CELEX: 51996PC0453(02)
Language: en
Date: 1996-09-27
Title: Amended proposal for a Council Decision adapting for the second time Decision 94/268/Euratom concerning the framework programme of activities in the field of research and training for the European Atomic Energy Community (1994-98), as adapted by Decision 96/253/Euratom

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                              Brussels, 27.09 1996
                                              COM(96) 453 final
                                              96/0034 (COD)
                                              96/0035 (CNS)
                            Amended proposal for a
          EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL DECISION
ADAPTING FOR THE SECOND TIME DECISION No 1110/94/EC
CONCERNING THE FOURTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES
IN THE FIELD OF RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND
DEMONSTRATION (1994-1998), AS ADAPTED BY DECISION 616/96/EC
                             Amended proposal for a
                             COUNCIL DECISION
                       ADAPTING FOR THE SECOND
 TIME DECISION 94/268/EURATOM CONCERNING THE FRAMEWORK
 PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF RESEARCH AND
 TRAINING FOR THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY (1994-
 98), AS ADAPTED BY DECISION 96/253/EURATOM
          (presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 a (2)
                              of the EC-Treaty)
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                      Amended proposal for a
                                            ~>FClSION
        EtJMWEAN EARIIAMFNT AND COUNCIL DECISION            ^ J
ADAFTING FOR THE SECOND TIME DECISION No 1110/94/EC
CONCERNING THE FOURTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES
IN THE FIELD OF RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND
DEMONSTRATION (1994-199*), AS ADAPTED BY DECISION 616/96/EC
                             • >
 ---pagebreak---                              EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
         On 28 February 1996 the Commission presented a proposal, under the codecision
procedure, to increase the funding of the fourth RTD framework programme (1994-98)
by ECU 595 million.* On 18 June the European Parliament adopted its opinion at a first
reading on the Commission's proposal.
        Following that opinion, the Commission is sending an amended proposal of the
original document incorporating a part of Parliament's amendments. The changes concern:
        - the introduction of an explanation on the breakdown of the appropriations [Sole
Article, 2a (new); Annex la (new)];
        - more in/ormation on the activities planned in the field of multimedia [Annex II
(ii) "Educational multimedia", first and fourth paragraph; Annex II (xvii)].
        - references to important Commission documents [recital 4a (new); recital 5];
        - the working procedures of the Task Forces [recital 7; Arinex II (i) second
paragraph, introduction];                           . " ' . . . " !        ,V *. ,
          programme management procedures [recital 8aj;,                .#
        - a reminder of the importance of competitiveness and sustainable development
[Annex II (ii) "Priority themes", first paragraph];
        - the introduction of a science prize (Descartes prize) for outstanding European
research work [Annex II (xxii) (new)].
        Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision adapting for the second time Decision
        No 1110/94/EC concerning the fourth framework programme of activities in the field of research,
        technological development and demonstration (1994-1998), as adapted by Decision 616/96/EC
        (COM(96)0012 FINAL - 96/0034(COD))
 ---pagebreak---                      Amended proposal for a , ^ ,• , ,,
        EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL DECISION
ADAPTING FOR THE SECOND TIME DECISION No 1110/94/EC
CONCERNING THE FOURTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES
IN THE FIELD OF RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND
DEMONSTRATION (1994-1998), AS ADAPTED BY DECISION 616/96/EC
                        l et
 ---pagebreak--- Original Commission proposall            Amended               proposai
                              Recital 4a (new)
                                         Whereas   thjs Commission's      White
                                         Papers on 'Growth, Competitiveness
                                         and Employment' 1 and on Education
                                         and Training 2 , and its Green Paper
                                         on Innovation3, s_£xejs_s the need
                                         for. intangible investment in
                                         training, research and innovation?
                                         1
                                           OJ C 20, 24.1.1994, p, 9.
                                         2
                                           CQM(95)059Q
                                         3
                                           CQM(95)0S88
                                 Recital 5
Whereas the increase in the fourth       Whereas the increase in the fourth
framework programme must respect         framework programme must respect
the development of the financial         the development of the financial
perspective of the European Union;       perspective of the European Union;
                                         Whereas   on     12 May     1935 the
                                         Commission presented its proposal
                                         for an amendment to the financial
                                         perspective 4 ;
                                         *SEC(96)493
                                 Recital 7
whereas the discussions by the           Whereas. in order to examine the
research industry task forcjas.          opportunities         £o_r     Closer
created by the Commission help to        cooperation in specific areas of
define the research priorities           research    and   development.     the
more clearly, in consultation with       Commission is setting up a limited
industry,   including   SMEs,   and     -number of task formas. on an
users;   whereas  this   leads   to      experimental basis which help to
better coordination and targeting        define the research priorities
of the work carried out and the          more clearly, in consultation with
means available throughout the           industry,    including     SMEs,   and
Union; whereas the objective is to       users;   whereas    this    leads   to
create an environment favourable         better coordination and targeting
for innovation;                          of the work carried out and the
                                         means available      throughout the
                                         Union; whereas the objective is to
                                         create an environment favourable
                                         for innovation;
       OJ C 115, 19.4.1996, p.l
 ---pagebreak--- Original Commission proposal          Amended             proposal
                             Recital 8a (new)
                                        Whereas   the methods    for   the
                                        management of programmes should be
                                        improved; whereas the setting up
                                        of the task forces should help in
                                        this respect;
                               Sole Article
2. Annex I shall be replaced by         2. Annex I shall be replaced by
Annex I to this Decision.               Annex I to this Decision.
                                        2a^ As a result of Annex la to
                                        this Decision an Annex la giving
                                        an    indicative   breakdown    of
                                        resources allocated to priority
                                        themes shall be inserted.
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                     ANNEX la (new)
                                                      The following Annex la is added to De^..;.aioi^ II1U/94/EC
                                                                                         Annex la
                                                   Priority themes: Indicative breakdown by specific programme
                                                                                    EU Specific Programme Contribution (Mecu)
 PRIORITY THEMES
                                Telematics      IT    IMT   Measurement/ Environment     MAST         Biotech     Biomed      Agi  Non-nuclear Transport TSER INCO    TOTAL
                               Applications                   Testing      /Climate                                           Fish   Energy
 Aeronautics                        20          25     105                     5                                                       X          10            x   !    165
 Educational                        95          20                                                                                                         X       I!
                                                                                                                                                                    |    125
                                                                                                                                                                10
 multimedia
 Automobile                         10           5     45                      X                                                       60         10                     130
 Transport Intermodality            25                  10                                                                             X          50             5        90
 and Interoperability
 Environment (Water)                 X                 20        10           35                                               5        5                       10        85
 Life Sciences: Vaccines                                                                                 X           X         X                                x
 and Viral Diseases
 Maritime Systems                    X           X      X                      X            X                                  X       X          X
 Trains and Railway                  X           X      X                                                                              X           X
 Systems of the Future
 TOTAL                              150         50     180       10           40                                               5       65         70            25       595
MOIS:
X = Additional focusing without financial supplement.
 ---pagebreak---  Original Commission proposal              Amended               proposal
               ANNEX II (i), SECOND PARAGRAPH, INTRODUCTION
This approach will be put into          This approach aims to achieve
effect by means of two distinct         concrete objectives by promoting
and complementary modalities:           cooperation     between      research
                                        centres, universities and industry
                                        OH particular themes , addressed
                                        within different programmes, so as
                                       ifl optimise the exploitation of
                                        results, and to strengthen the
                                        scientific and technological base
                                        of    Community      industry     and
                                        encourage   it to become         more
                                        competitive     _a£.   international
                                        level. It will be put into effect
                                        by means of two distinct and
                                        complementary modalities:
              ANNEX II (ii) PRIORITY THEMES, FIRST PARAGRAPH
European industry suffers several       European industry suffers several
important     disadvantages      in     important     disadvantages         in
comparison    to    its    powerful     comparison     to    its     powerful
competitors.         Despite    the     competitors.          Despite      the
promising   development    of   the     promising   development      of    the
single market, European research        single market, European research
and industry remain fragmented as       and industry remain fragmented as
a result of economic, cultural and      a result of economic, cultural and
institutional differences between       institutional differences between
Member States. There is a need to       Member States. There is a need to
develop an integrated, operational      develop an integrated, operational
approach    so    that    research,     approach    so     that     research,
development    and    demonstration     development     and    demonstration
activities - at EU and national         activities - at EU and national
level - effectively respond to          level - effectively respond to
market and policy requirements and      market and policy requirements and
thereby     support      industrial     support            i n d u s t r i a l
competitiveness     and    economic     competitiveness .           economic
performance.    Such    cooperation     performance      and      sustainable
should stimulate synergy at all         development.     Such     cooperation
levels of the supply chain, and        .should stimulate synergy at all
promote research leading to the         levels of the supply chain, and
establishment       of     uniform      promote research leading to the
standards.                              establishment         of     uniform
                                        standards.
 ---pagebreak---  Original Commission proposal                                           Amended                           proposal
                 ANNEX II (ii), "EDUCATIONAL MULTIMEDIA", FIRST PARAGRAPH
Education and training systems in                                    E d u c a t i o n a n d training s y s t e m s in
Europe            are       facing       a       triple              Europe            are facing            a      triple
challenge:              to prepare          European                 challenge:                 to p r o m o t e      equ^
citizens to take a full part in                                      opportunities               by meeting              the
the Information Society; to meet                                     educational a n d training n e e d s of
the educational and training needs                                   a growing diversity of learners,
of        a       growing           diversity           of           ranging from s c h o o l - l e a v e r s t o
learners, ranging from school-                                       specialized c a t e g o r i e s such a s
leavers to specialised categories                                    disabled p e o p l e a n d learne _§. in
such as               disabled         people         and            rural a n d o u t l y i n g c o m m u n i t i e s ; t o
learnqrs in rural communities; and                                   improve t h e cost a n d p e d a g o g i c
to improve cost and pedagogic                                        e f f e c t i v e n e s s of t h e r e s o u r c e s
ftf f pet-I veness .                 because             this        employed; a n d t o t r a i n c i t i z e n s t o
increased and diversified demand                                     master             £he      new        information
cannot be matched with additional                                    technologies.
resources.
                  A N N E X II ( i i ) , E D U C A T I O N A L M U L T I M E D I A , FOURTH P A R A G R A P H
T o cope w i t h these industrial a n d                              To cope w i t h these industrial a n d
soaietal c h a l l e n g e s , educational                           societal c h a l l e n g e s , e d u c a t i o n a l
m u l t i m e d i a C o m m u n i t y research h a s                 multimedia Community research has
an i n s u f f i c i e n t budget at its                             an insufficient b u d g e t at its
d i s p o s a l . It m u s t b e reinforced t o                      d i s p o s a l . It m u s t b e r e i n f o r c e d t o
a l l o w tha E u r o p e a n industry t o                           a l l o w the E u r o p e a n industry t o
develop               and         validate            the            develop               and        validate           the
m u l t i m e d i a s y s t e m s , services a n d                   m u l t i m e d i a s y s t e m s , services a n d
c o n t e n t s of t h e future. T h e latter                        contents of the future. T h e latter
will         have         to be         competitive                  will         have        to be         competitive
w o r l d w i d e , take into account t h e                          w o r l d w i d e , take into account t h e
cultural a n d linguistic d i v e r s i t y                          cultural a n d linguistic d i v e r s i t y
of E u r o p e a n d a n s w e r the n e e d s of                    of Europe a n d a n s w e r t h e n e e d s of
t e a c h e r s , trainers a n d l e a r n e r s .                   t e a c h e r s , trainers a n d l e a r n e r s .
These            activities            should           be           In        this          context.        particular
integrated                 into       the        global              a t t e n t i o n will b_s p a i d to t h e
information                  society           context               language            problem        arising         from
through              the       validation             and            Europe's linguistic d i v e r s i t y a n d
d e m o n s t r a t i o n of n e w m u l t i m e d i a               to the p r o b l e m s faced by the
a p p l i c a t i o n s in o t h e r g e o g r a p h i c a l        .elderly and the disabled. These
a r e a s , in p a r t i c u l a r w i t h a v i e w                 activities should be integrated
to s t r e n g t h e n i n g the c o o p e r a t i o n               into          the        global       information
with developing countries.                                           society             context         through         the
                                                                     validation and demonstration of
                                                                     new multimedia applications in
                                                                     other          geographical            areas,        in
                                                                     particular               with       a    view        to
                                                                     strengthening               cooperation with
                                                                     developing countries.
                                                    ANNEX II (xvii)
"In response to the priority theme                                   "In response to the priority theme
educational                  multimedia               the            educational                 multimedia              the
following activities will be the                                     following activities will be the
subject of greater focusing and                                      subject of greater focusing and
concentration:                  innovation             and           concentration:                 innovation           and
quality in formal and informal                                       quality in formal and informal
education                   and         training;                    education                  and         training;
investigation of cognitive and                                       investigation of cognitive and
pedagogic aspects of multimedia                                      pedagogic aspects of multimedia
education and training; socio-                                       education and training; socio-
economic              implications           of        the           economic, legal. and financial
introduction of multimedia based                                     implications of the introduction
learning systems."                                                   of       multimedia             based      learning
                                                                     systems."
 ---pagebreak--- Original Commission proposal            Amended               proposal
                       ANNEX II (xxii) (new)
                                    At the end of the FOURTH ACTIVITY
                                    the last paragraph is replaced by
                                    "-   o r g a n i z a t i o n       of
                                         Euroconferencea.          summer
                                         schools and other        similar
                                         initiatives.
                                         Award of scientific prizes.
                                         including      the.     European
                                         Science Prize (René Descartes
                                         Prize) ,    for     outstanding
                                         scientific achievements in a
                                         project   carried out      under
                                         this Framework Programme."
 ---pagebreak---                       Amended proposal for a
                      COUNCIL DECISION
                  ADAPTING FOR THE SECOND
TIME DECISION 94/268/EURATOM CONCERNING THE FRAMEWORK
PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF RESEARCH AND
TRAINING FOR THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY (1994-
98), AS ADAPTED BY DECISION 96/253/EURATOM
                                *  ^
 ---pagebreak---                              EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
   On 28 February 1996 the Commission presented a proposal to increase the funding of the
Euratom framework programme (1994-98) by ECU 105 million.* On 18 June 1996 the European
Parliament adopted its opinion on the Commission's proposal.
   Following that opinion, the Commission is amending its proposal to incorporate a part of
Parliament's amendments. The changes concern:
   - the Community's role in scientific cooperation and coordination [Recital la (new)];
   - Due regard for competitiveness by European constructors and operators when taking safety
requirements into account (Recital 3);
   - a reference to the PHARE and TACIS programmes [Annex II, introduction, second
paragraph] ;
   - introduction of a research theme on radiation protection [Annex II (2)];
* Proposal for a Council Decision adapting for the second time Decision 94/268/Euratom concerning the
    framework programme of activities in the field of research and training for the European Atomic
    Energy Community (1994-98), as adapted by Decision 96/253/Euratom (COM(96)0012 FINAL -
    96/0035(CNS))
 ---pagebreak---                       Amended proposal for a
                      COUNCIL DECISION
                 ADAPTING FOR THE SECOND
TIME DECISION 94/268/EURATOM CONCERNING THE FRAMEWORK
PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF RESEARCH AND
TRAINING FOR THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY (1994-
98), AS ADAPTED BY DECISION 96/253/EURATOM
                               '3 ^t
 ---pagebreak---     Original Commission proposall                   Amended                    proposal
                                   Recital la   (new)
                                               Whereas the Community can play a
                                               role in promoting cooperation and
                                               coordination of the. wealth of
                                               scientific expertise to be found
                                               in all Member States:
                                       Recital 3
Whereas it is necessary that the               Whereas it is necessary that the
Community continues to play an                 Community continues to play an
important international role in                important         iternational role in
the   field     of    nuclear    safety;       the field of nuclear safety;
whereas        it       has     special        whereas           it       has      special
responsibility for enhancing the               responsibility for enhancing the
safety      of       nuclear      plants       safety         of       nuclear       plants
throughout       the     continent    of       throughout         the      continent     of
Europe; whereas constructors and               Europe; whereas constructors and
operators in the Union must take               operators in the Union must take
safety requirements into account;              safety requirements into account
whereas      the        competitiveness        with          due         regard         for
depends    on     the    research    and       c o m p e t it i v e n e s s ;     whereas
technological      development      work       competitiveness depends on the
carried out in this field;                     research          and        technological
                                               development work carried out in
                                               this field;
                       ANNEX II, INTRODUCTION, 2ND PARAGRAPH
Citizens, all over the continent of            Citizens all over the continent of
Europe are highly concerned about              Europe are highly concerned about
nuclear fission safety and expect              nuclear fission safety and expect
more    stringent       standards    and       more       stringent       standards     and
safety       practices         to     be       safety          practices          to     be
established. European constructors             established. European constructors
and industrial operators must take             and industrial operators must take
account of these requirements at a             account of these requirements at a
time    of    mounting      competition        time       of    mounting       competition
worldwide.      Safety is       also   a       worldwide. The PHARE and TAC IS
crucial    issus      in—ths—Union ' S        programmes            already        include
relations with the Central and                 assistance to deal with safety in
Eastern European countries and the             the Central and Eastern European
Commonwealth of Independent States             countries and the Commonwealth of
(CIS) . In order to step up the                Independent States (CIS). In order
pace of research, to ensure closer             to step up the pace of research,
cooperation throughout Europe and              to     ensure       closer      cooperation
to reduce the delays in take-up                throughout Europe and to reduce
and dissemination of the results,              the      delays        in     take-up    and
the framework programme must be                dissemination of the results, the
reinforced.                                    framework         programme       must    be
                                               reinforced.
1 OJ C 115, 19.4.1996, p.13
                                           10
 ---pagebreak---   Original Commission proposal              Amended            proposal
                               ANNEX II, (2)
Cooperation could be established        Cooperation could be establishe
on characterizing potential sites       on characterizing potential sites
for storage of radioactive wastes.      for storage of radioactive wastes.
For the decommissioning of nuclear      For the decommissioning of nuclear
installations     the   technology      installations     the   technology
developed in the European Union         developed in the European ^T n i on
could be applied, or adapted as         could be applied, or adapt ,d as
necessary to the needs of Russian       necessary to the needs of Russian
type reactors. Reactors being           type reactors. Reactors being
decommissioned could be used as         decommissioned could be used as
sites for demonstration, training       sites for demonstration, training
and transfer of the technologies        and transfer of the technologies
concerned.     There    will     be     concerned.     There    will    be
coordination with the Union's           coordination with the Union's
assistance programmes.                  assistance programmes.
                                        Research on radiation protection
                                        will focus on the early events of
                                        radiation carcinogenesis and on
                                        the epidemiological follow-up of
                                        cancer induction as a consequence
                                        of acute or chronic exposure. The
                                        research will be conceived in the
                                        framework of broad international
                                        cooperation and will cover a
                                        number of populations which have
                                        been exposed to radiation.
                                     11
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                                                                    ISSN 0254-1475
                                                            COM(96) 453 final
                                              DOCUMENTS
EN                                                                   15 12 16
                                    Catalogue number : CB-CO-96-462-EN-C
                                                             ISBN 92-78-08881-1
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities
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