Common Position (EC) No 26/2003 of 17 March 2003 adopted by the Council, acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, with a view to adopting a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the production and development of Community statistics on science and technology (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2003-03-17
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU statistics, applied sciences, cooperation policy, innovation, statistical method, technology

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COMMON POSITION (EC) No 26/2003

adopted by the Council on 17 March 2003

with a view to the adopting Decision No . . ./2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council of . . . concerning the production and development of Community statistics on science and
technology

(2003/C 125 E/03)

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 285 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
251 of the Treaty (2),

Whereas:

(1) There is a need for comparable statistics on research and
innovation and science and
in order to support Community

technological

development,
technology in general
policies.

(2) Council Decision 94/78/EC, Euratom of 24 January 1994
establishing a multiannual programme for
the devel-
opment of Community statistics on research, development
and innovation (3), highlighted the objectives of setting out
statistics and
a Community reference framework for
of
statistical
information system in this field.

a harmonised Community

establishing

programme 1998 to 2002 (4), the statistical
information
system is to support the management of science and tech-
nology policies in the Community and the assessment of
R & D and innovation capability of regions for adminis-
tration of structural funds.

(5)

(6)

In accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 of
17 February 1997 on Community statistics (5),
those
statistics are to be governed by the principles of impar-
tiality,
relevance, cost-effectiveness, statistical
confidentiality and transparency.

reliability,

In order to ensure usefulness and comparability of the data
and avoid overlap of work, the Community should take
into account work carried out in cooperation with or
by the OECD and other
international organisations
concerning science and technology statistics, especially as
regards the details of data to be provided by the Member
States.

to strengthening

(7) Community policy on science, technology and innovation
attaches particular
the
importance
scientific and technological basis of European businesses
to enable them to be more innovative and
so as
level,
competitive on the
realising the benefits of
the information society and
promoting the transfer of technology, improving activities
in the domain of intellectual property rights and the devel-
opment of mobility of human resources, and promoting
equality between men and women in science.

international and regional

(3) The final report for the programme period 1994 to 1997
emphasises that the work should be continued, that data
should be made available more rapidly, that the regional
coverage should be extended and that the comparability of
the data must be increased.

(8) The principles of cost-effectiveness and relevance should
apply to data collection procedures for
industry and
administrations, taking into account the necessary quality
of the data and the burden on the respondents.

(4)

In accordance with Council Decision 1999/126/EC of
statistical
22 December 1998 on the Community

(9)

(1) OJ C 332 E, 27.2.2001, p. 238.
(2) Opinion of

the European Parliament of 2 July 2002 (not yet
published in the Official
Journal), Council Common Position of
17 March 2003 and Decision of the European Parliament of . . .
(not yet published in the Official Journal).

(3) OJ L 38, 9.2.1994, p. 30.

(4) OJ L 42, 16.6.1999, p. 1.
(5) OJ L 52, 22.2.1997, p. 1.

It is essential that developments in official statistics on
science and technology are coordinated to cater also for
the essential needs of national, regional and local admini-
strations, international organisations, economic operators,
professional associations and the general public.

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(10) Council Decision 1999/173/EC of 25 January 1999
adopting a specific programme for research, technological
development and demonstration on improving the human
research potential and the socio-economic knowledge base
(1998 to 2002) (1) and Decision 1513/2002/EC of the
European Parliament and of
the Council of 27 June
2002 concerning the sixth framework programme of the
European Community for research,
technological devel-
opment and demonstration activities, contributing to the
creation of the European research area and to innovation
(2002 to 2006) (2) should be taken into account to avoid
overlap of work.

(11) Council Resolution of 26 June 2001 on science and
society and on women in science (3), welcoming the
work of the Helsinki Group and inviting Member States
and the Commission to pursue efforts to promote women
in science at national level should be taken into account,
in particular as regards the collection of gender-disag-
gregated statistics in human resources in science and tech-
nology and the development of
indicators in order to
monitor progress
towards equality between men and
women in European research.

(12) The measures necessary for the implementation of this
Decision should be adopted in accordance with Council
Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the
procedures
implementing powers
the exercise of
conferred on the Commission (4).

for

on R & D activity in all sectors of performance and on the
including government budget
funding of R & D activity,
appropriations
the
regional dimension by producing whenever possible
science and technology statistics based on NUTS classifi-
cation,

into account

for R & D,

taking

— Development of new statistical variables to be produced on
a permanent basis that can provide more comprehensive
information about science and technology, in particular for
the measurement of the output of science and technology
activities,
the dissemination of knowledge and more
generally the performance of innovation. This information
is needed for the formulation and assessment of science and
technology policies in the increasingly knowledge-based
economies. The Community
in
shall
particular, to the following domains:

give priority,

— Innovation (technological and non-technological),

— human resources devoted to science and technology,

— patents

to be derived from the
databases of the national and European patent offices),

statistics

(patents

(13) The Statistical Programme Committee

established by
Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom (5) has been consulted in
accordance with Article 3 of the aforesaid Decision.

— high-technology statistics

(identification and classifi-
cation of products and services, measurement of
economic performance and contribution to economic
growth),

(14) The Scientific and Technological Research Committee

(Crest) has given its opinion,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The objective of this Decision is to establish a Community
statistical information system on science, technology and inno-
vation to support and monitor Community policies.

Article 2

The objective described in Article 1 shall be implemented by
individual statistical actions as follows:

— Delivery of statistics by the Member States on a regular
basis and within specified deadlines, in particular statistics

(1) OJ L 64, 12.3.1999, p. 105.
(2) OJ L 232, 29.8.2002, p. 1.
(3) OJ C 199, 14.7.2001, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.
(5) OJ L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 47.

— gender-disaggregated statistics on science and tech-

nology,

— Improvement and updating of existing standards and
manuals on concepts and methods, with particular regard
to concepts in the service sector and coordinated methods
the
for measurement of R & D activity.
intensify cooperation with the OECD
Community will
and other
international organisations with a view to
ensuring comparability of data and avoiding duplication
of efforts,

In addition,

— Improvement of data quality, specifically comparability,

accuracy and timeliness,

— Improvement of the dissemination, accessibility and docu-

mentation of statistical information.

Available
for data
capacities within the Member States
collection and processing and development of methods and
variables will be taken into account.

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Article 3

The measures necessary for
this
Decision shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory
procedure referred to in Article 4(2).

the implementation of

This report shall consider, inter alia, the costs of the actions
and the burden on the respondents in relation to the benefits
of the data availability and user satisfaction.

Article 4

Following this report,
measures to improve the operation of this Decision.

the Commission may propose any

1.
The Commission shall be assisted by the Statistical
Programme Committee established by Article 1 of Decision
89/382/EEC/Euratom.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and
7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to
Article 8 thereof.

The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC
shall be set at three months.

3.

The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

Article 6

This Decision shall enter into force on the 20th day following
that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Union.

Article 7

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 5

Done at . . .

The Commission shall, within four years of the publication of
this Decision, and thereafter every three years, present a report
to the European Parliament and the Council to evaluate the
implementation of the measures provided for in Article 2.

For the European Parliament

For the Council

The President

The President

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STATEMENT OF THE COUNCIL'S REASONS

I. INTRODUCTION

On 27 August 2001 the Commission submitted the proposal (1) for a draft Decision of the European
Parliament and of the Council concerning the production and development of Community statistics on
science and technology.

The proposed Regulation is based on Article 285 of the EC Treaty, and on Article 251.

The European Parliament completed its first reading and on 2 July 2002 gave its Opinion (2).

On 7 October 2002 the Commission submitted a modified proposal (3), incorporating amendment 1, 2
and 4 of the European Parliament.

On 17 March 2003 the Council adopted its Common Position as set out in doc. 14089/02.

II. OBJECTIVE

The general objective of this draft European Parliament and Council Decision is to maintain and
improve the Community statistical
information system on science, technology and innovation in
order to support and monitor Community policies.

III. ANALYSIS OF THE COMMON POSITION AS SET OUT IN DOC. 14089/02

1. General

In the Common Position the Council:

— incorporated all the amendments of the European Parliament except amendment number 3 on

cooperation and consultation with the Helsinki Group;

— amended some recitals, one to cater for the European Parliament amendment number 3, that the

Commission was unable to accept in the body of the Decision for legal reasons;

— changed the committee procedure to a regulatory procedure.

2. European Parliament amendments

The Council accepted all European Parliament's amendments, except amendment number 3.
Amendment number 2, on cooperation with OECD and other international organisations, was
accepted in substance, although the exact wording was not followed.

2.1. The following EP amendments have been accepted and integrated into the Council text (doc. 14089/02):

A m e n d m e n t 1 — A r t i c l e 2 , 1 s t

i n d e n t

This amendment states that data to be gathered and provided should be broken down by
region, relying upon the NUTS classification.

A m e n d m e n t 4 — A r t i c l e 5 p a r a g r a p h 1

By this amendment the interval by which the Commission reports to the European Parliament
and to the Council on the implementation of this Decision has been shortened, both for the
initial report (now after four years since entry into force) and for the periodic reports (now
every three years).

(1) Doc. 11750/02 RECH 106 ATO 71 FIN 291 CODEC 865, COM(2001) 490 final.
(2) Doc. A5-0236/2002 of 18 June 2002.
(3) COM(2002) 554 final.

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2.2. The following EP amendments was introduced with modifications of the suggested wording:

A m e n d m e n t 2 — A r t i c l e 2 ,

i n d e n t 2

This amendment has been slightly reworded to better focus on the purpose of the intensified
cooperation with the OECD and other international organisations, now stated as ‘with a view
to warranting comparability of data and avoiding duplication of efforts’. Also, the scope has
been extended beyond patents and high-technology statistics, as requested in the European
Parliament amendment.

3. New elements contained in the Common Position as compared with the Commission

proposal

R e c i t a l 5 — g e n e r a l p r i n c i p l e s

This new recital restates which general principles are to govern Community statistics.

R e c i t a l 6 ( f o r m e r l y R e c i t a l 5 ) — s c o p e o f
n a t i o n a l o r g a n i s a t i o n s

t h e c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h i n t e r -

This modified recital is a complement to Article 2, 2nd indent on cooperation with OECD and other
international organisations.

R e c i t a l 1 0 ( f o r m e r l y R e c i t a l 9 )

The need to take into account also the 6th Framework Programme for Research, to avoid overlap,
has been added to this Recital.

R e c i t a l 1 1 ( f o r m e r l y R e c i t a l 1 0 )

This recital welcomes explicitely the work of the Helsinki Group, adding that gender-specific data
should be gathered to monitor progress in equal opportunity policy implementation. This is fully in
line with the intention of amendment number 3 of the European Parliament, which the Commission
was unable to accept, essentially for legal reasons. The recital maintains the importance of the
Helsinki Group and underlines the intentions of continued cooperation with the group, which was
also considered important by the Commission.

R e c i t a l 1 2 ( f o r m e r l y R e c i t a l 1 1 )

This recital has been reworded according to the amendment to Article 4 (committee procedure
changed from management to regulatory).

A r t i c l e 2

This Article was reworded to clarify the nature and the purpose of the statistical data to be gathered
and to indicate that use would be made of Member States resources for data collection, processing
and development, if available.

A r t i c l e 4

This Article was amended to modify the committee procedure from management to regulatory.

4. Conclusion

The Common Position, which has been adopted by the Council, amends the draft Decision as
recommended by the European Parliament and clarifies further the text of
the Commission
proposal.
It should thus provide a sound basis for gathering statistical data which will be
extremely useful in monitoring Community policies in the area of science, technology and inno-
vation.