Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

No C 52/24 Official Journal of the European Communities 1. 3. 89

## II

_(Preparatory Acts)_

# COMMISSION

Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific research and technological development
programme of the European Economic Community in the fields of raw materials and recycling

(1990 to 1992)

_COM(88) 795 final — SYN 188_

_(Submitted by the Commission on 31 January 1989)_

(89/C 52/09)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Economic Community and in particular Article 130 (2)
thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

In cooperation with the European Parliament,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and
Social Committee,

Whereas Article 130 K of the Treaty provides that the
famework programme shall be implemented through
specific programmes developed within each activity;

Whereas by its Decision of 87/156/Euratom, EEC ('),
the Council has adopted a framework programme of
Community research and technological development
(1987 to 1991) providing, _inter alia,_ for activities in the
field of raw materials and recycling;

Whereas that Decision provides that a particular aim of
Community research shall be to contribute to the competitiveness of traditional and new industrial sectors of the

Community, by satisfying their requirements in raw
materials, and recycling;

Whereas that Decision provides that a particular aim of
Community research shall be to strengthen the scientific
and technological basis of European industy and to
encourage it to the strengthening of the economic and
social cohesion of the Community and the promotion of
its overall harmonious development, while being
consistent with the pursuit of scientific and technical
quality;

Whereas Council Decision 86/235/EEC ( [2] )~decided on a
research programme on materials (raw materials and
advanced materials) (1986 to 1989), and the ongoing
research activities have clearly demonstrated the utility of
Community actions in the fields of raw materials and
recycling;

Whereas it is necessary to react adequately to the interest
shown by the industry in transnational cooperation;

Whereas the participation of organizations from EFTA
countries in industrially-oriented R & D projects, under
appropriate conditions, may contribute to the competitiveness of industry as a whole;

Whereas it is in the Community's interest to consolidate
the scientific and technical basis of European research by
means of the involvement to a greater extent of the
EFTA countries in certain Community programmes,
particularly in programmes involving cooperation in
research and development of primary and strategic
metals production and recycling of secondary materials
and wood;

Whereas the implementation of concerted actions in the
COST framework is an essential element to complement
industrially-oriented R & D projects;

Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research

Committee (CREST) has been consulted,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

_Article 1_

A specific research and technological development
programme for the European Economic Community in

(') OJ No L 302, 24. 10. 1987, p. 1. ( [2] ) OJ No L 159, 14. 6. 1986, p. 36.

1. 3. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 52/25

the fields of raw materials and recycling, as defined in
Annex I, is hereby adopted for a period of three years,
from 1 January 1990.

_Article 2_

The amount deemed necessary for the execution of the
programme is ECU 45 million including expenditure on
a staff of 17.

_Article 3_

Detailed rules for the implementation of the programme
and the rate of the Community's financial participation
are set out in Annex II.

_Article 4_

1. In the second year of the programme implementation, the Commission shall undertake a review of the
programme and report to the Council and to the
European Parliament on the result of this review,
together, if necessary, with any proposals for modification or prolongation.

2. An evaluation of the results achieved shall be

conducted before the end of the programme by the
Commission which shall report thereon to the Council
and the European Parliament.

3. The abovementioned reports shall be established
having regard to the objectives set out in Annex III to
this Decision and in conformity with the provisions of
Article 2 (2) of Decision 87/516/Euratom, EEC on the
framework programme.

_Article 5_

1. The Commission shall be responsible for the
execution of the programme.

2. The Commission shall be assisted by a Committee
of an advisory nature, hereinafter referred to as 'the
Committee' composed of the representatives of the
Member States and chaired by the representative of the
Commission.

3. Contracts concluded by the Commission shall
govern the rights and obligations of each party, in
particular arrangements for the dissemination, protection
and exploitation of research results.

_Article 6_

1. The Commission shall submit to the Committee a

draft of the measures to be taken. The Committee shall

deliver its opinion within a time limit which the
Chairman may lay down according to urgency of the
matter, if necessary by taking a vote.

2. The opinion shall be recorded in the minutes of the
Comittee; in addition, each Member State shall have the
right to have its opinion recorded in the minutes.

3. The Commission shall take the utmost account of

the opinion delivered by the Committee. It shall inform
the Committee of the manner in which its opinion has
been taken into account.

_Article 7_

1. Where framework agreements for scientific and
technical cooperation between non-Community
European countries and the European Communities have
been concluded, organizations and enterprises established in those countries may, under appropriate
conditions to be defined by the Commission, become
partners in a project undertaken within the programme.
For each such project, the Committee referred to in
Article 5 shall assist the Commission in defining those
conditions.

2. No contractor established outside the Community
who participates as a partner in a project undertaken
within the programme shall be entitled to Community
financing intended for the programme. The contractor
will contribute to general administrative expenses.

_Article 8_

For the parts 'renewable raw materials' and 'recycling of
waste R & D', the Commission is hereby authorized to
negotiate, in accordance with Article 130N of the
Treaty, agreements with non-member States and international organizations, in particular with those countries
participating in European cooperation in the field of
scientific and technological research (COST), and those
having concluded framework agreements for scientific
and technical cooperation with the Community, with a
view to associating them wholly or partly with these
parts of the programme.

_Article 9_

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

N o C 52/26 Official Journal of the European Communities 1. 3. 89

_ANNEX_ _I_

(A) OBJECTIVES

The principle objective of the programme is to help enhance the competitive position of the Community's
industries involved with raw materials and recycling in world markets. A programme of research and development will help to provide the technology base required for strategic, innovative developments in support
of the supply and processing of raw materials, both minerals and renewables, and recycling.

(B) TECHNICAL CONTENT

Primary raw materials

(1) _Exploration:_

Ore genesis, geochemical methods, geophysical methods, remote sensing and multidata correlation,
drilling technology.

(2) _Mining technology:_

Development of new mining methods and improvement of existing ones, rock fracturing, support
systems, load and transportation systems, modelling and simulations in mining operations, specific
equipment for small size mines.

(3) _Mineral processing and extractive metallurgy:_

Process innovation and process intensification, processing of high purity metals and multielement
compounds, industrial minerals, treatment of metallurgical residues and tailings, modelling simulation
and automatic control in mineral processing and extractive metallurgy.

Recycling of non-ferrous metals and strategic metals

(1) _Characterization and classification of secondary materials_

(2) _Physical separation and concentration_

(3) _Advanced pyrometallurgical_ _processes_

(4) _Advanced hydrometallurgical_ _processes_

(5) _Refining technologies_

(6) _Instrumentation on control of the processes_

Renewable raw materials, forestry and wood products

(1) _Forest resources:_

— tree improvement,

— planning and management,

— protection.

(2) _Wood technology:_

— quality assessment,

— processing technology.

(3) _Pulp and paper manufacturing:_

— improvement in pulping and bleaching,

— improvement in paper manufacture and coating.

1. 3. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 52/27

Recycling of waste

(1) _Sampling, analysis and classification of waste_

(2) _Recycling technologies_

(3) _Energy production from waste_

_ANNEX_ _II_

RULES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION

Shared cost action

The programme will be implemented by means of shared cost contracts with industry, public
research centres and universities for applied research of a pre-competitive character. At least
two organizations from different Member States and independent of each other must take part
in the project. Each party is expected to make a significant contribution to the project. The
contract parties shall bear a substantial part of the costs up to 50 % of which shall, as a rule, be
borne by the Community. The Community may bear up to 100 % of the marginal expenditure
incurred by universities and research institutes in relation to the project.

Coordinated activities

In cases where work, supported by national funds or entirely private funding is already going
on, the Commission's role may be limited to simply organizing the coordination of the work
and the Community funding confined to covering the cost of such coordination activities.
However, in certain cases where it is clear that strategically important work requires more than
simple coordination, the Commission could, in consultation with CGC, consider a higher
Community funding.

Other activities

Funds will also be applied to training activities (pre- and post-doctorate fellowships), for
exchange of research workers and for the assessment and technico-economic studies.

In the recycling of waste subprogramme, the upgrading of lignocellulosic waste will be
continued in the form of a formal concerted action.

_ANNEX III_

Programme evaluation criteria

The results against which the programme should be evaluated must reflect its objectives and the wider
objectives of the framework programme.

1. As the principal objective is to help enhance the competitive position of the Community's industries
involved with raw materials and recycling, the evaluation should determine:

— the extent to which the projects were selected against measurable industrial criteria,

— the extent to which substantial progress has resulted from the work supported.

2. A further objective is to encourage transfrontier collaboration in strategic industrial research. The
evaluation should determine:

— to what extent, during the life of the project, there were continuing links between partners for
research, development, manufacturing, marketing or staff formation.

No C 52/28 Official Journal of the European Communities 1. 3. 89

3. A further programme objective is to encourage transfer of technology across Community frontiers and
between sectors, particularly those with a predominance of SMEs. The evaluation should determine:

— the extent to which SMEs have participated and contributed in developing the research project and
to the possibility to exploit results arising from successfully completed projects,

— the extent to which accomplishments are protected by patent action or are disseminated to raise
awareness in the European research and technology Community.

4. In the wider contect of the framework programme, the evaluation should determine:

— the extent to which the projects have contributed to harmonization of the Community by reducing
the technical barriers to trade.

The evaluation will be undertaken by independent evaluators.