CELEX: 51990PC0592
Language: en
Date: 1990-11-30
Title: AMENDED PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION ADOPTING A SPECIFIC RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN THE FIELD OF ENVIRONMENT ( 1991 - 1994 )

No C 327/22                           Official Journal of the European Communities                                 29. 12. 90
                                                             II
                                                     (Preparatory Acts)
                                                COMMISSION
              Amended proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific research and technological devel-
                            opment programme in the field of environment (1991 to 1994) (')
                                              COM(90) 592 final — SYN 263
               (Submitted by the Commission pursuant to Article 149 (3) of the EEC Treaty on 30 November
                                                            1990)
                                                       (90/C 327/13)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                          Whereas, in addition to the specific programme on
                                                                  human capital and mobility, training of researchers in
                                                                  each of the strategic research sectors of the framework
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
                                                                  programme must be ensured;
Economic Community, and in particular Article 130q (2)
thereof,
                                                                  Whereas an estimate should be made of the amount of
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,                Community financial resources needed to carry out this
                                                                  specific programme; whereas the definitive amounts will
                                                                  be fixed by the budgetary authority in line with the
In cooperation with the European Parliament,
                                                                  financial perspectives covering the period 1988 to 1992
                                                                  included in the interinstitutional Agreement of 29 June
Having regard to the Economic and Social Committee,                1988 (3) and with any future financial perspectives
                                                                  covering the period 1993 to 1994;
Whereas, by Decision 90/221/Euratom/EEC (2), the
Council adopted a third framework programme for
Community activities in the field of research and techno-         Whereas, pursuant to Article 4 of and Annex I to
logical development (1991 to 1994), specifying inter alia         Decision 90/221/Euratom/EEC, the amount deemed
the activities to be pursued for developing the scientific        necessary for the whole framework programme includes
knowledge and technical know-how needed by the                    an amount of ECU 57 million for the centralized
Community, in particular to carry out its role relating to        dissemination and exploitation of results, drawn propor-
the environment according to Part Three, Title VII of             tionally from the amount provided for each activity;
the Treaty; whereas this decision should be taken in the          whereas by virtue of the size of this specific programme
light of the grounds set out in the preamble of that              within the 'environment' action the estimate of means
Decision;                                                         necessary for this programme is to be reduced by ECU
                                                                  2,6 million, which amount is to be allocated to the said
                                                                  centralized action in order to comply with the provision
Whereas Article 130k of the Treaty stipulates that the            of Article 130p (2), second sentence, of the Treaty;
framework programme is to be implemented through
specific programmes developed within each activity;
                                                                  Whereas this programme must be implemented by the
Whereas the Joint Research Centre shall contribute                Commission; whereas, to help accomplish this, the
through its own programme to the implementation of the            Member States are bound, pursuant to Article 5 of the
aforesaid activities;                                             Treaty, to facilitate the achievement of its tasks, where
                                                                  necessary, notably within a committee;
Whereas fundamental research must be specifically
encouraged Community-wide in each of the strategic
                                                                  Whereas this programme must be implemented essen-
research sectors of the framework programme;
                                                                  tially by the selection of research and development
                                                                  projects to enable them to benefit from Community
                                                                  participation; whereas the Commission should encourage
(') OJ No C 174, 16. 7. 1990, p. 40.
O OJ No L 117, 8. 5. 1990, p. 28.                                 O OJ No L 185, 15. 7. 1988, p. 33.
 ---pagebreak--- 29. 12. 90                             Official Journal of the European Communities                            No C 327/23
the submission of such projects by the usual means of            HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
publishing calls for proposals in the Official Journal of the
European      Communities;     whereas     an    exceptional
procedure should also be devised to come into effect                                       Article 1
between calls for proposals so as to maintain a degree of
flexibility enabling the Commission, in the face of tech-        A specific research and technological development
nological progress, also to take into consideration spon-        programme for the European Economic Community in
taneous proposals consistent with the objectives of the          the field of environment, as defined in Annex I, is hereby
programme;                                                        adopted for the period from the date of publication of
                                                                 this decision in the Official Journal of the European
                                                                  Communities to 31 December 1994.
Whereas the projects to be carried out under the                                           Article 2
programme must be selected with special attention to the
principles of economic and social cohesion in the                 1.    The Community funds estimated as necessary for
Community, the transnational nature of the projects and           the execution of the programme under this Decision
to the support to be given to small and medium-sized             amount to ECU 414 million. This amount includes ECU
enterprises;                                                     260 million for the execution of the activities approved
                                                                 by the present decision, and ECU 154 million for the
                                                                  activities which the JRC will contribute to the
                                                                 programme and which will be the subject of a separate
                                                                  decision of the Council.
Whereas it is only in the light of experience gathered in
the course of development of this programme that the
Commission will be able to propose and the Council to            2.     From the above sum of ECU 260 million, an
adopt supplementary programmes by having recourse to              amount of ECU 2,6 million is drawn for the centralized
the means provided for in Articles 1301, 130m or 130o of         action of dissemination and exploitation. The funds thus
the Treaty, if they contribute to the achievement of the         reduced to ECU 257,4 million include staff costs, which
programme's objectives, in accordance with the option            may amount to a maximum of 4 °/o.
made available by Article 2 (2) of Decision
90/221/Euratom/EEC;
                                                                  3.    An indicative allocation of funds is set out in An-
                                                                  nex II.
Whereas, in accordance with Article 130g of the Treaty,          4.     If the Council takes a decision pursuant to Article
the Community's activities aimed at strengthening the             1 (4) of Decision 90/221/Euratom/EEC, this decision
scientific and technological basis of European industry          shall be adapted to take account of the abovementioned
and encouraging it to become more competitive in terms           decision.
of     ecological    development      include     promoting
cooperation on research and technological development
                                                                  5.    The budgetary authority shall decide on the appro-
with third countries and international organizations;
                                                                 priations available for each financial year.
whereas such cooperation may prove particularly
beneficial to the development of this programme and
should involve countries at various levels of devel-
opment;                                                                                    Article 3
                                                                  Rules for the implementation of the programme are set
                                                                  out in Annex III.
Whereas it is necessary, as Annex II to Decision
90/221/Euratom/EEC provides, to take protection of                                         Article 4
the environment and the quality of life into account by
directing research activities towards an understanding of        The rate of the Community financial contribution shall
the fundamental mechanisms of the environment, and                be laid down in accordance with Annex IV to Decision
the framing and implementation of integrated prevention           90/221/Euratom/EEC.
strategies in all areas of human activity, while contri-
buting to the preparation of quality and safety standards;
                                                                                           Article 5
                                                                  1.    During 1992, the Commission shall review the
                                                                 programme and address a report on the results of the
Whereas the Scientific and Technical               Research       review to the Council and to the European Parliament,
Committee (Crest) has given its opinion,                         together with proposals for any necessary changes.
 ---pagebreak---   No C 327/24                          Official Journal of the European Communities                              29. 12. 90
  2.    At the end of the programme, the Commission shall                                    Article 8
  assess the results obtained. It shall address a report
  thereon to the Council and the European Parliament.             The procedure laid down in Article 7 shall apply to:
                                                                  — the preparation and updating of the work programme
  3.    The reports shall be drawn up having regard to the            referred to in Article 6 (3),
  objectives set out in Annex I to this Decision and in
  accordance     with    Article    2   (4)   of    Decision
  90/221/Euratom/EEC and shall assess the coherence of            — the contents of calls for proposals referred to in
  the programme's measurable implementation with the six             Annex III,
  major concerns set out in Annex II of Council Decision
  90/221 /Euratom, EEC.
                                                                  — the participation in any project by non-Community
                                                                     organizations and enterprises referred to in Ar-
                                                                     ticle 10,
                           Article 6
  1.    The Commission shall be responsible for the               — any adaptation of the indicative breakdown of expen-
  execution of the programme. It shall be assisted by an             diture set out in Annex II,
  advisory committee, hereinafter referred to as 'the
  Committee', composed of representatives of the Member           — evalutation of the projects referred to in Annex III,
  States and chaired by a representative of the                      including those submitted through the exceptional
  Commission.                                                        procedure,
                                                                 — the measures to be undertaken          to evaluate the
  2.    The contracts concluded by the Commission shall
                                                                     programme,
 govern the rights and obligations of each party,
 including the procedures for disseminating, protecting
 and exploiting the research results, in accordance with         — accompanying measures and arrangements for the
 the arrangements adopted pursuant to the second                     dissemination, protection and exploitation of the
 paragraph of Article 130k of the Treaty, and, where                 results of the research, for encouraging fundamental
 appropriate, procedures for training and evaluation.                research, training of researchers and technological
                                                                     assessment carried out under the programme,
 3.    A work programme shall be drawn up at the start           — concerted actions, referred to in point 2 of Annex III.
 of the programme and shall be regularly revised. It shall
 set out the detailed objectives and types of projects to be
 undertaken and the financial arrangements to be made
 for them. The Commission shall make calls for proposals                                    Article 9
 for projects on the basis of the work programme.                In implementing this programme,            supplementary
                                                                 programmes within the meaning of Article 1301, partici-
                                                                 pation within the meaning of Article 130m and joint
                                                                 undertakings or any other structures within the meaning
                           Article 7                             of Article 130o of the Treaty may also be decided on as
 1.    In the cases referred to in Article 8 (1), the            the need arises.
 representative of the Commission shall submit to the
 Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The
 Committee shall deliver its opinion on this within a time                                 Article 10
 limit which the Chairman may set in accordance with the
 urgency of the matter, if necessary by holding a vote.          Where cooperation with third countries and international
                                                                 organizations aiming at achieving the objectives of this
                                                                 programme requires legal undertakings between the
                                                                 Community and the third parties concerned, the
2.     The opinion shall be entered in the minutes; in           Commission shall be authorized to negotiate, in
addition, each Member State shall have the right to ask          accordance with Article 130n of the Treaty, international
for its position to appear in the minutes.                       agreements laying down the terms of such cooperation.
                                                                 Priority will be given to cooperation with EFTA
3.     The Commission shall take the fullest account of         countries and European countries not members of the
the opinion delivered by the Committee. It shall inform         European Community, in accordance with the guidelines
the Committee of the way in which it has taken account          agreed between the Council and the European
of the opinion.                                                 Parliament drawn up during the conciliation procedure
 ---pagebreak--- 29. 12. 90                                 Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n Communities                              N o C 327/25
prior to the         adoption     of   the   third    framework               Decisions o n the conclusion of such international
programme.                                                                    agreements shall be a d o p t e d in a c c o r d a n c e with the
                                                                              p r o c e d u r e referred to in Article 130q (2) of the Treaty.
T h e negotiations for such international agreements m a y
only be initiated with third countries w h o are already
signatories of a cooperation agreement with explicity                                                        Article 11
cites research a n d technological development o r scientific
progress as one of the objectives of cooperation.                            This Decision is addressed to the M e m b e r States.
                                                                    ANNEX      I
                                  SCIENTIFIC A N D TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES AND C O N T E N T
              This specific programme fully reflects the approach embodied in the third framework programme in terms
              of the scientific and technical goals and the underlying aims which it pursues.
              Paragraphs 3A, 3B, 3D and 3E of Annex II to the framework programme form an integral part of the
              present specific programme.
              The actions envisaged will enable large projects to be undertaken to complement and strengthen the acti-
              vities of the ongoing environment research programmes, the principal aim being to take the environment
              and the quality of life into account by directing research activities towards an understanding of the funda-
              mental mechanisms of the environment and the framing and implementation of integrated prevention
              strategies in all areas of human activity and, in particular, to respond rapidly to the scientific challenges
              which arise from global change.
              Human life styles contribute to disruption of the various ecosystems. The acceleration of scientific, techno-
              logical, economic and social development in the Community and throughout the world may put the
              biosphere and, consequently, mankind at risk.
              Thus, Community research must be aimed at identification of the risks, the better to avert these trends and
              thus bring them under control. Community research is therefore a driving force in the evolution of our
              system. Consequently, the Community must make provision for multidisciplinary research capable of
              studying every aspect of the biosphere and its historical development. Such research must also study man's
              relationship with the natural environment and with his economic, social and cultural environment etc., as
              they all form an indivisible whole.
              Such action is in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity: in fact, environmental research, which is
              fundamentally integrative, will come to full fruition in an international setting. By its very nature, the
              Community offers an advantageous framework for development.
             The following presents an analytical description of the content of the programme, based on and taking
              account of the above elements.
             Area 1: Participation in Global Change programmes
             The goal is to contribute to understanding the processes governing environmental change and to assess the
             impact of human activities. The knowledge of phenomena gained through the study of physical and
             chemical indicators will be supplemented to a considerable degree by the study of biological indicators,
             which have the advantage of providing an integrated response to all factors for change. Community partici-
             pation will be concentrated on problems which will have an impact on environment policy and in areas
             where the Community is best placed to ensure European coordination in the framework of large inter-
             national programmes whiie taking account of national programmes and avoiding competition with existing
             projects.
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 327/26                            Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n Communities                        29. 12. 90
            Natural climatic change
           The objective is to reconstruct and model the evolution of the climate system in the past in order to
           understand better how the system may evolve subject to forcing factors of human origin.
           Taking advantage of deep ice cores to be recovered in the next years, research will aim at the recon-
           struction and modelling of the quaternary climatic cycles. In particular, the last climatic cycle should be
           accurately reconstructed, in order to understand and model the onset of the most recent glaciation.
            Anthropogenic climate change
            Research will be carried out to understand, describe and forecast climatic change brought about by human
            activities, in order to provide the scientific basis for preventive or adaptive measures.
           A major project will be launched on the development, testing and intercomparison of integrated high-
            resolution global change models coupling the atmosphere (including clouds), the ocean, the biosphere and
            the cryosphere — and particularly exchanges between the ocean and the atmosphere — taking advantage
            of modern supercomputer and computer-linking techniques.
            Climate change impacts
            The aim is to forecast the physical and human impacts of the foreseen climate change in the European
            Community.
            The emphasis will be on the quantitative assessment and modelling of the impacts of the foreseen climate
            change, especially the sea level rise and its consequences for European towns and low-lying coastal areas,
            and the impact on European agriculture, water resources and other sectors of the European economy
            (tourism, land use, energy, transport, etc.).
            Stratospheric ozone
            Work will aim at understanding and forecasting the processes and causes lying at the root of the depletion
            of stratospheric ozone. To that end, use will be made of the most modern scientific research techniques,
            both of the theoretical/mathematical and of the experimental type.
            New activities will include arctic campaigns in 1991/92 and 1992/93 to identify possible ozone depletion.
            In parallel, data collection from a network of ground measurement stations will be coordinated,
            complemented by measurements from mobile stations and by laboratory research on pertinent chemical and
            photochemical reactions. These activities will be accompanied by the modelling of stratospheric processes,
            including the consequences of emission scenarios, and by the assessment of the ecological and health
            effects of increased UV-B radiation.
             Tropospheric physics and chemistry
            Research will be carried out to elucidate important physico-chemical processes in the troposphere as a basis
            for the definition of preventive measures. New approaches to the understanding of tropospheric ozone,
            O H and NOy and HC (solid and gaseous phases) chemistry will include coordinated clean-air
            measurement campaigns as well as modelling work combining meteorological and chemical models. These
            activities will be extended to natural emissions such as terpenes and other hydrocarbons and sulphur and
            halogen containing compounds.
            Electromagnetic environment
            Work will aim to assess the impact on the climate, ecosystems and living things, in particular man, of
            changes in the electromagnetic environment as a result of human activities involving low-frequency
            radiation (50-60 hz). Hertzian radiation (radio, television) and microwaves (radar, satellite links,
            microwave ovens).
 ---pagebreak--- 29. 12. 90                               Official Journal of the European Communities                                     No C 327/27
              Biogeocbemical cycles
             Work will aim at deepening the understanding of biogeochemical cycles and their disturbances by human
             activities and providing the scientific basis for preventive and remedial actions.
             The material balance for chemical elements will be established in a network of inland catchment areas. The
           . activity will further be pursued in the form of research into the processes of diffusion and transformation
             of natural and anthropogenic substances in the European estuarine/coastal environment and will be
             extended from the Mediterranean to other coastal areas. This measure, whose nature will imply a need for
             close cooperation with the marine sciences and technologies programme, will focus chiefly on key topics
             with far-reaching environmental impact.
             Ecosystem dynamics
             The aim is to understand and forecast the interaction of global change and the dynamics of continental
             ecosystems and to provide a scientific basis for preventive and adaptive policies. The new element is the
             holistic approach to the investigation of important types of ecosystems such as wetlands and seminatural
             ecosystems. The global impact of exploitation and clearing of tropical forests and grassland and the loss of
             biological and genetic diversity will receive particular attention, in close coordination with the biotech-
             nology programme.
             Area 2: Technologies and engineering for the environment
             The objective is to promote better environmental quality standards by encouraging technological inno-
             vation at the pre-competitive level. The three main lines of research in this field will be environmental
             monitoring, including remote sensing applications, the enhancement of prevention through the decision of
             clean technologies and clean products, and the development of techniques and systems to protect and
             rehabilitate the environment. Support to the activities of the future European Environment Agency will be
             an important consideration in this research area.
             Assessment of environmental quality and monitoring
             Research will contribute to the study and design of new methodologies to measure the quality of the
             environment. Priority will be given to devising more effective and complete environmental monitoring
             systems and to developing measuring methods and instruments, both airborne and ground based. The
            measurement of atmospheric constituents, analysis of emissions, of waste, of water and of liquid effluents
            will receive particular attention, including the behaviour of pollutants in the subsoil down to groundwater.
            The development and testing of monitoring and alert systems for natural hazards such as seismic and
            volcanic phenomena, landslides, storms and floods, and forest fires will also be covered.
             Finally, advanced monitoring systems will be developed (e.g. chemical assessment of masses of micro-
            pollutants, used to localize sources) to monitor air quality in urban areas and assess the quantitative
             relationship between polluters and sources (transport, heating, industrial emissions, etc.).
             Technologies for protecting and rehabilitating the environment
            Work will be carried out to contribute to the development of technologies for protecting and rehabilitating
            the environment including all the main aspects of urban environment and rehabilitating soils. Research
            concerned with the treatment and chemical, physical or biological disposal of toxic waste and of liquid
            effluents and the recycling of urban and industrial wastes will be complemented by the development of
            low-emission and low-waste technologies for selected industrial sectors. Studies will therefore be
            undertaken on the microbiological regeneration of pollution areas. Research aiming at the prevention of
            major industrial and transport accidents through a greater understanding of hazard phenomena will be
            widened to include the validation of methodologies of assessing risk, particular account being taken of the
            social and institutional factors; it will also be widened to include the development of low-risk alternative
            technologies and sophisticated process control and detection systems. For the monuments and objects
            which are components of European cultural heritage, research will quantify the causes and mechanisms of
 ---pagebreak--- No C 327/28                             Official Journal of the European Communities                                     29. 12. 90
          deterioration; new methods of condition assessment will be developed, and the scientific basis for
          treatments and materials for conservation will be strengthened.
          Activities in this area will be coordinated with the Eureka project Euro-Environ and research teams funded
          by the programme will participate in the Eureka project Eurocare.
          Area 3: Research on economic and social aspects of environmental issues
          Economic and social change pose a major future threat to the environment. By putting science as a whole
          — the exact sciences and the human sciences — at the service of an interdisciplinary approach, research
          will help establish a lasting trend.
          Thus the general objective is to improve knowledge and understanding of existing and potential interaction
          between man's natural, health, legal, social, economic, ethical and cultural environment and the devel-
          opment of this interaction over a period of time. Research will make use of the social and economic
          sciences and any other discipline capable of elucidating environmental problems and will range from basic
          development of methods and concepts and their application to environmental issues, to their incorporation
          into specific Community sectoral policies and environmental research programmes.
          Particular attention will be given to the integration of R&D carried out in the Member States and to the
          establishment of close cooperation with international programmes covering the same ground.
          Research into socio-economic factors of change in the environment
          The objective is to investigate, at a first stage, potential causes of change in man's environment in the
          changes in the economic, social and cultural systems, etc., then, at a second stage, to list ways in which the
          social and economic sciences and any other discipline might help in establishing a lasting trend and in
          decision-making in a situation of uncertainty.
          Topics to be covered will include:
          1. the environmental impact of demographic trends and historical aspects of soil use;
          2. taking account of the relationship between economics and the environment in constructing models and
             scenarios, national accounting and the study of economic policy instruments; interaction between
             economics, energy and the environment; resource assessment and the linking of this programme with
             Community research into energy sources and their use;
          3. social ecology (urban growth and town planning, research into social innovation);
          4. political and natural science; the role of law, institutions and international state and local authorities;
             the importance of transferring concepts from the exact sciences to the human sciences (uncertainty and
             the unexpected);
          5. ethics and the environment; public support for and involvement in sustainable development (awareness,
             behaviour, motivation); the role of the media and information;
          6. education concerning the role of and changes connected with the development of science and tech-
             nology, increased awareness of ecological problems;
 ---pagebreak--- 29. 12. 90                               Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n Communities                       N o C 327/29
            7. consideration of North-South imbalances and consideration of the adoption of a growth model by the
                countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
            Socio-economic impact of environmental policies and research
            The objective is to incorporate environmental socio-economic factors into Community policies and to
            provide a socio-economic dimension for Community environmental R&D.
           Work within this tehme is intended to ensure that, in line with the provisions of the Single Act, environ-
            mental factors are sufficiently taken into account in Community sectoral policies and supporting R&D.
            Furthermore, as scientific and socio-economic parameters are closely interdependent in a number of
            research topics of the present programme, work under this theme will ensure that socio-economic consider-
            ations and parameters are properly incorporated into relevant coordinated research projects.
            Illustrative examples include: integrated waste recycling systems within the internal market; ecological
            consequences of demographic and population changes (e.g. Alps and other mountain regions); environ-
            mental impacts of tourism.
           Area 4: Integrated research projects
           A multidisciplinary approach is essential to deal with the complexities of the environmental problem, to
           bridge traditional scientific divisions, which form a barrier to an overall understanding of environmental
           problems.
           The objective is to help solve broad problems of transnational interest through a systems approach and
            interdisciplinary research. Integrated projects will address regional issues or issues of immediate relevance
           to the Community environmental policy.
            Examples are:
            Natural risks
           Work will aim at understanding the causes, mechanisms and consequences of hazardous environmental
           phenomena, and providing the scientific basis for disaster management (preparedness, prediction, alert,
           mitigation or prevention, recovery and redevelopment).
           Integrated research in this area will provide a European contribution to the international Decade for
           Natrual Hazard Reduction. It will cover telluric, meteorological and hydrogeological hazards, including
           research on forest fires, floods and slope instability and the phenomenology of extreme hazardous meteo-
           rological events.
           Research on telluric hazards (earthquakes and volcanic eruptions) will consist mainly of theoretical studies
           of telluric phenomena and of the behaviour of structures during these phenomena and will aim at the
           setting-up of field measurement sites and of rapid intervention networks in selected active zones in the
           Community.
            Technological risks
           The aim is to understand the consequences of human activities, technologies and products on human health
           and on the environment as a basis for preventive Community policies and legislation.
           Research in this area will cover the development and validation of systems for testing and assessment of
           chemicals for health and ecological effects. It will be complemented by studies of the effect of environ-
           mental pollution on human health. Furthermore, the risks from agricultural technologies and land-use
           practices to soil and groundwater quality will be investigated. This work will extend to regional aspects of
           ecosystem protection including the eutrophication of coastal seas (in liaison with the specific programme
           on marine science and technology), the protection and conservation of habitats, forest dieback and the
           acidification of water bodies.
           Desertification in the Mediterranean area
           Research will be carried out to assess the natural and human causes, the mechanisms and the impacts of the
           spread of desertification in the Mediterranean area. Research will deal with the history, causes (human and
           climatic) and consequences of desertification. Strategies to combat desertification will be developed and
           their application to selected test zones will be envisaged.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 327/30                            Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n Communities                         29. 12. 90
                                                                ANNEX      II
                                     INDICATIVE BREAKDOWN O F EXPENDITURES
          for the period 1991 to 1994
                                                                                                                  (in %)
          Area 1: Participation in Global Change programmes                                                        35-45
          Area 2: Technologies and engineering for the environment                                                 20-25
          Area 3: Research on economic and social aspects of environmental issues                                   8-12
          Area 4: Integrated research projects                                                                     23-33
          The breakdown between different areas does not exclude the possibility that projects could cover several
           areas.
           1. An amount of ECU 25,7 million, equivalent to 10 % of the total, is the minimum estimated necessary
              for projects encouraging fundamental research: these projects should be clearly identified.
           2. An amount of ECU 5,1 million, equivalent to 2 % of the total, is esteemed necessary for projects
              encouraging the training of researchers in the fields covered by this specific programme.
                                                                ANNEX      III
           RULES FOR IMPLEMENTING T H E PROGRAMME AND ACTIVITIES FOR DISSEMINATING
                                               AND EXPLOITING T H E RESULTS
           1. The Commission shall implement the programme on the basis of the scientific and technical content
              described in Annex I.
           2. The rules of implementing the programme, referred to in Article 3, comprise research and technological
              development projects, accompanying measures and concerted actions.
              The direct research activities carried out by the JRC will be the subject of a separate Council Decision.
              The projects shall be the subject of shared-cost research and technological development contracts.
              In the field of training, emphasis will be put on an interdisciplinary approach. Owing to the lack of
              multidisciplinary researchers in Europe, the Community must encourage multidisciplinary environmental
              research training. Recognized researchers will train in one or more additional fields outside their own
              discipline, to broaden their approach to the environment.
              Coordination within the programme will be the responsibility of integrating groups. Those taking part in
              the programme must be able to obtain rapid, regular information on other projects financed under the
              programme; to allow the cross-fertilization needed to confront the complexity and scale of ecological
              problems. A select group of thinkers and scientists chosen by the Commission for their universally
              recognized abilities will have the task of creating suitable interactions between Community research
              activities.
              The accompanying measures consist of applying the means to ensure proper technical execution,
              management and evaluation of the programme as well as adequate dissemination and accessibility of the
              results, and coordination, training and conciousness-raising of the participants in the programme.
              The concerted actions are those defined in Article 92 of the Financial Regulations.
           3. The participants in the projects must be natural or legal persons established in the Community, such as
              universities, research organizations and industrial firms, including small and medium-sized enterprises,
              or associations thereof, in particular European Economic Interest Groupings (EEIGs).
 ---pagebreak--- 29. 12. 90                                Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n Communities                       N o C 327/31
                 Natural or legal persons established in countries which have concluded agreements with the Community
                 foreseeing scientific and technical research, may, based on the criterion of mutual advantage, take part
                 in the projects undertaken in the context of this programme. The contracting parties under such
                 arrangements shall not benefit from Community funding under the framework programme. They shall
                 contribute to the general administrative costs.
            4. The choice of projects shall be carried out according to the following order of priority, the first method
                being the rule, the second the exception.
                The participants in the projects shall be selected on the basis of the ordinary procedure of calls for
                proposals referred to in Article 6 (3) and published in the Journal of the European Communities,
                Where other criteria of scientific excellence are satisfied, and in accordance with the guidelines agreed
                between the Council and the European Parliament, in the case of a number of project proposals of
                equal scientific value, preference shall be given:
                  (i) to project proposals whose implementation involves project participants in less-developed regions
                      and/or regions in industrial decline as defined by Articles 8 and 9 of Council'Regulation (EEC) No
                      2052/88;
                (ii) to project proposals involving small and medium-sized enterprises or an association of such enter-
                      prises.
               The Commission shall determine in each case whether the management of the programme, or parts
                thereof, can be entrusted to organizations outside the Commission, without delegating its decisional
                powers.
               The Commission may also accept proposals according to an exceptional procedure and under the
               conditions mentioned below, when they make a particularly promising and significant contribution as
               regards the originality of the theme proposed, the novelty of the scientific and technical approach and
               the methodology of execution, also taking into account the particular nature of the proposers.
               A favourable technical evaluation of such proposals shall not by itself be a sufficient justification for
               accepting a project; this exceptional procedure may only apply after verification that the nature of the
               project, as defined above, does not justify the use of the normal procedure for calls for proposals.
               The exceptional procedure shall commence after the first call for proposals and must be completed
               before the ordinary procedure in such a way that the available amount for the Community's financial
               participation in projects retained by the ordinary procedure can be determined precisely. The closing
               date for the exceptional procedure shall be published each year in the Official Journal of the European
                Communities.
              The amount of the financial participation of the Community for all the projects retained by the excep-
               tional procedure will be decided each year, in relation to the projects selected according to particularly
              strict criteria of excellence. In any case, this amount may not exceed 10 % ; it may be revised each year
              in the light of experience.
              The Commission shall draw up a vade mecum setting out all the rules applicable to this exceptional
              procedure in order to guarantee full transparency.
           5. The projects must provide for participation by at least two mutually independent partners established in
              different Member States.
           6. The Commission may encourage the participants to form a European Economic Interest Grouping
              (EEIG) or make other arrangements for carrying out projects, such as those on a large scale permitting
              decentralized management adapted to the specific requirements of the project.
           7. The knowledge acquired during the course of the projects shall be disseminated on the one hand within
              the specific programme and on the other hand by means of a centralized activity, pursuant to the
              Decision referred to in the third subparagraph of Article 4 of Decision 90/221/Euratom/EEC.