WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3858/97 by Carlos ROBLES PIQUER to the Commission. Further Community efforts to regenerate science in Russia
Date: 1997-12-05
Institutions: European Parliament, ROBLES PIQUER
Subjects: EU aid, EU financing, EU programme, Russia, information network, project evaluation, research and development, research body, scientific cooperation, scientific research

8. 6. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 174/145

The  Honourable  Member(cid:146)s  concerns  are  understood  and  the  question  has  been  passed  on  to  the  executive
director of the agency with a request that he replies directly.

(1)  OJ L 120, 11.5.1990.

(98/C 174/217)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3858/97

by Carlos Robles Piquer (PPE) to the Commission

(5 December 1997)

Subject: Further Community efforts to regenerate science in Russia

Frequent reports have appeared on the shortcomings and disorganization affecting science in Russia (see Science
in Russia: the diamonds in the rubble, The Economist, 8 November 1997). Nevertheless, there appears to be a
willingness to increase not only the budget but also government spending, which is crucial for setting up a private
sector where support can be given to measures similar to those used to encourage innovation in the United States,
Japan or Europe.

Bearing in mind the closer ties between the EU and Russia provided for in the Commission(cid:146)s work programme
for  1998,  is  the  Commission  planning  to  take  measures  to  support  Russian  centres  seeking  international
cooperation to pursue programmes which would otherwise not be viable? What amounts are envisaged for this
aid?

In addition, an important role has been played by the International Science and Technology Centre (ISTC), which
was set up to prevent the departure of Russian scientists working on technologies with military applications, the
work  of  which  was  assessed  in  1996  by  the  United  States  National  Research  Council  (NRC).  Has  the
Commission made its own assessment of this work or does it intend to undertake one?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 1998)

Community co-operation and aid activities with Russia in science and technology increased gradually between
1993  and  1997  in  different  ways.  The  overall  financial  contribution  from  the  Community  was,  over  the  four
years, in the region of ECU 100 million, and will be around ECU 25 million in 1998. The activities involve more
than  28  000  Russian  researchers  in  the  following  programmes:  INTAS,  whose  budget  is  95%  funded  by  the
Community,  Inco-Copernicus,  which  enables  Russian  researchers  to  participate  in  scientific  co-operation
activities  and  specific  programmes  in  the  Fourth  Framework  Programme  in  the  field  of  research  and
development,  and  the  International  Science  and  Technology  Centre  (ISTC),  jointly  launched  in  1994  by  the
Community, the United States, Japan and the Russian Federation, to which the Community contributes about
ECU  17  million  per  annum  from  the  TACIS  aid  programme,  more  than  80%  of  which  goes  to  Russian
researchers.

In  order  to  promote  Russian  participation  in  these  activities  more,  the  Russian  Science  and  Technology  and
Education Ministers have set up three regional information and consultation centres (in St Petersburg, Moscow
and Novosibirsk), supported by the Commission which has trained managers, supplied documentation and given
practical  advice.  This  network  and  other  projects  relating  to  scientific  and  technical  development  will  be
broadened  and  strengthened  in  1998  with  the  help  of  TACIS.  A  future  science  and  technology  (S&T)
co-operation agreement, for which the Commission received a negotiating brief on 10 November 1997, should
help to consolidate the co-operation activities better and also define other ones of mutual interest.

With regard to assessing the International Science and Technology Centre (ISTC), the Parties to the Agreement
(the United States, Japan, the Russian Federation and the Community) are carrying out an assessment of the
centre every two years. This assessment is in addition to those carried out by the parties on their own initiative
(e.g.  the  contribution  by  the  National  Research  Council),  the  centre(cid:146)s  annual  audit  and  the  case-by-case
assessment of projects. The projects are assessed either by European audit offices, within the framework of the
general audit of the Centre at the instigation of the Governing Board, or specifically through the follow-up of
TACIS programme projects.