Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

1. 12. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 306/13

## II

_(Preparatory Acts)_

# COMMISSION

Proposal for a Council Decision to adopt a multiannual research and development programme
in food science and technology (1989 to mid-1993) — Food-linked agro-industrial research

(Flair)

_(COM(88) 351 final — SYN 140)_

_(Submitted by the Commission on 27 June 1988)_

(88/C 306/13)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Economic Community, and in particular to Article 130Q
(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 130K of the Treaty stipulates that the
framework programme shall be implemented through
specific programmes developed within each activity;

Whereas, by its Decision of 28 September 1987 ('), the
Council adopted a framework programme of
Community research and technological development
(1987 to 1991), providing for activities to be
implemented to ensure the exploitation and optimum use
of biological resources;

Whereas the framework programme sets out criteria to
evaluate each specific programme and to select
Community actions, which include that of contributing
to the strengthening of the economic and social cohesion
of the Community, consistent with the pursuit of
scientific and technical quality;

Whereas a multiannual programme of research and
development programme in the field of food science and
technology (Flair) will assist in the combined progress in

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

public health and consumer protection with industrial
and economic development within the Community;

Whereas having regard to the fact that the specialized
skills and capabilities relevant to food technology are
numerous, and Europe's most internationally competitive
capabilities are located in diverse Member States, mutual
benefit shall be derived from collaboration in a

Community programme;

Whereas pursuant to Council Decision of . . . adopting a
first multiannual programme for biotechnology-based
agro-industrial research and technological development
(Eclair), a Management and Coordination Advisory
Committee (CGC) was created and whereas it is
desirable that the same CGC assist the Commission in

the implementation of this programme;

Whereas four Community-COST concertation
agreements on four concerted action projects in the field
of food science and technology ( [2] ) have produced
encouraging results, and further initiatives in the COST
framework in this field, are underway;

Whereas the participation of European non-Member
States wholly or partially with projects in this
programme is desirable;

Whereas it is desirable to involve small- and

medium-sized enterprises to the maximum extent
possible in the food science and technology research and
development programme;

O OJ No L 54, 25. 2. 1978, p. 25; OJ No L 270, 27. 10. 1979,
p. 53; OJ No L 39, 15.2. 1980, p. 30; OJ No L 350, 23. 12.
1980, p. 54; OJ No L 353, 15. 12. 1982, p. 25; OJ No L
151, 7. 6. 1984, p. 46.

No C 306/14 Official Journal of the European Communities 1. 12. 88

Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research

Committee (Crest), was consulted on the following
measures and has expressed its opinion on the
Commission's proposal,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

_Article 1_

A specific research and technological development
programme for the European Economic Community in
the field of food technology, as defined in the Technical
Annex, is hereby adopted for a period of four and a half
years, from 1 January 1989.

_Article 2_

The funds estimated as necessary for the execution of
the programme amount to ECU 25 million, including
expenditure on a staff of five.

_Article 3_

The programme shall consist of work carried out as
concerted and cost-shared actions, and by training/
mobility grants.

Detailed rules for implementing the programme are set
out in the Technical Annex.

_Article 4_

In the third year of the programme implementation, the
Commission shall undertake a review and report to the
Council and the European Parliament on the results
thereof, together, if necessary, with any proposals for
modification or prolongation in the light of the interim
results achieved.

An evaluation of the results achieved shall be conducted

by independent experts and published in the form of a
communication to the Council and the European
Parliament.

The abovementioned reports shall be established having
regard to the objectives set out in the Annex to this
Decision, in particular for the improvement of food
safety and quality for the consumer, and in conformity
with the provisions of Article 2 (2) of the framework

programme.

_Article 5_

The Commission shall be responsible for the execution
of the programme and be assisted in its implementation
by the Management and Coordination Advisory
Committee (CGC), set up by Council Decision . . .

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

_Article 6_

The Commission is authorized to negotiate, in
accordance with Article DON of the EEC Treaty,
agreements with international organizations, with those
non-Member States participating in European
cooperation in the field of scientific and technogical
research (COST) and with those European countries
having concluded framework agreements in scientific
and technological cooperation with the Community, with
a view to associating them wholly or partially in
concerted actions within this programme.

Where framework agreements for scientific and technical
cooperation between non-Community European
countries and the European Community have been
concluded, organizations and enterprises established in
these countries may, under appropriate conditions to be
defined by the Commission, become partners to a costshared project within this programme.

_Article 7_

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

1. 12. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 306/15

_TECHNICAL_ _ANNEX_

for a specific research and technological development programme in the field of food science and technology

(1989 to mid-1993)

Objectives

The objectives of the programme are to contribute in the medium and longer terms to Europe's competitiveness in the food industry, the improvement of food safety and quality for the consumer; the strengthening of the food science and technology infrastructures in Europe, in the context of the harmonious
development of the internal market. The programme is targeted at complementing existing initiatives in
Member States through the development of further collaborative linkages between different research
groups and industries, and shall concentrate on the interface between food processing, food distribution
and the consumer. The consumer demands for more natural and healthy foods, with greater diversity, shall
be met by the combined efforts of researchers and the food industry. Conservation, enhancement of nature
and environmental protection shall be systematically taken into consideration in the execution of the

programme.

Content

The research activities in this programme have been divided into three sectors. New technologies and
processing innovations, which enhance food quality, safety and nutritive values, shall also be supported in
each sector.

1. _Assessment and Enhancement of food quality_ shall consist of research and development on:

— quantitative measures of 'quality',

— objective organoleptic and sensory criteria and their relationship to quality,

— quantitative measures of 'freshness' of processed foods,

— the quality aspect of raw materials as they affect processing and end products, and

— new technologies and processing innovations which enhance food quality while also facilitating
processing, and building consumer confidence.

2. _Food hygiene, safety and toxicological_ _aspects_ shall concern research and development on:

— improved rapid screening tests to predict potential toxicity factors,

— the occurrence of natural plant toxins and their effects on food,

— predicting micro-organism growth rates, accelerated methods for specific organisms and total

counts,

— improved understanding of the relationship between food constituents and food allergies, and

— the application of these tests in food processing and new food product development to ensure the
safety of both processes and products.

3. _Nutrition and wholesomeness aspects_ shall consist of research and development on:

— new processing techniques, applications and natural ingredients which provide high nutritional and

wholesomeness values,

— methodologies for the nutritional evaluation of foods,

— the bioavailability of the nutritional constituents (e.g. vitamins and minerals) and the effects of
processing, distribution, catering, storage and home treatment,

— the nutritional and wholesomeness value of foods designed for particular uses (e.g. slimming or
athletics) or important to sub-groups in the population (e.g. infants and the elderly),

those new processes and technologies which enhance the nutritional and wholesomeness of foods.

N o C 306/16 Official Journal of the European Communities 1. 12. 88

Implementation

The programme shall consist of work carried out as concerted and cost-shared actions, and by training/
mobility grants. All projects shall be carried out by participants from more than one Member State.

Participation in a concerted action is open to all Member States, to non-member European States which
have concluded framework agreements in scientific and technological cooperation with the Community
and COST participating States.

Participants in a project conducted as a cost-shared action, may be industrial enterprises, research
institutions, universities or combinations of them, established in the Community or in those non-member
European States which have concluded framework agreements in scientific and technological cooperation
with the Community.

As a general rule, research institutes and universities shall participate in a group together with one or more
industrial organizations. Research institutes which are funded principally or exclusively by industrial organizations shall be considered as industrial participants.

For those actions which are conducted on a cost-shared basis, the Community contribution shall not
normally exceed 50 % of the total expenditure, the remainder to be provided mainly from industrial

sources.

Training/mobility grants shall be included to facilitate the assembly of relevant skills at appropriate
locations for the work of the projects, and to promote effective diffusion of the knowledge resulting from
them. The programme shall also include coordination activities such as the organization of meetings,
consultation with national experts, and diffusion of information on the progress and results of the projects.

Evaluation criteria

The Commission communication to the Council concerning a Community Plan of Action relating to the
evaluation of Community research and development activities for the years 1987 to 1991 (COM(86) 660
final) states that the objectives and milestones of each research programme have to be set out in a testable
form, which are set out below.

1. The long term objective of this programme is to contribute to the competitiveness of Europe's food
industries, and to improved consumer protection and confidence, by strengthening the links between
them through research and development. The Commission proposes to achieve this objective by
launching a programme of concerted actions and cost-shared actions. The projects seek to promote
the close collaboration between research and industrial groups, by their participation in research and
technological development on food quality, hygiene, safety, toxicology, nutritional and wholesomeness values.

2. The primary short term objective is that the programme should succeed in eliciting proposals, for
concerted actions (with national agreement) and for R & D cost-shared projects (with commitments
to co-finance from industry), on a scale commensurate with the Community resources proposed. This
objective shall be testable in 1991 to 1992.

At this time, the programme should also demonstrate its promotion and encouragement of intersectoral collaboration, across the Member States and in Europe.

3. Particular objectives to be attained within three years of the programme implementation are as
follows:

3.1. that improved food evaluation and assessment techniques have been developed, in particular sensory
analysis, and that the results have given grounds to expect that they will find applications which will
benefit industry and/or the consumer;

3.2. that new, rapid tests for food hygiene, safety and toxicological aspects have been developed; that
advantages in terms of precision, effectiveness, or the avoidance of possible adverse side-effects have
been indicated; and that as a result of the tests the products, techniques or services have practical
applications for industry and/or the consumer;

1. 12. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 306/17

3.3. that research and development has been conducted on the nutritional value of foods; that useful tests
have been developed to measure the nutritional value of food constituents, including the effects of
processing; and that as a result the nutritional and wholesomeness values of those foods are
enhanced;and

3.4. that studies and tests have been conducted for the development of new, novel processing technologies
or innovations which enhance food quality, safety, and nutritional value and that as a result of such
studies and projects new applications have been found.

4. in addition, the programmes must ensure that the following general criteria are met:

4.1. that the potential increase in market opportunities, in medium and long-term, as a result of the
improvements or benefits demonstrated, is of a size to justify the Community expenditure committed;

4.2. that the consumer confidence in food research and industry is encouraged and high standards for
consumer protection are maintained;

4.3. that throughout the execution of the programme the projects should have taken adequately into
consideration the conservation, enhancement of nature and evironmental issues;

4.4 taking account of the results of Community, national or private sector research activities in food
science and technology, the evaluation panel shall consider whether the FLAIR programme has
contributed to the application of the results of the said research activities in regions of the
Community other than those in which the research was conducted, and has produced added value
attributable to the Community character of the programme (i. e. not readily obtainable via Member
State actions alone).