative procedure in the Council itself.

1.2. Be that as it may, the Committee has already emphasized that the tight deadlines set by the Council prevent it from fully playing its advisory role on RTD as enshrined in the Treaty and, more especially, from making a detailed analysis of the scientific and technical content of the proposed programmes.

1.3. Like the other three proposals on which it has already given its views, this is one of seventeen proposed specific programmes presented together by the Commission in implementation of the fourth European Community framework programme for research, technological development and demonstration activities (1994-1998), adopted by the European Parliament and the Council under the co-decision procedure on 26 April 1994 ().

1.4. By this means the Commission has also adopted a uniform presentation designed both to simplify and rationalize procedures. The Committee welcomes this.

1.5. The Committee would, however, have liked to make a number of comments on the package of proposals and on the framework programme itself. The present constraints regrettably do not allow it, once again, to do so in the present Opinion.

1.6. Nevertheless, the Committee reserves the right to make such comments in a subsequent Opinion on the other proposals for specific programmes and on the three specific programmes implementing the framework programme for Community research and training activities for the European Atomic Energy Community (1994-1998), which the Council also adopted on 26 April ().

1.7. As regards the general conditions for participation in the specific programmes and for their implementation, the Committee would also refer back to the many comments and suggestions made in its Opinion of 1 June 1994 (CES 749/94) on the two proposed Decisions concerning the rules for the participation of undertakings, research centres and universities in the specific research programmes ().

2. Introduction

2.1. The proposed programme comes under the first of the four activities scheduled in the fourth framework programme, namely the implementation of RTDD programmes by the promotion of cooperation with and between undertakings, research centres and universities. This first activity covers the bulk of Community research initiatives.

2.2. This programme is designed to take over from the programme adopted by the Council on 7 June 1991 for the period 1990-1994 (). The Committee issued an Opinion on the relevant proposal on 20 November 1990 (). Total funding allocated to that programme came to ECU 430 million.

2.3. The programme now proposed will pursue two objectives:

- firstly, a traditional objective, namely to 'promote the competitiveness of European industry` and 'to stimulate job creation through the development of new telematics systems and services in such areas as telework and teleservices`;

- secondly, a new objective introduced in the EU Treaty, namely 'to promote research activities necessary for other common policies`.

2.4. The proposed research activities, for which the Commission has earmarked ECU 843 million from the Community budget, will cover nine vertical application sectors grouped around three major areas. A fourth area groups horizontal RTD activities supporting and reinforcing the sectoral activities; these activities will be complemented by a series of accompanying measures on international cooperation, the dissemination of results and the training of researchers and users.

2.5. The proposed breakdown of funding between the various areas of activity (in million ECU) is as follows:

- Telematics for services of public interest

395

- Administrations 50

- Health care 135

- Transport 210

- Telematics for knowledge 146

- Research

50

- Education and training 66

- Libraries 30

- Telematics for employment and improving the quality of life

125

- Urban and rural areas

40

- Elderly and disabled people 65

- Exploratory action

(environment)

20

- Other exploratory actions

pm

- Horizontal RTD activities

136

- Telematics engineering

15

- Language engineering

81

- Information engineering

40

- Horizontal actions

41

(of which ECU 19 million for the dissemination and exploitation of results)

3. General comments

3.1. The Committee is broadly in agreement with the Commission proposal and endorses its content.

3.2. Nevertheless, the Committee would like to put forward some specific amendments which would contribute to the attainment of the objectives of the fourth framework programme. These are based on the preamble to the Commission proposal and take account of the difficult economic and social circumstances currently facing the European Union.

3.3. To give as quick a boost as possible to economic recovery, competitiveness and job creation, it is very important to reinforce and give priority to all RTD activities which can be carried out and their findings disseminated rapidly throughout the European Union and to activities which will raise the technological level of SMEs.

3.4. In this connection the development and progressive liberalization of telematics infrastructure networks is vital, as highlighted in the White Paper and Report of 26 May 1994 on Europe and the Global Information Society.

3.4.1. The aims of the recommendations contained in this Report include:

- speeding up the dissemination of technological innovation and the response to market needs, and

- making as many people as possible, especially SMEs, the public administrations and young generations, more aware of the potential of telematics networks and the prospects which they offer for enhancing economic and social cohesion.

3.5. The Committee wishes to stress the importance of this Report, on the basis of which the EU Council Summit in Corfu at the end of June will choose ten major successful projects from the third framework programme and promote their practical implementation within the framework of the trans-European networks. This decision should set a precedent to be repeated for the fourth framework programme.

4. Specific comments

4.1. The allocation of 10.3% of funding to staff and administrative expenditure is excessive and at odds with the aim of simplifying the administration of the programmes. The Committee urges the Commission to take effetive measures to reduce this percentage substantially, the money thus saved being used to increase the assistance to this specific RTD programme.

4.2.

Annex I - Areas of research

4.2.1.

Area 1 - Telematics for services of public interest

4.2.1.1.

Administrations

The relationship to the IDA programme needs spelling out more clearly.

4.2.1.2.

Health care

The following theme should be included: 'Applications of mobile communications in the health field`. The aim should be to extend this service to scattered rural populations, temporary camps for industrial, scientific or sporting activities, etc.

4.2.1.3.

Transport

The reference to pilot projects and demonstrators should be generic; in particular any reference to large-scale or pan-European demonstrators should be avoided.

4.2.2.

Area 2 - Telematics for knowledge

4.2.2.1.

Telematics for research

The section on 'Nature of the work` should include a reference to the 'improvement of access to research networks from technology parks`; this would strengthen the channels for SME technological progress.

4.2.2.2.

Education and training

Greater emphasis should be placed on the importance of the validation tests, and in particular the validation of telematics applications for training geared to the needs of SMEs.

4.2.2.3.

Libraries

Highlight the importance of the interoperability of existing, heterogeneous systems.

4.2.3.

Area 3 - Telematics for improving employment and quality of life

No comments.

4.2.4.

Area 4 - Horizontal RTD activities

4.2.4.1.

Language engineering

A reference to the work on voice recognition systems should be included.

4.2.4.2.

Information engineering

It is necessary to spell out the need to steer RDT towards new methods of presentation and access to information, avoiding the development of new data base technologies peculiar to other specific programmes (Esprit).

4.2.5.

Area 5 - Horizontal actions

The section on international cooperation, which refers to central and eastern Europe, should also contain a reference to the future potential of the Latin American market.

4.3.

Annex II - Indicative breakdown of the amount estimated as necessary

4.3.1. The indicative breakdown of the total amount of ECU 843 million should be brought more into line with the objectives laid down for the programme. It is the Committee`s view that the appropriations for the dissemination and exploitation of results, transport, health care, education and training, and libraries should be increased substantially; on the other hand, the appropriations which could be reduced are telematics for research, telematics engineering, language engineering, and telematics for the quality of life.

Done at Brussels, 6 July 1994.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Susanne TIEMANN

() OJ No C 113, 23. 4. 1994, pp. 4-15, 24.

() OJ No L 126, 18. 5. 1994, p. 1.

() OJ No L 115, 6. 5. 1994, p. 31.

() OJ No C 81, 18. 3. 1994, p. 9.

() OJ No L 192, 16. 7. 1991, p. 18.

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