CELEX: 51988PC0602
Language: en
Date: 1988-10-25
Title: AMENDED PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION TO ADOPT A FIRST MULTIANNUAL PROGRAMME ( 1988-1993 ) FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY-BASED AGRO-INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT " ECLAIR " EUROPEAN COLLABORATIVE LINKAGE OF AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY THROUGH RESEARCH

18. 11. 88                             Official Journal of the European Communities                                   No C 294/7
                                                             Article 2
             The President of the Council shall give the notification provided for in Article 26 of the
             Protocol (x).
                                                             Article 3
             This Decision shall take effect on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the
             European Communities.
             (') The Protocol and the date of entry into force will be published in the Official Journal of the European
                 Communities by the General Secretariat of the Council.
             Amended proposal for a Council Decision to adopt a first multiannual programme (1988 to
             1993) for biotechnology-based agro-industrial research and technology development (L) —
                  'Eclair' (European collaborative linkage of agriculture and industry through research)
                                               COM(88) 602 final — SYN 113
             (Submitted by the Commission pursuant to Article 149 (3) of the EEC Treaty on 28 October 1988)
                                                         (88/C 294/07)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                             Whereas the abovementioned Decision 87/516/Euratom,
                                                                      EEC stipulates that a specific objective of Community
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
                                                                      research must be to strengthen the scientific and techno-
Economic Community, and in particular Article
                                                                      logical basis of European industry, particularly in
130Q (2) thereof,
                                                                      strategic sectors of advanced technology, and to
                                                                      encourage industry by making it more competitive at the
                                                                      international level; whereas the same Decision also lays
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,                    down that Community action is justified if it contributes,
                                                                      among other things, to enhancing the Community's
                                                                      economic and social cohesion and to encouraging its
                                                                      overall harmonious development, while at the same time
In cooperation with the European Parliament,                          being consistent with the pursuit of scientific and
                                                                      technical excellence; whereas the Eclair programme is
                                                                      intended to contribute to the pursuit of these objectives;
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and
Social Committee,
                                                                      Whereas the specialized skills and capabilities relevant to
Whereas Article 130K of the Treaty stipulates that the                agro-industrial development are numerous, and Europe's
framework programme shall be implemented through                      most internationally competitive capabilities are located
specific programmes developed within each of its ac-                  in diverse Member States, mutual benefit shall be derived
tivities;                                                             from collaboration in a Community programme;
Whereas by Decision 87/516/Euratom, EEC of 28
September 1987 the Council has adopted a framework                    Whereas the European Parliament, in its assessment of
programme of Community research, and technological                    the potential for 'biotechnology in the European farming
development (1987 to 1991) (2), providing for activities              industry' (3) and of 'biotechnology in Europe and the
to be implemented to ensure the exploitation and                      need for an integrated policy' (4), has emphasized that it
optimum use of biological resources;                                  must be used to promote an agricultural policy
(«) OJ No C 62, 5. 3. 1988, p. 7.                                     O OJ No C 76, 23. 3. 1987, p. 22.
(2) OJ No L 302, 24. 10. 1987, p. 1.                                  (4) OJ No C 76, 23. 3. 1987, p. 25.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 294/8                              Official Journal of the European Communities                                 18. 11. 88
geared to quality, with high added value, rather than to           HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
further improvements in yields and increased production,
and that the Community should support biotechnological
research aimed at improving existing and developing new
and alternative forms of production;                                                          Article 1
                                                                   A research and development programme of the
                                                                   European Economic Community in the field of biotech-
Whereas these activities need to be accompanied by                 nology-based agro-industrial development is hereby
ongoing analysis of their associated costs and benefits in         adopted in the form set out in Annex I for a five-year
order to avoid giving rise to new industries, which can            period starting on 1 July 1988.
only survive on the basis of permanently subsidized sales
of agricultural products, or to agricultural surpluses;
                                                                   The programme shall consist of work carried out as
Whereas, inter alia, the European Parliament has pointed           contract-research and as coordination actions and by
to the risks associated with the use, especially the release,      training/mobility grants. Participants may be industrial
of genetically engineered organisms and to possible                and agricultural enterprises — individual, associations or
undesirable social and structural effects of these new             cooperatives, research institutions, universities or combi-
technologies;                                                      nations of them, established in the Community.
Whereas such activities should constitute a logical
                                                                   Normally, research institutes and universities should
complement to the Community research programmes in
                                                                   participate in a group together with one or more
the areas of biotechnology and of agriculture, promoting
                                                                   industrial or agricultural organization(s). Research
the application of their results to the social and economic
                                                                   institutes which are funded principally or exclusively by
objectives of the Community;
                                                                   industrial organizations shall be considered as industrial
                                                                   participants.
Whereas development activities at the interfaces between
agriculture and industry could contribute to the solution
of some of the problems which agriculture is currently             Projects must be carried out by participants from more
facing within the Community;                                       than one Member State.
Whereas the principal and most urgent requirements that
                                                                   As a general rule, the Community contribution will not
must be satisfied centre on the development of types of
                                                                   exceed 50 % , the remainder to be provided by the
agricultural production suitable for industrial purposes,
                                                                   partner(s), predominantly from industrial or agricultural
of transformation technologies, and of industrial inputs
                                                                   sources.
in agriculture such as pesticides or fertilizers less harmful
to the environment;
                                                                                              Article 2
Whereas the European Parliament has called for a study
to be conducted into the structural and social conse-              The funds necessary for the execution of the programme
quences of promoting biotechnologies and genetic engin-            are estimated at 80 million ECU, including expenditure
eering;                                                            on a staff of 13.
Whereas it is important to avoid the concentration of
agricultural structures and further specialization causing                                    Article 3
adverse effects for small and medium-sized agricultural
                                                                   1.     In the third year of the programme implementation,
enterprises;
                                                                   the Commission shall undertake a review of the
                                                                   programme and it shall report to the Council and the
                                                                   European Parliament on the results thereof, together, if
Whereas it is necessary to involve small and                       necessary, with any proposals for modification of the
medium-sized agricultural and industrial enterprises to            content and funding, or prolongation.
the maximum extent possible in this biotechnology-based
agro-industrial technological development programme;
                                                                   2.    An evaluation of the results achieved shall be
Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research                      conducted by the Commission, which shall report to the
Committee (CREST) has expressed its opinion on the                 Council and the European Parliament. The report shall
Commission's proposal,                                             be drawn up by independent experts.
 ---pagebreak--- 18. 11. 88                                Official Journal of the European Communities                                                N o C 294/9
3.    The abovementioned reports shall be established                   Decision 84/338/Euratom, ECSC, EEC of 29 June
having regard to the objectives set out in Annex II to this              1984 (*).
Decision and in conformity with the provisions of Article               T h e c o n t r a c t s e n t e r e d i n t o b y t h e Commission shall
2 (2) of the framework programme.                                       regukte          ^      fights       and     obligations  of each  partv>
                                                                        including the methods of disseminating, protecting and
                                                                        exploiting research results.
                           Article 4
                                                                                                                Article 5
The Commission shall be responsible for the execution                   , _ . . _ . .                  ..          .      . . . ,     0
                                                                        T h l s D e c i s l o n 1S
of the programme and will be assisted in its implemen-                                             ^ d r e s s e d to the Member States.
tation by a Management and Coordination Advisory
Committee (CGC), created in accordance with Council                     (*) OJ No L 177, 4. 7. 1984, p. 25.
                                                               ANNEX I
             Programme for the first multiannual action programme for biotechnology-based agro-industrial research
                                            and technological development (1988 to 1993)
             Aims
             The objective of the programme here proposed is to promote in Europe the useful application of recent
             developments in the life sciences and biotechnology. This shall be achieved by a programme of
             pre-competitive research and technical development projects and coordination activities, based on close
             collaboration between agriculture and industrial activities, and supported by training/mobility grants. The
             programme will contribute in the medium and longer terms to enhancing Europe's competitiveness in the
             economic activities which will be based on these developments and to strengthening economic and social
             cohesion in the Community.
             The programme shall avoid adverse effects on public health and the environment, and the creation of
             problems with regard to the protection and enhancement of nature.
             The principal objectives of this programme are enumerated below.
              (i) research, adaptation and development of agricultural products destined for industrial use, as well as the
                  research and promotion of new industrial techniques for processing and transforming agricultural raw
                  materials with a view to obtaining, under economically viable conditions, industrial products which
                  respond to the needs of the market;
             (ii) research and development of industrial inputs in agriculture such as pesticides and fertilizers and of
                  eradication and disease-control systems less harmful or better adapted to the environment; the
                  reduction and elimination of by-products of processing by recovering resources and reducing waste.
             Content
             The programme shall be pursued through the measures set out below:
             1. Evaluation trials and production of new species or organisms
                 This sector shall consist of test trials at appropriate scale and under various conditions of novel or
                 modified species or organisms (plants, livestock, other) in order to test performance, pest resistance,
                 input requirements, and aspects relevant to suitability for industrial processing, animal nutrition and
                 market acceptability of the organism, its constituents, and the products derived therefrom with special
                 emphasis on the use of new biotechnological methods in the identification, characterization, selection,
                 modification, propagation, cultivation or other aspect of developing and appraising the candidate
                 organisms.
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 294/10                              Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s              18. 11. 88
           2. Industrial products and services shall consist of:'
               2.1. more precise and effective inputs to agriculture through research and development work, based on
                    the use of life sciences and biotechnology, aiming at the creation of products and services for use in
                    agriculture, offering advantages in terms of precision, cost-effectiveness, enhanced plant or animal
                    performance, suitability for subsequent product processing and/or marketing, and avoiding possible
                    undesirable side effects; and
               2.2. more precise and effective extraction, transformation and production processes through research
                    and development work on methods to increase the use and value of agricultural produce, by
                    extraction, transformation or other processes, in industry or elsewhere, which by biotechnological
                    or other means make greater or more valuable use of the intrinsic properties of these materials.
           3. Integrated approaches shall consist of:
               3.1. the improved utilization of the entire crop by the development, through trial systems, of systems for
                    harvesting the whole crop, its preservation and fractionation into constituents appropriate for
                    subsequent applications; such trial system(s) to be of adequate scale to provide a basis for economic
                    appraisals, and the significant participation of industrial and agricultural interests. Priority to be
                    given to projects using new biotechnology; and
               3.2. studies and development projects for the integrated use of new technologies which shall focus on
                    the joint exploitation of progress in biological knowledge and techniques in conjunction with
                    new-technology-based agricultural systems.
           Implementation
           Implementation of the projects shall be through cost-shared research and development actions and coordi-
           nation activities. Training/mobility grants shall be included to facilitate the assembly of relevant skills at
           appropriate locations for the work of the projects, and to promote effective diffusion of the knowledge
           resulting from them. The programme shall also include the organization of meetings, consultation of
           experts, studies on related topics, and diffusion of information on the progress and results of the projects
           to all appropriate groups.
           Each proposal shall include an environmental impact statement, indicating the possible effects of the
           project on humans, fauna, flora, soils, water, air and on the interactions between these different factors.
           This statement must also include an undertaking to respect existing safety regulations.
                                                                   ANNEX      II
            Evaluation criteria for the first multiannual action programme for biotechnology-based agro-industrial
                                        research and technological development (1988 to 1993)
           The Commission's communication to the Council concerning a Community plan of action relating to the
           evaluation of Community research and development activities for the years 1987 to 1991 (COM(86) 660
           final) states that the objectives and milestones of each research programme have to be set out in a testable
            form. The objectives and milestones of the above programme are set out below.
            1. The long term objective of this programme is described in Annex I.
            2. The primary short-term objective is that the programme should succeed in eliciting proposals, with
               commitments to co-finance from industry and/or agriculture, for development projects on a scale
               commensurate with the Community resources proposed. This objective shall be testable in 1991 to 1992.
               At this time, the programme should also demonstrate its promotion and encouragement of inter-sectoral
               collaboration, across the Member States.
 ---pagebreak--- 18. 11. 88                              Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s              N o C 294/11
           3. The criteria for the evaluation of the objectives to be attained during the first three years of the
              implementation of the programme are as follows:
              3.1. that tests of new or modified species or organisms have been conducted, and have given grounds to
                   expect that these organisms, or the processes used to produce or modify them, represent progress
                   and could find applications;
              3.2. that tests have been conducted of new or modified products, techniques or services for use in
                   agriculture; that advantages in terms of precision, effectiveness, or the avoidance of possible
                   adverse side-effects have been indicated; and that as a result of the tests the products, techniques or
                   services have practical applications;
              3.3. that tests have been conducted of more precise and effective extraction, transformation and
                   production processes, applying biotechnological and/or other methods to an agricultural output;
                   and that as a result of the tests, the processes are useful;
              3.4. that through the programme, arrangements have been organized between farming and
                   industrial/processing interests and facilities or equipment created, modified or made available, to
                   test on one or more crops the technical feasibility of harvesting and using the whole plant; and that
                   corresponding measures of performance have been or are in course of being defined, to provide a
                   basis for further system improvements and a basis for decision on the replication and diffusion of
                   similar larger-scale activities;
              3.5. that studies have been financed and completed, and development projects supported, involving the
                   use in agriculture of new technologies (e.g. involving sophisticated detection/measurement/
                   recording techniques, information processing, automation of equipment and facilities), in
                   conjunction with the application of biotechnology; and that as a result of such studies and projects
                   new applications have been found; and -
              3.6. that studies have been funded examining the socio-structural and ecological impact of promoting
                   biotechnology and genetic technology in agriculture.
           4. In addition, the programme should ensure that the following general criteria are met:
              4.1. that the potential increase in market opportunities, in medium or long term, as a result of the
                   improvements or benefits demonstrated, is of a size to justify the Community expenditures
                   committed, which imply an analysis of the costs and benefits of these activities and their possible
                   applications;
              4.2. taking account of the final reports on the biotechnology action programme, which ends in
                   December 1989, and of the biomolecular engineering programme (1982 to 1986), and of the
                   evaluation report(s) on these programmes, consideration should be given as to whether this
                   programme is in fact effectively promoting the transfer towards application of the results of the
                   earlier biotechnology (or biomolecular engineering) research programmes;
              4.3. that the execution of the programme has avoided harmful effects on public health and the en-
                   vironment; and has not created problems with respect to the protection and enhancement of
                   nature;
              4.4. taking account of the results of Community, national or private-sector research activities in
                   biotechnology, the evaluation panel shall consider whether the Eclair programme has given
                   adequate consideration to the selection criteria set out in Annex III to the framework programme,
                   including 'the strengthening of the economic and social cohesion in the Community and the
                   promotion of its overall harmonious development, while being consistent with the pursuit of
                   scientific and technical quality'.