Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

##### **`COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES`**

```
                         C0MC91) 290 final-SYN 354

                         Brussels, 25 July 1991

                   Proposal for a

                  COUNCIL DECISION

```

**concerning the conclusion of a multilateral Cooperation Agreement** **"Community-**
**COST"** **on five concerted action projects in the field of research in biotechnology**
**(BRIDGE programme) between the European Economic Community and COST third**
**states.**

```
               (presented by the Commission)

```

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the conclusion of a
multilateral Cooperation Agreement "Community-COST" on five
concerted action projects in the field of biotechnology - specific
research and technological development programme : "BRIDGE"       between the European Economic Community and COST/EFTA third
states (Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey, Yugoslavia)

1. Pursuant to a Decision [1] in the field of research in biotechnology, two
Community-COST concertation Agreements on two concerted action projects
in the field of Aquatic primary biomass [2] and Plant in vitro culture [3] were
previously concluded between the Community and several third COST states.
The research carried out under these two Agreements, the latter of which
expired on 31.12.1989, has produced very encouraging results. Consequently,
the current objectives of these two projects, taking into account the past
research and cooperation in theses sectors, are included in the BRIDGE
programme.

2. Furthermore, since 1986, three Memoranda of Understanding (M.O.U.) have
been signed by various countries in the framework of COST (Member States
and COST third states) to carry out European research projects in the
respective fields of "Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae" (COST project 810),
"Methods for early detection and identification of plant diseases" (COST
project 88) and "Coccidioses and Development of vaccines" (COST project
89).
Since 1/01/90, the research topics of these 3 projects have been included in
the "BRIDGE" programme. Consequently, these above-mentioned M.O.U. are
due to expire on the entry into force of a "Community-COST' Cooperation
Agreement between the contracting parties (Community and participating
non-Member states) having the same aim as of the M.O.U..

3. By including these five concerted action projects in the BRIDGE programme,
the Community has made it clear that it wishes to make the most of the
cooperation in these five specific sectors where third state participation has
already been substantial, in addition to the projects implemented by contracts
and to training activities.

1 85/195/EEC of 25.03.1985

2 86/358/EEC of 14.07.1986 (COST 48)

3 86/359/EEC of 14.07.1986 (COST 87)

**4.** **By its Decision of 27 November 1989, the Council adopted a specific**
**technological development programme in the field of biotechnology**
**("BRIDGE"** **programme** **1.01.1990** **- 31.12.1993) which part of it is carried out**
**by means of five concerted action projects.**

**5.** **Article 8 of this Decision authorises the Commission to negotiate Agreements**
**with third countries involved in European cooperation in the field of scientific**
**and technical research (COST) or having concluded bilateral framework**
**Agreements** **[4]** **for scientific and technical cooperation with the Community.**

**6.** **As third COST-EFTA states expressed their interest to participate in some of**
**the above-mentioned concerted action projects, the Commission has**
**negotiated a draft Community-COST Cooperation Agreement on the following**
**five concerted action projects:**

**COST 48 :** **"Aquatic primary biomass (marine macroalgae)"**

**COST 810 :** **"Vesicular-arbuscular** **mycorrhizae (V-A mycorrhizae)"**

**COST 87 :** **"In** **vitro cultures for the purification and propagation of plants"**

**COST 88 :** **"Methods for early detection and identification of plant diseases"**

**COST 89 :** **"Basic research on coccidiosis of poultry and farm animals and**
**development of vaccines using biotechnological procedures**
**(short title : "coccidioses and development of vaccines")**

**7.** **A formal meeting with invited representatives of the eight above-mentioned**
**COST/EFTA third states, was held on 11 December 1990. During this**
**meeting, the Commission proposed a multilateral Community-COST**
**Agreement pattern introducing a new element "the Cooperation Committee"**
**which did not exist in the S** **&** **T concertation Agreements previously**
**concluded between the** **EC** **and third COST countries. At this meeting the**
**same pattern was also proposed for the** **"FLAIR"** **programme (Draft**
**Cooperation Agreement for concerted action projects).**

**4** **As an EFTA state, Iceland has concluded a** **S/T** **framework** **bilateral Agreement**
**with the Community but has also formally requested to become a new Member of**
**the COST** **framework** **(formal adhesion planned in 1991).**

**- / / -**

**8.** **This new pattern allows the COST/EFTA third states to participate in the**
**Community** **R&D programmes which are managed by Committees laid down**
**in the Council Decision 87/373/EEC of 13 July 1987 and takes into account**
**the three-phase procedure described in the statements included in the minutes**
**of the Research Council meeting of 20 June** **1989** **when a common position**
**on the BRIDGE programme was adopted.**

**9.** **The Commission will endeavour to achieve consistency between the functions**
**of the Cooperation Committee offered to individual third**
**COST/EFTA states and the coordination requirement provided for in Article**
**3.4 of the proposed draft Agreement.**

**10.** **The COST/EFTA third states having accepted as a fundamental criterion of**
**reference the principle that BRIDGE was, and has to remain, a Community**
**programme in which the Community interests have to be safeguarded, this**
**draft Agreement has been agreed on by the contracting parties.**

**11.** **The draft Agreement, which is annexed to the attached proposal for a Council**
**Decision, provides for :**

**-** **the association of the interested COST/EFTA third states with the**
**implementation of one or several concerted action projects of the**
**Community programme;**

**a financial contribution of each third state to each of the concerted action**
**projects in which it participates, amounts to one twelth of the Community**
**contribution to the project, i.e. for the period 1990-1993 :**
**8500 Ecus per project per year.**

**the establishment of a Cooperation Committee with representatives of the**
**Community and of the participating third COST/EFTA States** **to** **ensure a**
**proper implementation of the Agreement and mutual coordination and**
**information on the development of the concerted projects of the BRIDGE**
**programme. The Committee shall adopt its own rules of procedure.**

**12.** **In view of the nature of the cooperation, any additional expenditure paid**
**from the Community budget (relevant budget heading B6-8004) resulting**
**from the implementation of this draft Agreement will be covered by the**
**financial contribution from the participating COST/EFTA third states.**

**13.** **Several COST third states have already expressed their willingness to**
**participate in one or more of the five concerted action projects.**

**14.** **The Commission proposes that the Council adopt the attached proposal for a**
**Decision.**

*****

##### **_-9-_**

**Proposal for a**

**COUNCIL DECISION**

**concerning the conclusion of a multilateral Community-COST Cooperation**
**Agreement on five concerted action projects in the field of research in biotechnology**
**("BRIDGE" programme) between the European** **Economic** **Community and COST**
**third states.**

**THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES**

**Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Commumty, and in**
**particular Article 130 Q2 thereof,**

**Having regard to the proposal from the Commission** **[1]** **,**

**In cooperation with the European Parliament** **[2]** **,**

**Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee** **[3]** **,**

**WHEREAS by Decision** **89/621/EEC** **[4]** **,** **the Council adopted a specific research and**
**technological development programme in the field of biotechnology ("BRIDGE"**
**programme) (1/01/1990 -** **31/12/1993);** **whereas Article 8 of this Decision**
**authorises the Commission to negotiate agreements** **with,** **third countries involved in**
**European cooperation in the field of scientific and technical research (COST) and**
**those European countries having concluded framework agreements in scientific and**
**technical cooperation with the Community,**

**HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS :**

**Article 1**

**The Community-COST Agreement between the European Community and COST**
**third states on concerted action projects in the field of research in biotechnology is**
**hereby approved on behalf of the European Economic Community.**

**The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision.**

**1** **O.J.** **No C**

**2** **O.J.** **No C**

**3** **O.J.** **No C**

**4** **O.J.** **No L 360, 09.12.1989 - p.32**

_**6**_

**Article 2**

**The President of the Council is hereby authorized to designate the persons**
**empowered to sign the Agreement in order to bind the Community.**

**Done at**

**For the Council**

**The President**

**~** **^** **^**

**COOPERATION AGREEMENT**

**"COMMUNITY-COST'**

**BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY**

**AND COST THIRD STATES**

**ON FIVE CONCERTED ACTION PROJECTS**

**IN THE FIELD OF BIOTECHNOLOGY**

**(SPECIFIC RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGICAL**

**DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME "BRIDGE")**

###### **_-p_**

**COOPERATION AGREEMENT "COMMUNITY-COST' ON**

**FIVE CONCERTED ACTION PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF BIOTECHNOLOGY**

**(BRIDGE)**

**THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY, hereinafter called "the** **Corfimunity"**
**and**

**THE SIGNATORY STATES TO THIS AGREEMENT, hereinafter called "the participating**
**non-Member States",**

**both hereinafter called "the Contracting Parties",**

**WHEREAS two Community-COST concertation agreements on two concerted action**
**projects in the research sectors of aquatic primary biomass (COST 48) and plant in**
**vitro culture (COST 87) were concluded by the Council on 14 July 1986** **[1]** **and signed**

**- respectively by Norway (COST 48) and Finland, Sweden, Switzerland (COST 87);**

**WHEREAS a memorandum of understanding in the framework of COST for carrying**
**out a European research project on vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae**
**(VA-MYCORRHIZHAE)** **(COST 810) entered into force on 26 January 1989 for a**
**period extending until 25 January 1994 and was signed by Denmark, the Federal**
**Republic of Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria, Finland and**
**Switzerland;**

**WHEREAS a memorandum of understanding in the framework of COST for carrying**
**out a European research project on methods for early detection and identification of**
**plant diseases (COST 88) entered into force on 27 November 1986 for a period**
**extending until 26 November 1991 and was signed by Belgium, Denmark, the Federal**
**Republic of Germany, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain,**
**Austria, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey;**

**WHEREAS a memorandum of understanding in the framework of COST for carrying**
**out a European research project on coccidioses and development of vaccines (COST**
**89) entered into force on 22 March 1989 for a period extending until 21 March 1994**
**and was signed by Belgium, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Spain**
**and Switzerland;**

**WHEREAS a memorandum of understanding in the framework of COST may expire**
**on the entry into force of a** **"Community-COST'** **Agreement between the contracting**
**parties having the same aim as that of the memorandum of understanding;**

**1** **OJ N° L 216, 05.08.1986,** **p.12** **and 18**

**-** ***** **-**

**WHEREAS, by its Decision of 27 November 1989** **[2]** **, the Council of the European**
**Communities adopted a specific research and technological development programme**
**in the field of biotechnology "BRIDGE" for the period 1/01/1990 - 31/12/1993,**
**hereinafter called "the Commumty programme", covering among other possibilities,**
**the implementation of concerted action projects;**

**WHEREAS the Member States of the Commumty and** **the** **participating non-Member**
**States intend, subject to the rules and procedures applicable to their national**
**programmes, to carry out the research described in Annex A and are prepared to**
**integrate such research into a process of concertation which they consider will be of**
**mutual benefit,**

**HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS :**

**ARTICLE 1**

**The Contracting Parties shall participate for a period extending until 31 December**
**1993 to one or several of the following concerted action projects :**

**- COST 48 :** **Aquatic primary biomass (Marine** **Macroalgae)**

**- COST 810 :** **Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VA-Mycorrhizae)**

**- COST 87 :** **In vitro cultures for the purification and propagation of plants**

**- COST 88 :** **Methods for early detection and identifications of plant diseases**

**- COST 89 :** **Basic research on coccidioses of poultry and farm animals and**
**development of vaccines using biotechnological procedures (short**
**title : Coccidioses and Development of Vaccines)**

**These projects consist in concertation between the Community concerted action**
**projects and the corresponding programmes of the participating non-Member States.**
**The content of research topics covered by this Agreement is specified in Annex A.**

**The Member and non-Member States of the Commumty shall remain entirely**
**responsible for the research carried out by their own institutions or bodies.**

**OJ N°** **L** **360, 09.12.1989, p. 32**

_**10-**_

**ARTICLE 2**

**The estimated financial contributions of the Contracting Parties to the coordination**
**costs for the period referred to in the first paragraph** **of** **Article 1 shall be, for each**
**of the five concerted action projects :**

**- COST 48 :** **400,000 ecus from the Commumty**

**34,000 ecus from each participating non-Member State**

**- COST 810 :** **400,000 ecus from the Community**

**34,000 ecus from each participating non-Member State**

**- COST 87 :** **400,000 ecus from the Community**

**34,000 ecus from each participating non-Member State**

**- COST 88 :** **400,000 ecus from the Community**

**34,000 ecus from each participating non-Member State**

**- COST 89 :** **400,000 ecus from the Community**

**34,000 ecus from each participating non-Member State**

**The rules governing the financing of this Agreement and the timetable of the**
**commitment estimates are set out in Annex B.**

**ARTICLE 3**

**1.** **For the purposes of this Agreement, a Cooperation Committee to assist the**
**Commission in the implementation of the concerted action projects of the specific**
**research and technological development programme in the field of biotechnology**
**("BRIDGE" programme), adopted by Decision of the Council of the European**
**Communities of 27 November 1989, hereinafter referred to as "the Committee", is**
**hereby established.**

**2.** **The Committee shall consist of representatives of the Community and the**
**participating non-Member States for the implementation of the concerted action**
**projects.**

**3.** **The Committee shall be consulted on all the matters concerning the implemen-**
**tation of this Agreement. For this purpose, it shall make recommendations.**

**4.** **The representative of the Community shall take the appropriate steps to ensure**
**coordination between the implementation of** **this** **Agreement and the decisions taken**
**by the Commumty in respect of the implementation of the Commumty programme.**

#### **_-H-_**

**5. For the purpose of the proper implementation of this Agreement, the Contracting**
**Parties shall exchange information and, at the request of any of the parties, shall**
**hold consultations within the Committee.**

**6. The Committee shall adopt its own rules of procedure and it shall meet, at the**
**request of any of the Contracting Parties, in accordance with the conditions to be**
**laid down in its rules of procedure.**

**ARTICLE 4**

**1.** **The Contracting Parties shall regularly exchange all useful information resulting**
**from the carrying out of the research covered by the concerted action projects.**
**They shall also endeavour to provide information on similar research planned or**
**carried out by other bodies. Any information shall be treated as confidential if the**
**Contracting Party which provides it so requests.**

**2.** **The scientific results of the concerted action projects shall be published by the**
**Commission, except in so far as they are declared confidential by one of the**
**Contracting Parties.**

**3.** **The Commission shall prepare activity reports on the basis of the information**
**supplied and shall forward them to the Member and non-Member States of the**
**Community.**

**4.** **At the end of the period of the BRIDGE programme, the Commission shall forward**
**to the Member and non-Member States of the Community the general reports on**
**the execution and results of these concerted action projects.**

**ARTICLE 5**

**1.** **This Agreement shall be open for signature by the Community and by the**
**participating non-Member States which took part in the ministerial conference held**
**in Brussels on 22 and 23 November 1971.**

**2.** **As a condition precedent to its participation in the concerted action projects defined**
**in Article 1, each of the Contracting Parties shall, when signing this Agreement,**
**have notified the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Communities**
**of the concerted action projects in which it intends to participate and, after signing**
**this Agreement, have notified the Secretary-General of the Council of the European**
**Communities of the completion of the procedures necessary under its internal**
**provisions for the implementation of this Agreement.**

#### **_\z~_**

3. For the Contracting Parties which transmit the latter notification, provided for in
the paragraph 2, this Agreement shall come into force on the first day of the
month following that in which the Community and at least one of the participating
non-Member States transmitted these notifications.
For those Contracting Parties which transmit the notification after the entry into
force of this Agreement, it shall come into force on the first day of the second
month following that in which the notification was transmitted. Contracting
Parties which have not transmitted this notification when this Agreement comes
into force shall be able to take part in the work of the Committees without voting
rights.

4. The Secretary-General of the Council of the European Coiia^unities shall inform
each of the Contracting Parties of the notifications made pursuant to paragraph 2
and of the date of entry into force of this Agreement.

ARTICLE 6

1. This Agreement shall be concluded for the duration of the Community programme.
Should the Community revise the Community programme, the Agreement may be
denounced under mutually agreed conditions between the Contracting Parties.

2. Where the Community adopts a new R&D programme in the field of biotechnology, this Agreement may be renegotiated or renewed under mutually agreed
conditions.

3. Subject to paragraph 1, any of the Contracting Parties may at any time terminate
this Agreement with six months notice. The projects and work in progress at the
time of termination and/or expiry of this Agreement shall be continued until they
are completed under the conditions laid down in this Agreement.

ARTICLE 7

This Agreement shall apply, on the one hand, to the territories in which the Treaty
establishing the European Economic Community is applied and under the conditions
laid down in that Treaty and, on the other hand, to the territories of the participating
non-Member States.

ARTICLE 8

This Agreement, drawn up in a single original in the Danish, Dutch, English, French,
German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish languages, each text being equally
authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the General Secretariat of the Council
of the European Communities which shall transmit a certified copy to each of the
Contracting Parties.

### **-**
## **_rt-_**

**ANNEX A**

**RESEARCH TOPICS COVERED BY THE AGREEMENT**

**The Commumty programme includes the following five COST concerted action**
**projects :**

**COST PROJECT 48 :**
**"AQUATIC PRIMARY BIOMASS (MARINE** **MACROALGAE)"**

**Purification :**

**- Utilization of seaweeds as bio-indicators for radionucleids and pollution level**

**- Determination of the seaweed species and of the conditions required to achieve**
**pollution abatement of waste waters throughout the year**

**Fermentations :**

**- Means to treat the proliferating algae biomass**

**- Use of seaweeds to purify the environment**

**Harvesting,** **food and technological processes :**

**Study of the problems of harvesting connected with purification and fermentation**

**COST PROJECT 810 :**
**'VESICULAR-ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAE** **(V-A** **MYCORRHIZAEV**

**The importance of endomycorrhizae in a soil, their impact on plant nutrition, stress**
**tolerance and soil structure**

**The interaction between VAM and other soil organisms**

**The micropropagation, root morphology and VAM infections**

**-** **^**

**COST PROJECT 87 :**

**"IN VITRO CULTURES FOR THE PURIFICATION AND PROPAGATION OF PLANTS"**

**The primary aims of this research consist of developing tissue culture methods for :**

**- Rapid multiplication of healthy plants**

**- Freeing plants from pathogens**

**- Safe long-term storage of plant cultures**
**The model plants selected are :**
**Apple rootstock M26, Betula and Quercus, Gerbera, Pelargonium.**

**COST PROJECT 88 :**
**"METHODS FOR EARLY DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATIONS OF PLANT DISEASES"**

**The main objective of COST 88 is to coordinate research on the early detection and**
**identification of plant diseases in Europe, in particular in the following fields :**

**Molecular hybridization techniques**

**Advanced immunochemical techniques**

**Defining standards for the development of these techniques and diagnosis**

**Setting up a European Bank for standards for the diagnosis of plant diseases**

**COST PROJECT 89 :**
**BASIC RESEARCH ON COCCIDIOSIS OF POULTRY AND FARM ANIMALS AND**

**DEVELOPMENT OF VACCINES USING** **BIOTECHNOLOGICAL** **PROCEDURES (SHORT**
**TITLE : "COCCIDIOSES AND DEVELOPMENT OF VACCINES")**

**The aim of this programme is to develop vaccines against coccidiosis of poultry and**
**farm animals.**

**Special attention will be paid to the criteria for vaccine evaluation and to several**
**species such as Eimeria intestinalis, Eimeria stiedae, Isospora suis, Cryptosporidium**
**parvum** **etc.**

_**—**_
_**15**_

**ANNEX** **B**

**FINANCING RULES**

**1.** **These provisions lay down the** **financial** **rules referred to in Article 2 of the present**
**"Community - COST' Agreement.**

**2.** **Annually, or whenever the Community programme is revised so as to involve an**
**increase in the amount estimated as necessary for its implementation, the**
**Commission shall send to the participating non-Member States a call for funds**
**corresponding to its contribution to the costs under this Agreement.**

**In particular at the beginning of each year, the Commission shall send to each**
**participating non-Member State a call for funds corresponding to the number of,**
**and the amount involved in, concerted action projects in which it participates and**
**to its share of the annual coordination costs under this Agreement, calculated in**
**proportion to the amounts laid down in Article 2 of this Agreement.**

**This contribution shall be expressed both in ecu and the currency of the**
**participating non-Member State concerned, the composition of the ecu being**
**defined in Council Regulation (EEC)** **N°** **3180/78** **[3]** **as amended by Regulation (EEC)**
**N° 1971/89** **[4]** **. The value of the ecu shall be determined on the date of the call of**

**funds.**

**The total contributions shall cover the travel and subsistence costs of the delegates,**
**in addition to the coordination costs proper.**

**Each participating non-Member State shall pay its annual contribution to the**
**coordination costs under the Agreement at the beginning of each year, and by 31**
**March at the latest. Any delay in the payment of the annual contribution shall**
**give rise to the payment of interest by the participating non-Member State**
**concerned at a rate equal to the highest discount rate obtained in the Member**
**States of the Community on the due date. The rate shall be increased by 0.25 of**
**a percentage point for each month of delay. The increased rate shall be applied**
**to the entire period of delay. However, such interest shall be chargeable only if**
**payment is effected more than three months after the issue of a call for funds by**
**the Commission.**

**3** **OJ N° L 379, 30.12.1978,** **p.l**

**4** **OJ N° L 189, 04.07.1989, p.l**

#### **_-H-_**

**3.** **The funds paid by participating non-Member States shall be credited to the**
**concerted action projects in which they participate as budget receipts allocated to**
**a heading in the statement of the revenue of the general budget of the European**
**Communities (Commission Section).**

**4.** **The financial plan for the coordination costs referred to in Article 2 of the**
**Agreement is appended hereto.**

**5. The Financial Regulation in force applicable to the general budget of the European**
**Communities shall apply to the management of the appropriations.**

**6. At the end of the programme, a statement of appropriations for each concerted**
**action project shall be prepared and transmitted to the participating non-Member**
**States for information.**

**COST/90-188**

_**)**_

**FINANCIAL APPENDIX**

**"BRIDGE" : CONCERTED ACTION PROJECTS COST 48. 810. 87. 88. 89**

**YEARLY FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS** **(ECU)** **OF THE COMMUNITY AND OF EACH PARTICIPATING NON-MEMBER STATE**

**FOR EACH OF THE 5 ABOVE-MENTIONED PROJECTS**

**1991**

**100.000**

**1993**

**100.000**

**Total**

400.000

**1992**

**100.000**

**1.** **Community contribution :**
**Estimate of administrative**
**operating expenditure**

**1990**

**100.000**

**Total :** **100.000** **100.000** **100.000** **100.000** 400.000

**Contributions from**
**participating non-Member States** **(nx8500)** **(nx8500)** **(nx8500)** **(nx8500)** **(nx34000)**

**100.000+**
**(nx8500)**

**400.000+**
**(nx34000)**

**100.000+**
**(nx8500)**

**New Total :** **100.000+**
**(nx8500)**

**n** **= number of participating non-Member States**

**COST 48 : Aquatic primary biomass (Marine Macroalgae)**

**COST 810 : Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VA-Mycorrhizae)**

**100.000+**
**(nx8500)**

**COST 87 :** **In vitro cultures for the purification and propagation of plants**

**COST 88 :** **Methods for early detection and identifications of plant diseases**

**COST 89 :** **Basic research on coccidioses of poultry and farm animals and development of vaccines using biotechnological procedures**
**(short title : Coccidioses and Development of Vaccines)**

**ISSN 0254-1475**

###### **COM(91) 290 final**

# **DOCUMENTS**

##### EN 15 Catalogue number : CB-CO-91-335-EN-C ISBN 92-77-74750-1

**Office for Official Publications of the European Communities**

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