WRITTEN QUESTION E-1704/01 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Selection procedures for R & D projects for 2002-2006.
Date: 2001-06-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, EU programme, EU research policy, fishing industry, oceanography, research and development, research project, transparency in decision-making

20.12.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 364 E/183

Similar budgetary considerations apply with respect to other taxes related to passenger cars, and in
particular registration and annual circulation taxes, concerning which so far there is little Community
legislation. Therefore, each Member State is allowed to apply its national fiscal provisions providing that it
respects the general provisions of the EC Treaty and in particular the non-discrimination clause. Existing
harmonisation only concerns two Council Directives, adopted in 1983 (2).

The Commission presented a Proposal for a Council Directive (3) in 1998, with the overall objective of
bringing the tax treatment of vehicles, which accompany private individuals moving from one Member
State to another, more in line with the concept and principles of the Single Market and updating the
provisions of the two Council Directives mentioned above. This proposal remains on the Council(cid:146)s table as
any decision on fiscal matters needs to be taken by unanimity at the Council.

(1) OJ L 145, 13.6.1977.
(2) Council Directives 83/182/EEC and 83/183/EEC of 28 March 1983, concerning respectivelly tax exemptions for
certain means of transport temporarily imported into one Member State from another, and exemptions applicable
to permanent imports from one Member State to another of the personal property of individuals,
including
passenger cars (OJ L 105, 23.4.1983).

(3) OJ C 108, 7.4.1998.

(2001/C 364 E/202)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1704/01

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Selection procedures for R & D projects for 2002-2006

(14 June 2001)

In his answer to Question E-0716/01 (1), Commissioner Busquin stressed that R & D actions will be applied
on the basis of annual decisions as regards both the special subjects chosen and the financial resources
allocated, while, however, choices will be made on the basis of need, in line with the assessment made by
an internal user group, supported by the opinion of an independent consultative group of high-level
scientific and industrial experts, adding that the financial allocation to R & D projects on fisheries and
marine sciences will depend on the quality of the proposals received.

Can the Commission provide more details on the form and content of the calls for R & D projects for

1.
2002-2006 in the area of fisheries and marine sciences?

2.
Can the Commission provide information on the criteria which it used for the selection of R & D
projects in the area of fisheries and marine sciences for 1998-2002 and those which it intends to use for
2002-2006?

Can the Commission provide more details on its criteria for distribution of the available Community

3.
resources among the projects selected? Will this distribution depend exclusively on project quality?

Can the Commission provide detailed information on the membership and working methods of both
4.
the internal user group and the independent consultative group of high-level scientific and industrial
experts?

(1) OJ C 318 E, 13.11.2001, p. 107.

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(2 August 2001)

The form and content of the calls for Research and Technological Development (RTD) projects for 2002-
2006 relating to fisheries and marine science cannot be specified at the present time. As indicated in the

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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20.12.2001

reply to the Honourable Member(cid:146)s Written Question E-716/01, such research could be located, on the one
hand, within the priority areas on (cid:145)food safety and health risks(cid:146) and (cid:145)sustainable development and global
change(cid:146), and, on the other hand, within the activity (cid:145)anticipating the Community(cid:146)s scientific and
technological needs(cid:146).

In both cases, the details of calls to be launched will depend on the development of work programmes,
which can only be carried out following the decisions of Parliament and Council on the framework
programme and on the rules for the participation of undertakings, research centres and universities and
the decisions of Council on the specific programmes.

Criteria for the selection of projects within the Fifth framework programme for RTD are published in the
calls for proposals and the associated work programmes. An evaluation manual has also been published,
providing generic information on the approach to proposal evaluation and selection. The basic
criteria against which proposals are judged throughout the Fifth framework programme are their scientific
and technological excellence, their European added value, their relevance to economic and societal needs
and the quality of management. For the next framework programme, the Commission has proposed to use
criteria related to the objectives of the programme, scientific and technological excellence, Community
value added and management capacity.

With respect to the research carried out under the proposed heading (cid:145)anticipating the Community(cid:146)s
scientific and technological needs(cid:146), it will be important to distinguish between the allocation of resources
to research topics, which could include topics for research in support of
fisheries policy, and the
subsequent allocation of funds within particular topics to individual projects, following calls for proposals.

As an initial step, a series of priorities will be determined, reflecting the foreseeable needs for research in
support of Community policies and at the leading edge of knowledge. Subsequently, allocation of resources
to research topics will be done by means of an annual procedure, briefly described in the Commission(cid:146)s
previous answer, which will start with the publication of a (cid:145)call for expressions of interest(cid:146) to which, for
example, the scientific and industrial community can respond. The criteria applying to the selection of
topics will include the contribution of the proposed topics to the definition and development of policies;
their potential contribution to Community competitiveness, strengthening the scientific and technological
basis of Community industry, and the creation of the European Research Area; and their scientific
relevance and feasibility.

As topics are selected in this way on an annual basis, they will be taken up in the work programme, and
serve as the basis for future calls for research proposals. Proposals will then be selected according to clear,
published criteria in line with current practice as described above.

The internal user group will consist of representatives of
the
Commission that are concerned with, or have an interest as users of research. It will be chaired by the
Director General of the Research DG and will draw on the experience of the inter-service users(cid:146) group
established in January 2001 by the Commission for the Joint Research Centre. As regards consultation of
high-level independent scientific and industrial experts, this is already provided for within some policy
areas in the Commission. In addition, to help with advice on the overall balance of research topics, the
Commission has recently established the European Research Advisory Board which could be called on to
help with such advice.

those Directorate Generals (DGs) of

(2001/C 364 E/203)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1707/01

by Laura GonzÆlez `lvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Road link between Vic and Olot (Catalonia, Spain)

(14 June 2001)

The proposed road link between Vic and Olot would effectively be a motorway and represents a serious
threat to ecosystems of high ecological value, in a mountain area with a damp climate and with woodlands