Corrigendum to Council Decision 2006/975/EC of 19 December 2006 concerning the specific programme to be carried out by means of direct actions by the Joint Research Centre under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) ( OJ L 400, 30.12.2006 )
Date: 2007-02-22
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU programme, EU research policy, Joint Research Centre, research and development, research programme, scientific research, technological change

L 54/126

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

22.2.2007

Corrigendum to Council Decision 2006/975/EC of 19 December 2006 concerning the specific programme to be
carried out by means of direct actions by the Joint Research Centre under the Seventh Framework Programme of
the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

(Official Journal of the European Union L 400 of 30 December 2006)

Decision 2006/975/EC should read as follows:

COUNCIL DECISION

of 19 December 2006

concerning the specific programme to be carried out by means of direct actions by the Joint Research
Centre under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research,
technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

(2006/975/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu-
nity, and in particular Article 166(4) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament (1),

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Economic and
Social Committee (2),

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

In accordance with Article 166(3) of the Treaty, Decision
No 1982/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Seventh
Framework Programme of the European Community for
research,
technological development and demonstration
activities, (2007 to 2013) (3) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the
Framework Programme’)
is to be implemented through
specific programmes that define detailed rules for their
implementation, fix their duration and provide for the
means deemed necessary.

The Joint Research Centre, hereinafter referred to as ‘the
JRC’ should carry out so-called direct R & D activities under
a JRC specific programme implementing the EC Framework
Programme.

In implementing its mission, the JRC should provide the EU
policy-making process with customer-driven scientific and
technical support, ensuring support to the implementation

(1) Opinion delivered on 30 November 2006 (not yet published in the

Official Journal).

(2) OJ C 185, 8.8.2006, p. 10.
(3) OJ L 412, 30.12.2006, p. 1.

and monitoring of existing policies and responding to new
policy demands. In order to achieve its mission the JRC
the highest comparable
should carry out
European quality, including by maintaining its own level
of scientific excellence.

research of

(4)

(5)

specific programme.

The direct actions conducted by the JRC should be
implemented by the present
In
implementing this specific programme in accordance with
its mission, the JRC should place particular emphasis on
areas of key concern for
the Union: prosperity in a
knowledge-intensive society, solidarity, sustainability and
responsible management of resources, security and free-
dom, and Europe as world partner.

This specific programme should be implemented in a
flexible, efficient and transparent manner,
taking into
account the relevant need of JRC's user and Community
polices, as well as respecting the objective of protecting the
interests. The research activities
Community's financial
carried out under the programme should be adapted where
appropriate to these needs and to scientific and technolo-
gical developments and aim to achieve scientific excellence.

(6)

The rules for participation of undertakings, research centres
and universities and for the dissemination of research
results, for the Framework Programme (hereinafter referred
as ‘the rules for participation and dissemination’) relating to
direct actions should also apply to the R & D activities
carried out under this specific programme.

22.2.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 54/127

(7)

(8)

implementing this programme,

in
For the purpose of
addition to cooperation covered by the Agreement on the
European Economic Area or by an Association Agreement,
it may be appropriate to engage in international cooper-
ation activities, in particular on the basis of Article 170 of
the Treaty, with third countries and international organisa-
tions.

In support to EU enlargement and integration, the JRC aims
at promoting the integration of new Member States'
organisations and researchers in its activities in particular
on the implementation of the scientific and technological
the Community acquis, as well as an
components of
increased cooperation with those from Candidate Coun-
tries. A progressive opening is also envisaged towards the
Neighbouring Countries, specifically on priority topics of
the European Neighbourhood Policy.

(9) Research activities carried out within this specific pro-
gramme should respect
fundamental ethical principles,
including those which are reflected in the Charter of
Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

(10) The JRC should continue to generate additional resources
through competitive activities; these include participation
to the indirect actions of the Framework Programme, third
party work and to a lesser extent the exploitation of
intellectual property.

(11) Sound financial management of

the Framework Pro-
gramme and its implementation should be ensured in the
most effective and user-friendly manner possible, while
ensuring legal certainty and the accessibility of
the
programme for all participants, in compliance with Council
Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002
on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget
of the European Communities (1) and Commission Regula-
tion (EC, Euratom) 2342/2002 (2)
laying down detailed
rules for the implementation of that Financial Regulation
and any future amendments.

(12) Appropriate measures — proportionate to the European
Communities' financial
interests — should be taken to
monitor both the effectiveness of the financial support
granted and the effectiveness of the utilisation of these
funds in order to prevent irregularities and fraud and the
necessary steps should be taken to recover funds lost,
wrongly paid or
incorrectly used in accordance with
Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of 18
December 1995 on the protection of
the European
interests (3), Council Regulation
Communities'
(Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 of 11 November 1996
concerning on-the-spot checks and inspections carried

financial

(1) OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Commission
Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1248/2006 (OJ L 227, 19.8.2006, p.
3).

(3) OJ L 312, 23.12.1995, p. 1.

out by the Commission in order to protect the European
Communities' financial
interests against fraud and other
irregularities (4) and Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 1999
concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-
Fraud Office (OLAF) (5).

(13) The Commission should in due course arrange for an
independent assessment to be conducted concerning the
in the fields covered by this
activities carried out
programme.

(14) The JRC's Board of Governors has been consulted on the
specific

and technological

content of

this

scientific
programme,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The specific programme related to the direct actions in research,
technological development and demonstration to be carried out
by the Joint Research Centre, hereinafter the ‘specific pro-
gramme’ is hereby adopted for the period from 1 January 2007
to 31 December 2013.

Article 2

The specific programme shall establish the activities for the non-
nuclear actions of the Joint Research Centre, providing customer
to the Community
driven scientific and technical support
policymaking process, ensuring support to the implementation
and monitoring of existing policies and responding to new
policy demands.

The objectives and the broad lines of those activities are set out
in the Annex.

Article 3

In accordance with Annex II of the Framework Programme, the
amount deemed necessary for the execution of the specific
programme shall be EUR 1 751 million.

Article 4

research activities carried out under

1. All
the specific
programme shall be carried out in compliance with fundamental
ethical principles.

2. The following fields of research shall not be financed under
this programme:

— research activity aiming at human cloning for reproductive

purposes,

— research activity intended to modify the genetic heritage of
human beings which could make such changes heritable (6),

(4) OJ L 292, 15.11.1996, p. 2.
(5) OJ L 136, 31.5.1999, p. 1.
(6) Research relating to cancer treatment of the gonads may be financed.

L 54/128

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

22.2.2007

— research activities intended to create human embryos solely
for the purpose of research or for the purpose of stem cell
procurement, including by means of somatic cell nuclear
transfer.

3. Research on human stem cells, both adult and embryonic,
may be financed, depending both on the contents of
the
scientific proposal and the legal framework of
the Member
State(s) involved.

Any application for financing for research on human embryonic
stem cells shall include, as appropriate, details of licensing and
control measures that will be taken by the competent authorities
of the Member States as well as details of the ethical approval(s)
that will be provided.

As regards the derivation of human embryonic stem cells,
institutions, organisations and researchers shall be subject to
strict
in accordance with the legal
framework of the Member State(s) involved.

licensing and control

4. The fields of research set out above shall be reviewed for the
second phase of this programme (2010 to 2013) in the light of
scientific advances.

Article 6

1. The Commission shall draw up a multiannual work
programme for the implementation of the specific programme,
setting out in greater detail the objectives and scientific and
technological priorities set out in the Annex, and the timetable
for implementation.

2. The multiannual work programme shall take account of
relevant research activities carried out by the Member States,
Associated States and European and international organisations.
It shall be updated where appropriate.

Article 7

The Commission shall arrange for the independent assessment
provided for in Article 7 of the Framework Programme to be
conducted concerning the activities carried out in the fields
covered by the specific programme.

Article 8

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

Article 9

Article 5

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

1. The specific programme shall be implemented by means of
the direct actions as established in Annex III to the Framework
Programme.

2. The rules for participation and dissemination relating to
direct actions shall apply to the specific programme.

Done at Brussels, 19 December 2006.

For the Council

The President

J. KORKEAOJA

22.2.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 54/129

ANNEX

1.

Objective

To provide customer-driven scientific and technical support to the Community policymaking process, ensuring
support to the implementation and monitoring of existing policies and responding to new policy demands.

2.

Approach

The JRC will reinforce its customer-driven orientation, and its strong networking with the scientific community, in the
specific context of growth, sustainable development and security by:

— flexibly responding to the developing needs and requirements of the European policymakers,

— focusing attention on issues which are important in terms of societal concern, which have a research

component and which have a dominant Community dimension,

— developing partnerships with research centres, universities, industry, public authorities, regulatory bodies in the

Member States and with third countries and international bodies;

— reinforcing its competencies and facilities,

— the JRC has focused its resources to respond to the S/T challenges arising from the complex and multi-faceted
aspects of Community policy related issues. It has done so by organising its activities around the main policy
areas and by establishing synergies with other sources of S/T support available in the Member States. It will
further enhance this capacity, also by collaborating with EU Agencies, other EU Institutions, notably with the
European Parliament, and authorities in the Member States,

— increasing transparency when setting its research priorities by making the criteria for these priorities publicly

available.

An integrated approach to the provision of S/T support to policies represents a key feature of this specific programme.
in various areas the need for understanding interactions between technological change, scientific
Indeed,
developments,
innovation and competitiveness and different regulatory and policy approaches (e.g. economic
instruments, voluntary schemes and flexible mechanisms) is very acute. A strong research base will underpin such
objectives. The participation in the direct actions of
the Framework Programme will strive to maximise
complementarity with the institutional programme outlined in section 3 below.

The JRC will strengthen its position in the European Research Area, by facilitating access to its facilities by European
and non-European researchers, including early-stage scientists. It will increase its cooperation with other public and
private research organisations, consistently improve the scientific quality of its own activities and contribute more
scientifically to training, which will remain a high priority for the JRC.

Dissemination of knowledge among the various stakeholders involved in this process will represent a key feature of
the approach and efforts should be made to increase the involvement of SMEs in research actions. Activities will also
be aimed at the support to the implementation and monitoring of legislation and at the dissemination of best
practises in the context of EU-25, Candidate and Neighbouring Countries.

The JRC will respond to the call for ‘better regulation’ of the new Lisbon agenda by underpinning ex-ante as well as ex-
post policy assessment and appraisals, supporting the Commission evidence-based policy initiatives. Furthermore,
requirements issued in the context of policy implementation and monitoring will lead to the setting up of fit-for-
purpose support activities insofar as they are research based.

New challenges associated with the growing need to respond to crises, emergencies, and pressing political imperatives
will be met by building up capacities and facilities in selected areas to provide adequate support in an EU context.

Community external and security-related policies will exercise new demands upon the JRC throughout the duration of
the Seventh Framework Programme. These areas of work will be supported by in-house and secure information/
analysis systems to respond at short notice. By the same token, the global and international dimension of the JRC's
work will also develop further in the present programme.

L 54/130

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

22.2.2007

A specific part of the JRC's resources is devoted to exploratory research, to develop new knowledge and new
competencies. Resources are invested in exploratory research as ‘seed money’ which might yield practical results at a
later stage and, if successful, will contribute to the activities of the JRC in the medium to long term.

When requested in the context of its support for thematic policies, the JRC will engage into specific exercises leading
to a better exploitation (including dissemination when feasible) of relevant EU-wide research results. In doing so it will
enhance the benefits of knowledge society. Where and when appropriate, research conducted by the JRC should be
coordinated with the research undertaken under the ‘Themes’ of the ‘Cooperation’ specific programme, in order to
avoid overlap and duplication.

3.

Activities

3.1. Policy Theme 1: Prosperity in a knowledge intensive society

3.1.1. A g e n d a 1 . 1 C o m p e t i t i v e n e s s a n d I n n o v a t i o n

Fostering EU competitiveness, transparency of internal market and trade will be pursued by the production and
dissemination of internationally accepted references and the promotion of a common European measurement
system. Comparability of measurement results will be fostered through the provision of quality assurance tools
like reference materials, reference measurements, validated methods and data in a broad range of policy related
areas such as:

— safety of chemicals and products including cosmetics, through the development of a system of reference
for integrated chemical risk assessment and by S/T support to the chemicals legislation including support
(training) to the preparation of European Chemicals Agency (ECA),

— alternative (non-animal) testing approaches and intelligent testing strategies,

— food safety, quality and authenticity; feed safety; biotechnology,

— eEnergy (cleaner and renewable energy sources and carriers),

— security and protection of the citizen,

— environment and health.

international
This reference work will be pursued in close cooperation with Member State institutions,
standardisation bodies (ISO, CEN, Codex Alimentarius, AOAC), regulatory authorities and industry. The JRC
maintain a role as Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) in the areas of genetically modified food and feed,
food contact materials and feed additives and take up a role as CRL in further related fields of its competence.

The JRC will pursue the development of advanced econometric modelling and sensitivity analysis techniques in a
wide range of policy fields, in macro-economic modelling, short term analysis of financial and business cycles
and the development and assessment of composite indicators.

The JRC will also continue to apply the financial econometrics and statistics tools in the area of financial services
(for instance, clearing and settlement and banking directives). It will remain involved in a variety of initiatives by
providing support to ex ante and ex post assessments (including impact assessments) by developing specific
indicators and carrying out analyses.

The JRC will
particular emphasis on the impact of trade policy on sustainable development and competitiveness.

increase its support to the development of Community policy on international trade, with

The Lisbon agenda for growth and jobs will be supported by direct quantitative socioeconomic analysis — also
in relation to the ‘better regulation’ principle — in a number of policy areas like macro-economic stability and
growth, financial services, aspects of competitiveness, lifelong learning and the human capital dimension of the
Lisbon strategy, agriculture, climate change, sustainable energy and transport systems. The JRC will contribute to
a better understanding of the relationship between education provision and the needs of the knowledge society,
of circulation of knowledge, of factors affecting equity in education and how efficient use of educational
resources can be achieved.

22.2.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 54/131

At the core of competitiveness and environment objectives are the eco-efficient technologies which will
continue to be identified and assessed by the European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Bureau and
by input to the implementation and monitoring of the Environmental Technology Action Plan. The conditions
under which these technologies are developed will be studied, to identify the barriers to their dissemination, to
assess performance targets and use and to analyse the measures to improve their uptake.

Support to competitiveness will also be provided through activities such as:

— support to the setting up and maintenance of European standards such as Eurocodes, Euronorms, IEC,

ISO norms and European Reference Materials,

— developing standards for environmental and security monitoring systems and harmonised data access in
the context of Inspire (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe) and GMES (Global Monitoring for
Environment and Security),

— strengthening the European Measurement Infrastructure by interlaboratory comparisons in support to

accreditation/certification processes.

The JRC will also provide its scientific/technical support
management procedures as a tool for European decision-making.

for the development of risk assessment and

3.1.2. A g e n d a 1 . 2 E u r o p e a n R e s e a r c h A r e a

The JRC will contribute directly to European Research Area by increasing its scientific networking, training and
mobility of researchers, access to research infrastructures and collaborative research. It will participate in
European technology platforms, joint technology initiatives and Article 169 actions where relevant. Special
attention will be paid to involving partners in the new Member States and Candidate Countries.

The JRC will provide support to evidence-based research policy-making at both Community and Member State
levels.

This strategic support to research policy-making will be complemented by providing technology assessments of
the research priorities in individual thematic areas.

The consolidation, development and dissemination of science and technology foresight methods will also be
promoted at European level.

3.1.3. A g e n d a 1 . 3 E n e r g y a n d T r a n s p o r t

The JRC will focus its energy activities on a smooth transition to less carbon intensive and renewable sources
and carriers of energy (including hydrogen), increased efficiency of energy systems and improved safety and
security of energy supply. The objectives of the JRC in the area of energy are:

— to provide a sustainable energy reference system feeding the Community policy needs with S/T expertise

on technological innovation and evolution (all energy sources and end-use energy efficiency),

— to act as reference centre for pre-normative performance verification and certification of selected

technologies (i.e. cleaner fossil, bio-mass, photovoltaic, fuel cell and hydrogen),

— to provide information on reliability of energy supply for Europe and on the availability of renewable
energy resources. In addition, the JRC will facilitate a fact-based debate and informed decision-making on
the appropriate energy mix to meet the European energy needs.

The JRC will contribute to the development of sustainable transport in Europe by focusing on:

— the environment with research on emission control and related impacts on ecosystems; the potential to

reduce emissions by emerging technologies under different policy scenarios,

L 54/132

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

22.2.2007

— the techno-economic dimension with research on the assessment of externalities, improved fuels and
engines, alternative vehicles concepts and the impact of innovation on competitiveness and economic
growth as well as to assessments of transport policy options,

— the social dimension, with activities including research in spatial, urban planning, impacts on health and
awareness raising. Efforts will also be devoted to aspects of safety and security of air, land and maritime
transport.

Energy and transport are the main sectors responsible for pollution affecting the air quality. The JRC will
support the EU thematic strategy on air pollution (CAFE Clean Air for Europe) with particular attention on
characterisation and apportioning of emissions from various sources in support to the development of emission
abatement strategies. Harmonisation/normalisation of reference tests and methodologies for measurement of
emissions will be undertaken.

3.1.4. A g e n d a 1 . 4 I n f o r m a t i o n s o c i e t y

The JRC will support the formulation of information society technology policies and instruments contributing
to a competitive European knowledge society by generating prospective analyses and strategies related to the
knowledge society. Growth, solidarity, inclusion and sustainability will be points of attention. The JRC will also
contribute to the implementation of the Community policies closely linked with or strongly benefiting from
information society technology developments. This covers applications in e-business, e-health, personal security,
home environment, e-learning, e-governance, and environment as well as the determination of the potential for
new developments in the pursuit of the overall European strategies on growth, inclusion and quality of life and
ICT for trust and confidence.

The JRC will work on ‘convergence’ in the IST area with the aim of assessing potential impact on society in terms
of competitiveness, privacy, ownership and social inclusion. Convergence applications will be pursued in the
area of health (bio-sensors, nanotechnology and cognitive sciences), security (sensors, public security and
personal integrity) and environment (monitoring technologies and sustainable environmental management).

3.1.5. A g e n d a 1 . 5 L i f e S c i e n c e s a n d B i o t e c h n o l o g y

Life sciences and biotechnology are pertinent to many policy areas where they can significantly contribute to the
Community objectives. This potential is broadly recognised in health, agriculture, food, environment and other
sectors where applications are being rapidly developed. The provision of reference materials and validated
methods requires access to and control of a broad range of advanced bio-technological instruments. In the
context of its collaboration with competent national organisations, the JRC will further develop its competencies
in this area in view of the legislative and regulatory context.

In particular,
the JRC will carry out studies on the socioeconomic impact of selected applications of
biotechnology and life sciences in support of future legislation. With an integrated effort in nano-biotechnology,
physics, biology and chemistry applied to detection techniques the JRC will contribute to the development of
new strategies and technologies for environment and health monitoring, (eco) toxicology studies, food and feed
chain control and security.

Activities will be developed, inter alia, in the following areas:

(1)

Biotechnology and health-related aspects:

— provision of quality assurance tools for genetic testing,

— studies on genome-based diagnostic applications and drug development (e.g. pharmacogenomics),

— development and validation of advanced methods for refining, reducing and replacing animal tests
for bio-technological pharmaceuticals, for predicting the toxicity of chemicals by in vitro cell
cultures, high throughput techniques and toxicogenomics,

— identification and assessment of novel bio-informatic methodologies in support

to ‘omics’
approaches, integrating physiological responses modulated by individual susceptibility and life style
factors,

22.2.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 54/133

— development of a methodological framework for properly considering risk modifiers in human

health risk assessment,

— assessment of environmental and health impacts of nano-technologies including nano-toxicology.

(2)

Biotechnology in agriculture, food and feed:

— prospective studies on emerging bio-technological applications in food production (e.g. functional

food, cloned farm animals and molecular ‘pharming’ crops),

— GMO detection, identification and quantification (includes validation of high throughput screening

methods, and quality assurance tools for GMOs of next generations),

— studies on the coexistence of GM/non-GM crops; studies on the economics of GM crops.

3.2. Policy Theme 2: Solidarity and the responsible management of resources

3.2.1. A g e n d a 2 . 1 R u r a l D e v e l o p m e n t , A g r i c u l t u r e a n d F i s h e r i e s

The JRC will with its research support European policies for Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries
covering all the three dimensions of sustainability:

— Production aspects: support to implementation, control and monitoring of the CAP (Single Payment
Schemes, Cross compliance and Farm Advisory Systems),
including Integrated Administration and
Control Systems for arable lands and permanent crop registers, and implementation of rural/urban
cadastre to support market and investment (using positioning/navigation techniques). Crop production
forecast based on growth simulation models, area frame techniques, remote sensing and an agro-
phenological network. Support to the implementation of an EU farmer insurance system. Support to the
methodological aspects of the new EU agriculture statistical system (including LUCAS).

— Environmental aspects: assessing implications of good agricultural and environmental conditions and
studying impacts and effectiveness of agri-environmental measures on soil and water conditions,
biodiversity and European landscapes. Analysing links between agricultural, rural development and
regional policies and their impacts on European land use changes through the development of indicators
and spatial models. Evolution of promotion measures for low input and organic agriculture and soil
fertility. Supporting the development of targeted territorial strategies for the implementation of rural
development programmes. Assessing the impact of climate change on agriculture in view of adaptation
measures. Contribution to mitigation of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions by dedicated energy crops and
by energy recovery from agri-wastes.

farming systems;

responsiveness of agriculture to consumer demands:

— Producer/consumer aspects: strategic policy analyses in areas such as: impact of the CAP reform on the
sustainability of
food
characterisation and control, impact of quality assurance (QA) and certification schemes managed within
supply chains, and responsiveness to environmental and animal welfare standards; projection and policy
impact analyses of main European agricultural commodities in terms of production, world market, prices,
income and consumer welfare;
impact of changes in trade policy and world commodity markets;
agricultural policies in rural development in conjunction with other policies. Specific attention will be
given to the impact of CAP Reform in the new Member States and Candidate Countries and the analysis of
impacts/effects of rural development policies.

Common fisheries policy objectives will be addressed by improving the quality and timeliness of scientific data
and by developing processes for the assessment of the economic and social impact of management options.
New technologies, including fish origin identification based on DNA analysis, will be used to identify non-
compliance. Attention will be paid to techniques which favour stakeholder involvement. In line with the

L 54/134

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

22.2.2007

Community's emerging maritime policy, the feasibility of services developed for fisheries — such as vessel
monitoring by remote sensing and electronic reporting — will be extended to merchant vessel identification.
The impact of a growing aquaculture sector, including in environmental, and socioeconomic terms, will be
assessed.

3.2.2. A g e n d a 2 . 2 N a t u r a l r e s o u r c e s

The JRC is participating in the work towards a holistic approach related to monitoring change and analysing
impacts and pressures on natural resources aiming to develop integrated concepts for sustainable development.
In complement to the Agenda 2.1, this research will be closely aligned to the EU's seven thematic environmental
strategies. It will pay attention to the sharing of environmental information and feed the development of GMES
by playing an important role in its research activities. Applications will conform to Inspire principles.

More specifically, activities will concentrate on:

— Water management in the context of the Water Framework Directive and maritime policy with attention
to ecological quality of inland and coastal water of Europe, pollutant cycles, harmonised measurements of
chemical and biological contaminants, dynamic modelling and pan-European information systems.

— Soil protection initiatives identified in the Soil Framework Directive, with focus on streamlining the flow
of soil information in Europe, the definition of common criteria and methods for delineating risk areas of
soil threats, and approaches for soil monitoring.

— Life-cycle analysis approaches to track resources from extraction through use, recycling and ultimate
disposal of materials. Sustainable production and consumption of natural resources and materials, and the
environmental impact and sustainability of products under different technology and policy scenarios.

— Forestry; a system for monitoring Community forests will be established with information on forest fires,
forest ecological condition and forest resources. Activities will cover forest biodiversity indicators, tools for
the analysis of post-fire impacts, analysis of interactions of forest fires, soils and climate change, and the
integration of information related to forests resources available from Member States.

— Provision of continuing technical support to the development of Inspire: contribution to the EU shared
environment information system (in close cooperation with the European Environment Agency and
Eurostat).

— Impact assessment of structural and cohesion programmes and support to the definition and evaluation of

Community regional policies by means' of territorial indicators at regional and urban level.

3.2.3. A g e n d a 2 . 3 E n v i r o n m e n t a n d H e a l t h

The link between environment and health represent a new focus of attention at European level. The JRC will
contribute to this emerging policy field by:

— the development and validation of methods for monitoring pathways and assessing exposure: ambient air
indoor air (products, smoke), drinking water and food (including contact materials,
(air quality),
contaminants in food chain). A contribution to the development of total human exposure approach is
foreseen notably in the area of chemicals,

— the assessment of health effects through experimental work, bio-monitoring, toxicogenomic analyses,

computational techniques and analytical tools,

— exploiting knowledge derived from the two items above in order to contribute to the future development
of an integrated environment and health system, in line with the policy framework on environment and
health information being developed under the EU Action Plan.

22.2.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 54/135

3.2.4. A g e n d a 2 . 4 C l i m a t e c h a n g e

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a central objective of the Kyoto protocol. Assessing the potential for
reducing GHG emissions (mitigation measures) in a common framework is therefore a key item in the JRC
agenda. Quality assessment, verification and analysis of GHG emission data will be pursued, especially in
difficult sectors such as agriculture and forestry. Similar work will address the issue of verification in the context
of carbon trading.

Adaptation to climate change has become imperative and the JRC will continue to collect and assess data related
to climate impacts on various vulnerable sectors of the European economy. This includes agriculture, forestry,
water resources and natural risks. Assessing hazards related to climate change will focus on the incidence at
European level of floods, droughts, forest fires, storms, deterioration of air quality and coastal and marine
processes.

Adequate knowledge of the signals and impacts of climate change around the world is necessary. Global
monitoring techniques will be further developed to assess changes in the atmosphere, oceans and terrestrial
biosphere which either drive or result from climate change. This work forms part of the European contribution
to the global observing systems formally endorsed by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(contribution to the Global Climate Observation System). Similar work will address the verification of carbon
trading associated with the Kyoto Protocol's flexible mechanisms (Joint Implementation and Clean Development
Mechanism) and future regimes beyond 2012. The JRC will engage in a 3rd phase of the TREES (Tropical
Ecosystem Environment observations by Satellites) programme, to update the preceding assessments of global
forest cover.

The JRC will collaborate with other modelling centres around Europe to develop trade-off scenarios and cost-
benefit analyses. Of particular relevance for the Seventh Framework Programme is the analysis of options for the
post-Kyoto period which will open discussions on integrating climate policies in other sectoral policies.

3.3. Policy Theme 3: Freedom, security and justice

3.3.1. A g e n d a 3 . 1 I n t e r n a l S e c u r i t y

JRC will give S/T support to Community policies related to the establishment of the area of freedom, security
and justice, and customs in particular through its research activities. The focus will be on applying IT and
systems analysis competencies to the protection against crime and fraud, smuggling and illicit trafficking; the
protection of citizens and critical infrastructures against terrorism; and migration and border management.
Technical support to integrated border management (e.g. interoperability) will also be provided.

Activities will include support to:

— the capacity to detect and monitor fraud against the Community budget and diversion of funds through

automatic intelligence gathering and advanced analytical techniques applied to large datasets,

— assessing threats and vulnerabilities of critical

infrastructures in key sectors at the Union level (e.g.
information systems,
transport systems and
infrastructures, communication networks, financial networks, navigation systems, electricity and gas/oil
infrastructures, food distribution systems, etc.),

industrial plants, public buildings,

financial systems,

— the prevention, preparedness and risk management of scenarios triggered by intentional acts (sabotage of
impacts, biological and chemical agents, attacks to food systems) on

installations, blasts,

industrial
infrastructures,

— border security and management through standards and testing for bio-metric sensors, monitoring

systems to detect illicit trafficking, monitoring migration flows,

— information gathering in the field of transport of goods by air, sea, road, using various tracking

technologies,

— the EU crisis room structure (ARGUS) and crisis response mechanisms.

L 54/136

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

22.2.2007

3.3.2. A g e n d a 3 . 2 D i s a s t e r s a n d R e s p o n s e

In the context of natural and technological disasters and accidents, the JRC will foster a better capacity to
understand and deal with vulnerabilities, risks, early warning, alert systems, monitoring and damage assessment,
prevention and mitigation measures. In particular it will contribute to the improvement of Community response
capacity and crisis management in terms of rapid response, monitoring, damage assessments (e.g., in the context
of the Civil Protection Mechanism and Solidarity fund intervention).

The Major Accidents Hazards Bureau will contribute to safety management through monitoring accidents and
incidents and drawing lessons learned, specifically in Seveso II installations.

With respect to natural disasters, the JRC will focus on the development of early warning and alert systems
drawing upon models, earth observation technologies, and measurement networks for a variety of situations
across Europe including floods, droughts, oil spills, earthquakes, forest fires, avalanches, landslides and storms.
Multi-hazard risks will be studied for the Mediterranean/Black Sea basin and the fringes of the Atlantic Ocean.
Reporting on and drawing lessons from natural disasters will be continued. Work in this agenda will also be
conducted in support to the development of GMES services related to crisis and emergencies.

3.3.3. A g e n d a 3 . 3 F o o d a n d F e e d S a f e t y a n d Q u a l i t y

Activities will be in line with the Fork to Farm concept. The JRC will provide validation of methods and
harmonised procedures for a broad range of food and feed types. It will also reinforce its ability to deal with food
and feed crises by its expertise in food and feed analysis and by entering new areas where needed. Attention will
be paid to a close cooperation with the European Food Safety Authority.

Specific domains of action will cover:

— validation of molecular biology and hyphenated techniques for food and feed control e.g. in the area of

allergens, functional and organic food,

— areas related to food and health where future legislation is expected (e.g. microbiology, functional and

organic food, allergens, health claims in labelling),

— areas related to feed safety for existing legislation (e.g. feed additive authorisations),

— microbiology for food and feed, validation of bio-molecular detection methods for micro-organisms, in

particular for pathogens in food and water,

— validation of analytical methods for the detection of banned substances, of contaminants, feed additives
and animal proteins, compliance with labelling Directives and for designation of origin (e.g. isotopic
methods),

— electronic traceability along the feed-food chain.

3.4. Policy Theme 4: Europe as world partner

The JRC will support Community decision-making in the framework of external policy instruments
(development cooperation, trade and instruments responding to crises and peaceful conflict prevention
including the instruments for Stability and Humanitarian Aid).

3.4.1. A g e n d a 4 . 1 G l o b a l S e c u r i t y

The JRC will, through its research, enhance its support to Community reconstruction and humanitarian aid
programmes through novel technologies (including space, geo-spatial analysis, web intelligence, real-time
information systems) to serve several levels of intervention (from preparedness to rapid response and field
in order to address the identification of forgotten crises, early warning of potential crises,
operations)
humanitarian needs assessment and relief, integrated crisis response and post-crisis damage assessment. Support

22.2.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 54/137

for international humanitarian aid will also be provided through an extension of the functionalities of the
Global Disaster Alert and Response System, to cover a broad range of humanitarian disasters in close
cooperation with the UN Agencies (especially its Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs).

The JRC will establish a global geo-spatial database and contribute to services (rapid mapping) in support of
crisis management and security;
inter-operability of systems and standards for supporting data exchange
between systems, notably with Council SitCen and EU Satellite Centre. This activity is undertaken in the context
of the development of future GMES pilot services.

The JRC will provide S/T support in relation to the implementation of measures in the context of the envisaged
Instrument for Stability, addressing trans-border challenges and longer-term global stability and security issues.
JRC will work on the issue of proliferation of WMD and dual-use goods and technologies, including export
control, border control, supply chain security, and country profiling. Systems to be further developed for that
purpose include export control classification systems, intelligence based systems, data warehousing and multi-
lingual web mining intelligence tools. Strong integration with the relevant JRC activities under the Euratom
specific programme is foreseen.

Remote sensing analysis techniques and systems for integration and analysis of multiple source data (including
earth observation and open source) are central to the approach; they will be used in support to the
implementation of the Community's external policy activities such as those relevant for the Kimberley process
and mechanisms for monitoring illegal trade including in timber and dual use items. These activities will
contribute to the global dimension of the GMES initiative.

3.4.2. A g e n d a 4 . 2 D e v e l o p m e n t C o o p e r a t i o n

An Observatory for Sustainable Development and Environment will initially be established in Africa, Caribbean
and Pacific countries. Environmental diagnostics and country profiles, scenario building and cross policy
interactions will be the three components served by the information gathering and communication system lying
at the heart of the Observatory. The provision of long-term observation of resources and environmental
parameters (e.g. on land cover, forest cover, fires, biodiversity, coastal zones, climate vulnerability, etc.) will
support trends analyses. The development will be carried out in close collaboration with the GMES initiative and
the Africa Monitoring for Environment and Sustainable Development programme.

The global crop monitoring component of the observatory will be developed in the context of food security and
the Community initiative on poverty eradication and sustainable development. Research work will focus on new
methods for assessing food supply and needs, food security information systems and vulnerability assessments.

End products delivered will be ‘client driven’, i.e. in this particular case be designed in a way that they respond to
the needs and are manageable by Developing Countries.

Cooperation with major actors (UNEP, FAO, Eumetsat, WFP, ESA GMES-GMFS) will be reinforced.

Ethical aspects

During the implementation of this specific programme and in the research activities arising from it, fundamental ethical
principles are to be respected. These include, inter alia, the principles reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the
EU, including the following: protection of human dignity and human life, protection of personal data and privacy, as well as
animals and the environment in accordance with Community law and the latest versions of relevant international
conventions and codes of conduct, e.g. the Helsinki Declaration, the Convention of the Council of Europe on Human Rights
and Bio-medicine signed in Oviedo on 4 April 1997 and its Additional Protocols, the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child, the Universal Declaration on the human genome and human rights adopted by UNESCO, UN Biological and Toxin
Weapons Convention (BTWC), International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the relevant
World Health Organisation (WHO) resolutions.

L 54/138

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

22.2.2007

Account will also be taken of the Opinions of the European Group of Advisers on the Ethical Implications of Biotechnology
(1991 to 1997) and the Opinions of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (as from 1998).

In compliance with the principle of subsidiarity and the diversity of approaches existing in Europe, participants in research
projects must conform to current legislation, regulations and ethical rules in the countries where the research will be carried
out. In any case, national provisions apply and no research forbidden in any given Member State or other country will be
supported by Community funding to be carried out in that Member State or country.

Where appropriate, those carrying out research projects must seek the approval of the relevant national or local ethics
committees prior to the start of the RTD activities. An ethical review will also be implemented systematically by the
Commission for proposals dealing with ethically sensitive issues or where ethical aspects have not been adequately
addressed. In specific cases an ethical review may take place during the implementation of a project.

The Protocol on protection and welfare of animals annexed to the Treaty requires the Community to pay full regard to the
welfare requirements of animals in formulating and implementing Community policies including research. Council Directive
86/609/EEC of 24 November 1986 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member
States regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes (1) requires that all
experiments be designed to avoid distress and unnecessary pain and suffering to the experimental animals; use the
minimum number of animals; involve animals with the lowest degree of neurophysiological sensitivity; and cause the least
pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm. Altering the genetic heritage of animals and cloning of animals may be considered
only if the aims are ethically justified and the conditions are such that the animals' welfare is guaranteed and the principles
of biodiversity are respected.

During the implementation of this programme, scientific advances and national and international provisions will be
regularly monitored by the Commission so as to take account of any developments.

(1) OJ L 358, 18.12.1986, p. 1. Directive as amended by Directive 2003/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 230,

16.9.2003, p. 32).