Source: EURLEX
Language: en
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**COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES**

**Brussels, 06.09.1996**
**COM(96) 436 final**

### **COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE** **COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ON** **PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE** **COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS OF 26 APRIL 1994 ON THE** **ROLE OF THE JRC**

###### **-**
##### **_1-_**

**Table** **of Contents**

**A. INTRODUCTION**

Towards implementation of a new approach for the JRC Page 1 ^V.

**B. JRC'S ACTIVITIES** 2

Institutional Activities 2
Institutional Research 3
Institutional Support Activities 5
Competitive Activities 6

**C. JRC OPERATING** **IN** **NETWORKS** **9**

**D. IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES** 10

Advice, interchange and guidance to the JRC

Evaluations 12
Relations with Programme Committees 13
Board of Governors 14

**CONCLUSION** **14**

**ANNEXES**

I JRC institutional research activities 1996 16

II Number of publications
written by JRC Scientists 17

III (a) List of the Inter-DG Agreements in Institutional

Support to the Commission 18

III (b) JRC institutional support activities 19, 20

IV JRC institutional s/t support activities 1996 21

V Shared Cost Actions

JRC Institutes response to the first calls of the 4th FWP 22
VI Targets of Evolution of JRC Competitive Activities 1995-1998 23

VII Distribution of JRC Cooperation with National Research
Organisations and Universities, by country 24

VIII JRC Commitment Appropriations 1995-1998 25

_ _A_ O L 

**A. INTRODUCTION**

**Towards Implementation of a New Approach for the JRC**

**1.** The debate in the Community Institutions back in 1993 and 1994,
leading to the April 1994 Decisions on the 4th Framework Programme
of Community Activities of Research, Technological Development and
Demonstration for the EC and the EAEC Framework Programme of
Community Activities of Research and Training, included a substantial
discussion on the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and its role in the
achievement of the Union's policies. Overall it was recognised that a
new approach should be added to the traditional role of the JRC, in
order for the Union to draw optimal benefit from the activities of the
Centre and that clear plans and guidelines should be set to this end.

2. The Council in its Conclusions of 26 April, 1994 on the Role of the
Joint Research Centre* coined its views on the future of the JRC and
provided guidelines for this.

As an introduction, the Council reaffirmed:

the Community character of the JRC and its role in the
achievement of the objectives of the Union,

the need for the JRC to pursue and reinforce its move towards a
more competitive approach on the basis of a genuine
customer/contractor relationship.

It reiterated the JRC contribution to Community research policy and
underlined the need to add a new approach for the JRC, whereby it
would progressively enter the competitive arena in specific
programmes under the Framework Programmes and give scientific
and technical support to Community policies of a kind suitable for that
competitive approach.

3. The Council furthermore "calls upon the Commission to submit a
report on the progress in the implementation of these Conclusions to
the European Parliament and the Council in 1996, after obtaining the
Opinion of the Board of Governors, so as to enable the European
Parliament and the Council to draw up an assessment of the
situation".

O.J. C126/1, 7.5.94

4. The present Communication from the Commission intends to answer
this request. It is largely structured along the Council Conclusions and
should demonstrate:

       - the progress made so far,

       - the further steps necessary,

and in general provide an illustration of

       - the JRC situation at mid-term in its 1995-1998 programme.

It should be added that the JRC and its Board of Governors took the
relevant initiatives immediately, the process of elaboration and
arrangement of all these decisions and measures took much more
time than had been expected by the Council in its Conclusions.
Therefore, the full implementation of the latter had to be shifted until
the full legal process was completed and the present report can only
cover one year of an experience which is continuing and has to be
seen within the overall context of the Framework Programmes (19941998).

The present Communication is accompanied by an Opinion of the
Board of Governors.

5. 1995 was the first year of JRC operation under the new approach.
The present Communication, therefore, is to be considered together
with the JRC Annual Report 1995' issued by tne Commission and
also accompanied by an Opinion of the JRC Board of Governors.

**B. JRC'S ACTIVITIES**

**6.** The activities of the JRC are Outlined in the Council Conclusions and
notably in its guidelines defined in detailed terms, in particular in the
context of the Framework Research Programmes. A distinction is
made between the

        - institutional activities

        - competitive activities under the Framework programmes

        - competitive activities outside the Framework programmes.

The following description of progress, the present situation and further
plans thus adheres to this structure.

_**Institutional**_ _Activities_

7. The Community character of the JRC is to the forefront in this
spectrum of activities. The activities, as foreseen in the Council
Conclusions, are entirely funded by the Framework Programmes.
They should allow the JRC to contribute to Community research policy,
particularly in those sectors where it has special, if not unique, skills

_1)_ _COM(96}158_ _final,_ _17.4,96_

8.

9.

and in areas where its neutrality is essential for scientific and technical
support for Community policies.

The JRC institutional activities contribute to the following themes of the
Framework Programmes:

**MECU**

The scientific and technical objectives are given in the Council
Decisions on the JRC specific programmes 1995-1998. They provide
a clear separation between the objectives for institutional research
activities (R) and institutional scientific and technical support activities
(S), for the formulation and implementation of Community policies and
the tasks allotted to the Commission pursuant to the Treaties.

The figures in the preceding list give the distribution of the **930.** 8
MECU for 1995-1998 attributed to the institutional activities in the
Decisions on the Framework Programmes and their first adaptation
following the adhesion of the three new Member States. To this
amount of 930.8 MECU should be added 17 MECU and 10.7 MECU
for JRC participation (50% contribution) _in_ shared-cost activities in the
EC and the EAEC fields, respectively, bringing the totai for the 4 year
operational budget to 958.5 MECU. The Council Conclusions foresaw
a total of 900 MECU. To this is added 6.5% (58.5 MECU) from the
above-mentioned decisions on the first adaptation of the Framework
Programmes. Possible additional funding was foreseen by the Council
Conclusions for the second adaptation of the Framework Programmes.
The Commission, however, has retained a different approach in its
proposal for this second adaptation*.

The results of the work in 1995 are provided in the JRC 1995 Annual
Report and the 1995 Annual Reports from the JRC Institutes and the
further planning in the 1996 Annual Workprogramme discussed with
the Board of Governors. The 1996 resource distribution over the
various themes for institutional research is illustrated in Annex i.

_**Institutional**_ _**Research**_

Information Technologies (S)
Industrial and Materials Technologies (R)
Standards, Norms and Measurements (R)
Environment and Climate (R,S)
Agriculture and Fisheries (S)
Non-Nuclear Energies (R)
Targeted Socio-Economic Research (R,S)
Nuclear Fission Safety (R,S)
Thermo-nuclear Fusion (R)

11.7
89.5
111.8
306.9

50.0

17.1
35.0
259.8

49.0

930.8

10. Four significant examples, amongst the numerous described in the
1995 Annual Report, may illustrate the scope of JRC institutional
research. They have been selected to demonstrate use of particular
JRC skills, the network oriented approach to JRC work, industrial
relations and to give an example of the exploitation of a special
research facility available _m_ the Centre:

COM(96) 12 final, O.J C115, 19.4.96

   - _Composite_ _Materials:_ Novel Research with contributions to
European industry. On the basis of the longstanding research on
high temperature materials and composites, the JRC Institute for
Advanced Materials (Petten and Ispra), in collaboration with
industry, has developed new coated fibres of high strength for
structural materials in high temperature applications, like gas
turbines or heat exchangers.

   - _Earthquake_ _Engineering:_ European research network centred
around a JRC major research facility. More than 20 national
laboratories collaborate with the JRC Institute for Systems,
Informatics and Safety (Ispra) on use of the unique ELSA reaction
wall in Ispra and shaking tables in national institutes. The
prenormative research includes support to the development of
European standards for designing civil engineering structures in
seismic areas.

   - _Forest_ _Information_ _System:_ 1995 saw the completion of the
Forest Information from Remote Sensing (FIRS) projects'
Planning Phase in cooperation with consortia of organisations
from France, Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Russia,
Poland, Spain, Ireland and Finland. The major objective of the
project is to contribute to the development of a Unified European
Forest Information System, providing both production related and
environmental forest information. In 1995 the project developed
a régionalisation and final stratification of European forest
ecosystems and finalised the unified European Forest
Nomenclature System.

    - _Reactor Safety Code:_ Development with national laboratories of
a new reactor safety code for calculating fuel/coolant interactions
in cases of severe accidents, combined with experimental tests
in the FARO installation.

11. The results of the institutional research are provided through the

     - extensive networks for collaboration with industry, national
research centres and universities, which include JRC participation
in selected EUREKA projects, notably with industry,

     - participation in technical committees of standardisation bodies
such as CEN, ISO and the International Electro-technical
Committee (IEC),

     - Commission activities for exploitation of research results,

and, as for any other research centre,

    - JRC generated publications, participation in scientific meetings,
congresses, seminars and symposia. (Annex II gives the number
of publications written by JRC scientists in 1994 and 1995).

12. The Commission, however, as encouraged by the Board of Governors
and independent evaluations of the JRC, agrees that there is still
further scope for an improved

identification of the users of the JRC research

focus on materialisation of research results

5

' and, in a wider sense, an exploitation of the institutional research and
its output. New measures to this end are planned to bring concrete
results before the end of the current programme period.

13. Related to this is the Commission's own use of the competences and
skills developed through the JRC's research activities. They clearly
form the basis for the concrete projects of institutional support
described below. They also allow the Centre to be ready - within the
defined scientific-technical objectives of the JRC programme - for new
orientations which may be decided for Community research. The
Commission is thus profiting from the competences of the JRC in the
composition of the Task Forces which have set up on
industry/research related themes and one of these Task Forces Environment-Water - is led by the Director of the JRC Environment
Institute.

_**Institutional Support Activities**_

14. In the Council Conclusions these are defined as activities necessary
for the formulation and implementation of Community policies and of
the tasks allotted to the Commission pursuant to the Treaties, which
necessitate the neutrality of the JRC. While ensuring maximum
flexibility, the financial resources earmarked for these activities will be
entered in the research budget and administered by the Commission
within a framework, giving responsibility to the customer DirectoratesGeneral which will use the JRC as a service provider.

As stated above, their scientific-technical objectives are defined in the
Council Decisions on the JRC specific programmes 1995-1998 and the
financial resources included in these. The appropriations are decided
on an annual basis, together with other JRC institutional activities, by
the Budgetary Authority (Council and European Parliament) in the
General Budget of the European Union, the subsection on Research
and Technological Development. The resources are around one third
of the total for the JRC's institutional activities.

15. The support activities respond to demands from the Commission
services in charge of the various policies of the Union - notably
environment, energy, agriculture and industry - or tasks allotted to the
Commission pursuant to the Treaties (such as nuclear safeguards).
The work requested is normally planned on a medium to long term
basis. It is regulated through standard agreements between the
relevant Commission services and the JRC, specifying objectives,
resources, follow-up, reporting and accounting measures. Major
support activities have been announced to the Council and the
European Parliament through Communications from the Commission.
Annex III provides a list of the Agreements and a list of these
Communications.

16. The detailed annual planning is included in the Workprogramme with a
1996 resource distribution as given in Annex IV. The outcome of the
work is illustrated in the 1995 Annual Report and typical examples are:

# _**The**_ _European_ _Reference_ _Laboratory_ _for Air_ _**Pollution:**_

Harmonisation of EC directives on air pollution, organisation of
quality assurance, validation of new monitoring techniques.

$ _Application_ _of Remote Sensing to Agricultural_ _Policy:_

Agricultural statistics, monitoring of crop acreage, monitoring and
control in support of the Common Agricultural Policy.

**0** _**Nuclear**_ _**Safeguards:**_

Training of inspectors, harmonisation of inspection practices,
equipment and systems development, design and operation of
on-site laboratories at reprocessing plants, analysis of nuclear
materials samples.

**#** _**Detection of Illicit Nuclear Material:**_

At the request of the Commission, responding to a Member State
demand, the JRC contributes to the combat against illicit
trafficking of nuclear material by using its unique laboratory
facilities for the characterisation of samples discovered by
national authorities.

The latter examples are related to tasks allotted to the Commission by
the EAEC Treaty and all four examples illustrate the use the
Commission derives from the neutrality of the JRC.

17. The a _priori_ definition of the objectives and detailed project planning
for the institutional support was made in close consultation with the
relevant Commission services at the time of preparing the proposals
for the JRC specific programmes 1995-1998. These were decided in
December, 1994. Yet further demands have arisen and, given the
Union's focus on control measures, it has been possible in the 1996
work programme - within the overall allocated resources - to include
projects on:

Systems developments for the Commission's Anti-fraud Unit
(UCLAF);

Novel methods for animal tagging using microchips, for the
Commission's Directorate General for Agriculture. An application
of a technique developed in a different context (seals for use by
safeguards' inspectors).

The inclusion of these new projects was possible using the adaptation
of institutional support foreseen in the Council Decisions on the JRC
specific programmes (Article 7.3, last sentence). Nevertheless, these
examples illustrate the desirability for future JRC programmes to define
objectives with a further degree of flexibility. .

18. The full spectrum of competitive activities, given in the guidelines of
the Council Conclusions, is:

Under the Framework Programmes

Participation of the JRC in Shared-Cost Actions.

The JRC in association with partners in the Member States may
submit proposals in the context of calls for proposals issued by
the Commission.

**Competitive Support Measures.**

**Scientific and technical support activities suited for a competitive**
**approach, where the JRC may** **respond** **to requests from the**
**Commission Directorates General.**

**Outside the Framework Programmes**

**Activities on behalf of third parties.**

**The conduct of research and supply of services under contract to**
**third parties, including contracts secured in the context of**
**Member States/RTD programmes.**

**Other Community Activities.**

**JRC participation in Community actions (e.g. PHARE,** **TACIS,**
**developing countries, etc.) obtaining Community funding in the**
**context of a competitive approach.**

**The JRC has had an opportunity to conduct activities on** **behalf** **of third**
**parties since 1988-1989 and has reported on these in successive**
**annual reports.** **All the other types of competitive activities were,**
**however, new and only available to the JRC from 1995 onwards.**

**19.** **The Council decided that the transfer to competitive activities should**
**average 22% for the EC Framework Programme and 10% for the**
**EAEC Framework Programme from 1995-1998 and that this transition**
**should be a gradual and progressive process over the 4 year period.**
**In order to make this possible the Council in its Conclusions invited the**
**Commission to amend its internal rules as necessary and propose to**
**the Council all required decisions as early as possible.**

**20.** **The JRC, in response, made early plans to grasp the** **new**
**opportunities for competitive activities as soon as these materialised**
**and as soon as the necessary clarification of the JRC's role in relation**
**to rules and regulations could be provided.**

**21.** **For the shared-cost actions under the specific RTD programmes under**
**the Framework Programmes, the JRC was thus ready to respond,**
**together with national partners, to the first calls tor proposals issued** **by**
**the Commission.** **These were published from 15 December 1994**
**onwards and in establishing partnerships the JRC largely, but not**
**exclusively, drew on the wide scientific networks already established in**
**previous years.** **These also included collaboration with the New**
**Member States (Austria, Finland and Sweden), stemming from their**
**previous participation in JRC activities under the European Economic**
**Area Agreement. The JRC Institutes and their partners responded to**
**the first calls for proposals for** **15** **specific programmes and of these,**
**100 proposals were accepted, representing an overall acceptance rate**
**of 29% with a considerable variation, however, from programme to**
**programme, as illustrated in Annex V. The total earnings tor the JRC**
**from the subsequent contractual arrangements amount to** **11** **MECU, to**
**be matched during the execution of the work by the same amount**
**from JRC budget lines.**

**This participation in shared-cost actions has continued. In response to**
**further calls** **tor** **proposals the JRC and its partners have presented**
**126 proposals and are awaiting a final decision on the outcome.** **In** **its**
**planning for 1996 the JRC noted fewer calls for proposals than were**
**issued in** **1995** **or at the end of** **1994.**

**8**

**It is noteworthy that the JRC, together with its partners, has sought**
**opportunities and obtained acceptance both from shared-cost actions**
**within the Framework Programme themes corresponding to the JRC**
**institutional activities and from some shared-cost actions in other**
**themes, e.g. telematics, advanced communication technologies and**
**services or marine sciences and technologies. This illustrates that the**
**JRC as a multi-disciplinary research centre can develop scientific**
**disciplines outside the prescribed Framework Programme themes in**
**support of its institutional activities which are also fruitful in the**
**competitive arena.**

**22.** **The competitive support measures first launched by the Commission**
**during 1995 were a completely new type of activity within the EC**
**Framework Programme.** **JRC projects totalling 12 MECU were**
**accepted in** **1995.** **The work was in response to openings launched by**
**Commission services and are within the fields of:**

**information technology support;**

**systems support to environmental problems and non-nuclear**
**energies;**

**analytical methodologies in the area of agriculture and fisheries;**

**remote sensing applications for agriculture and fisheries including**
**land use classification and agricultural products.**

**Finally, under the Third activities of the EC Framework Programme:**

**projects related to technology transfer and exploitation of EC**
**research results.**

**23.** **Outside the Framework Programmes the JRC has earned contracts in**
**other actions introduced by the Community, namely from the PHARE**
**and TACIS programmes. They total some 5 MECU (as of May 1996)**
**and encompass:**

**•** **A major PHARE project on agricultural information systems,**
**including applications of remote sensing for 6 PHARE countries.**
**Extensions are foreseen for a further 5 PHARE countries and the**
**project may be extended into following years.**

**•** **Another, but smaller PHARE project is concerned with assistance**
**to the Bulgarian authorities on safety of reactor** **fuel,** **while a**
**TACIS project provides support to the investigation of the**
**environmental impact of the Chernobyl accident in the Ukraine.**

**•** **Several PHARE and TACIS projects described in detail in the**
**Communication from the Commission to the Council and the**
**European Parliament on illicit trafficking of nuclear materials** **[2]** **in**
**Annex III.**

**24.** **Alongside these new types of activity, the JRC has continued the work**
**for third parties. New contracts won in 1995 totalled 24.8 MECU and**
**6.6 MECU in the first two quarters of 1996.** **Recent major contracts**
**include:**

**continuing work tor the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission of a**
**major experimental installation** **in** **Ispra;**

2) _COM(96)171_ _final, 19.4.96_

25.

establishment of a Centre for the prevention of pollution and risks
associated with the handling and transportation of toxic
substances in a Member State region;

nuclear instrument development for a large nuclear industrial firm
in a Member State;

development of numerical methods for the simulation of the
behaviour of concrete structures for a national electricity utility;

development of ultrasonic systems for monitoring liquid circuits
for an industrial company in a Member State.

The 1995 outturn of the competitive activities are summarised in the
table below.

**Competitive activities**
**Amounts earned in 1995 (Mioecu)**

Inscribed as
1995 credits 0)

3.9

4.9

1.3

24.5(2)

34.6

inscribed
1.1. -30.6.96

4.6

6.9 j

4.0(3)

6.6(3)

22.1

Shared Cost Actions
(50%)

Competitive Support

Competitive Activities
outside the Framework
Programme

Third Party Work

TOTAL

Earned during
1995

10.7

12.0

2.3

24.8(2)

**49.8**

**(1)** _**The balance will be inscribed as**_ _**i996**_ _**credits, after**_ _conclusion of procedures_
**(2)** _**Including 6.4 Mioecu for work**_ _at the HFR reactor coming_ _**from**_ _contracts with industrial_
_**partners**_
**(3)** _**contract under discussion in 1995**_

Annex VI summarises the targets for competitive activities which were
given to the Board of Governors in May 1996 by the JRC, together with
the financial results obtained in 1995 and early 1996.

**C. JRC OPERATING IN NETWORKS**

**26.** The Council Conclusions stressed the need for the JRC to become
better integrated in networks with partners belonging to all the Member
States. A similar recommendation was included _m_ the Council
Resolution on the JRC of 29 April 1992.

27. In a published report entitled "JRC Cooperation with National
Research Organisations and Universities"'. 87 bilateral and 49
multilateral cooperation agreements are described. The number of
collaboration agreements has further increased to respectively 93 and
63 and Annex VII illustrates the distribution of partners over the
Member States.

**3)** _EUR 16289 EN, 1994_

10

28. Some examples of institutional research given above in Section B
illustrate the extent to which the JRC is working in networks. In
addition to the already well established networks by the Institute for
Advanced Materials (ENIQ, NESC, AMES, EPERC), further typical
examples are:

**REIMEPIMEP**

Regular European Interlaboratory Measurement Evaluation
Programme International Measurement Evaluation Programme.
The JRC Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements
(Geel) has organised networks of up to 70 laboratories for
comparative measurements of nuclear and non-nuclear samples
and to provide the reference value.

**FARO:**

Fuel Melting and Release Oven, where in addition to bilateral
agreements with the French CE A and the U.S. NRC, the JRC
conducts a network of industrial, national authorities and research
organisations on the effects of fuel meltdown in case of reactor
accidents and their mitigation, centred around a unique
experimental installation at the Ispra Site.

Bilateral cooperation is illustrated by

**Atmospheric Chemistry in Global Change and Urban Air**
**Pollution:**

Where the JRC Environment Institute (Ispra) exchanges staff and
organises joint field campaigns for, as an example, studies on
urban air chemistry, with a group of national laboratories in a
Member State (Denmark).

29. The new spectrum of competitive activities, and notably
participation in shared-cost actions, has lead to a further
dimension being added to the JRC's collaboration in networks
and consortia with industry and national research. The JRC are
currently executing around 100 accepted projects for shared-cost
actions with some 250 different partners, including around a third
from industry. The partners are found in all Member States and
associated countries under the EEA Agreement.

**D. IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES**

**30.** The Council, in setting out its Conclusions on the Role of the JRC and
endorsing the guidelines tor the definition of the JRC activities, foresaw
this would require:

     - flexible and dynamic operation of the JRC, the necessity to
ensure a gradual transition and an adaptation of the existing rules
and regulations,

     - an action programme for defining the fundamental objectives and
thereby permitting an evaluation of the progress.

The Council furthermore referred to:

     - an effective coordination between the Centre's institutional
activities provided for in the Framework Programmes, by

-11                  

systematic exchanges of views to be held between the JRC,
including the Board of Governors, and the Committees for the
specific programmes, with due regard to their respective
responsibilities.

The Council finally underlined:

         - the need to take due account of the results of the 1994
evaluation by independent experts

and, above all,

        - **the** role of the Board of Governors in implementing the
conclusions and guidelines.

The progress in these implementation measures is addressed below.

31. When faced in early 1994 with the modified role, the Commission had
two chief concerns for the JRC for allowing the Centre to make this
applicable as and from 1 January, 1995.

Council Decisions on the objectives and resources for the
institutional activities, to which end the specific programmes
1995-1998 were decided on 15 December, 1994 for the JRC
activities for the EC and the EAEC, respectively.

A battery of decisions on amendments to existing rules and
regulations or decisions on new ones, as already listed _in_ the
guidelines annexed to the Council Conclusions.

The latter encompassed legal, budgetary, financial and administrative
matters. Some were internal Commission rules, while others required
decisions by the Council upon proposals by the Commission. The
total body of required decisions was made before the _end_ of 1995. In
summary, they may be described as follows:

Legal basis for participation on a competitive basis in the
Framework Programmes, provided through the Council Decision
on Rules for the Participation of undertakings, research centres
and universities in research, technological development and
demonstration activities of the European Community-' and the
Council Decision concerning the Rules for the participation of
undertakings, research centres and universities in research and
training activities of the European Atomic Energy Community^.
These decisions establish that the JRC can participate in
Community indirect action RTD activities under the same
conditions and with the same rights as other participants. The
EC decision also provides for the participation of the JRC in the
competitive support activities of the Framework Programme;

Related amendments to the Financial Regulation decided by the
Council on 18 September 1995°, to foresee the new competitive
activities of the JRC, to ensure JRC access to appropriations for
earned activities, both under the Framework Programmes and
under other Community programmes, and a degree of flexibility in
transfer possibilities tor appropriations;

A new structure from 1995 onwards in the JRC section of the
General Budget for the European Union (under the research

_4)_ _Council Decision 94 763_ _EC,_ _O.J._ _I_ _306,_ _30 11.94_
_5)_ _Council Decision_ _94 761_ _Euratom,_ _O.J._ _I_ _306,_ _30.11.94_
_6)_ _Council Regulation No. 2335_ 95, _O.J._ _I 240_ _7.10.95_

budget) following the institutional activities and with appropriations
for the JRC of a 50% contribution to earned shared-cost actions.
Appropriate lines for income and expenditure of appropriations
earned from competitive activities. Annex VIII provides a table
of the 1995-1998 schedule for commitment appropriations under
the Budgets of the European Union;

Similar amendments to the accounting systems, with accounting
**for** the competitive activities being separated from the accounting
for the institutional activities;

New simplified cost reimbursement model contract for
Community activities in the field of RTD, adopted by the
Commission on 26 July 1995' and its derived contracts, which in
their special conditions provide for the participation of the JRC as
a contractor. Relations between Directorates General providing
funds and the JRC are specifically regulated by administrative
arrangements. Similar administrative arrangements apply to JRC
participation in other Community competitive activities within or
outside the Framework Programmes.

32. With regard to personnel management the new approach gave rise to
several internal measures on staff training, reassignment of staff and a
substantial amount of communications to staff at all levels.

The early implementation of the new approach to the JRC's operations
coincided with the Commission Decisions in 1995 on a new policy for
all Commission research staff. The concept of a 25% contingent of
highly mobile staff should add the flexibility necessary for staff
management in the JRC, while the new policy also includes a more
permanent nucleus of staff in order to ensure continuity in the Centre's
work.

33. Furthermore, on 16 January 1996, a reorganisation of the JRC was
decided by the Commission and the JRC became an autonomous
Directorate General separate from the Directorate General for Science,
Research and Development (DGXII). A new post of Deputy Director
General was created, whose responsibilities will include
commercialisation and communication, while a reorganisation at the
Ispra Site merged two of its Institutes into the Institute for Systems,
Informatics and Safety (ISIS), thereby strengthening the JRC research
performed on technological risk evaluation and safety issues, in
particular.

_**Advice, interchange and guidance to the JRC**_

_**Evaluations**_

34. As stipulated in the Council Conclusions, due account should be taken
of the results of the evaluation of the JRC by independent experts.

Reference is made to the follow-up on the results. The results of this
evaluation, conducted by 9 Visiting Groups to the JRC Institutes with
an overall evaluation by Sir Hermann Bondi, FRS, were made available
to the Council, the European Parliament and the Board of Governors
as soon as the individual reports were released by the evaluators and
provided early guidelines and advice for the discussions in 1994 on
the JRC specific programmes 1995-1998 under the Framework
Programmes. The full set of all evaluation reports accompanied by the
comments of the Board of Governors was issued by the Commission

_7)_ _Commission Decision written_ _pioceduru_ _E_ _1412_ 95, _26.7.95_

                            - **13-**

in early 1995''. The evaluation reports include 118 recommendations
' on research orientations, research management issues, customer
relations, quality assurance and policy issues related to financial and
personnel management. The Board of Governors _m_ 1995, at
successive meetings with the JRC management, reviewed in detail the
follow-up on the recommendations. It was found in September, 1995
that a total of 84 recommendations were fulfilled or under immediate
implementation. A few recommendations tell outside the scope of the
JRC and in 13 cases needed more reflection, which has now led to
concrete implementation plans but in a few cases, cannot presently be
implemented due to incompatibility with the regulations in force. Some
15 recommendations, particularly related to management issues, while
they were judged acceptable, could not likewise be implemented within
the rules and regulations currently governing the JRC.

35. More recently, the Report of the 1995 Framework Monitoring Panel of
March 1996 has advised that "the Commission should give
consideration to changes in the reporting of the JRC's activities, which
reflect its prominent position within the Framework Programme through
both direct and indirect action.". The Commission is concerned that
more and adequately structured information should be available. One
action being considered is discussions with the Board of Governors on
ways to improve the reporting of the JRC's activities from 1996
onwards.

36. On the occasion of the 5-years' evaluation of the Community research
activities, as foreseen in the Decisions on the Framework Programme,
an evaluation will be performed by Visiting Groups of external experts
to the JRC Institutes, as was the case for the 1994 evaluations. The
calendar established calls for the reports to be available in late
October 1996.

_**Relations with Programme**_ _**Committees**_

37. The Council Conclusions, as well as the Council Decisions on the JRC
specific programmes, underlined the role of the Board of Governors as
being the committee in charge of assisting the Commission in the
programme implementation. Nevertheless, the Council Conclusions
prescribed effective coordination between the Centre's institutional
research activities and the other activities provided for in the
Framework Programmes, through the systematic exchange of views
between the JRC, the Board of Governors and the Committees for the
specific programmes. This concerns six themes from the Framework
Programmes (next to the theme of Thermo-nuclear Fusion, where the
JRC contribution is fully integrated in the specific community Fusion
Programme work through a Coordination Committee between DG XII Fusion and JRC).

While the JRC has contributed to all relevant programme committees,
an exchange of views with the participation of Members of the Board
of Governors has been conducted with four of these programme
committees, thus making the committees familiar with the JRC work in
the respective themes. The Board of Governors has declared its
intention to intensify these mutually useful meeting points to
encompass all relevant programme committees. Both the JRC and
the Board of Governors find that the first experiences demonstrate
there is room for progress, but with respect to the remit of the Board
of Governors.

_8)_ _COM(95)60_ _final, 6.3 95_

To this end, a programme committee (nuclear fission safety) has taken
the initiative to fully integrate the JRC in its recent efforts in the
coordination of Community and national research in this field.

_**Board of Governors**_

38. **The** terms of reference for this body of high-level representatives of
**the** Member States is decided by the Commission. Over the years
**these** terms of reference have undergone an evolution towards
strengthening **the** role of the Board of Governors in assisting and
advising the Director General of the JRC in all aspects of the JRC
planning operations and providing advice to the Commission. An
amended version of the terms of reference of November 1994 [9] took
fully into account the new spectrum of competitive activities introduced
in the modes of operation and was reconfirmed by the Commission in
early 1996">.

Furthermore, the Council Decisions on the JRC specific programmes
stipulate that the Commission shall be responsible for their
implementation and be assisted in this task by the Board of Governors
and assign a role to the Board of Governors in relation to reporting
and evaluating the activities.

39. The Board of Governors, consequently - as foreseen in the Council
Conclusions - exercised and continues to exercise its role in the
implementation of these Conclusions and guidelines for the new
approach set out for the JRC. The Board's independent views on the
achievements obtained so far and the further steps it advises to be
taken are given in the Opinion attached to the present Communication
and which the Commission acknowledges.

**CONCLUSION**

**40.** The present Communication from the Commission provides a review
of the situation at mid-1996      - point by point - on the progress in
implementing the 1994 Council Conclusions on the Role of the JRC.
They called tor new modes of operation and it can be seen that the
JRC, without exception, has fully engaged itself in these and yielded
promising first results. There has been particular attention on the new
range of competitive activities assigned to the Centre.

Many changes in the overall approach to the JRC and its operations
are also under way and, as illustrated in the Communication, there is
still room for progress on the basis of the emerging new
developments. This applies notably to the further commercialisation of
the research results and the introduction of yet further ways for
interactions with the users of the JRC and its customer relations,
operating under rules which fully allow the exploitation of the JRC
potentials.

41. Meanwhile, in its proposal for the second adaptation of the Framework
Programmes the Commission has presented new perspectives for the
bonding of research and industry. The Green Book on Innovation also
offers novel challenges for the corporate research laboratory of the
Union. Innovative concepts for more intensive industrial collaboration,

_9)_ _O.J._ _No_ _L_ _330,_ _p.64 of_ _21.12.94_
_10)_ _Article 4 of the Commission Decision_ _96_ _283._ _EURATOM,_ _O.J._ _No._ _I_ _107._ _of_ _30.4.iHi,p,_ _12_

**-15-**

**such as those suggested by** **IRDAC** **(Industrial Research and**
**' Development Advisory Committee), are under consideration.**
**Demands for further research to meet societal needs of a Community**
**dimension have been placed at the door of the JRC. The Commission**
**intends to engage the JRC in these developments and is reflecting on**
**the role to be assigned to it.**

**42.** **To meet the present and future challenges the JRC, with the approval**
**of the Board of Governors, has suggested an ambitious strategy for**
**the medium and long term, in a strategic plan, leaving room for a**
**continual process of implementation of the Community Institutions and**
**the Member States' expectations of the Centre.**

**43.** **The present report, as intended by the Commission, provides the**
**status at a given check-point in the** **ongoing** **evolution of an important**
**instrument for the fulfilment of the** **European** **Union's** **objectivés** **- the**
**Joint Research Centre.**

**ANNEX** **I**

**JRC** **institutional research activities 1996**

**Activities**

**Industrial**

**technologies and**
**material**

**technologies**

**Measurement**

**and testing**

**Environment**

**and climate**

**Non-nuclear**

**energy**

**Targeted** **socio-**
**economic**

**research**

**Nuclear safety**
**and safeguards**

**Controlled**

**thermonuclear**

**fusion**

Total

**12.97**

**16.82**

**28.91**

2.66

**3.11**

28.03

7.50

**100.00**

Controlled
thermonuclear
fusion

Nuclear safety

and
safeguards

28.03%

Targeted
socio-economic
research
3.11

Non-nuclear

energy
2.66%

16

**Industrial technologies**
**and material**
**technologies** **12.97%**

**Measurement**
**and testing**
**16.82%**

Environment
and climate
28.91%

###### **ANNEX II**

**Number** **of Publications written by JRC Scientists**

Articles In

Conference
Papers

**646**

**772**

Scientific
Journals with
Referee system

**195**

**233**

1994

1995

EUR
Reports

**103**

**117**

TOTAL

944

1122

_**Sources:**_ _**JRC**_ _**Annual Reports**_

**17**

**ANNEX** **III** **(a)**

**List of the Inter-DG Agreements in Institutional Support to the Commission**

Directorate Subjects D a t e o f

General ' Signature

S.G. - UCLAFO Antifraud Policy Support Office 22.12.1995

F.S.U. ("") Prospective Technological Studies 21.6.1996

I IAEA Safeguards Support Pending

III Information Technologies 25 04.1996

III Foodstuffs Analysis 03.06.1996

III Industrial Innovation Systems - Technology Foresight and Pending
Prospective Studies

VI Agricultural Policies (Monitoring MARS-STAT, MARS-PAC 17.07.1995
FEOGA, Animal Identification, BEVABS, Quality Control of
Foodstuffs)

XI ECVAM - ECB - ERLAP - REM 07.12.1995

XI Major Accident Hazards Bureau 10.01.1994

09.02.1996

XI Biotechnology Safety 15.03.1996

XI Nuclear Safety - European Networks on Component Ageing, 19.01.1996

Inspection Techniques and Structural Integrity

XI Nuclear Safety - Harmonization of Safety Criteria 15.03.1996

XVII Nuclear Safety - European Networks on Component Ageing, 23.01.1996

Inspection Techniques and Structural Integrity

XVII On-site Laboratories, ECSAM, Safeguards 20.02.1996

XXIV Quality Control - Cosmetics - Salety of Products - Food 23.10.1995

Products

EEA(***) Harmonisation of environmental measurement techniques 02.02.1995

**O** EMEA(~") Unité Coordination Lutte Antifraude ETOMEP: European Technical Office for Medicinal Products 16.03.1995
## n Forward Studies Unit

_**D**_

Unité Coordination Lutte Antifraude ETOMEP: European Technical Office for Medicinal
Forward Studies Unit

European Environment Agency
European Agency for the Evolution of Medicinal Products

**18**

**ANNEX** **III** **(b)**

**JRC Institutional Support Activities**

DECISIONS. DIRECTIVES, REGULATIONS OF THE COUNCIL AND COMMUNICATIONS
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ON

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OF THE JRC

Environment and Climate

European Reference Laboratory for Air Pollution (ERLAP) Work in support of Directives 80779 EEC, 89 427 EEC. 82 884 EEC. 85'203 EEC and
92 72 EEC

Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament
European Chemicals Bureau (ECB) (93C1 02). OJ No. C1 '3 of 5.01.1993 on the European Chemicals Bureau (ECB).

Work in support of Directives 67548 EEC. 92 32 EEC

Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament
European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods SEC(91)1794 final of 29.10.1991. Establishment of a European Center for the
(ECVAM) Validation of Alternate Methods (ECVAM).
Work in support of Directive 86 609 EEC

Council Regulation (EEC) No. 121090 of 7.5.1990 on the creation of the European
Support to the European Environment Agency (EEA) Environment Agency (OJ No. L120 1, 11.5.1990) (see in particular Article 15 and
Annex A Cooperation with the JRC)

European Community Pharmaceutical Information Network Work in support of Directives 93 '39 EEC. 93 40 EEC and Council Regulations
'ECPHIN) 93 2309 EEC and EEC 237790

Quality Control of Consumer Products (Consumer Protection) On Cosmetics: 6th modification of Regulation EC 76 768 on Safety of Products:
General Safety Directive 92'59 EEC of 29.6.1994

Industrial Reliability: Major Hazards. Biotechnology Safety Communication COM(96) 7 final, on the Major Accident Hazards Bureau from the
Commission to the Council and European Parliament:
Work in support of Directive 82'501 EEC

Methodologies for UCLAF Commission Decision SEC(87) 1310 6 and SEC(95)249

Agriculture and Fisheries

Decision of the Council of 14.11.1994 on Remote Sensing applications to Agricultural
Remote Sensing for Agriculture Statistics for the period 1994-1998 (94753 EEC, OJ No. L299 27. 22.11.1994)

**19**

I — — — —• "* " _I_

DECISIONS, DIRECTIVES, REGULATIONS OF THE COUNCIL AND COMMUNICATIONS
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ON

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OF THE JRC _i_

Animal Identification

Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament
European Office for Wine. Alcohol and Spirit Drinks (BEVABS) (COM(93)360'3). Work in support of Council Regulations (EEC) No. 2048'89. 2348/91
and 2347'91 and Commission Regulation No. 2676'90

Reference Measurements and Materials for Quality Control of EC Directives on foodstuffs and other consumer goods
Foodstuffs

Nuclear Safety and Safeguards

Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament of
24.3.1992 fSEC (92)515 final, concerning the Commission Decision on on-site
laboratories, for the period 1991-1996 (see in particular Art. 16 Cooperation with the
Euratom Safeguards Support:General JRC)
Euratom Safeguards Support: On-Site laboratories and ECSAM Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament
COM(94)383 final, of 7.9.1994 concerning the illicit circulation of radioactive material

Communication from the Commission to the Council COM (80) 681 final, concerning
an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the International Atomic
IAEA Safeguards Support Energy Agency on the one hand and the Commission on behalf of the European
Atomic Energy Community, on the other, on cooperation in the field of research and
development in Safeguards

**20**

**ANNEX IV**

**DG** **III**

**DG** **VI**
**17.16%**

Activities _%_

SG/UCLAF 1.66

DGÏ 5.64

DGin 9.65

DO VI 17.16

DGXI 38.55

DG XVII 24.49

DG XXIV 2.85

Total 100.00

**JRC** **institutional s/t support activities** **1996**

**SG/UCLAF**
**1.66%**

**DGXXIV**
**DG** **I**
**2.85%**
**5.64%**

**DGXVII**
**24.49%**

**DGXI**
**38.55%**

**21**

**SHARED COST ACTIONS**

**JRC** **INSTITUTES** **RESPONSE TO THE FIRST CALLS OF THE 4TH FWP**

**(15/12/94** **through** **27/04/95)**
**Summary of Results by Specific Programme**

JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE

SPECIFIC PROGRAMME

**%**

**38%**

_**50%**_

_**13%**_

_**11%**_

_**30%**_

_**33%**_

_**8%**_

_**-**_

_**17%**_

_**0%**_

_**25%**_

_**56%**_

_**-**_

_**0%**_

**Accepted**

**5**

**2**

**1**

**6**

**8**

**32**

**1**

**-**

**1**

**0**

**14**

**25**

**-**

**0**

**1**

**3**

**1**

**100**

1 Telematics

2 Advanced Communication Technologies
and Services

3. Information Technologies

4. Industrial and Materials Technologies

5. Standards, Measurement and Testing

6. Environment and Climate

7. Marine Sciences and Technologies

8. Biotechnology

9. Biomedicine and Health

10. Agriculture and Fisheries

11. Non-nuclear Energy

12. Nuclear F [:] ission Safety

13. Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion

14. Transport

[ 15. Targeted Socio-Economic Research

l Activity 1: Research, technological
development and demonstration
| programmes (sub-totals)

16. Activity 2: Cooperation with third

countries and international organisations

17. Activity 3: Dissemination and exploitation
of research results

18. Activity 4: Stimulation of training and
mobility of researchers (TMR)

TOTAL

**22**

**Submitted**

**13**

**4**

**8**

**53**

**27**

**98**

**12**

**-**

**6**

**4**

**55**

**45**

**-**

**1**

**-**

**326**

**12**

**5**

**4**

**347**

## **I**

**95** _**29%**_

_**8%**_

_**60%**_

_**25%**_

_**29%**_

**ANNEX VI**

**TARGETS OF EVOLUTION OF JRC COMPETITIVE ACTIVITIES** **1995-1998** **(in Mecu)**

II
Earnings
1995

10.7

12.0

2.3

18.40)

43.4

III
Targets

1996
_(new contracts)_

7.5

19.5

4.5

20.0

**51.5**

23

IV
Targets

1997

6.0

22.0

4.0

21.0

53.0

V
Targets

1998

3.4

26.6

5.0

22.0

57.0

Total ll-V

27.6

80.1

15.8

81.4

204.9

Shared-cost actions 50%

Competitive support

Other Community
activities

Third Party Work

TOTAL

I
Updated
Targets
1995-1998

27.7

80.0

**18.0**

60.0

**185.7**

(1) HFR - Reactor Third Party Work not included.

**Distribution of JRC** **Cooperation** **with National Research Organisations and Universities, by country**

**Distribution per**
**country in**
**percentages**

 Percentage
Country

AT 4.9

BE 4.7

DK 2.0

DE 17.6

ES 5.8

GR 2.3

FI 2.3

FR 13.1

IRL 1.2

IT 10.9

LUX 0.4

NL 5.8

PT 2.3

SE 2.8

UK 10.9 _m_

"Others 13.0 " "

Total J 100.0

FI 2.3%
IT 10.9%

IRL 1.2%
FR 13.1%

24

Others
13.0%

BE 4.7%

DK 2.0%

**f**

DE 17.6%

ES 5.8%

GR2.3 [0] _**70**_ /

UK 10.9%

LUX 0.4%

**JRC COMMITMENT APPROPRIATIONS** **1995-1998** **(in ECU)**

1995 Execution

1,924,124

24,983,909

28,258,930

74,671,577

10,228.685

5,040.023

5,133.323

51.102

1996 Budget

3,346,831

20,993,470

27.171.331

75,924.604

11,604.084

3,723.607

9.178.246

4.699.827

1997 Proposed

3,219,103

21,499,776

27,821.772

77,324.747

13,883,237

4,117,059

10,206,430

6,880,876

1998 Foreseen

3,209,942

22,022,845

28.547,967

78.979,072

14,283,994

4.219.311

10.482,001

5.368,195

**ANNEX VIII**

1995-1998
TOTAL

11,700,000

89,500,000

111,800.000

306,900,000

50,000,000

17,100,000

35,000,000

17,000.000

Budget Line

B6-2113

B6-2121

B6-2122

B6-2131

B6-2143

B6-2151

B6-2171

B6-291

'B6-3111

B6-3121

**B6-391**

Title

Information Technologies

Industrial and Material Technologies

Measurement and Testing

Environment and Climate

Agriculture and Fisheries

Non-nuclear Energy

Targeted Socio-Economic Research

JRC Participation in Shared Cost
Actions (EC)(50%)

Nuclear Fission Safety and
Safeguards

Controlled Thermo-nuclear Fusion

JRC Participation in Shared Cost
Actions (EAEC)(50°/o)

_**TOTAL**_ _**EC**_ _**Programme**_ **150,291.672** **156,642.000** **164,953,000** **167.113.328** **639.000,000**

64.193,094

12,303,171

**2,799.735**

66,608.496

**12.622,938**

5,524,971

63,813,825

11,486,770

0

65,184.585

12,587,121

**2,375,294**

259,800,000

**49,000,000**

10,700,000

_**TOTAL**_ _**EAEC Programme**_ **75,300,595** **79,296,000** **80,147,000** **84,756,405**

_**TOTAL**_ _**EC**_ **+** _**EAEC Programmes**_ **225,592,267** **235,938,000** **245,100,000** **251,869,733**

25

###### **2£**

**CA(96)48**
**9 August,** **1996**

**OPINION OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS**

**OF THE JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE**

**ON**

**THE COMMUNICATION OF THE COMMISSION**

**TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT**

**ON PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE**

**COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS OF 26 APRIL** **1994** **ON THE**

**ROLE OF THE JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE (JRC)**

**INTRODUCTION**

**1.** The Council Conclusions of 26 April 1994 on the Role of the JRC call upon
the Commission to submit a report in 1996 to the European Parliament and
the Council on the Implementation of these Conclusions, after obtaining the
Opinion of the Board of Governors, so as to enable the European
Parliament and the Council to draw up an assessment of the situation.

2. After considering the text of the report from the Commission and following
extensive discussions on the current situation of the JRC, the Board of
Governors expresses the following Opinion.

**JRC EVOLUTION** **S1MCE 1994**

3. The Council Conclusions outline the role of the JRC and set out guidelines
for its operations. They signal a new approach to the JRC and call for a
transition which should be introduced progressively during the period from
1995 to 1998. This includes targets for a novel set of competitive activities,
the necessary changes to rules and regulations governing the JRC and a
call for further collaboration with partners belonging to all the Member
States.

4. The JRC is now approaching mid-term in this evolutionary process, for
which the planning was initiated with the Board of Governors in 1994, upon
the decisions of the Framework Programmes for 1994-1998 and the issue of
the Council Conclusions on the Role of the JRC.

The report from the Commission and the JRC 1995 Annual Report which
reports on the first year under the modified role of the JRC, clearly bear
witness to the fact that encouraging progress has already been made
towards fulfilling the intentions of the Council, the European Parliament and
the Commission.

This modified role included participation in a wider spectrum of competitive
activities than was the case in the past. The JRC should participate in
Community programmes on an equal basis with partners from research and
industry, to whom collaboration should be extended. The Board notes that
the Centre responded in a dynamic way to the new challenge and that it has
obtained good results in the competition, exceeding expectations. With
regard to shared cost action (specific) programmes under the Framework
Programmes, the Board wishes to draw attention to the fact that this
encompasses accepted projects outside the themes where the JRC has
institutional activities, thus capitalising on its multi-disciplinary competences.
Good results were also obtained for the other modes of competitive
activities. In general, targets were exceeded.

At the same time, the JRC has continued through its institutional activities to
contribute to the formulation and implementation of Community policies,
including research policy. Ties with national research activities have been
reinforced and efforts in this direction should be maintained.

Having confirmed its overall favourable impression with progress to date,
the Board emphasises, however, the need to sustain the initiatives already
taken and remarks that there is still room for improvement, both in the
operations of the Centre itself and In the boundary conditions which govern
its activities and that an effort is still required before the Council Conclusions
can be said to be fully implemented.

**THE WAY FORWARD**

**5.** The Board welcomed the steps taken by the Commission in accordance
with its recommendations to further strengthen the commercialisation and
communication of the JRC's work and its results. The addition of a Deputy
Director General to the management team of the Centre is welcomed and
should facilitate further progress in this direction. Related to this, the Board
points to new ways in which the JRC in fulfilment of its objectives may
further augment its relations with European industry, and a series of
additional measures for measuring the performance (performance
indicators) of the JRC, its institutes and the satisfaction of its customers.

The Board notes that its relations with the committees of the specific
programmes which share the same framework programmes lines with the
JRC own research programmes, have been initiated but need strengthening.
Specifically, it would be beneficial for Institute Directors to have detailed
annual discussions with relevant Programme Committees.

With regard to the management team of the JRC, the Board has also, as
described in its Observations to the JRC Annual Report 1995, advised the
Commission on appointments to vacant senior posts at Institute Director
level. The considerable number of highly qualified applicants confirmed the
exciting and challenging nature of these posts and the growing recognition
of the merits of the JRC in the European scientific and industrial community.

6. As prescribed in the Council Conclusions and recorded in the Report of the

   Commission, thé new modes of operation of the JRC, and notably the

competitive activities, required a series of amendments to the rules and
regulations governing the JRC and its working methods. Such amendments
and new rules have been implemented and the Board welcomes the
Commission's Decision to give the JRC status as an autonomous
Directorate General. As indicated previously in the Observations to the JRC
Annual Report 1995, the Board is of the firm opinion that a further evolution
in the status of the JRC within the Commission is essential to allow the
Centre to fully live up to expectations for its working methods and relations
with industry and national research, as set out by the Framework
Programmes arid highlighted in the Council Conclusions. Whereas a series
of incremental! changes have been accomplished, a more basic
reorganisation of the JRC statute is called for. The Board acknowledges the
Commissioner's indications of the intentions in this direction and looks
forward to playing a full part in advising on these important matters, which
for the benefit of the JRC may include a redefinition of the operation and
responsibilities of the Board itself.

Like the staff of many other European research institutes, the JRC staff has
an age distribution which will continually result in vacancies in the coming
few years, a process which is already in progress and' which requires
replacements at all levels. The JRC is about to undergo significant changes
involving increased participation in competitive activities and an improved
responsiveness to the new needs of its customers, and an increased
flexibility in its operations is necessary. In this situation the Commission has
established a new policy for its entire research personnel, including JRC
staff. Its most important feature is the three categories: officials, temporary
agents and the new category of temporary agents having non-renewable,
three year contracts, and the assignment of goals for the proportion
between these categories (40%, 35% and 25%). Ever since its inception it
has had the attention of the Board. Whereas the Board welcomes the
Commission's recognition of the need for a contingent of highly mobile staff,
it has persistently expressed reservations as far as the JRC is concerned
with regard to the implications of raising the proportion of officials, at
present 33%, within the total staff contingent of the JRC. The Board
expects to be consulted on this process of change.

**ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS**

7. The Board finally notes that the Council Conclusions underlined its role in
implementing the conclusions and guidelines. The Board appreciates the
responsiveness it has had from the Commissioner and the Director General,
in particular, to its views and advice, but notes that its views on the abovementioned staff policy have not fully been taken into account. The Board

  - welcomes the several contacts it has had with the Commissioner for
Research, Mrs. Edith Cresson, and looks forward to further discussions on
the evolution of the JRC status and strategy.

#### **2 *$**

**ISSN 0254-1475**

## **COM(96) 436 final**

# **DOCUMENTS**

##### **EN 15** **Catalogue number : CB-CO-96-438-EN-C** **ISBN 92-78-08592-8**

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

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