CELEX: 51990PC0574
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 MARINE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ( 1991-1994 )

N o C 321/8                          Official Journal of the European Communities                                 21. 12.90
              Amended proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific research and technological
                         development programme in the field of marine science and technology
                                                      (1991 to 1994)
                                                COM(90) 574 — SYN 264
              (Submitted by the Commission pursuant to Article 149 (3) of the EEC Treaty on 30 November
                                                           1990)
                                                      (90/C 321/03)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                         Whereas fundamental research must be specifically
                                                                 encouraged Community-wide in each of the strategic
                                                                 research sectors of the framework programme;
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Economic Community, and in particular Article 130q (2)
thereof,                                                         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 proposal from the Commission,               programme must be ensured;
In cooperation with the European Parliament,                     Whereas the social, human and environmental impact of
                                                                 the programme must be assessed by an independent
                                                                 panel, and technology and risk assessment undertaken;
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and
Social Committee,
                                                                 Whereas, pursuant to Article 4 and Annex I of Decision
                                                                 90/221/Euratom, EEC, the amount deemed necessary
Whereas by its Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC ( ! ), the           for the whole framework programme includes an amount
Council adopted a third framework programme for                  of ECU 57 million for the centralized dissemination and
Community activities in the field of research and techno-        exploitation of results, to be divided up in proportion to
logical development (1990 to 1994), specifying inter alia        the amount envisaged for each activity; whereas in view
the activities to be pursued for developing the scientific       of the importance of this specific programme within the
knowledge and technical know-how needed by the                   'Environment' action the estimate of the financial
Community in particular to carry out its role relating to        resources needed by this programme is to be reduced by
the environment, especially in marine science and tech-          ECU 1,04 million, which amount is to be allocated to
nology; whereas this Decision should be taken in the             the centralized activities, in order to comply with the
light of the grounds set out in the preamble to that             second sentence of Article 130p (2) of the Treaty;
Decision;
                                                                 Whereas this programme must be implemented by the
Whereas Article 130k of the Treaty stipulates that the           Commission; whereas to help accomplish this, the
framework programme is to be implemented through                 Member States are bound, pursuant to Article 5 of the
specific programmes developed within each activity;              Treaty, to facilitate the achievement of its tasks where
                                                                 necessary, notably within a committee;
Whereas an estimate should be made of the amount of
Community financial resources needed to carry out this
specific programme; whereas the definitive amounts will          Whereas this programme must be implemented essen-
be fixed by the budgetary authority in line with the             tially by the selection of research and development
financial perspectives covering the period 1988 to 1992          projects to enable them to benefit from Community
                                                                 participation; whereas the Commission should encourage
included in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 29 June
                                                                 the submission of such projects by the usual means of
 1988 (2) and with any future financial perspectives
                                                                 publishing calls for proposals in the Official Journal;
covering the period 1993 to 1994;
                                                                 whereas an exceptional procedure should also be devised
                                                                 to come into effect between calls for proposals, so as to
                                                                 maintain a degree of flexibility enabling the Commission,
                                                                 in the face of the continuous evolution and gradual
(') OJ No L 117, 8. 5. 1990, p. 28.                              acceleration of technological progress, also to take into
(2) OJ No L 185, 15. 7. 1988, p. 33.                             consideration spontaneous proposals consistent with the
 ---pagebreak---  21. 12.90                            Official Journal of the European Communities                              No C 321/9
 objectives of the programme;                                   This programme is not intended to replace but to
                                                                complement the preceding programme.
 Whereas the projects to be carried out under the
 programme must be selected with special attention to the
 principle of economic and social cohesion in the               2.    Should the Council take a decision in implemen-
 Community, the transnational nature of the projects and        tation of Article 1 (4) of Decision 90/221/Euratom,
 the support to be given to small and medium-sized enter-       EEC, this Decision shall be adapted to take account of
 prises;                                                        the abovementioned decision.
Whereas it is only in the light of experience gathered in
 the course of this programme that the Commission will          3.    The budgetary authority shall decide on the appro-
be able to propose and the Council to adopt                     priations available for each financial year.
supplementary programmes by having recourse to the
 means provided for in Articles 1301, 130m or 130o of the
Treaty, if they contribute to the achievement of the                                     Article 3
programme's objectives, in accordance with the option
made available by Article 2 (2) of Decision                     Rules for the implementation of the programme are set
90/221 /Euratom, EEC;                                           out in Annex III.
Whereas, in accordance with Article 130g of the Treaty,
the Community's activities aimed at strengthening the                                    Article 4
scientific and technological basis of European industry
and encouraging it to become more competitive include           The rate of the Community financial contribution shall
promoting cooperation on research and technological             be laid down in accordance with Annex IV to Decision
development with third countries and international              90/221/Euratom, EEC.
organizations; whereas such cooperation may prove
particularly beneficial to the development of this
programme;
                                                                                         Article 5
Whereas it is necessary to acquire a good knowledge             1.    During 1992 the Commission shall review the
base and reliable forecasting techniques in order to work       programme and address a report on the results of the
out long-term management and protection strategies for          review to the Council and the European Parliament,
the marine environment, as envisaged in Annex II to             together with proposals for any necessary changes.
Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC;
Whereas the Scientific and Technical              Research      2.    At the end of the programme the Commission shall
Committee (Crest) has been consulted,                           assess the results obtained. It shall address a report
                                                                thereon to the Council and to the European Parliament.
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
                                                                3.    The reports shall be drawn up having regard to the
                                                                objectives set out in Annex I to this Decision and in
                          Article 1                             accordance     with    Article   2    (4)    of   Decision
                                                                90/221/Euratom, EEC, and shall assess the coherence of
A specific research and technological development
                                                                the programme's measurable implementation with the six
programme for the European Economic Community in
                                                                major concerns set out in Annex II of Decision
the field of marine science and technology, as defined in
                                                                90/221/Euratom, EEC C).
Annex I, is hereby adopted for the period from the date
of publication of this decision in the Official Journal of
the European Communities to 31 December 1994.
                                                                                         Article 6
                          Article 2                             1.    The Commission shall be responsible for the
                                                                execution of the programme. It shall be assisted by a
 1.   The Community funds estimated as necessary for            committee, hereinafter referred to as 'the Committee',
the execution of the programme under this Decision              composed of representatives of the Member States and
amount to ECU 104 million. Of this amount ECU 1,04              chaired by a representative of the Commission.
million is drawn for the centralized dissemination and
exploitation of results. The amount thus reduced to ECU
102,96 million includes staff costs which may not exceed
5 %. An indicative breakdown of expenditure is set out
in Annex II.                                                    O OJ No L 177, 8. 5. 1990.
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 321/10                          Official Journal of the European Communities                                21. 12.90
2.    The contracts concluded by the Commission shall           — evaluation of all projects submitted through the
govern the rights and obligations of each party,                    exceptional procedure referred to in point 4 of Annex
including the procedures for disseminating, protecting              III, as well as the estimated amount of the
and exploiting the research results, in accordance with             Community's financial contribution,
the arrangements adopted pursuant to the second
paragraph of Article 130k of the Treaty, and, where
appropriate, procedures for training and evaluation.            — measures for evaluating the programme.
3.    A work programme shall be drawn up at the start           2.    The Commission may consult the Committee on
of the programme and shall be regularly revised. It shall       any matter falling within the scope of the programme.
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         3.    The Commission shall inform the Committee with
for projects on the basis of the work programme.                regard to:
                         Article 7                              — the progress of the programme,
1.    In the cases envisaged in Article 8 (1), the
Commission      representative shall submit to the              — planned calls for proposals, referred to in Article
Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The                  6(3),
Committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a
time limit which the chairman may set according to the
                                                                — projects, referred to in point 2 of Annex III,
urgency of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by
                                                                    submitted through the ordinary procedure, for which
qualified majority as provided for in Article 148 (2) of
                                                                    the Community contribution is less than ECU 5
the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is
                                                                    million, and the results of their evaluation;
required to adopt on a proposal from the Commission.
The votes of the Member States' representatives within
the Committee shall be weighted in the manner set out in        — accompanying measures, referred to in point 2 of
that Article. The chairman shall not vote.                          Annex III,
2.    The Commission shall adopt the              measures      — concerted actions, referred to in point 2 of Annex III.
envisaged where they are in accordance            with the
Committee's opinion.
                                                                                          Article 9
3.    If the measures envisaged are not in accordance
with the Committee's opinion, or if no opinion is               In implementing this programme,               supplementary
delivered, the Commission shall forthwith submit to the         programmes within the meaning of Article 1301, partici-
Council a proposal relating to the measures to be taken.        pation within the meaning of Article 130m and joint
The Council shall act by a qualified majority.                  undertakings or any other structures within the meaning
                                                                of Article 130o of the Treaty may also be decided on as
                                                                the need arises.
4.    If the Council has not acted within one month of
submission of the proposal, the proposed measures shall
be adopted by the Commission.                                                            Article 10
                                                                Where cooperation with third countries and international
                         Article 8                              organizations aiming at achieving the objectives of this
                                                                programme requires legal undertakings between the
1.    The procedure laid down in Article 7 shall apply          Community and the third parties concerned, the
to:                                                             Commission shall be authorized to negotiate, in
                                                                accordance with Article 130n of the Treaty, international
                                                                agreements laying down the terms of such cooperation.
— the preparation and updating of               the   work
    programmes referred to in Article 6 (3),
                                                                Priority will also be given to cooperation with EFTA
— evaluation of the projects referred to in point 2 of          countries groupings and other European countries not
    Annex III, as well as the estimated amount of the           members of the European Community and in accordance
    Community's financial contribution when these               with the guidelines agreed between the Council and the
    projects are submitted through the ordinary                 European Parliament during the conciliation procedure
    procedure referred to in point 4 of Annex III and the       which had preceded the adoption of the third framework
    abovementioned amount is more than ECU 5 million,           programme.
 ---pagebreak--- 21. 12. 90                                Official Journal of the European Communities                                    No C 321/11
The negotiations for such international agreements may                   Decisions on the conclusion of such agreements shall be
only be initiated with third countries which are already                 adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in
signatories of a Cooperation Agreement with the                          Article 130q (2) of the Treaty.
Community which explicitly cites research and techno-
logical development or scientific progress as one of the                                           Article 11
objectives of cooperation.                                               _ , . _ . .      .    ..      .     . , _ ,       _
                                                                         This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
                                                               ANNEX I
                                SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES AND CONTENT
             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.
             Paragraph 3c of Annex II of the framework programme forms an integral part of the present specific
             programme.
             The intention is to develop certain activities begun under the MAST pilot programme (1989 to 1992), to
             introduce new topics and expand the geographical coverage to take in the north Atlantic, the epicon-
             tinental seas and the Arctic seas, even if it is necessary to step up previous action in the Mediterranean.
             The following presents an analytical description of the content of the programme, based on and taking
             account of the above elements.
                                                                 Area 1
                                                             Marine Science
             Multidisciplinary research will be carried out on processes and fluxes, using mathematical modelling where
             necessary.
              Detailed and expanded studies of ocean circulation systems and dynamics of water masses will be carried
              out in order to determine the water movement and physical processes in European seas and adjacent
              oceans. Special attention will be paid to the shelf edge and to the intertidal zone. The influence of sea ice
              on deep water formation and on ocean circulation will be studied, as will the effect of the possible melting
              of ice due to the greenhouse effect on the rise in the sea level, (in connection with the STEP/Epoch
              programme).
              Research will be continued and further work will be carried out on biogeochemical processes, in particular
              to understand and quantify the fluxes of carbon and other elements in the sea. Hydrothermal activity is
              also included as well as the global carbon cycle in coastal, continental, and deep seas.
              Studies will be undertaken to evaluate rates of exchange of substances at interactive sites (e.g. various
              interfaces: land-sea, air-sea, sea floor-water column, etc.), particularly during bad weather conditions.
              Since the fact that oceans absorb C 0 2 is a major factor in assessing the dynamics of the greenhouse effect,
              research will be carried out in order to improve understanding of how C 0 2 is absorbed by oceans.
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 321/12                            Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s               21. 12.90
           Research will be aimed at deriving mathematical expressions and reliable models for biological processes
           and ecosystems, but not under any cirumstances to the exclusion of the so-called 'chaotic' or 'neutral'
           models. All variations of whatever magnitude will be taken into account. Particular attention will be given
           to projects which examine the link between physico-chemical influences and the corresponding biological
           responses at all trophic levels.
           Research in marine geosciences will be expanded to include stratigraphy and geophysics as well as
           addressing specific problems relating to the behaviour of sediments in various marine situations, (e.g. shelf,
           slope and deep sea). Investigations of the geological record and geophysical properties of deep-sea
           sediments are required to contribute to global change research and to assess the appropriate use of the sea
           floor.
           Modelling will be used in the study of marine processes and will include validation, calibration, and
           assessment of boundary conditions at various time scales. Development and improvement of models of
           ecosystems will be a particular priority.
           These activities will involve the Community in on-going international programmes (e.g. World Ocean
           Circulation Experiment, Joint Global Ocean Flux Studies, International Geosphere-Biosphere Programm,
           etc.), and will contribute to their long-term objectives. Work in this area will be carried out in cooperation
           with related Community programmes on the marine environment (e.g. STEP, Epoch, FAR, and JRC
           actions) and, possibly, renewable energy sources (tides, waves, etc.), aquaculture and fisheries (FAR). In
           marine geosciences, complementarity with the ocean drilling programme will be sought where necessary in
           order to avoid any overlap of work.
                                                                  Area 2
                                                            Coastal Engineering
           The objectives, which build on projects in the MAST 1989 to 1992 pilot phase, are: to gain an increased
           level of understanding of marine processes affecting the behaviour of coastal structures, and of their inter-
           actions; to develop numerical modelling of coastal processes and the integration of process models for
           purposes of coastal management in Europe; and furthermore to harmonize on a European scale, design
           concepts of coastal engineering works.
           Research will therefore concentrate on the study of currents, waves, the behaviour of sediments (mobili-
           zation, transport, deposition, geotechnical properties), as well as changes in sea floor and coastline
           morphology. Coastal engineering research will further develop work on the impact of waves and other
           coastal processes on the stability of breakwaters and other structures. A particular aim is to maintain and
           promulgate Europe's lead in these fields by formulating European guidelines for coastal engineering.
           Research to improve beach nourishment and so-called 'anti-sea' protection schemes will also be
           undertaken. Synergy with climatology and natural hazards research will be assured.
                                                                  Area 3
                                                             Marine Technology
           The objective is to encourage the development of existing and new instruments and enabling technologies,
           particularly with a view to speeding up the introduction of automated long-term measuring systems, as well
           as contributing to the development of operational observation systems.
           The research will concern the development of new sensors, (quasi) real-time data transmission and
           two-way communication links. Further work will be aimed at instruments for measuring and sampling in
           the water column and on and below the sea floor. Research in underwater acoustics will be aimed at
           self-navigation of vehicles, determination of sea floor properties, acoustic communication, sub-bottom
           profiling and innovative acoustic measurements in particular. Selective actions in the development of new
           or improved enabling technologies, e.g. acoustic imaging and optics, will be undertaken. Studies on the
           identification and exploitation of natural chemical substances in the marine environment, and impact
 ---pagebreak--- 21. 12.90                             Official Journal of the European Communities                                   N o C 321/13
          studies will also be implemented not only on the exploitation of marine mineral resources (sands and
          gravels, nodules, algae, substances for pharmaceutical uses), but also to gain a better knowledge of the
          effects of waste stemming from human activity in the pelagic environment. No research involving the inten-
          tional disposal of toxic matter in the marine environment shall be eligible for Community funding, the aim
          being to achieve properly-managed aquacuhure, fisheries and tourism.
          Work will be undertaken on design and field-testing for a system to monitor the main coastal-water
          environment parameters.
          This research will be coordinated with the Eureka initiatives in marine science and technology and will
          supplement work in Brite/Euram and Esprit in the materials testing, robotics and informatics aspects of
          instrument development.
                                                             Area 4
                                                      Supporting Initiatives
          The supporting initiatives which commenced under the MAST pilot programme will be continued, and thus
          include the following: the establishment of a European ocean data and information system, including a
          system on the management of data on remote sensing; the preparation of norms and standards for marine
          science and technology; a modelling coordination initiative which includes modelling for management
          purposes; development of a pilot communication system for exchange of information on research cruises
          and research facilities; studies on the scientific and design requirements for new large-scale facilities;
          advanced training; and new approaches to mapping and bathymetric/hydrographic surveying.
                                                             Area 5
                                                       Integrated Projects
          Integrated projects will be developed to address particular problems which require large-scale multidisci-
          plinary coordinated research effort. These problems could be defined on the basis of scientific and techno-
          logical requirements or established on the basis of the scientific requirements of a particular geographical
          area. The need to balance the deficit of scientific capabilities in some countries will also be taken into
          account when defining the integrated projects.
                                                           ANNEX II
                                     INDICATIVE BREAKDOWN OF EXPENDITURES
           In %, for the period 1991 to 1994
           Area 1 — Marine science                                                                               30-38
           Area 2 — Coastal engineering                                                                          12-18
           Area 3 — Marine technology                                                                           24-32
           Area 4 — Supporting activities                                                                         5-10
          Area 5 — Integrated projects                                                                           10-20
           The breakdown between different areas does not exclude the possibility that projects could cover several
           areas.
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 321/14                            Official J o u r n a l of t h e E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s            21. 12.90
           An amount of ECU 2 million, equivalent to 2 % of the total budget, is estimated to be the minimum
           amount necessary to finance projects encouraging the training of researchers in the fields covered by this
           specific programme.
           An amount of ECU 720 000 to 960 000, equivalent to 3 % of the total amount deemed necessary for Area
           3 (Marine technology), shall be used for technological option and risk assessment, the results of which
           shall be communicated to Parliament with the evaluation reports.
                                                                 ANNEX        III
           RULES FOR IMPLEMENTING T H E PROGRAMME A N D ACTIVITIES FOR DISSEMINATION
                                             A N D EXPLOITION O F 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 for implementing the programme, referred to in Article 3, comprise research and techno-
              logical development projects, accompanying measures and concerted actions.
              The projects shall be the subject of shared-cost research and technological development contracts.
              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 consciousness-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).
              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 financing 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 Official Journal of the European Communities.
              Where other criteria of scientific excellence are satisfied, and in accordance with the guidelines agreed
              between 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) N o
                   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 undertaken by organizations or institutions outside the Commission, without delegating
              its decision-making powers.
 ---pagebreak--- 2 1 . 12. 90                               Official J o u r n a l of t h e E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s         N o C 321/15
                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 come into effect 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.
                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 % of the annual budget appro-
                priation.
                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 involve for participation 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, by the
                specific programme and on the other hand by means of a centralized activity, pursuant to the decision
                referred to in the third paragraph of Article 4 in Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC.