Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

No C 29/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 4. 2. 89

## II

_(Preparatory Acts)_

# COMMISSION

Proposal for a Council Decision concerning a Community programme in the field of strategic
analysis, forecasting an evaluation in matters of research and technology (Monitor)

(1988 to 1992)

_COM(88) 386 final — SYN 147_

_(Submitted by the Commission on 29 July 1988)_

(89/C 29/04)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Economic Community, an in particular Article 130 Q (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 states that the
framework programme should be implemented through
specific programmes developed within each activity;

Whereas by its Decision of 28 September 1987 (') the
Council has adopted a framework programme of
Community research and technological development
(1987 to 1991), providing for activities in the fields of
forecasting and assessment in science and technology
and in evaluation of programmes;

Whereas, for the selection of Community actions, the
framework programme sets out criteria among which is
that of contributing to the strengthening of economic
and social cohesion of the Community, consistent with
the pursuit of scientific and technical quality;

Whereas the Single European Act enters the European
Communities into a phase of European construction —
notably in scientific, technological and industrial
cooperation — and therefore calls for a strengthening

(') OJ No L 302, 24. 10. 1987, p. 1.

and renewing of long term and strategic analysis and
technological assessment:

Whereas the growing impact of science and technology
on social and economic life reinforces, as underlined by
the Economic and Social Committee, the role and utility
of long term analysis of the social and economic consequences of developments in science and technology in
the highlighting of choices in matters of RDT;

Whereas in 1987 the European Parliament approved, on
an experimental basis, the setting up of an assessment
body of scientific and technological options (STOA:
Scientific and Technological Options Assessment) and
given the importance of cooperation between
Community institutions at this level;

Whereas several important initiatives have been taken in
the Member States in matters of programme evaluation,
forecasting and technology assessment;

Whereas the Commission, in carrying out its duties
regarding evaluation of R & D activities, must have the
support of reliable methods, appropriate indicators and a
network of experienced European specialists in order
that the effectiveness of its evaluations and its capability
to measure the impact of R & D activities are improved;

Whereas the evaluation report of FAST II has been
taken into account;

Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research

Committee (Crest) has been consulted on the following

measures,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

_Article 1_

A specific research, and technological development
programme for the European Economic Community in
the field of strategic analysis, forecasting and evaluation
in matters of research and technology (Monitor), as
defined in the Annex is hereby adopted for a period of
five years from 1 January 1988.

4. 2. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 29/5

_Article 2_

The amount deemed necessary for the execution of the
programme is ECU 22 million, including expenditure on
a staff of 12 to 27 persons (six A, two B, four C for
1988; 12 A, two B, eight C for 1989; 15 A, two B, 10 C
for 1990 to 1992) and costs associated with researchers
seconded from Member States to a maximum of 47 man

years.

_Article 3_

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

_Article 4_

1. In the third year of the programme implementation,
the Commission shall undertake a review of the

programme and it shall report to the Council and the
European Parliament on the results thereof, together, if
necessary, with any proposals for modification or
prolongation.

2. An evaluation of the results achieved shall be

conducted by the Commission, which shall report
thereon to the Council and the Parliament.

3. The abovementioned reports shall be established
having regard to the objectives set out in the Annex to
this Decision and in conformity with the provisions of
Article 2 (2) of the framework programme.

4. The Commission will regularly inform — but
particularly in the first half of 1990 and the end of 1991
— the Council and the Parliament of the state of its ac
tivities.

_Article 5_

1. The Commission shall be responsible for the
execution of the programme and shall be assisted in its

implementation by a Management and Coordination
Advisory Committee (CGC), which shall be set up in
accordance with the provisions laid down in Council
Decision 84/338/Euratom, ECSC, EEC (').

2. The contracts entered into by the Commission shall
regulate the rights and obligations of each party,
including the methods of disseminating, protecting and
exploiting the research results.

_Article 6_

The Commission is authorized to negotiate, in
accordance with Article 130 N of the EEC Treaty,
agreements with international organizations, those
non-member States participating in European
cooperation in the field of scientific and technological
research (COST) and those European countries having
concluded framework agreements in scientific and
technical cooperation with the Community, with a view
to associating them wholly or partly with the

programme.

Where framework agreements for scientific and technical
cooperation between non-Member States and the
European Communities have been concluded, organizations and enterprises established in those countries may
participate in a project undertaken within this

programme.

_Article 7_

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

0) OJ No L 177, 4. 7. 1984, p. 25.

_ANNEX_

COMMUNITY PROGRAMME IN THE FIELD OF STRATEGIC ANALYSIS, FORECASTING AND
EVALUATION IN MATTERS OF RESEARCH AN TECHNOLOGY (MONITOR)

I. AIMS AND ACTIVITIES

1. The purpose of the programme is to be instrumental in identifying new directions and priorities for the
Community research and technological development policy and to help show more clearly the
relationships between it and the other common policies.

It involves factual and strategic analysis and forecasting relating to the scientific and technological
environment and its interaction with economic and social developments.

2. It comprises three activities:

— Strategic and impact analysis (SAST),

— FAST forecasting,

— Research and studies to improve methodologies and effectiveness of evaluation of R & D activities
(Spear).

N o C 29/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 4. 2. 89

II. CONTENT AND WORKING METHODS

Strategic and impact analysis (SAST)

3. The SAST activities consist of carrying out 'targeted' analyses in, a scientific field, technology sector, or
a challenging theme. The aim is to show the options available to the Commission's science and technology policy and interactions with other policies as well as the way in which the different concerned
actors (industrialists, certain local public authorities, Member and non-member States, social groups,
etc.) situate themselves with regard to the options.

4. These activities consist of:

(a) the preparation of reports on the prospects for development and the strengths and weaknesses of
the European Community, a group of countries in the Community, particularly with respect to
R & D structures, a high technology sector, a scientific field or in relation to important changes in
other countries' science and technology policies, particularly those outside the Community;

(b) the carrying out of technology assessments into the state of development of a technology and its
future evolution, constraints to innovation, industrial and socio-economic impact within the
Community (by sector, region, etc.), requirements in terms of R & D and investment financing etc;
and

(c) the preparation of reports of strategic analyses ('Strategic dossiers') shedding light, for a given
problem, on alternatives open to the European Community and proposing precise orientations for
action.

5. The Commission will establish an annual calendar of priority activities which will be adopted after
consultation with the CGC.

FAST forecasting

6. The FAST forecasting activities are a reoriented follow-up to previous FAST programmes: they include
study of scientific and technological changes and their many interactions with economic and social
changes. Their aim is to provide the Commission with global analyses and long term projections. The
projections are to be useful in relation to the Community's major objectives for the 1990s, namely the
creation of a single internal market and strengthening economic and soical cohesion within the
Community, and in the light of worldwide economic and social developments.

7. Forecasting includes:

(a) the preparation of reports ('Forecasting dossiers') on major topics or phenomena of a global
character. The choice of these topics will depend on their relevance and significance in relation to
the objectives of the common RDT policy. They may extend beyond the strictly European
framework;

(b) the undertaking of studies of the implications and consequences of selected scientific and technical
developments which present important challenges for society in the fucture;

(c) the synthesis and critical analysis of the main forecasting studies published worldwide;

(d) the preparation every two years of a report on the economic and social implications of technological change, particularly in Europe.

8. These activities will be defined according to a biennial work programme established by the
Commission in consultation with the CGC.

9. These activities will involve the participation of experts and working groups from outside the
Commission under the responsibility and guidance of the FAST team in consultation with other
concerned Commission services (including, where necessary, officials from other Directorates-General
seconded to the FAST team for limited periods) and visiting scientists on secondment from the
Member States or even from non-member countries.

In addition, the activities under (a) and (b) will be organized in such a way as to ensure the broadest
and most efficient possible interaction between the actors involved. To that end the Council, the
Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee will be regularly informed of the results of these
activities.

10. FAST forecasting activities are also intended to continue to stimulate the development of European
forecasting efforts and expertise. To this end it will be necessary to reinforce the FAST '12 -I- 1'
network (comprising the 12 national FAST units nominated by the Member States to ensure interaction between Community activities and similar work undertaken in their own countries) and to

4. 2. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities N o C 29/7

encourage the setting up of an informal network of European 'prospectivists'.

Activities in support of the evaluation of R & D Programmes (Spear)

11. Research and studies in support of evaluation of R & D activities at the Community level are intended
to improve the theoretical and methodological bases, as well as the methods of organization and
management of Community, national and international R & D programmes. They will also analyse and
improve the effectiveness and impact of R & D activities, and support the evaluation 'plan of action'.

12. To this end, the Spear activities comprise:

— the preparation, in conformity with the evaluation plan of action (') of four to five horizontal
evaluations of certain activities common to Community, national or international research in order
to analyse their impact and identify means to improve their effectiveness at Community level. This
covers analyses of methods of support and of management of national and Community research,

— research actions into methodologies of evaluation of R & D programmes in order to- increase their
utility and make them more credible to their users. This will be in conformity with Articles 5, 6 and
7 of the plan of action referenced above.

In particular it must:

— improve methods for evaluations which cover at the same time Community and related national
R & D programmes,

— stimulate research into the methodology of evaluation and its use in Member States,

— develop quantitative indicators that can describe the quality and utility of research and its
contribution to the Community's economic and social development, and

— prepare guidelines for the carrying out of R & D programme evaluations in the light of the
European experience.

13. The Commission will establish an annual calendar of priority activities which will be adopted after
consultation with the CGC.

III. IMPLEMENTATION

14. The preceding paragraphs define the aims of the various activities. They specify the products and
services expected and the appropriate working methods.

Given the different nature of these activities, and their specificity, implementation will include:

— involving in the abovementioned activities, research centres or research teams from the Community
countries specializing in strategic and impact analyses, forecasting and evaluation of R & D
programmes, especially by setting up networks, organizing workshops, seminars, etc.,

— the setting up of two '12 + 1' networks, one linked to FAST forecasting, the other to Spear. Their
objectives will be the exchange and diffusion of information, promotion within the Community of
more effective means of forecasting and of evaluation of R & D, and also the exploitation of
results, and

— secondment of visiting scientists from national institutions and governments to take part in the
various activities.

The financial contribution of the Community towards these activities could be up to 100% of
necessary expenditures.

(') See action plan in OJ No C 14, 20. 1. 1987, pp. 5 to 8.