No C 265/28 Official Journal of the European Communities 5. 10. 87 
Proposal for a Council Regulation on a Community action in the field of learning technology 
—Developing European learning through technological advance (DELTA)—Pilot phase 
COM(87) 353 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 12 August 1987) 
(87/C 265/03) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing up the Euro­
pean Economic Community, and in particular Ar­
ticle 130Q (2) thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
In cooperation with the European Parliament, 
Whereas the Community has as its task, by establishing 
a common market and progressively approximating 
the economic policies of Member States, to promote 
throughout the Community a harmonious development 
of economic activity and close relations between the 
Member States; 
Whereas education and training will play a decisive role 
in the future economic development of the Community; 
whereas advanced information and telecommunications 
technologies offer new and more effective means to 
support learning activities; 
Whereas the Heads of State and Government, meeting 
in Stuttgart, Athens, Fontainebleau and Brussels, 
emphasized the importance of strengthening the tech­
nology base and competitiveness of industry and have 
underlined the necessity of making better use of human 
resources by means of increased cooperation between 
higher education and industry; 
Whereas the Heads of State or of Government in their 
meeting of 28 and 29 June 1985 approved and endorsed 
the Commission memorandum on the strengthening of 
technological cooperation in Europe covering, among 
priority subjects on which to propose action, the tech­
nologies of education and training; 
Whereas the European Parliament has emphasised 
repeatedly the importance it sees in education and train­
ing for the future economic and social welfare of the 
Community, and adopted in May 1983 a resolution (*) 
calling for greater efforts in education and training; whereas the Parliament adopted on 11 November 1986 
a resolution inviting the Commission to prepare a pro­
gramme for the utilization of technology in edu­
cation (2); 
Whereas the Economic and Social Committee has 
stressed the importance of using new information and 
telecommunication technologies to maintain a highly 
skilled workforce capable of adapting to changing job 
requirements, thereby making a contribution to the 
reduction of unemployment caused by lack of skills; 
Whereas the framework programme for Community 
actions in respect of research and technological develop­
ment (1987 to 1991) envisages the utilisation of the 
technologies of information, telecommunications and 
broadcasting in the interests of new services of common 
interest under its second heading 'Towards a large 
market and a society based on information and com­
munication'; whereas the framework programme con­
tains special provision for a Community action in the 
field of educational technology; 
Whereas the demand for education and training is 
steadily mounting, increases in diversity and requires 
improvements in accessibility; whereas progress in 
learning technology coincides with the emergence of 
advanced communications services and equipment 
which can be harnessed, at incremental cost, to support 
learning and thus to enable demand for training and 
retraining to be met more economically; 
Whereas learning technology represents a strategically 
important growth area for equipment and services 
world-wide, being the subject of strongly focussed 
development and investment efforts by other regions; 
Whereas national and Community actions in infor­
mation technologies, telecommunications and stan­
dardization lay the ground for introducing advanced 
learning support, yet additional efforts will be required 
to realise the full potential of this new field; 
(') OJ No C 135, 24. 5. 1983. (2) OJ No C 322, 15. 12. 1986. 
5. 10. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 265/29 
Whereas the Council has adopted the programme 
Comett (86/365/EEC) strengthening industry-university 
cooperation in education and training including the 
encouragement of distance learning, and that the 
Comett programme would benefit from improvements 
in the technologies, tools, equipment and infrastructure 
required to support distance learning(*); 
Whereas preparatory investigations on behalf of the 
Commission have laid the groundwork for a pro­
gramme of work responding to the trends of expert 
opinion in the Member States; whereas the presentation 
of this work has attracted a full representation from 
academia, industry and publishing; whereas a peer 
group of academic advisers has contributed to the for­
mulation of a preliminary plan of work; 
Whereas the DELTA pilot phase will benefit from the 
results of ESPRIT and RACE as well as the on-going 
efforts in standardization; 
Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research Com­
mittee (Crest) has expressed its opinion, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
1. A pilot phase of a Community action in the field 
of learning technologies, hereinafter referred to as 
'DELTA', is adopted for an initial period of 18 months 
commencing 1 December 1987. 
2. The action is designed to stimulate incremental 
research and development which will enable new tech­
nologies to be incorporated in the tools and infrastruc­
ture supporting advanced learning, in particular open 
and distance learning, in the Community. The action 
will be based on concertation with and coordination of 
the corresponding activities of the Member States of 
the Community, in order to make available to the final 
users, at minimum cost and with minimum delay, the 
learning equipment and systems which will enable an 
increased demand for education, training and retraining 
to be met in the most economical way. 
Article 2 
The action shall consist of pre-normative and pre-
competitive technology exploration as required for the 
objective of concerting European efforts in the domain 
of learning technology. The field of application of the 
(') OJ No L 222, 8. 8. 1986, p. 17. action is given in the Annex. The Commission shall 
ensure that DELTA is developed in coordination with 
other actions at Community and national levels. 
Article 3 
1. The detailed objectives of the action to be under­
taken are defined in a work plan to be adopted under 
the procedure set out in Article 7. 
2. The evaluation of projects is carried out by the 
Commission having regard to the objectives defined in 
the Annex and in the work plan. The eligibility of 
projects involving a research and development effort 
exceeding 50 man-years is to be decided under the 
procedure set out in Article 7. For other projects the 
results of the evaluation will be brought to the notice 
of the Committee referred to in Article 6. 
3. Projects relating to the action shall be executed 
by means of shared cost contracts to be concluded by 
the Commission with industrial enterprises, publishing 
houses, universities, research institutes and other organ­
isations established in the Community. Contractors 
shall be expected to bear a substantial proportion of 
the costs, which should normally be at least 50% of 
the total expenditure. 
4. The proposals for projects shall, as a general 
rule, be submitted in reply to an invitation to tender 
published in the Official Journal of the European Com­
munities and involve the participation of at least two 
independent partners not all established in the same 
Member State. One of the partners shall be a commer­
cial undertaking. 
5. In exceptional cases where the call for tenders has 
not resulted in a satisfactory response, in case of 
urgency or in cases where the call for tenders is not 
the right procedure in point of cost-effectiveness, the 
decision may be taken, in accordance with the pro­
cedure set out in Article 7, to derogate from the prin­
ciples set out in paragraphs 3 and 4. 
Article 4 
Where Framework Agreements for scientific and techni­
cal cooperation between non-Community European 
countries and the European Community have been con­
cluded, organizations and enterprises established in 
these countries may become partners to a project under­
taken within this programme. 
Article 5 
1. The funds estimated as necessary for the Com­
munity contribution to the execution of the pilot phase 
amount to 20 million ECU over 18 months, including 
No C 265/30 Official Journal of the European Communities 5. 10. 87 
expenditure on staff (nine A, two B, four C temporary 
officials). 
2. The indicative allocation of these funds is set out 
in the Annex. 
Article 6 
1. The Commission shall ensure that the action is 
properly performed and shall take the measures necess­
ary to this end, without prejudice to the procedures 
provided for in Article 3. 
2. The Commission shall be assisted in the execution 
of its tasks by a Committee, composed of two represen­
tatives from each Member State and chaired by a rep­
resentative of the Commission, hereinafter referred to 
as 'the Committee'. 
The members of the Committee can call on the assist­
ance of experts or advisors according to the nature of 
the problems under study. 
The proceedings of the Committee shall be confidential. 
The Committee shall adopt its own internal procedures. 
The Commission shall provide the secretariat of the 
Committee. Commission shall submit to the Council without delay 
a proposal relating to the measures to be taken. The 
Council shall decide by a qualified majority. 
3. If, after the expiry of a period of one month 
following the Council's consideration of the matter, the 
Council has not taken a decision, the proposed 
measures shall be adopted by the Commission. 
Article 8 
The result of the action shall be reviewed by the Com­
mission after 12 months. The Commission shall report 
to the Council and the European Parliament on the 
results of this review, together with any proposals for 
modification or prolongation of the action which the 
Commission deems appropriate. 
Article 9 
3. The Commission may consult the Committee on 
any matter within the field of application of the present 
Regulation. 
Article 7 
1. Where the procedure laid down in this Article is to 
be followed, the chairman shall refer to the Committee a 
draft of the measures to be adopted. The Committee 
shall deliver its opinion on this draft within a time limit 
set by the chairman in relation to the urgency of the 
matter. This shall normally be one month and in no 
case shall be longer than two months. The opinion is 
delivered by the majority specified in Article 148 (2) of 
the Treaty for decisions which the Council is required 
to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. In the 
Committee the votes of the representatives of the Mem­
ber States are weighted as indicated in that Article. The 
chairman does not vote. 
2. The Commission shall adopt the measures under 
consideration when they are in accordance with the 
opinion of the Committee. When the measures under 
consideration are not in accordance with the opinion 
of the Committee or in the absence of an opinion, the 1. With regard to the coordination activities pro­
vided for in Article 1 (2), the Member States and the 
Commission shall exchange all appropriate information 
to which they have access and which they are free to 
disclose concerning activities in the areas covered by 
this Regulation, whether or not planned or carried out 
under their authority. 
2. Information shall be exchanged according to a 
procedure to be defined by the Commission after con­
sulting the Committee, and shall be treated as confiden­
tial at the supplier's request. 
Article 10 
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 December 
1987. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and 
directly applicable in all Member States. 
ANNEX 
INTRODUCTION 
The scope and precise objectives of the pilot phase of DELTA are set out in this Annex. The programme 
relates to pre-normative and pre-competitive research and development on the basis of cost sharing. 
The system approach to European learning which underlies this programme rests on three possible scenarios, 
corresponding both to differing learning requirements and to user groups. 
5. 10. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 265/31 
The first scenario relates to professional training within industry, commerce and academia. This environment 
is very demanding but permits at the same time comparatively cost-intensive solutions. 
The second scenario relates to the general adult user such as university students, further education and adults 
as individual learners. The user, in this scenario, is more sensitive to systems cost, but also less demanding 
than the professional user in terms of performance. Thus the potential demand is large, particularly taking 
into account that the individual user is likely to be using his system for other leisure purposes in addition to 
learning. 
The third scenario relates to an examination of the requirements of the formal educational sector at the 
primary and secondary levels. The demand expectation here is high, given that the second generation of 
school systems will have a wider coverage than those of the first generation shortly due for replacement. 
However, the achievement of this high volume will be a function of price; the challenge will be to find the 
right combination of price and performance; European economies of scale will be a significant factor to this 
end. 
These scenarios—as an orientation of pre-competitive and pre-normative research and development—will 
need to be taken into account generally in the course of the execution of the DELTA pilot phase. In the 
framework of the learning system reference model they will be subject of special considerations on which 
the concertation on learning requirements will be based (action line I). 
1. Learning system reference model (action line I) 
OBJECTIVE 
The objective of action line I is to enable the use of Community resources for the advance of learning 
technology to be optimised. To this end a learning system reference model (LSRM) will be developed, both 
to support the work of planning and design and to help in the management of the system, including the 
monitoring and feedback relating to user requirements, progress in learning technology and in telecommuni­
cations, standards, utilities and other factors impinging on learning systems. 
The construction and maintenance of this model will include identification of the main components of the 
learning system which DELTA aims to advance; the interrelation of these components and of the way in 
which the key actors (employers, educators, the information industry, service providers) can participate. 
2. Collaborative development of advanced learning technology (action line II) 
OBJECTIVE 
The overall objective here is to achieve incrementally, by the collaboration of the Community IT&T industry, 
including publishers and academia, the design of systems and equipment to support Community-wide open 
learning. This would be done incrementally by harnessing to learning systems advances already under 
development for other purposes and by building on identified progress in the relevant technologies and 
communication services over the coming decade. 
2.1. Learner environment 
To develop incrementally, on the basis of the personal computers and workstations available or in prospect, 
the functional specifications of the additional equipment and interfaces required for a family of learner 
stations able to cover the range of ascertained learner needs in: 
-— the home environment, 
— the business/professional environment, 
-— the specialized environment. 
The research and development will aim inter alia at the interfaces which will allow the learner stations to 
interact with videotex, video-disc, compact disc read-only memories, digital tape recorder, cable transmission, 
DBS (direct broadcasting by satellite) and packet-switching networks. Full use will be made of enhanced 
processing and memory addressing capability, and of developments in display technology and image pro­
cessing. The design will incorporate a comprehensive 'HELP' function and allow for progressive enhancements 
in performance to match advances in technology, and in particular for the utilisation in learning applications 
of the integrated services digital network (ISDN) as it becomes available. 
No C 265/32 Official Journal of the European Communities 5. 10. 87 
— Training server 
Specifications would be developed for a training server that would, for a given establishment, provide 
access to courseware and monitor the learning process. This research and development is designed to 
meet the need of enterprises which intend to offer periodic or continuous training and retraining to their 
staff using work stations and internal networks already developed for business purposes. The monitoring 
function would progressively incorporate artificial intelligence as an interpreter of the needs and procedures 
of individual learners connected to the system. 
— Learner expert system 
Design and develop the shell of a learner expert system to reside in the learner station which, as an 
enhancement of the HELP function, would apply the techniques of artificial intelligence to adapt the user 
interface to the individual need of the learner and enable him/her to make more effective use of the 
system. 
— Personal electronic libraries 
To develop the use of the CD-ROM, CD-I and/or the digital tape recorder in conjunction with the learner 
work station for a personal electronic library. Artificial intelligence techniques would be developed so as 
to match the organization of the data and the user interface to the ascertained needs of the learner. 
This facility will be complementary to the extensive central data bases available to the learner. A possible 
approach will include the establishment of a pilot video dictionary /encyclopaedia in a chosen field. 
— Electronic notebook 
To develop initial specifications for a memory-oriented device as a portable extension of the work-station 
and able to store, organize and retrieve information in text, image, audio, and graphic form. For maximum 
portability the notebook may be based on semi-conductor and/or magnetic bubble memory devices and 
will incorporate advances in light-weight power supplies. 
2.2. Authoring facility 
OBJECTIVE 
A preliminary study has shown that significant economies of scale can be realized, and competition with 
imported learning systems made more effective, if courseware can be produced and delivered on a Community-
wide basis, rather than, as now, mainly on the scale of national markets. This implies as a first step a 
determined effort to support the authoring process, by its nature very demanding in terms of originality and 
inspiration, with all reasonable technological and logistical aids. Some of these will be independent of content; 
others will be domain-related. 
— Software workbench 
Specification and design of a software workbench incorporating a macro or script control language to 
speed up routine and repetitive tasks in the authoring process, and leading into an advanced facility 
taking advantage of ISDN and satellites for distributed authoring functions and of artificial intelligence 
in the form of expert system based on experience and good practice. 
The intention here is to concentrate research and development resources in this field not on the production 
of courseware and teacher training material as such but on the creation of the tools and other technological 
supports which will reinforce on a European scale the production of the next generation of learning 
material. This is a crucial and difficult task, and maximum use will be made of the research and 
development efforts in this direction already undertaken by establishments in Member States. 
23. Learning material production environment 
OBJECTIVE 
The broadcast media already have at their disposal powerful tools for the generation and editing of their 
material in such a way as to match presentation with human cognitive processes. These tools include 
mixing, windowing, image manipulation and processing, 'painting', highlighting, voice-over, sound synthesis, 
5. 10. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 265/33 
electronic music, additions of harmony, rhythm, and the facility of recording and storing the finished product 
at high standards of fidelity and definition. Most of this can, by a production control language, be progressively 
harnessed to courseware and programme production, at first in a dedicated facility, but increasingly by the 
use of generally available equipment and communications. 
— Multi-media integration 
Specification, development and simulated operation of a system harnessing to learning applications the 
powerful tools now in use for high standard commercial production. Such a system would exploit 
the possibilities of distributed authoring and production with the utilisation of new and enhanced 
telecommunication facilites, including satellite links. It would look forward progressively to an intelligent 
computer-integrated system incorporating accumulated experience and good practice. 
2.4. Tutoring and monitoring facilities 
OBJECTIVE 
The tutor, not necessarily the same person as the author, will be academically responsible for the progress 
of the learners under his care. Being remote from the learner he/she will need the means for pedagogic 
interaction, on the basis of human factor analysis of the optimal design of remote tutoring and monitoring 
facilities. There is no question of superseding the tutor, but rather of bringing to the tutoring function the 
electronic, informatic and telecommunications aids which enhance its effectiveness. 
— Tutoring facility 
To specify the communications facilities which will allow interaction during the learning process between 
the tutor and the learner, e.g. by combining video with narrow-band services. It will be important to 
achieve optimum regular speed of response on the part of the tutor as an encouragement to learner 
progress. 
— Intelligent monitoring of performance 
To develop the artificial intelligence techniques which help the tutor and his supporting staff to follow 
constructively the progress of a large number of learners. The productivity of the learning process will 
depend crucially on the feedback provided via these monitoring techniques. 
2.5. Information resource management 
OBJECTIVE 
To support the effective organisation and management of the interactive access and exchange of learning-
related information and information resources, including catalogues of courseware and the courseware itself. 
— On-line European learning resource directory 
To develop and introduce the first generation of this directory, incorporating existing databases, but with 
multilingual features and other 'HELP' facilities. This is a first step towards full interactive interworking 
with central databases, in Europe and elsewhere, with a consistent access and formatting of information. 
— Intelligent information accessing 
Information access tools will be developed, based on an analysis of the needs of the learner and of the 
problem of indexing and controlling a very large body of learner material including video. An important 
challenge will be to make available a large volume of existing information held on different media, 
including paper and microform. The ISDN should facilitate the remote accessing of knowledge bases 
containing image as well as text and data. 
In the immediate next generation of databases, access will be implemented by query languages approximat­
ing to normal phraseology and to some extent on query by content. This development will require to be 
harnessed to the needs of learners, with, in addition, artificial intelligence aids which help both to interpret 
No C 265/34 Official Journal of the European Communities 5. 10. 87 
the learner's enquiry and also to improve the relevance of the information retrieved, both in quality and 
in quantity, e.g. the level of aggregation. 
3. Testing and validation of communications and of SOFT (satellite-based open facility for testing) (action 
line III) 
OBJECTIVE 
DELTA seeks to take full and early advantage of advances in telecommunications. Thus action line III brings 
together the integrated communications requirements of DELTA and their testing and validation. The sharing 
of a common learning communications environment is an important aspect of the cooperation to be 
encouraged by DELTA. 
Another important objective of this Action Line is to prepare the introduction of an open test-bed in the 
form of the 'satellite-based open facility for testing' (SOFT). Already in the next four years sufficient satellite 
transmission capacity (between 100 and 150 transponders) will become available to envisage their experimental 
usage in the framework of DELTA. This provides an opportunity to set up such a facility in the short 
timescale compatible with the development of learning technology. In particular, powerful video-conferencing 
and wideband data communications facilities can be offered early on, similar to those supporting satellite 
based developments in the USA and Canada. 
3.1. Video-audio conferencing 
The validation in European conditions of the technique enabling learners participating at a distance in lectures 
in video form to comment or raise questions. The enhancement of this technique by the provision of 
telewriting and the transmission of currently generated graphical material would be a powerful additional 
aid to learning. 
3.2. Information and programme exchange system 
DELTA would seek to use existing educational networks, with transparent communications protocols and 
an addressing system. 
3.3. Adaptation to ISDN 
Preparations would be undertaken for the use in learning support of the additional facilities afforded by the 
advent of the digital network. 
3.4. SOFT operational plan 
There would be a priority need for sector actors to analyze the requirements of the satellite 'test-bed', to 
evaluate alternative approaches, and to implement SOFT experimentally. This would be a highly important 
facility for the provision of high capacity transmission covering all parts of the Community, particularly 
those with low density learner populations, and not excluding some measure of interaction. 
3.5. Design and specification of a satellite educational channel 
With particular reference to the potentialities offered by direct broadcasting, the task would be there to 
prepare the technical ground for exploiting satellites for education and training at European level. 
3.6. Controlled experimentation via SOFT 
Development of experiments enabling users, who have already expressed an interest, to implement on a trial 
basis centralised electronic libraries, distributed authoring and production, remote lectures and seminars with 
remote interaction. This would involve selective experiments in the retrieval and the delivery of multimedia 
material. These experiments will be organised in full cooperation with Strand D of the Comett programme. 
4. Interoperability (action line IV) 
OBJECTIVE 
The ability of learning equipment and systems to 'interoperate' is not only decisive for their usefulness to 
the learner but also plays a crucial role in the market for learning technology and open learning services. 
Thus the objectives of this action line are: 
5. 10. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 265/35 
— to ensure that work on communications standards in all relevant media proceeds along mutually 
compatible paths, 
— to identify and encourage work in areas not currently under consideration but essential to meet the 
interoperability requirements of learning, 
— to advise on and agree conventions and standards specific to the learning community relating to the 
design and functionality of the components of the system, 
— to maintain awareness within the learning community of the status of all standards relevant to the work 
and provide a centre for the agreement and concertation of specific standards. 
To these ends the constitution of a new standards user group will be undertaken, the tasks of which 
would be: 
4.1. Identification of standards relevant to learning 
A thorough analysis of international work on standards will identify those communications protocols, 
operating systems, software features, man-machine interfaces, database accessing languages and conventions 
which are most important for the learning environment, with special reference to open systems interconnection. 
Of these the man-machine interface is the one most requiring to be adjusted to the requirements of the 
learner, including as it does handwriting recognition, voice synthesis and recognition. 
4.2. Organizational support for learning standards 
The organization of the necessary interaction between the actors in preparation for participation in standards 
work affecting learning, and the administrative support for ongoing activities. 
5. Promotion of favourable conditions (action line V) 
OBJECTIVE 
The stimulus to the supply of open learning equipment and systems offered by action lines II, III and IV of 
DELTA requires a counterpart on the demand side. The speed at which open learning is adopted will depend 
significantly on the price at which the relevant equipment and services are offered, and Community-wide 
economies of scale will be all-important in reducing costs. However, as more advanced systems to support 
open learning are developed, and the cost of entry to the learner tends to rise, so do selective measures 
become increasingly necessary to enable his requirements to be translated into effective demand and for the 
stimulation of the Community market for open learning and its technological infrastructure. 
The work to be done on this action line during the DELTA pilot phase will call for discussion between the 
Commission and Member States, but expert help will be required in preparing the case in specialized fields: 
5.1. Fiscal treatment 
Possible measures to contain the cost of acquiring learning hardware and software, with particular reference 
to taxes affecting learning material, individual learners and companies engaged on training. 
5.2. Regulatory conditions 
To facilitate a Europe-wide access to learning material and support. This would involve consideration of 
quality assurance and agreement on mutual accreditation. The implications of the utilization of cable networks 
where appropriate would be explored in the light of EEC initiatives on audio-visual policy. 
5.3. Telecommunications policy 
To explore the means whereby the carriers might apply favourable tariffs for telecommunications traffic 
concerned with learning. This would be accomplished possibly by bulk agreements and/or by reference to 
the time of day and the load environment in which such traffic would be generated. 
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5.4. Copyright and authors' rights 
The preparation of an agreement on adequate protection for the copying, retransmission, processing and 
publishing by electronic media of learning material, in concert with the national and Commission services 
concerned. Without such an agreement the incentive to the teaching profession to invest their time and talent 
would be impaired. 
Action could include the creation of a copyright working group, bringing together right-holders and those 
who use their work, but also taking into full account the ongoing activities of existing international 
organizations in the field of intellectual property.