CELEX: 51988PC0356
Language: en
Date: 1988-06-16
Title: RE-EXAMINED PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION TO REVISE THE MULTIANNUAL RESEARCH PROGRAMME FOR THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY IN THE FIELD OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

16. 8. 88                               Official Journal of the European Communities                                      No C 214/17
              Re-examined proposal for a Council Decision to revise the multiannual research programme for
                               the European Economic Community in the field of biotechnology
                                                COM(88) 356 final — SYN 101
                      (Submitted by the Commission pursuant to Article 149 (2) (d) of the EEC Treaty
                                                       on 23 June 1988)
                                                         (88/C 214/07)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                           W h e r e a s any application involving the large-scale planned
                                                                   release of organisms created by genetic engineering must be
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European              preceded by experimental research conducted in accord-
Economic Community, and in particular Article 130Q (2)             ance with existing safety r u l e s ;
thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ( ! ),           W h e r e a s the area of bio-informatics requires b o t h to
                                                                   ascertain the constitution of integrated n e t w o r k s for the
In cooperation with the European Parliament,                       storage, circulation and t r e a t m e n t of biological d a t a , and
                                                                   to stimulate further computer-aided a p p r o a c h e s in bio-
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social            technological research;
Committee,
Whereas the framework programme of Community                       Whereas it is necessary to step up training activities a n d to
activities in the field of research and technological              evolve training schemes, including in p a r t i c u l a r the
development (1987 to 1991) was adopted by Council                  o r g a n i z a t i o n of short intensive w o r k s h o p s , a l l o w i n g
Decision 87/516/Euratom/EEC (2),                                   research scientists in all the M e m b e r States to benefit from
                                                                   all the research facilities and scientific expertise in the
Whereas Article 130K of the Treaty provides that the               C o m m u n i t y , thus helping to reduce the disparities in
framework programme is to be implemented through                   development in the field of biotechnology between the
specific programmes developed within each activity;                various M e m b e r States of the C o m m u n i t y , while being
whereas the Council, when adopting the framework                   consistent with the pursuit of scientific and technical
programme of Community activities in technological R&D             quality;
(1987 to 1991), recognized the interest of exploitation and
valorization of biological resources, and particularly
biotechnology;
                                                                   W h e r e a s it is essential to increase the involvement of
                                                3                  C o m m u n i t y industry in the activities and results originat-
Whereas the Council Decision 85/195/EEC ( ) introduced
                                                                   ing from the research w o r k u n d e r c o n t r a c t ;
a multiannual research and training action programme for
the European Economic Community in the field of
biotechnology; whereas Article 3 of that Decision makes
provision for the programme to be revised as from its              Whereas it is necessary to step up the concertation activities
second year of implementation;                                     carried o u t , alongside the C o m m u n i t y research a n d
                                                                   training effort, to improve national and C o m m u n i t y
Whereas the re-examination which has been untertaken               activity in the field of biotechnology, strengthen dialogue
and whose conclusions were transmitted to the Council on           with a p p r o p r i a t e groups and m a k e as m u c h information
21 May 1986 has led the Commission to present a proposal           available to the public as possible;
for the revision of the programme motivated by the need to
ensure its adequacy to the objective assigned to it;
                                                                   W h e r e a s the recent emergence of certain critical areas of
Whereas the implementation of the research and training            biological sciences (e.g. g e n o m e m a p p i n g and sequencing,
programme for the European Economic Community in the               and the exploitation thereof) means that the C o m m u n i t y
field of biotechnology has proved to be insufficient as yet        effort in biotechnology is relatively weak unless ex-
for setting up, on a scale commensurate with the multiple          ploratory activity can be rapidly initiated in this field before
implications of biotechnology in agriculture, industry and         a new p r o g r a m m e in biotechnology R & D (1990 to 1994) is
the environment, of transnational cooperation networks             prepared;
addressing the various levels of risk and their evaluation;
(') OJ No C 15, 20. 1. 1988, p. 13.                                W h e r e a s it is necessary to enable participation by Spain and
(2) OJ No L 302, 24. 10. 1987, p. 1.                               Portugal in as m a n y as possible of the activities envisaged
 (3) OJ No L 83, 25. 3. 1985, p. 1.                                by the p r o g r a m m e ;
 ---pagebreak--- No C 214/18                                Official Journal of the European Communities                                        16. 8. 88
Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research Committee                                                Article 2
(CREST) has expressed its opinion,
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
                            Article 1                                       The funds estimated as necessary for the execution of the
                                                                            programme will be increased from 55 to 75 million ECU.
The research action programme for the European Eco-                         This increase of 20 million ECU will be used to intensify
nomic Community in the field of biotechnology (1985 to                      and expand the activities in biotechnological research as
1989) is hereby revised on the basis of the specifications in               indicated in the Annex and includes expenditure on an
the Annex.                                                                  additional staff of five.
                                                                   ANNEX
              REVISION OF THE MULTIANNUAL RESEARCH ACTION PROGRAMME FOR THE EUROPEAN
                       ECONOMIC COMMUNITY IN THE FIELD OF BIOTECHNOLOGY (1985 TO 1989)
                 Extension to Spain and Portugal of the activities envisaged by the programme.
                 Intensification of the current research effort in the sector of the programme that concerns the assessment of
                 risks associated with modern biotechnology, and particularly with the deliberate release of genetically
                 engineered organisms.
                 Intensification of the current research effort in the area of information technology with emphasis upon
                 processing data related to culture collections, genome sequences and protein modelling.
                 Increase in the volume of current activities (visits, publications, electronic networks, meetings, summer
                 workshops, etc.) aiming at a timely dissemination of information on the programme and of research results
                 to all appropriate groups; involvement of Community industry in the research activities and in the
                 utilization of the data, materials and methods stemming from the research work under contract.
                 Studies and feasibility pilot projects for the preparation of future Community R & D activities in
                 biotechnology during the period 1990 to 1994.
                 Increase in training activities in all parts of the current programme.
                 Matching of resources (manpower) for the concertation activity to the requirements defined in the
                 programme.