WRITTEN QUESTION E-1061/01

by Gianfranco Dell'Alba (TDI) to the Commission

(5 April 2001)

Subject: Reduction in JRC research staff under the proposal for the Sixth framework programme

Given that:

- The Joint Research Centre (JRC) takes the form of a Directorate-General within the Commission and is made up of eight specialised institutes located in five EU Member States.

- Under the Fifth R & TD framework programme (Fifth FP), the JRC's role has been focused more closely on its activities as an independent scientific and technical body working to further EU policies.

- Following this reorganisation, during the Fifth FP the results of the JRC's work have been extremely encouraging and are of direct use in Community policies, including as they do the tests now used throughout Europe for BSE, methods to detect genetically modified organisms in food, the migration of phthalates in toys, the characterisation of pollutant emissions, the development of standards for mine-clearance technology and the extension of nuclear safety codes to the applicant countries.

- In the Commission proposal for the Sixth FP (2002-2006), despite an increase in the overall budgetary package with respect to the Fifth FP, the appropriations allocated to the JRC are down in real terms. There is a an even more marked reduction - both in percentage terms and as an overall figure - in appropriations for non-nuclear activities, which would fall from 725 million to 719 million.

- Under the Fifth FP the JRC has an establishment plan of 2 080 staff, to which must be added its non-permanent staff (visiting scientists, experts and trainees).

Given the above, would the Commission:

- provide details of the implications which the above reduction would have for the JRC staff, and of the number of Commission research posts which would be converted into posts for officials responsible for managing research contracts;

- explain why the Commission has decided to penalise its own research activities in comparison to outside research, thus reducing the EU's capacity to carry out independent research work?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 2001)

The mission of the Joint Reseach Centre (JRC), adopted by Council and Parliament in 1999(1), is to provide customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of Community policies. It serves the common interest of the Member States while being independent of particular private or national interests.

Therefore, the JRC is a research establishment not dedicated to research policy but acting as a European scientific and technical reference centre for other Community policies (environment, agriculture, transport, energy, nuclear).

In the context of its mission, the Commission has been seeking to ensure that the JRC should not duplicate or compete with national research bodies, but rather that it should concentrate on issues where there are real needs in the European policy-making processes and which require action at European level. These are issues examined by the High Level Panel presided by Viscount Davignon, whose report was published in May 2000.

In the light of the Davignon report, and as part of the Commission's policy to achieve a better balance between its resources and core tasks, the JRC was asked to analyse a possible reduction of activities and further concentration on key priorities. The Commission has proposed to the Budgetary Authority a reduction of 175 posts in the JRC staff table from 2002. As a consequence a number of projects will be stopped and staff will be re-deployed. The new staff table will constitute the basis for the proposed activities for the JRC in the next framework programme.

To respond more efficiently to policy needs, via a broader knowledge base, the JRC will also seek to network more effectively with national research centres in the spirit of the European Research Area.

The objective of increasing efficiency, working on a broader framework of co-operation with national entities, and keeping close links with all actors in the decision-making process, including the Parliament, are designed to allow the JRC to be fully involved in the European Research Area and to continue to fulfil its mission on a long term basis.

In pursuing its mission, the JRC will concentrate its activities on a limited number of key issues related to the safety and security of the European citizen where it has specific competence and can offer a strengthened user-orientation. The JRC's budget proposed for the next framework programme for support for Community policies is 715 million and the budget for the Euratom activities is 330 million.

(1) COM(2000) 366 final.