CELEX: 51980PC0552
Language: en
Date: 1980-10-01
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION adopting a third plan of action (1981-1983) in the field of scientific and technical information and documentation (STID) (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

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DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (80) 552
Vol. 1980/0178
 ---pagebreak--- Disclaimer
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 ---pagebreak---   COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                      COM(80)552 final
                                                      Brussels - 1 October 1980
                                            „    -C
                                            et a *. \
                               Proposal for a
                               COUNCIL DECISION
     adopting a third plan of action ( 1981-1983 ) in the field of scientific
                 and technical information and documentation
                                   ( STID )
                 ( submitted to the Council by the Commission )
C0M(80 ) 552 final
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                                     J
                                                                           t
         PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION ADOPTING A
         THIRD THREE-YEAR PLAN OF ACTION IN THE FIELD
         OF INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION IN SCIENCE
         AND TECHNOLOGY
 •» Budget Plan
irnen * j ®en Monssî , P'a^oau d'j Klrc^^arp , Qoît3 pc^tale . 307 . Lu non". tiourg – Té!. 4301 ''
                Tctex 3423 / 3446 COMEUR LU - 2752 êj HDOU L.U
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                       1991 - 1933
                                ί 'flan for t'io Ti'ír'J Λ et io α Pimi
                                                                                        ( mih )
  (;;·„■.;. I » !' li Eurùinj ι %o a ¡>ubltc ri"ivork ty 1¡)83                               4.0
  1.1             Kotwork operation « – deficit finance
  1.2             Kotwork maintenance and e))hanoomente
  1.3             Network manf-ccmcnt
  1.4             Long term consolidation                                                  ■
  Chap 4, er 2 »        Devolopraont of high quality ecrvioeo in Kurop β                     8.5
  2.1             Call for proposals
                                                                                             ,
                                                                                             6.0 *51
• 2.2             fbl low-up of proposals
  2.3             Sectoral information activities                                            2.5
  Chaotor 3 » User support and aarketing                            j                        3.0
  3.1            Proootion of DIANE services
  3.2             Development of infornaticiη aarket
  30              import of information
  3.4 .          User support &nd needs
  3.5             Stendard i zat ion
  3.6            Document delivery
  3.7             Kalti lingual aspects
                                                          •
  Chiiter 4 »           fiew tocl'nolosiea end. raethodolofrf.es                             1.0
  4.1             Monitorine of dovelopmcnta
  4.2             SLratogio analysis
  4.3             Specific application!!
                                                                Total                     16 . 5
                                                                                                     1
  *}               euii-at iter.       uoi oo trar■ sforrwd to am- r>*?:tr c.rt\cle of the 2^ Action
        l lfiir ir             5 ''uliA uay ru l ta» u<:jd Wfore I jr*nvJiirv lc) Sl*
 ---pagebreak---                           Opinion of CIDST of 26 June 1980
                    on the 3rd ACTION PLAN for STID (1981-83 )
The Committee for Information and Documentation on Science and Technology (CIDST)
On the basis of point 3 a ) of Annex II to the Council Decision of 9 October 1978 ;
Whereas the actions started under the first two Action Plans for STID must be
successfully concluded , and a particular effort must be undertaken to stimulate
and promote cooperation between information and service suppliers within the
Community ;
As a result of examining , at its 33rd meeting , the proposals of the Commission
for the 3rd Action Plan ;
l ) Considers that further actions with regard to
         . the consolidation and enhancement of the Euronet network and the extension
            and improvement of DIANE services , and
   ' , , . the creation of further high quality information services in Europe ,
          . especially by means of cooperative and/or concerted actions
should be undertaken with- first priority , and, that these should be complemented
and supported by appropriate activities related "to
                                                                                              '              \
         . the support of users and the 'development of the market , and
         . the selective application of new technologies and methodologies for STI ;
2 ) Considers that the proposed new* project areas are of importance with regard to
     the future orientation of activities in the field of scientific , technical and
     related specialized information ;
3 ) He commends that priority be given to those projects for which obligations
     already exist within the framework of ongoing contracts ;
                                                                                                • • • /• • •
                BH.ime.n Juan Monnot. Plaiwnu du K.fchlieiq,      ioaïi t«*emOour9 TAI . 43011
                                Tèlox 3123/ 3446 COMLUR LU v 2752 EURDOC LU
 ---pagebreak--- b ) Recommends to the Commission to propose to the Council a third Action Plan
     for STID for the years 1981-19^3 , in accordance with document CID5TA60/80 -
     ( final );
5 ) Takes note that the Commission 's proposals in document CIDST/'+60/8o A are
    to be regarded as indicative only ;
6 ) Is of the opinion that the budgetary funds required to implement the 3rd Action
    Plan should be fixed at a ceiling of 16.5 million European units of account
    for the 3 years' period with effect from 1 January 1981 of which 6 million
    European units of account are to be earmarked for the call for proposals and
    follow-up actions ;
7 ) Recommends that 5 MEUA of the 6 MEUA earmarked for the call for proposals
    and follow-up actions are not committed before 1 January 1982 , so that improved
    and satisfactory selection criteria and procedures and appropriate cooperative
    mechanisms can be established and welcomes the Commission 's declaration in this
    respect ;
8 ) Requests the Commission to keep the Committee fully and regularly informed
    of the activities in related programmes of the Community , in particular programmes
    in new information technologies and in the transfer of information between
    European languages.
    The German , French and UK delegations made the attached statements *
    The Secretariat of CIDST is requested to forward this opinion to the Commission
    and CREST ,, with a copy to the Council.
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                   D
H i,,-i toinont by the German Adoption on the drait opinion of CIDST on the
"} rd Action Plan for IDST ( doc . CIK0T/46I/OO of 26 June 193 O)
Po i n t 1
At tho meeting on 26 June 19«0 » i"t was agreed with other delegations that
tho first sentence should read as follows :
" Considers that , parallel to the greater support measures to he introduced
  by tho Member States to create improved information services for science
  and technology and promote effective participation in international
   cooperation in this field , further actions at Community level with regard
  to ..."
Ho ,1 non :
The Gorman delegation is still . of the opinion that it is primarily the task
of the Member States , by carrying out support programmes and encouraging
public and private initiatives , to lay the basis for an efficient information
structure , which is appropriate to the situation and requirements in the
different subject areas and regions of the Member States , v/hich may vary
considerably . The need for close contacts with the users of technical
information means that there must be greater decentralization of facilities .
Point 5
The words "Document CID3 T /46O/8O/A " should be amplified to read as follows :
" which have yet to be brought into line with the final version of document
CID0T/460/OO".
Reason :
Tho Commission 's proposals in CIDST/460/30/A no longer reflect the advice
given by the CIDST .
                                                                     • • • /• • •
 ---pagebreak--- Point 7
The 'text should "be amended aa follows :
"Is of the opinion that the funds earmarked for Community-relevant projeots
following the call for proposals should "be made available only when improved
pnd satisfactory support criteria and selection procedures have "been laid
down and conditions for the granting of Community funds and appropriate
cooperative mechanisms have "been established".
Pcason :
Processing "by CIDST of the applications for Community support received by the
CEC in response to the "Call for proposals" (Official Journal of the European
Communities of 29 November 1979 ) once again showed up the considerable draw­
backs and gaps in the current selection procedure , which does not provide a
satisfactory basis for a technical and political assessment and follow-up of
the projects . Ever since the first preparatory discussions on the call for
proposals , the German delegation has repeatedly objected to the fact that
there is no comprehensive definition of the procedure , nor has any clear
distinction been made between the various CEC procedures for granting funds
in the area of IDST or the - support measures required at national level . Only
when this issue has been debated by CIDST and these conditions met can the
corresponding funds be allocated .
Point 9 inew )       • >.
To read as follows :
"Urges the Commission to develop close coordination between its own IDST
information activities and those under the Action Plan for IDST and to
keep CIDST informed of all its plans in this field."
Reason :
The above text vas supported by CIDST on 26 June 1930 and should be reinserted
in the CIDST opinion. In the past , CIDST has complained on many occasions
that – like DG XTII – it hears of the many information activities of the
Commission departments and research centres mostly quite by chance , and that
Buch projects are generally plannod and managed quite independently of one
another , leading, among things , to a duplication of work and abortive
developments .
 ---pagebreak---                                                                              7.
                                 - 3 -
There is no coordination and the projects are not geared to the objectives
of the Aotion Plan , namely to improve the supply of information within the
Community and more specifically via Euronet-DIAKE . It is particularly
regrettable that the knowledge and experience acquired by CIDST over many
yearn - and what is more , the broadly-based know-how available in DG XIII -
have not yet boon put to use in such projects and activities . It is
essential to ensure that the Commission 's information activities are
organized in a rational manner and geared to the objectives of the Action
Plan for IDST .
Tho German delegation is of the view that responsibility for coordinating
the information activities described should be transferred to DG XIII and
that CIDST should support the latter in carrying out this task .
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                            r.
STATEMENT BY THE FRENCH DELEGATION
The French delegation ta CIDST has reserves tor make on the opinion on the
3rd Action Plan for IDST ( 1981-1983 )- concerning the I98I-I983 budget as
follows :
Chapter 1 t Euronet ............            .......... ....... .    .. ......... .„ k MEAU
Chapter 2 :■ Development, of high quality services
              in Europe - ...   .... ... ....... ....... ................... .... . 2.5 MEAU
       2.1; : Call. for proposais                                  1.0 MEAU
( with a clause for review in I982f enabling the budget to
b» enlarged, by 5 MEAD if the call for proposals mechanism
proves efficient )
       2.3 Sectoral activities                                     1.5 MEAU
Chapter 3 !r Oser support ............ ....... .......... ...... ..... ..           1 MEAIT
Provision only for            "Document delivery" and-
3*7 * "Multilingual aspects "
Chapter b : New technologies and methodologies                                      0.5 MEAU
A total , af 8 MEAU (with the . possibility of adding; in 1982 5 MEAU
for the call for proposals if this action is considered satisfactory ).
STATEMENT BY THE U.K.. DELEGATION
The U.K. delegation considers that the- total funds for the 3rd Action Plan
should not exceed 15 MEAU and reserves? its position; on the figure of
16 .5 MEAU in- point 6.
 ---pagebreak---            PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION ADOPTING A
           THIRD THREE-YEAR PLAN OF ACTION IN THE FIELD
           OF INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION IN SCIENCE
           AND TECHNOLOGY
   ( The contents of this document are indicative only)
Be liment Jean Monnet, Pletoau du K Irchberg , Bofte postale 1 9Q7 , Lutembou rg – Tél . 4301 1
                 T*l»x 3423/ 3446 COMEUR LU - 2752 EURDOC LU
 ---pagebreak---                                                                             Λο .
                                 - 1. -
Introduction
The first and second plans of action in the field of scientific and techni­
cal information and documentation ( STID) have resulted in a number of con­
siderable achievements which have been possible because of close coopera­
tion between authorities and institutions in the Member States and the
Commission of the European Communities . The most important results of the
previous five years' efforts are the implementation of the standardized
network with its variety of information services ( Euronet DIANE) provided
through a number of hosts on the one hand , and the development and opera­
tion of a considerable number of sectoral information systems on the other
hand , most of which have been established on a cooperative basis and on
the initiative and under the guidance of the sectoral working groups of
the scientific and technical information and documentation committee ( STIDC ).
The present third action plan for STID builds on the achievements of the
past period in such a way that these are consolidated and further developed
where this is appropriate and desirable , or that identified gaps and short­
comings are removed . Therefore , the present plan emphasizes two major actions ,
i.e. the consolidation , extension and development of Euronet and the further
creation of high quality information services . These "two key areas are com­
plemented by a few supporting and accompanying action fields which are
intended either to supplement the activities in the two main areas , or to
prepare the ground for new action fields in future . Thus , the 3rd. action
plan pursues the consolidation as well as the improvement of existing in–      *
stallations and services , and the reorientation of Community activities and
policies in STID to comply with future needs .
 ---pagebreak---  De La J l tvl (i r\>i"n-;a 1
Ch anter I :         '.■.nmnct r.s a public network by 1933
 Having become operational in November 1979 » Euronet 's oapacity is being
 considerably increased , by some 150$ in terms of terminals by mid-1980.
The easential objective is to turn Euronet into a publio network by
31 December 1933 at the latest * It is therefore necessary to complete
 the aotions already initiated in this respect and to undertake appro­
priate interim measures in agreement with the PTT Consortium for Euronet *
Although the actions desoribed below essentially concern only the further
development of the physical Euronet network , most of them in practice
affect the various partners in DIANE and their suppliers and sub­
contractors * Particular importance must therefore be attaohed to the
recognized interests of the hosts and the users in the Community .
1.1     Operations and maintenance
        Until the end of 1983 f Euronet will have to be managed by the PTT
         administrations under the oontrol of the Commission , which will con­
         tinue to oo-finance the operational deficit . The means of aooounting
         for the latter will need to be renegotiated on the basis of maintenanoe
         oosts 'and with due regard to the delay in the entry into servioe of
         Euronet and to the emergence in parallel of national networks *
1*2     Extensions and interconnections with other networks
       During the next few years , Euronet will have to be extended geographi­
        cally in order tov take account of the accession of Greece and other
       new member countries to the Community and to respond quickly to the
        increasing demand for STXD . The responsibility for the necessary ex­
        tensions , however , should from now on rest principally with the PTTs .
       Euronet will also have to be interconnected with other networks in
       Europe on the basis of cooperation agreements as foreseen in Article 3
       of the proposed. Council Decision on thfe 3rd Action Plan ; possible
       interconnections with networks of industrialized countries outside
       Europe will have to be subject to reciprocity and guarantees of
       traffic in both directions , in respect of the fundamental provisions
       of the Treaty of Rome . Opportunity should be taken whenever possible
       to extend the servioes to developing countries including those of the
       LOME Convention .
1*3    Network management
        Tne need for day-to-day support for the smooth operation of Euronet
       DIANE has been recognized by the creation of the Launch Team . The Team
        has identified the need for help–desk facilities and '■«>* network news
        and directory service as priority objectives . It has provided "a focus
 ---pagebreak---                               - 3 -
for the implementation, of major aspeota of the promotion programme and
has supplied praotical support on many occasions for host and user
connections to the network®
This erupport remains all the more necessary since the 20 or BO hosts
at ill to be connected are technically less well prepared. Day-to-day
assistance will therefore have to ba maintained %s long as neceesary with­
in the 3rd Action Plan® In addition , the creation of new user support
services and the development of common facilities for hosts will be
required until the infrastructure is sufficiently developed to ensurt*
suocessful continued operation of Baronet DIANE® It will also be
neoesaary to ensure the coordinated collection and analysis of sta­
tistics on traffic and uss , so as to obtain, "the data needed for mediuxa–
term planning©                                           •      .
During this period , the long-term management requirements will also
have to be analysed in the light of the experience gained. In parti­
cular , it will have to be decided whether to transfer all responsibility
for the management of joint business to a hosts' association , in which
case the Launch Taam would be disbanded , or to induce the hosts to
delegate certain joint functions to the Launch Team, which in that
case would have to be restructured and reinforced.
Lonc:–terra consolidation
Euronet has been a contributing factor and a stimulus to PTTs to define
European standards and to plan , develop and provide national packet-
switching networks . As these networks become available , there will be
multi-national pressures and incentives for the PTTa to connect them
internationally. This interconnection may occur on a direct country–to-
country basis or via Euronet as a transit facility. It is probable that
for a lengthy interim period both solutions will apply between different
parts of countries . In either case policy issues and practical problems
will occur , many of which can only be satisfactorily solved at Community
level (e.g. tariffs ).
Although new packet–switching standards are not foreseen (X25 , X28 , X75
being sufficient ), standards for new equipment and services using packet-
switching ( e.g. Teletex, Facsimile , etc .) and for interworking with
other types of network (e.g. X25-circuit switched data networks ) oan
be anticipated. In any event , some kind of Community involvement would
undoubtedly be desirable .
 ---pagebreak--- Tho PTTa will also Lave to be suitably encouraged to make
euotained efforts to promo ts third-party traffic on Eurouet , in ordar
to provide a bettor financial balance for tha network, during its
transition to cH.i status of a public network by 31 December 1$83 at
tha latest vmdar U\o pole mMiogisrial    B i>oa& ib i 1 ity of the PTTe®
Before thon , it will be neeesstucy to ensure that the tariff agro e cassia
ars extended long enough to protect the interests of             U8«re of
£u.A'on.t?t, DIANE services®
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                / ϊ·
                                  - 5 -
                                    *
Chapter 2 :   Accelerated development of high quality services in Europe
Tho experience with the information services offered within the framework
of DIANE proves that there is an increasing demand for high quality services ,
the further development of which needs to be accelerated . There is an
obvious discrepancy between information supply on one side and the steady
progress of innovative industrial development on the other side . Therefore ,
there is an urgent need for the creation of more high quality information
services , and this need is a fact which is recognized by all Member States .
2.1  Aims
In particular , future activities must aim at
  - creating new services or improving existing ones especially in the
    provision of direct information and value added information which
    finally provide a better value to users ;
  - increasing cost efficiency and effectiveness in the supply and
    delivery of information and services ;
  - extending the scope of information services to poorly developed,
    areas such as economic , social and business information .
2.2  Principles
The creation and improvement of information services must build on a
number of agreed principles and procedures . As far as such principles are
concerned , the following should particularly be emphasized :
  - new services must respond t ;> Community interest , they should overcome
    existing information barriers between Member States , such as linguistic
    or technical obstacles , or they should be designed in such a way that
    their realization requires a European collaboration , e.g. for data col­
    lection ;
  - in realizing and supporting new services , existing national programmes
    for the support of information supply and development have to be con­
    sidered and in many cases a combination of national and Community sup­
    port may be appropriate ;
  - new actions should.be based on a comprehensive analysis of the market
    and of user needs , especially in the area of specialized information
    which should be carried out through all member states ;
  - new developments should be closely linked with the established and proved
    infrastructure of sectoral working parties in the areas of agriculture ,
    bioinedicine and health , and environment ; this infrastructure should be
    extended to other areas , where appropriate and if need should be ;
 ---pagebreak---      - n ew activities should au far at; possible be coordinated and linked
       not only with uctivi tioM on national level , but also with currenpond–
       inj ifi-Ufjrmiimea within the various Commission' o services . '
 It i.iu^-.t be clear that any Coinii.uni ty action in this broad and costly field
<>f new and better information services , be it at the analytical level or im
 t /io implementation phase , cannot merely be seen as a complement to national
activities , but should also stimulate national actions in order to cover
japs where this is possible and necessary . Vice versa , national programmes
iji.ould be transferred to a Community level in such areas , where such an
extension increases the economics , viability or the value of -the project , -
or where the results of the national projects are valid or transferable
to other Member States . In all such cases Community interest must prevail
over national programmes .           '                             ,     .
2.3 Procedures                                          .   .  -
During the course of the 1st and 2nd Action Plans , the development of Community
information services was exclusively inspired and guided by specialized working
ijroups of STIDC . -Considering the limited capacity of these groups as compared
 to the growing demand for services , increased in volume , coverage and quality ,
which has to be dealt with within the fraanework of the 3rd Action Plan , SUDC
has already , during the 2nd Action Plan , launched a new procedure by intro­
ducing the call for proposals which is intended to become the main tool for
the creation of new services .                                             .       .
            <
2.3.1       Sectoral information systems
Within the framework of the previous Action Plans , a number of sectoral in­
formation systems and services have been developed , implemented and operated
on a cooperative basis or under contract . There will not only be a necessity
of continuing such projects , but there will also be new projects which require
a cooperative scheme for their realization . Therefore , this mechanism must be
maintained on the understanding that such systems are exclusively implemented
under the guidance of the sectoral groups of STI^DC . As distinct from projects
originating from the call for proposals , the cooperative systems in most cases
require long»-term funding from Community and national sources . Sectoral SUDC
activities are under way in various fields of applied sciences . These were ,
during the 2nd Action Plan , focussed mainly on three selected areas * agricul– ,
 ture , biomedicine and health oare , an4 environment . Additionally , follow-up
 actions have been oarried out in the field of energy.
 ---pagebreak--- The (mix n criteria fur selection of these fields ares
  – tlw existence of defined Community policies , e.g. in agriculture and
      environment , or tiie fact, that Coininuni ty interests have otherwise been
      expressed ,, e . j. in biomedicine and health care ;   and
  – the pretloiiii.ua no e of public sponsorship as opposed to that of private
      industry.
AJ a result ,, there is already a number of Council Decisions , Regulations and
Resolutions which act , explicitly or implicitly , as legal basis for these
activities . Thus the support in the Treaty of Rome for agricultural SH acti­
vities , the. Environmental Action Programme and the Council Decision on envi­
ronmental inventories are of particular importance in this regard .
jjnphasis ia being laid on the need to develop new services in the provision of
information . These services are envisaged as being not only bibliographic
data bases but also services providing "value added information " such as in­
formation analysis services , factual data banks and review articles .
Whilst the "Call for Proposals " aims to support commercial initiative mainly ,
existing sectoral information systems should be further developed and new
systems created where appropriate , e.g. where data collection would otherwise
be very difficult or where the cost/benefit ratio is optimized at Community
level .                                                                      _
Hence there are four lines of action :
  - 'Systems the operation of which is compulsory by virtue of Council
     Decisions or Regulations . These systems must obviously be continued and
     improved , particularly with a view to making them available via Euronet .
     They consist of permanent inventories covering research projects in agri­
     culture ( AGREP ) and environment ( ENREP ), as well as informati >n sources
     ( U'DOC ) or legal information ( ENLEX) in the environment context .
  – Systems which support Community policies in other sectors , i.e. where
     Council Decisions on STI support do not yet exist but which also merit
     Community assistance at least in- the initial R Sc. D phase ( e.g. the pro­
     posed information system on waste management and recycling) .
  – Joint contributions to international systems . The Member States and the
     Commission are contributing to some major international information
     systems by running Community sub-systems . This cooperation , exemplified
     by the link between EUR–ACRIS and AGRIS or that between ENDOC and INFO-
     TERRA ( see Council Decision no f6/l6l of 8 December 1975) .
 ---pagebreak---                                           - a
     - Tne Cotinrii  on * a own information systems . Many of the data bases and
       data UinlcH established or operated by the Coiiunisaion are of interest
       to the coi.mierujLal n.nd industrial sectors and to tho general public ,
       as l'or instance CiJOWJS . As they were initially created to meet internal
       needs , they are not compatible , as yet , with Euronet DIANE and/or do
       not lend themselves to commercial exploitation . This major shortcoming
       should be overcome in the course of the 3rd Action Plan .
2.3.2     Call for proposals
Thj.s mechanism , which has already been introduced as a pilot scheme for tha
development of new information projects , will constitute the main meohanism
for the creation of more and better information systems and services within
t.'ia framework of the 3rd Action Plan. On the basis of the experience made
within the framework of the pilot call for proposals , this mechanism should
be further developed and refined . In particular , an appropriate and effective
management structure should be developed and established in order to make the
most efficient use of the potential of this mechanism . This structure should
ensure that existing national policies are duly considered in the evaluation
and implementation of proposals . Thus the call for proposals will comple­
ment national programmes , but it will also stimulate them where these need
further development . Furthermore , the existing sectoral groups shall be in­
volved in the areas of their competence for the development of the ideas sub­
mitted and the investigation of specific conditions related to the subject
matter and to the situation in the respective Member States . On the other hand ,
STIDC and its working groups may assist in defining subject areas for which
call6 for proposals should be published .
Selected projects shall be supported by Community funds through direct finan­
cial aid which is presently generally 25% of the development cost , it being
understood that the long-term viability is ensured by the proposer . In special
cases , the Community 's financial aid may be up to 49 of the development cost .
Community funds may supplement the national support of information projects ,
but may also constitute the only public support available . Support by the
Commission shall be limited to a relatively short period , the duration of
which will be determined by a number of factors such as the importance of the
project and the availability of other public funds . There will be no restrio-
tion as far as the legal status of the proposer – private or publio – is con­
cerned .
 ---pagebreak---                                                - 9 -
     At a iator stage , the possibility of creating a common fund with contributions
     from Community and national budgets for the support of proposals should be
     investigated as an alternative mechanism for financial support .
     Finally., it should be stressed that the call for proposals is not restricted
     to data base projects only , but should also . further all development such as
     access mechanisms and software packages which facilitate access to information ,
     offer data handling and modelling devices , increase the efficiency and reduce
     the cost of supply as well as the delays of availability.
  ?. j»3      r'ol.low-ui ) of the call for proposals
 l'ne "Pali for                     inochanisin will mobilize idO'C and resources in the
.information sector . It is likely that many proposals are qualified for a
  O'tiiiuurti ty support , but the Commission will be able with the available funds
  10 finance only a .small fraction of theia (5 or 10"/_>) .
on the other aide , the Community has the duty for achieving the objective of
j■ . real promotion of informa tion supply .
•      the basis of the proposals; received , an overall view can be gamed ) 1' the
  European information supply , anu market trends , opp-jrtunities of cooperation ,
  etc . can be identified . Assisted by STIDC and national experts , the Commission
 could ur.apo tiie information supply developments according to Community interests
  ind uurkut requirements .
     Tais more active role of the Community would be complementary to the finan­
     cing scheme and would have a synergic effect            on it .
     Areas of activity ares
        – promotion of cooperation between complementary proposals . The Commission
           will identify the proposals that can be merged or coordinated , will put
           in contacts the possible partners and will assist them in setting up
           joint projects , possibly contributing to the costs of the establishment
        , of the cooperation ( contribution to market studies , development studies
           etc ., logistic support );
        – the Commission will use the technical expertise available in its staff
          and its advisory committee for suggesting improvement and modifications
          of projects , that cannot be accepted for a financial support but present ,
          nevertheless , interesting features ; the modified projects can possibly be
           supported at a later 6tage ;
        – for problems that are common to a sufficient number of projects , the
          Commission could underwrite the financial studies and position reports ,
           e.g. in area3 such as software development , market research , selection
          of dissemination media , etc .
     In undertaking sucn actions assistance will be provided by the sectoral
     groups of STIDC which will advise on all actions that fall within their field
     of competence .
 ---pagebreak---                                                          •     - 10"-
                                                                                                1
•1 1                                         ~
                   Chapter 3 :     User support and market development
                   The notions and projects envisaged under Chapters 1 and 2 must be accom­
                   panied    by a number of supporting measures in order to ensure the economic
                   viability of information supply in Europe , to encourage users to make the most
                   efficient and coat effective use of services offered and to guide suppliers
                   to provide the right products . This chapter acknowledges this vital
                  need     and proposes    a series of     target activities which mainly aim
                  at the economic success of Euronet DIANE and at guiding users to make
                  the most beneficial use of the services . ,
                . 3.1     Promotion of DIANE services                         -                   •  -
                  The aim of the promotional effort during the perio.d of the 3rd Action
                  Plan should be twofold :                                      #        -
                     - to widen the circle of users , and hence to help to increase
                         the information markets                                                    , -
                                                                      -          >         •>
                     - to encourage more intensive use of the facilities among existing
                   '     and future users , making use in both cases of the existing hosts
                         and ancillary services .           . .                               -
                  Among the specific promotional activities necessary during the 3rd Action
                  Plan , will be ;    launching of Euronet DIANE in new geographical areas
                 -( e.g. Greece ), a new and detailed forecast study of STID traffic (urgent­
                  ly requested by the PTTB) and participation in major exhibitions .
                  The progressive reduction in the proposed expenditure on the promotion
                  of DIANE during the period of the 3rd Action Plan is based on the assump­
                  tion that the various partners in DIANE will gradually take over the pro­
                  motion activities financed up. till now from Community funds , the size of
                  which will thus be reduced . Certain basic support will continue to be re­
                  quired , however , notably for :
                     - directory and fact sheet updates ;
                     - publishing of brochures and general information ;
            ^        - Euronet DIANE Newsletter ;
                     - coordination of participation in exhibitions .
                  In addition , there is a need for more information of a market evaluation
                   kind , enabling DIANE hosts better to identify market gaps , factors affect–
                   in,;; the marketability of existing new products , price sensitivity , etc .
                   Ouch information acquired at a Community level would contribute substan-
 U'tUitiptl^ltyetdsthf&HrGrall strategic planning of the partners in DIANE for the ;
    ^ ' "* ?''"*A,^<Vvel-splken C r#frservices in the iljJiJOs .-
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                ίο ,
                                    - 11 -
  3.2   Measures to improve the European information market situation
  Witnin the framework - of the 2nd Action Plan the Commission has already underta­
  ken   a series of studies in the field of specialized information , supply .
 These should be completed within this Action Plan with regard to :
    – the access uf data base producers to unclassified data and informa­
      tion accumulated by ministries and public institutions ;
    – the legislation and practices in the area of copyright ;
    – Member States' educati ; nal programmes concerning the economic use
      of information , and developing curricula for intermediaries .
 On the basi6 of the results of these investigations , appropriate actions
 should be undertaken with a view to improving the situation for European
 information production and market *
 Particular types of action will be geared to the development of interna­
 tional cooperation between the operators in the information supply sector ,
 with the emphasis on incentives for professional organizations at Community
 level ;
    – Euronet DIANE Host Group ;                 "
    – European Information Providers Association (EURIPA ) ;
    – European Section of IFLA ( international Federation of Library
      Associations ) :
                       • ν
    – User fonuns and conférences » etc »
An appropriate means for improving the transfer of information not only to
small– and medium-sized enterprises ( SMEs) but alsa to other target groups
is the Betting up of an interface ( intermediaries) between specialized in­
formation services and the users . On the basis of an analysis made through
various studies , which were commissioned under the 2nd Action Plan , various
measures could be undertaken at national or Community- level such ass
    - training facilities for information intermediaries ;
    - promotion activities for the use of new technologies ;
    – demonstration projects ;
    – pilot actions in some areas of relevance for Community regional
      policy .
 ---pagebreak---  3.3   Ercnort of information
 The stimulation of world-wide exports of European information products
 and services should enable the European suppliers to attain the profit­
 able operating scale already enjoyed by American producers , but achieved
 in Europe by a negligible minority only .
 Although it is recognized that the principal responsibility for extending
 European information services to outside markets lies with the PTTs and
 the hosts who finally are supposed to earn the profits , the Community
 should give an initial stimulating support to the export exercise by or­
 ganizing workshops with the parties concerned , financing market research
 and feasibility studies and providing initial support to hosts and sup­
 pliers in export efforts . In particular , the creation of the technical and
 legal framework as a basic element for such export schemes should be sup­
 ported by the Community .
3.4   User support and needs
The increased range of services offered by Euronet DIANE makes it more
necessary than ever to have user support action in addition to the pro­
motion measures described above .
A considerable proportion of the user support must clearly be provided
at national level and by the hosts themselves . Nevertheless , Community
action will still be required in a number of fields , so as to make avail­
able to all users a range of tools for guidance , referral and advice .
The activities undertaken under the 2nd Action Plan must be continued
and further developed , with particular reference t <? the information and
reference service , making completely impartial use of all hosts inte­
grated into Euronet DIANE .
Relations with intermediaries , librarians , information specialists and
brokers must be strengthened so as to establish , with their help , a
suitable framework for developing all types of user support throughout
the Community .
 ---pagebreak---                                                                               ei .
                                        13 -
 A butter knowled-je of useru 1 needs is more important than ever for the
 development of the Counauni ty ' s range of information services . In choos­
ing between the ucrvic.es offered , users are undoubtedly guided by con-
 si derations of price – absolute and relative – cost/effectiveness , the
 coGt/satiof action ratio , etc . However , next to nothing is known about
 the value these very users attach to the various elements of a composite
 service ranging from telecommunications facilities to on–line informa­
 tion , source listing , delivery of complete documents , etc .
In-depth studies are therefore necessary , and these are now feasible with
the emergence of national user groups , the establishment of the Euronet
DIANL network and formal PTT involvement in STI traffic management . These
analyses can thus be based on statistics on the real use made of the
service .
In this context , a specific user group must be taken care of with parti­
cular attention , i.e. the small~and medium–sized enterprises ( SHE). The
transfer of information to SMEs has repeatedly been emphasized without
concrete results so far . Therefore , it is urgent to investigate the real
requirements within the framework of studies and symposia and to develop
on the results of tnese investigations the required services , preferably
within the frawework of the call for proposals .
3.5    User aspects of standardization
The general field of standardization naturally lies outside the scope of
the 3rd Action Plan .
Nevertheless , there is frequent interaction between the various bodies
involved in standardization , and some of the work done under the 1st and
2nd Action Plans made a significant contribution , especially as regards
network interfaces and a common command language .
Close attention should therefore be paid to standardization work at
European and international level and every effort made – in the various
bodies and in the face of powerful industrial interests – to ensure thnt
the STI user 's point of view prevails , in particular as follows :
   – the proposed standards must be as user–friendly as possible ;
   – speeding up the standardization process when this appears useful ;
   – identifying sectors neglected up till now.
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                   V V I
                                          - 14 -
     Within the period of the 3rd Action Plan , aroas which will need to bo
      tackled include :    content description of data bases and data banks
      ( refinement jf work already initiated), extension of the common command
      lan,;uage to data banks in a multilingual context , and the interfaces
     necessary for the introduction of new services ( e.g. Videotex) on
     Euronet DIANr>.
     Whether it relates to Videotex , to Teletex , to the establishment of
     relations between X21 and X25 devices or to integrated digital networks ,
 - the standai -dization work of the PTTs is of extreme importance , and the
     Commission should participate actively in the work of the relevant work­
     ing groups of CCI'IT and CJLIPT , not to mention the ISO and other bodies .
     There , is little standardization work    in this field - at
   . national level      and a considerable impact could be made by taking account
     of the users' interests at Community level .
     3.6     Document delivery
     This problem is constantly raised by users who want quick and low-cost
     access to primary information . It is inherent to all bibliographic informa­
     tion systems , but it ia obviously much more acute in the case of on–line
     services . The creation of document delivery services would thus consider­
     ably enhance the market image of the Euronet DIANE hosts .
     There is no doubt that new technologies will have an impact on the delivery
     of full texts . However , there is a number of issues to be examined such as
     copyright , dispatching of documents ordered through Euronet , tariffs which
     do not necessarily depend on the technologies applied and which were made
     more transparent with the advent of Euronet .
    Die framework for such a system is already well developed in the Community
    – better tnan in the USA for instance – since the Member States have a
    number of centres which, supply large numbers of primary documents efficiently
    In order to provide for a basis for further discussion , a number of relevant
    items are already being investigated within the framework of the 2nd Action
    Plan such as the current practice in Member States for ordering, supplying,
    invoicing and payment , and the impact of on–line services on inter–library
    loan requests , as well as the libraries' acquisition policies and the various
    cost elements ,    N                                          ^
    It is huwever essential to proceed beyond the stage of studies . The main
t. mim .- should be to establish , before the end of the 3rd Action Plan , the
    beginnings of a Community document order and delivery -system which meets
    the users' needs ns reprards nneed . sirnDli ci tv and cost .
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                       *</. r
                                            - 15 -
                                                                   *
<1 . t>  Multilingual aspects
         Although there ia a separate programme for the huge area covering Community
         needs in this field , ST1DC has expressed its wish to remain involved in
         the o'li aspectcr of the Community multilingual policy      and its
         applications * The 3rd Action Plan, has thus been oriented towards widening
        the market for STI , in particular by applying multilingual tools and by
        making it easier to use the systems already developed or being developed.
        Efforts will be made to improve the multilingual tools and the new techno­
        logies involved! and oare will be taken to ensure that all thosa linked
        to Euronet DIANE can derive benefit from it under fair conditions .
        To ensure the necessary complementarity between the various Community
        activities in the field of multilingualism, there should be regular h&r–
        monization of the respective multi-annual programmes , encouragement of
        consultations between the working groups , and a request to Member States
        to make known their own projects in this field.
        The measures envisaged under the 3rd Action Plan for STID are aimed at
        the following i
        – the creation and updating of multilingual terminologioal tools
           (thesauri and other reference lists , lexical databases , etc .), of
          use to the users of Euronet DIAHE and other services ; improvement
           of the infrastructure needed for information retrieval } technical
          and exploratory studies ;
        – pilot projects aimed at overcoming the language barriers . Two
          different approaches are envisaged hare ;
           (a ) the setting up, on a bilateral basis , o-f a group of intermediaries
                in bilingual information retrieval , to help users at the technical
                and linguist io levels ;
           (b ) the use of some existing system for the translation of data bases
                (abstracts and/or full texts ), taking into account the effeot on
                translation quality of a moderately restricted syntax ;
        – a feasibility studs'- into the production of unrevised machine translations
           for certain- categories of Euronet DIA1E users ;
                                         1-
        – collaboration with qualified translation centres within the Comma ty ,
           to help them i
 ---pagebreak---     (a)  to extend their activities to translations between European languages
    ( b) to supply , on request , tho full text of {selected, translations:.;
*                                   '
  - the creation of a translation fund allowing publishers of STID material
    to obtain loans to cover the cost of translating documents ( articles ,
    monographs , books , etc .).
  In combination , all these measures would help tQ ^alleviate the effects of
  the linguistic barrier currently hampering the use of the SUD resources in
  the Community .                            ,
 ---pagebreak---                                          17 -
      ti.-r 4 : Application u1' new technologies arid methodologies
In the near future there will be far-reaching and unavoidable changes in methods,
of nif'ui'ination handling and transfer in the wake of the technological
developments . Within the framework of STID policies and activities of the
Community it is important that developments can be introduced in an appro­
priate way so as to enable both information providers and users to shara
in the economic and other benefits of new technology . Lastly , this will be
a decisive factor not only for the future viability o£ STID produots and
services in the Community , but also for its success on extra-European mar­
kets .
Within the 3rd Action Plan the intention is not to develop new information
technologies but to adapt and apply these in an optimal way and as rapidly
and effectively as possible within the Community . For that purpose , a
sustained effort i planned to ensure among other things thatj
   - attention is focussed on applications and adaptations of new
       technologies that open up new means of accessing information ,
       especially to non-inforrnation experts ;
   - the components of STID "transfer (production , storage , trans­
       mission and interrogation of data) are fully developed for the
       benefit of users as well as of producers and hosts ;
   - the standardisation work currently being carried out at European
       level , particularly by the PTTs , is reinforced ;
   - the development of national and Community activities, in this
       field is carried out in a harmonized and increasingly coordi­
       nated manner .
 4.1    Monitoring of developments
 The aim here is to promote a common market of ideas , to pool studies of
 the impact of new technology and to mobilize and concert the efforts made
 by Member States on how to put the new information technologies at the
 service of society . Both this activity and the strategic analysis which
 is proposed are seen as leading to the identification and concentration
 of effort on topics where Community and/or collaborative initiatives will
 be useful and timely * The framework of this action will be vath <
 ---pagebreak---                                       - 18 -
                                      \
    - Componente , i.e . mass Storage ( videodisco , optical discs , bubble
                                        memories , microforms )
                         Transmission ( optical fibres , satellites)
                         Processing ( microprocess >rs , vocoders ( voice-
                                        coders) , digitizers)
    - Techniques ,                    ( digitizing of text and graphics
                                        including facsimile and character
                                        recognition ; telesoftware)
    r Systems ,  , '.                 (digital networks , word processing ,
                                        Videotex , intelligent terminals ,
                                        high speed facsimile , voice recog­
                                        nition , man-machine communi cation ,
                                        tele-conferencing)
    - Applications ,                  ( electronic journals , micro-publishing ,
             ,                          electronic access to documents)
                                                             »     '             Ν
Two main mechanisms are envisaged : workshops and studies . Workshops on se­
lected topics should bring together people expert in a given technology with
potential users of the - technology for information purposes and with policy
makers , thus mobilizing and mutually fertilizing expertise spread over Member
States of the Community and confronting such expertise with ( potential ) user
needs . In order to prepare and follow-up such workshops , appropriate studies
will be needed . These studies should comprise a description of the state of
development of the selected topics in the Member States . Illustrative of the
                           ν
activities planned are workshops on ( l ) new technologies for characters , - /
graphics and speech input end output , and ( 2 ) document digitization and tele­
transmission .
4.2   Strategic analysis            1                                          ,
The objective of the strategic analysis is to establish a consensus on the
relative importance , time scale and repercussions of new information transfer
technologies during the 1930' s , This consensus will provide a framework with­
in which coordinated actions in the Member States of the Community can be
implemented , thus providing a firm basis for any pilot projects agreed to be
desirable and timely at the Community level and for any other appropriate
support actions .                                   '
 ---pagebreak---                                       - 19 -
The general aim of the strategic analysis will be not only to give a coherent
overall view of the main trends , put also to arrive at ;
     - an indication of how market resources should be exploited to create
       information services which can be accessed directly by a much wider
       range of end users than is generally the case with present systems
       ( for example Euronet DIANE in its present form ) ;
     - an identification of priority markets where immediate action seems
       justified in economic terms ;
    r- a consensus on the most appropriate points on which a policy of
       launching and supporting new services should form .
4.3   SDecific atmli cations
There are two important areas where the opportunity of application of n ew
technologies is already identified now :      user-oriented information retrieval
systems and electronic publishing ( the storage , processing , transmission ,
translation , retrieval , etc . of full texts for the benefit of authors , edi­
tors , referees , publishers , librarians ,""documentali'sts and users )".- Tn these
fields a number of specific studies must be undertaken , which them-aay.be
followed by pilot implementations . Furthermore , adequate follow-up of those
studies which have already been undertaken under the 2nd Action Plan , has to
be taken care of .
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                                               "»v           , 1
                                                                       Annex I                            •       ■     •     ;
        junctions' of ceotnral working (groups                               . .            .        v
Sectoral.' Working Groups lor the subject fields mentioned under chapter 2 . 3 . J
abovw have been set up . They are composed of representatives of competent ministries
or departments and of experts from I & B centres to make sure that the results
of GIDiiT 's actions find maximum application at national level in these
fields and that Community and national activities are in line with each                                     ■                   ;
other . , .               _                         ' /
Thus being an integral part of STIC ,              the sectoral WG * s have four main
functions :
  - to assist the Commission in formulating a common STI                   policy in selected >                       ^         j
     subject fields and in harmonizing the corresponding national activities .                                                  j
     To this end the WGs act as 'forums for the exchange , of up-to-date in-
     fonnation on pertinent national and Community policies and programme "
     Furthermore , they outlihe proposed policies and programmes for sub-                                                        !
     mission to the Commission and to CIDST while presenting the possible                              ■.                         •
     activities 6f a given sector in the broader framework of underlying
     and related policies and general orientations ;
  - to assist the Commission in the application of new mechanisms , e.g. the
     " Call for     Proposals ", for the development of information services .                                            :         ,
     Functions      of these mechanisms would be to stimulate , receive and assess ~
     proposals      for, new or upgraded services , to ensure that there is . a geo­
     graphical      distribution of services providing information able to en­
   . hunce regional development within the Community ;
  - to assist the Commission and SHC' in testing new information technolo­
     gies where these are of specific interest to given sectors , e.g. -
     VIDcOTLX for agricultural extension service ; and
  - to advise the Commission " in drawing up and managing appropriate study
     and action programmes . This includes studies for decision making where                                                     \
     necessary , the drafting of short - and medium-term working programmes , the                                                !
     definition of priorities , the selection of projects and project develop–
     ment .                                                                              " . .
                             ...      ■■                                .         ■ -                                           r
                                ~ ;                                              '•                                             »■
                       '•           •    . >                • -    .                                                '           i
                                             '                                                   ( \                  ■         ' 1
      '      ' ·· "          ·                 ' '         *         <                         '        '        ' ■            1
                                                                ν.                    *"                                      *
 ---pagebreak---                  PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION ADOPTING A
                 THIRD THREE-YEAR PLAN OF ACTION IN TES FIELD
                 OF INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION IN SCIENCE
                 AND TECHNOLOGY
         - Proposal for a Council Decision
Bâtiment J#an Monnet. Plataau du K irchberg, Boit# postai » 1 907 , UuMambourg - Tél . 430 1 1
                Tà»a « 3423. 3446 COMEUR LU - 2752 EUfiDOC LU
 ---pagebreak---                        PROPOSAL FOR A
                      COUNCIL .DECISION
adopting a third plan of action ( 1981-1933 ) in the field of scientific
               and technical information and documentation ( STID )
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community , and
in particular Article 235 "thereof ,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament ,
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee ,
Whereas , under Article 2 of the Treaty , the Community shall have as one of its
tasks that of protecting throughout the Community the harmonious development of
economic activities and a continuous and "balanced expansion ;
Whereas it is important , since the use of information is emerging as one of
the prime factors in economic activity and innovation and in science , education
and administration , that current action with regard to scientific and
technical information should "be actively extended to include the socio-economic
field by encouraging and supporting both public and private initiatives
of all kinds ;
Whereas the Heads of Statfc and of Government , meeting in Strasbourg on 21 and
   22 June 1979 » declared that "the dynamic complex of information industries ,
based on the new electronic technologies offered a major source of economic
growth and social development ";
 ---pagebreak---  Whereas the concurrent development of the production and use of information
  in the Community must permit the progressive attainment of a reasonable "balance
 "between ingoing and outgoing flows of information , in particular "between the
  Community and non-member' countries , on "a basis of reciprocity, which will inter
aLia ensure freedom of access by Community users to source's of information and
data outside the Community ;       •    t     •   .
 Whereas the Scientific and Technical Information and Documentation Committee
  ( STIDC ) and the Scientific and Technical Research Committoe ( CREST) have
 delivered their opinions on the Commission propooal ; ,
Whereas the need to strengthen and consolidate activities in the STU) field ,
already commenced under the first two action plans for ST3D , justifies the
 implementation of a third plan of action which should contribute effectively
towards achieving the above-mentioned objectives of the Treaty ;
Whereas the Treaty has not provided tke necessary powers ;
Whereas , in addition , it is necessary to define the lines along which suitable
coordination of actions at the national and Community levels in this field
could be effected ;
                                                      .
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS *             11         i
                                          •     :   :                              ι
                      •   V
                            *    Article 1 '
A third               plan of action in the field of scientific , technical and
related specialized information and documentation as set out in Annex I is
hereby adopted for a period of three years with effect from 1 January 1981 .
The ceiling for expenditure commitments necessary for t-he realisation of this
plan is estimated at- 16.5 million European units of account , the European unit of
account being defined by the relevant -Financial Regulations . This amount consti­
tutes only an indication .
                      ; "        Article 2
                \
The Commission shall implement the .plan of action , assisted by STIDC , the
duties and method of operation of which were defined in Annex II of the Council
Decision of 9 October 1978 adopting- a second three-year plan of action in the
field of sc-'entific and technical information and documentation' . This Committee
and Cf;ES T shall be !: ept regularly informed by the Commission of the progress of
the work in this field and in associate-i fields ,-     The Commission shall al?o sub­
mit . each yewr to the Council snd the European Parliament a full report on the
subject ,
 ---pagebreak---                         Article 3
 In accordance with Article 228 of the Treaty , the Community may conclude
 cooperation agreements with non-member - countries participating in the European
 Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations ( CEPT).
 The Commission shall "be authorized to negotiate cooperation agreements under
the conditions defined in the Council Decision of 9 October 1978," and particu­
larly in Article 3 thereof .and Annex II thereto .   <-
Done at
                                                                   *
                                                For the Council
                                                  The President
 ---pagebreak---                                  ANNEX 1
       THIRD ACTION PLAN IN THE FIELD OP SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL
              INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION FOR THE TEARS
                               1981 - 1983
In order to build upon Euronet DIANE and other achievements of the
first two Action Plans between 1975 and 19^0 , and to reinforce and
complement national measures of the Member States , the Third Action
Plan aims :
          1 ) to consolidate and enhance Euronet and to extend and improve
              DIANE services ?
          2 ) to contribute to the creation of further high quality
              information services in Europe, to meet a wide variety
              of needs and to stimulate both public and commercial
              activities in this area;
          3 ) to support users and intermediaries , and the develop­
              ment of the information market in the Member States
              of the Community;
          4 ) to encourage the application of new technologies and metho­
              dologies to information services ,  z .
Of these objectives the first two have high priority at present ; the
remaining two are complementary and will mainly consist , for the 'period
of the Third Action Plan , of monitoring and assessing developments ,
carrying out exploratory studies , coordinating national views and acti­
vities , identifying actions which might be appropriate at Community
level and defining . projects that can ensure such actions®
In general , significant efforts must be made within the Third Action Plan
in the field of scientific , technical and other /specialized information
and documentation to achieve all the objectives laxd down by the Council
in its Resolution of 24 June 1971 &na "to help prepare the Community , its'
economy and industry , science , research and a&mini strati on , to face the
challenges of the 1980s o
 ---pagebreak---                                       w 2 »
The Third Aotian Plan comprises four principal chapters ?
1.  Euronet as a public network "by 1933
    The Euronet network.,, which has been operational since November 1979 &*id has
    & substantially larger capacity sincje mid-1980s m
    – will be managed until the end of 1983 by the national PTT administrations
       under the supervision of the Commission which will continue to co-fi nance
       any operating deficit . The means of accounting for the deficit must be
       renegotiated on the basis of maintenance costs having due regard to the
       delay in bringing the network into service and the emergence of parallel
       national networks ;
    – must be extended , particularly to new Member States and within all Member
       States of the Community , in order to respond quickly to the evolving
       demand for STID . The responsibility for any necessary extensions should
       increasingly rest with the PTTs , and Community funds should not be used,
       for regional extensions within Member States ;
    – should be interconnected with other networks in Europe , on the basis of
       the cooperation agreements foreseen in Article 3 of this decision ; con­
       nections with networks of industrialised countries outside Europe should
       be approached on the basis of reciprocity and guarantee of traffic in both
       directions , respecting the basic provisions of the Treaty and taking into
       account the best interests of the DIANE hosts ; opportunity should be taken
       whenever possible to extend th® services to developing countries including
       LOME Convention countries ;
   – . oust continue to benefit from the active support of the Launch Team as
       long as necessary ;
            ;                                               N
   – will require measures , particularly from the PTTs , to promote third party
       traffic in order to guarantee a better financial balance ;
   – must make a smooth and gradual change to the status of a public network
       by the end of 1983 at the latest , when it will become the sole managerial
       responsibility of the PTTs . This change will require the extension of
       tariff agreements for a period long enough to protect the interests of
       the users and to help in promoting the services of the DIANE hosts .
 ---pagebreak---                                         - 3 -
   Accelerated development of hip;h quality services in Europe
   The further development of information supply of both private and publio
   origin for European users is a major target to be achieved in the Third
   Action Plan with a view to prepare the ooriditions for the creation of farther
   value added information services . Measures carried out in this area should :
              – contribute to the creation of further high quality services and
                 cover existing gaps where this is of importance for the Community }
              – respond to Community interest and, where appropriate, contain
                elements which require European cooperation ;
              – take account of national programmes and combine Community support
                 with activities in the member countries whenever this is possible
                and appropriate «,
   Two mechanisms can be effective for this purpose :
   – the study , definition and implementation of specific actions through task
     forces or sectoral groups , particularly in those areas where a Community
     policy or a priority Community interest exists ( e«g» agriculture , environment ,
     energy , health care ); two different procedures can be appropriate for the
     financing and implementation of such actions :
              – the execution of projects under contracts being financed by the
                Community , with possible contributions from other sources ;
            . – the creation of new systems and services through the cooperation
                of specialized centres in the Member States being coordinated by
                the Commissions
                                                                   1
 – the call for proposals vjhich was first implemented under the second
     Action Plan and which has the potential to be steadily developed and
     reoriented in accordance with previous experience and actual requirements
     in order to promote new ideas .and stimulate interest *, The Commission
 .   shall grant direct short-term subsidies to projects of Cojmunity relevance
     proposed by public or private organisation? in Member States and shall               ,
     oombi»«, whenever possible and desirable , Gosmvoitj action with, - similar
     existing or proposed !recha;yi>^f> ~r> tha nation*.! level -.. Thr. Community ' s
     direct financial suppor t              is £-e;i>sra.lj y 2 jc fc of th ? development
     cost , but may b© up to 49^"                     SITODOTT is given or th.*? under–
Hv 02 10 of 29 Novsirber 1Q"''9
 ---pagebreak---                                         - 4 -
      standing that the long-term viability of projects is guaranteed without
     recourse to further Community subsidies .
     Additional measures of indirect support should be considered in order to
     follow up proposals which may not be financed under the above mechanism ,
     but which deserve further attention and may call for appropriate assistance .
- User support and market development
  In complement to the priority activities under chapters 1 and 2 , a series of accom­
 panying measures are to be undertaken which are required at Community level to
  evaluate the situation and to prepare future supportive policies and actions :
  - to stimulate a wider and more discerning market for European information services
     and in particular those of Euronet DIANE, where an increasing involvement of and
     a progressive transfer of responsibility to the hosts , 'data base producers and
     other interested parties is planned ;
  - to improve the information market in Europe on the basis of systematic analyses ;
  - to stimulate the export of information products and on-line services from within
    the Communities to other industrialized countries and to developing countries
     including those of the LOME Convention, in particular through seminars , studies ,
     workshops and other actions ;
  - to    evaluate user needs and to support them in an appropriate way , in particular
    through guidance and referral services ;
  – to encourage efficient document delivery services , taking account of existing
    arrangements in member countries ;
  – to develop suitable multilingual tools in order to lower language barriers for
    the users ;
  – to consider especially the requirements of small– and medium-sized enterprises
     and to encourage the further development of intermediary and other services
    which would take care of the paxticular needs and constraints of these enterprises^
  – to consider users' interests when European or international standards are defined
     or implement ed8
  Nc w technologies and r,s1hodol&qrf.es need to be monitored and designed in a selective
  way with a view to improving quality , increasing efficiency , lowering cost , deve­
  loping competitiveness of information systems and services in Europe ana broadening
  their scope , Jt is particularly important that such developments be introduced in an
 ---pagebreak--- appropriate way so as to enable both information providers and users to
shore in the benefits of new technology. Within the Third Action Plan the
intention is not to develop new technologies but to promote the application
and adaptation of these as rapidly and effectively as possible within the
Community# Initially this should be achieved through the ;
– monitoring of evolving technologies and their applications ;
– establishment of a coordinated strategic view on developments which have
   a potential impact on STID j
«• execution of specific studies , for example in the fields of more useri-
   oriented information retrieval systems and electfonio publishing;
– identification and definition of actions that would be appropriate at
   Community level*
 ---pagebreak--- Plan d' action
IDST .
                     FICHE   FINANCIERE •
Liçjne budgétaire concernée Î      "
         poste 3620 : Plans d' action -triennaux
                        3eme Plan d' action en matière d' infor­
                        mation et de documentation scientifiques
                        et techniques . ( IDST )               -
Base "juridique :
         Proposition ce décision du Conseil relative au
         3ème Plan d' action en IDST ( en préparation dans les
         services ce la Commission )
Description de • 1-' actio n :
         voir proposition de décision du Conseil ci-jointe et
         communication de Monsieur DAVIGNOH à la Commission .
Justification de l' action     :
         voir proposition de décision du Conseil ci-jointe et
         communication ce Monsieur DAVIGNON' à la Commission .
Incidence financière ce ; l' actio» sur -l es crédits d' interven ¬
tion   :
5.1 . Coût total de l' action :
         16,5 MU CE à répartir sur trois exercices budgétaires .
5.2 . Dépense .intégralement supportée par le budget communau­
       taire .
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                                      Ho .
      5.3 . Echéancier ces crédits nécessaires :
              5.3.1 . Crédits - associés
                                                                                ( en m.u.c.e .)
     crée its                                 crédits de paiement
'd ' engagement
                                  1981              1932             1983   ι   1984   ι   1935
exercice 1981         :                     !                               :          i
      2,000                      0,500      ; 1,000                0,500    !1    -    !1
                                                                                        !
exercice 15 82        :                    !                                >           ;          I
      8,000                                ! 3,500
                                           !
                                                                   2 , 500 : 2,000 ;         - i   :
                                           !–               !              ,                       '
exercice 1933         :                    !                               i                       i
      0,500                       -                  -     ' 2,500         ' 2,500        1,500 ·
                                                                                                  !
                                                                                                  i
              total   :                   ;              ' '                                     1
     16 ; 500                    0,500           4,500 . 5,500                 4,500      1,500 !1
                                              .....  .     ....... _                            1
              5.3.2 . l' ocie de calcul
                        L ' estimation des crédits destinés à financer le
                        3ème plan d' action est basée sur i
                        - les coûts réels de la mise en place eu ré­
                            seau EURO :; ET - DIANE ;
                        - l' expérience acquise et les coûts réels ces
                            systèmes actuellement opérationnels , complétés
                            sur les indications fournies par les experts -
                            nationaux ;
                        - les estimations faites par ces experts natio­
                            naux ou dans le cadre d' études de faisabilité
                            détaillées , concernant en particulier les
                            coûts de développement ce services de haute
                            qualité et du marché européen de l' IDST ;
                        - les tarifs en vigueur notamment dans certains
                            contrats d' études et de prestations eh matière
                            documentaire et informatique ;
                        - les taux d' inflation constatés ou prévus pour
                            les années ultérieures à 1930 .
 ---pagebreak--- Inc idence financière sur les crédits c!e personnel et de fonc :
tionneraent courant     :
6.1 . Personnel nécessaire 1 2 l' exécution de l' action :
          En place , ( action demandée en continuité des deux
          précédents plans ).
             1       '            .      -      '
Financement des dépenses d ''intervention :
Crédits à inscrire dans les budgets futurs .
Incidences sur les ressources         :
          néant .                   '
Régime de contre le prévu : .
9.1 . La mise en oeuvre du plan d' action est subordonnée à
      l' avis préalable du Comité pour l' Information et la
      Documentation Scientifiques et Techniques - ( ÇIDST ) , aux
      conditions définies par le Conseil dans sa décision
      du S octobre 1978 ( annexe II ) , portant adoption d' un
      2ème plan d' action ( JO n°L 311 du 4.11.1978 ).
9.2 . L' état d' avancement des travaux ainsi les résultats
      obtenus feront l' objet d' un contrôle périodique c";e
      la part eu Parlement et du Conseil à l' occasion de
      la présentation par la Commission de son rapport annuel
      d ' activité .