CELEX: 51990PC0159
Language: en
Date: 1990-05-28
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION ADOPTING A SPECIFIC RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN THE FIELD OF MARINE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ( 1990-1994 )

No C 174/48                           Official Journal of the European Communities                                16. 7. 90
             Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific of research and technological development
                          programme in the field of marine science and technology (1990 to 1994)
                                               COM(90) 159 final — SYN 264
                                      (Submitted by the Commission on 3 May 1990)
                                                       (90/C 174/07)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                         amount is to be allocated to the centralized activities,
                                                                 in order to comply with the second sentence of Article
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European            130p (2) of the Treaty;
Economic Community, and in particular Article 130q
(2) thereof,
                                                                Whereas this programme must be implemented by the
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,               Commission; whereas, to help accomplish this, the
                                                                 Member States are bound, pursuant to Article 5 of the
In cooperation with the European Parliament,                     Treaty, to facilitate the achievement of its tasks, where
                                                                 necessary, notably within a committee;
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and
Social Committee,
                                                                 Whereas this programme must be implemented essen-
                                                    1            tially by the selection of research and development
Whereas, by Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC( ), the                 projects to enable them to benefit from Community
Council adopted a third framework programme for                  participation; whereas the Commission should encour-
Community activities in the field of research and tech-          age the submission of such projects by the usual means
nological development (1990 to 1994), specifying inter          of publishing calls for proposals in the Official Journal
alia the activities to be pursued for developing the            of the European Communities; whereas a special pro-
scientific knowledge and technical know-how needed              cedure should also be devised so as to maintain a degree
by the Community in particular to carry out its role            of flexibility enabling the Commission, in the face of
relating to the environment, especially in marine science       the continuous evolution and gradual acceleration of
and technology; whereas this decision should be taken           technological progress, also to take into consideration
in the light of the grounds set out in the preamble to           spontaneous proposals consistent with the objectives of
that Decision;                                                   the programme;
Whereas Article 130k of the Treaty stipulates that the
framework programme is to be implemented through
                                                                 Whereas the projects to be carried out under the pro-
specific programmes developed within each activity;
                                                                 gramme must be selected with special attention to the
                                                                 principle of economic and social cohesion in the Com-
Whereas an estimate should be made of the amount of              munity, the transnational nature of the projects and
Community financial resources needed to carry out this           the support to be given to small and medium-sized
specific programme; whereas the definitive amounts               enterprises;
will be fixed by the budgetary authority in line with
the financial perspectives covering the period 1988 to
1992 included in the Interinstitutional Agreement of
29 June 1988 (2) and with any future financial perspec-          Whereas it is only in the light of experience gathered
tives covering the period 1993 to 1994;                          in the course of this programme that the Commission
                                                                 will be able to propose and the Council to adopt sup-
                                                                 plementary programmes by having recourse to the
Whereas, pursuant to Article 4 of and Annex I to                 means provided for in Articles 1301, 130m or 130o of
Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC, the amount deemed                  the Treaty, if they contribute to the achievement of the
necessary for the whole framework programme includes             programme's objectives, in accordance with the option
an amount of ECU 57 million for the centralized dis-             made available by Article 2 (2) of Decision 90/221/
semination and exploitation of results, to be divided up         Euratom, EEC;
in proportion to the amount envisaged for each activity;
whereas in view of the importance of this specific
programme within the 'Environment' action the esti-
mate of the financial resources needed by this pro-              Whereas, in accordance with Article 130g of the Treaty,
gramme is to be reduced by ECU 1 040 000, which                  the Community's activities aimed at strengthening the
                                                                 scientific and technological basis of European industry
                                                                 and encouraging it to become more competitive include
                                                                 promoting cooperation on research and technological
                                                                 development with third countries and international
                                                                organizations; whereas such cooperation may prove
 (') OJ No L 117, 8. 5. 1990, p. 28.                            particularly beneficial for the development of this pro-
 (2) OJ No L 185, 15. 7. 1988, p. 33.                           gramme;
 ---pagebreak---   16. 7. 90                          Official Journal of the European Communities                           No C 174/49
  Whereas it is necessary to acquire a good knowledge            3. The reports shall be drawn up having regard to the
  base and reliable forecasting techniques in order to           objectives set out in Annex I to this Decision and
  work out long-term management and protection strat-            in accordance with Article 2 (4) of Decision 90/221/
 egies for the marine environment, as envisaged in Annex         Euratom, EEC.
  II to Decision 90/221 /Euratom, EEC;
  Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research Com-
  mittee (Crest) has been consulted,                                                    Article 6
                                                                 1. The Commission shall be responsible for the
                                                                execution of the programme. It shall be assisted by a
 HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:                                     committee, hereinafter referred to as 'the Committee',
                                                                composed of representatives of the Member States and
                          Article 1                             chaired by a representative of the Commission.
 A specific research and technological development pro-
 gramme for the European Economic Community in the              2. The contracts concluded by the Commission shall
 field of marine science and technology, as defined in          govern the rights and obligations of each party, includ-
 Annex I, is hereby adopted for a period of five years          ing the procedures for disseminating, protecting and
 as from 1 January 1990.                                        exploiting the research results, in accordance with the
                                                                arrangements adopted pursuant to the second para-
                                                                graph of Article 130k of the Treaty.
                          Article 2
 1. The Community funds estimated as necessary for              3. A work programme for each year shall be drawn
 the execution of the programme under this Decision             up and updated where necessary. It shall set out the
 amount to ECU 104 million. Of this amount ECU                  detailed objectives and types of projects to be under-
 1 040 000 is drawn for the centralized dissemination           taken, and the financial arrangements to be made for
 and exploitation of results. The amount thus reduced           them. The Commission shall make calls for proposals
 to ECU 102 960 000 includes staff costs which may not          for projects on the basis of the annual work pro-
 exceed 5 %. An indicative breakdown of expenditure is          grammes.
 set out in Annex II.
 2. Should the Council take a decision in implemen-
 tation of Article 1 (4) of Decision 90/221/Euratom,                                    Article 7
 EEC, this decision shall be adapted to take account of
 the abovementioned Decision.                                   1. In the cases envisaged in Article 8 (1), the Com-
                                                                mission representative shall submit to the Committee a
 3. The budgetary authority shall decide on the appro-         draft of the measures to be taken. The Committee shall
 priations available for each financial year.                  deliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit
                                                               which the chairman may set according to the urgency of
                                                               the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by qualified
                          Article 3                            majority as provided for in Article 148 (2) of the Treaty
                                                               in the case of decisions which the Council is required
                                                               to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. The
 Rules for the implementation of the programme are set         votes of the Member States' representatives within the
 out in Annex III.                                             Committee shall be weighted in the manner set out in
                                                               that Article. The chairman shall not vote.
                         Article 4
The rate of the Community financial contribution shall         2. The Commission shall adopt the measures envis-
be laid down in accordance with Annex IV to Decision           aged where they are in accordance with the Commit-
                                                               tee's opinion.
90/221/Euratom, EEC.
                         Article 5                            3. If the measures envisaged are not in accordance with
                                                              the Committee's opinion, or if no opinion is delivered,
1. During 1992 the Commission shall review the pro-           the Commission shall forthwith submit to the Council
gramme and address a report on the results of the             a proposal relating to the measures to be taken. The
review to the Council and the European Parliament,            Council shall act by a qualified majority.
together with proposals for any necessary changes.
2. At the end of the programme the Commission shall           4. If the Council has not acted within one month of
assess the results obtained. It shall address a report        submission of the proposal, the proposed measures
thereon to the Council and the European Parliament.           shall be adopted by the Commission.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 174/50                              Official Journal of the European Communities                                      16. 7. 90
                            Article 8                                        accompanying measures, referred to in point 2 of
                                                                             Annex III,
1. The procedure laid down in Article 7 shall apply                          concerted actions, referred to in point 2 of Annex III.
to:
— the preparation and updating of the work pro-
    grammes referred to in Article 6 (3),                                                           Article 9
— evaluation of the projects referred to in point 2 of
    Annex III, as well as the estimated amount of the                   In implementing this programme, supplementary pro-
    Community's financial contribution when these                       grammes within the meaning of Article 1301, partici-
                                                                        pation within the meaning of Article 130m and joint
    projects are submitted through the ordinary pro-
                                                                        undertakings or any other structures within the mean-
    cedure referred to in point 4 of Annex III and the
                                                                        ing of Article 130o of the Treaty may also be decided
    abovementioned amount is more than ECU
                                                                        on as the need arises.
    5 million,
— evaluation of all projects submitted through the
    exceptional procedure referred to in point 4 of                                                 Article 10
    Annex III, as well as the estimated amount of the
    Community's financial contribution,                                 Where cooperation with third countries and inter-
                                                                        national organizations aiming at achieving the objec-
— measures for evaluating the programme.                                tives of this programme requires legal undertakings
                                                                        between the Community and the third parties con-
2. The Commission may consult the Committee on                          cerned, the Commission shall be authorized to nego-
any matter falling within the scope of the programme.                   tiate, in accordance with Article 130n of the Treaty,
                                                                        international agreements laying down the terms of such
3. The Commission shall inform the Committee with                       cooperation.
regard to:
                                                                        Decisions on the conclusion of such agreements shall
— the progress of the programme,                                        be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred
— planned calls for proposals, referred to in Article 6 (3),            to in Article 130q (2) of the Treaty.
— projects, referred to in point 2 of Annex III, submit-
    ted through the ordinary procedure, for which the                                               Article 11
    Community contribution is less than ECU 5 million,
    and the results of their evaluation,                                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 to 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.
            A number of these activities will build on the supporting initiatives undertaken in the MAST pilot programme
            and thus include the following areas: the establishment of a European ocean data and information system;
            the preparation of norms and standards for marine science and technology; a modelling coordination
            initiative; 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; and new
            approaches to mapping and bathymetric/hydrographic surveying.
            The following presents an analytical description of the content of the programme, based on and taking
            account of the above elements.
 ---pagebreak--- 16. 7. 90                             Official Journal of the European Communities                                        No C 174/51
          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. The influence of sea ice on deep water formation and on
          ocean circulation will be studied.
          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: air/sea, sea floor/water column, etc.), particularly during bad weather conditions.
          Research will be aimed at deriving mathematical expressions and reliable models for biological processes.
          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, 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). 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
          interactions; 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 (mobilization,
          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 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
 ---pagebreak--- No C 174/52                           Official Journal of the European Communities                                       16. 7. 90
          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 exploi-
          tation of natural chemical substances in the marine environment, and impact studies on the exploitation of
          marine mineral resources will also be implemented.
          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.
                                                             ANNEX //
                            Indicative breakdown of expenditures for the period 1990 to 1994
                                                                                                                   (%)
           Area 1: Marine science, including integrated projects                                                  45-50
           Area 2: Coastal engineering                                                                            15-20
           Area 3: Marine technology                                                                              30-35
           The breakdown between different areas does not exclude the possibility that projects could cover several
                                                             ANNEX III
                                            Rules for implementing the programme
                               and activities for dissemination and exploitation of the results
               The Commission shall implement the programme on the basis of the scientific and technical content
               described in Annex I.
               The rules for implementing the programme, referred to in Article 3, comprise research and technological
               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, manage-
               ment 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 the Financial Regulation.
               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 funding. They shall contribute to the general administrat-
               ive costs.
 ---pagebreak---   16. 7. 90                               Official Journal of the European Communities                                     No C 174/53
              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.
                  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 must be completed before the ordinary procedure in such a way that the
                  available amount for the Community's financial participation in projects retained by the ordinary
                  procedure can be determined precisely. The closing date for the exceptional procedure shall be published
                 each year in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
                 The amount of the financial participation of the Community for all the projects retained by the exceptional
                 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 15%; it may be revised each year in the
                 light of experience.
                 The Commission shall draw up a vade mecum setting out all the rules applicable to this exceptional
                 procedure in order to guarantee full transparency.
             5. The projects must involve at least two mutually independent partners established in different Member
                 States.
             6. The Commission may encourage the participants to form a European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG)
                 or make other arrangements for carrying out projects, such as those on a large scale, permitting
                 decentralized management adapted to the specific requirements of the project.
             7. The knowledge acquired during the course of the projects shall be disseminated on the one hand within
                 the specific programme and on the other and by means of a centralized activity, pursuant to the Decision
                 referred to in the third subparagraph of Article 4 of Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC.
             Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific research and technological development
                                    programme in the field of biotechnology (1990 to 1994)
                                                  COM(90) 160 final — SYN 265
                                         (Submitted by the Commission on 3 May 1990)
                                                              (90/C 174/08)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                                 Whereas, by Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC( 1 ), the
                                                                         Council adopted a third framework programme for
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European                    Community activities in the field of research and tech-
Economic Community, and in particular Article 130q                       nological development (1990 to 1994), specifying inter
(2) thereof,                                                             alia the activities to be pursued for contributing to the
                                                                         development of the European potential for understand-
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,                       ing and exploiting the properties and structures of living
                                                                         matter; whereas this Decision should be taken in the
In cooperation with the European Parliament,                             light of the grounds set out in the preamble to that
                                                                         Decision;
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and
Social Committee,                                                        (') OJNoL117,8. 5. 1990, p. 28.