CELEX: 32006D0975
Language: en
Date: 2006-12-19 00:00:00
Title: 2006/975/EC: Council Decision of 19 December 2006 concerning the Specific Programme to be carried out by means of direct actions by the Joint Research Centre under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

L 400/368       EN                 Official Journal of the European Union                30.12.2006
                                       COUNCIL DECISION
                                         of 19 December 2006
                      concerning the Specific Programme to be carried out
                    by means of direct actions by the Joint Research Centre
           under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community
                             for research, technological development
                           and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)
                                              (2006/975/EC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 166(4)
thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament1,
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee2,
1
        Opinion of 30 November 2006 (not yet published in the Official Journal).
2
        OJ C 185, 8.8.2006, p. 10.
 ---pagebreak--- 30.12.2006       EN                 Official Journal of the European Union                    L 400/369
Whereas:
(1)       In accordance with Article 166(3) of the Treaty, Decision No 967/2006/EC of the
         European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 concerning the Seventh
         Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological
         development and demonstration activities, (2007-2013) 1 (hereinafter referred to as "the
         Framework Programme") is to be implemented through specific programmes that define
         detailed rules for their implementation, fix their duration and provide for the means
         deemed necessary.
(2)      The Joint Research Centre, hereinafter referred to as "the JRC" should carry out so-called
         direct R&D activities under a JRC Specific Programme implementing the EC Framework
         Programme.
(3)       In implementing its mission, the JRC should provide the EU policy-making process with
         customer-driven scientific and technical support, ensuring support to the implementation
         and monitoring of existing policies and responding to new policy demands. In order to
         achieve its mission the JRC should carry out research of the highest comparable European
         quality, including by maintaining its own level of scientific excellence.
(4)      The direct actions conducted by the JRC should be implemented by the present Specific
         Programme. In implementing this Specific Programme in accordance with its mission, the
         JRC should place particular emphasis on areas of key concern for the Union: prosperity in
         a knowledge-intensive society, solidarity, sustainability and responsible management of
         resources, security and freedom, and Europe as world partner.
1
        OJ L 381,30.12.2006.
 ---pagebreak--- L 400/370          EN                Official Journal of the European Union                      30.12.2006
(5)       This Specific Programme should be implemented in a flexible, efficient and transparent
          manner, taking into account the relevant need of JRC's user and Community polices, as
          well as respecting the objective of protecting the Community's financial interests. The
          research activities carried out under the programme should be adapted where appropriate to
          these needs and to scientific and technological developments and aim to achieve scientific
          excellence.
(6)       The rules for participation of undertakings, research centres and universities and for the
          dissemination of research results, for the Framework Programme (hereinafter referred as
          'the rules for participation and dissemination') relating to direct actions should also apply to
          the R&D activities carried out under this Specific Programme.
(7)       For the purpose of implementing this programme, in addition to cooperation covered by
          the Agreement on the European Economic Area or by an Association Agreement, it may
          be appropriate to engage in international cooperation activities, in particular on the basis of
          Article 170 of the Treaty, with third countries and international organisations.
(8)       In support to EU enlargement and integration, the JRC aims at promoting the integration of
          new Member States' organisations and researchers in its activities in particular on the
          implementation of the scientific and technological components of the Community acquis,
          as well as an increased cooperation with those from Candidate Countries. A progressive
          opening is also envisaged towards the Neighbouring Countries, specifically on priority
          topics of the European Neighbourhood Policy.
 ---pagebreak--- 30.12.2006       EN                Official Journal of the European Union                     L 400/371
(9)      Research activities carried out within this Specific Programme should respect fundamental
         ethical principles, including those which are reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights
         of the European Union.
(10)     The JRC should continue to generate additional resources through competitive activities;
         these include participation to the indirect actions of the Framework Programme, third party
         work and to a lesser extent the exploitation of intellectual property.
(11)      Sound financial management of the Framework Programme and its implementation should
         be ensured in the most effective and user-friendly manner possible, while ensuring legal
         certainty and the accessibility of the programme for all participants, in compliance with
         Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial
         Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities1 and
         Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) 2342/20022 laying down detailed rules for the
         implementation of that Financial Regulation and any future amendments.
1
        OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1.
2
        OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Commission Regulation (EC,
        Euratom) No 1261/2005 (OJ L 201, 2.8.2005, p. 3).
 ---pagebreak--- L 400/372         EN                 Official Journal of the European Union                      30.12.2006
(12)      Appropriate measures – proportionate to the European Communities' financial interests –
          should be taken to monitor both the effectiveness of the financial support granted and the
          effectiveness of the utilisation of these funds in order to prevent irregularities and fraud
          and the necessary steps should be taken to recover funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly
          used in accordance with Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of
          18 December 1995 on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests1,
          Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 of 11 November 1996 concerning
          on-the-spot checks and inspections carried out by the Commission in order to protect the
          European Communities' financial interests against fraud and other irregularities2 and
          Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning
          investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)3.
(13)      The Commission should in due course arrange for an independent assessment to be
          conducted concerning the activities carried out in the fields covered by this programme.
(14)      The JRC's Board of Governors has been consulted on the scientific and technological
          content of this specific programme,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
1
        OJ L 312, 23.12.1995, p. 1.
2
        OJ L 292, 15.11.1996, p. 2.
3
        OJ L 136, 31.5.1999, p. 1.
 ---pagebreak--- 30.12.2006        EN                Official Journal of the European Union                    L 400/373
                                                  Article 1
The Specific Programme related to the direct actions in research, technological development and
demonstration to be carried out by the Joint Research Centre, hereinafter the "Specific Programme"
is hereby adopted for the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013.
                                                  Article 2
The Specific Programme shall establish the activities for the non-nuclear actions of the Joint
Research Centre, providing customer driven scientific and technical support to the Community
policy making process, ensuring support to the implementation and monitoring of existing policies
and responding to new policy demands.
The objectives and the broad lines of those activities are set out in the Annex.
                                                  Article 3
In accordance with Annex II of the Framework Programme, the amount deemed necessary for the
execution of the Specific Programme shall be EUR 1 751 million.
                                                  Article 4
1.        All research activities carried out under the Specific Programme shall be carried out in
         compliance with fundamental ethical principles.
 ---pagebreak--- L 400/374         EN                 Official Journal of the European Union                     30.12.2006
2.        The following fields of research shall not be financed under this programme:
          –     research activity aiming at human cloning for reproductive purposes,
          –     research activity intended to modify the genetic heritage of human beings which
                could make such changes heritable1, research activities intended to create human
                embryos solely for the purpose of research or for the purpose of stem cell
                procurement, including by means of somatic cell nuclear transfer.
3.        Research on human stem cells, both adult and embryonic, may be financed, depending
          both on the contents of the scientific proposal and the legal framework of the Member
          State(s) involved.
          Any application for financing for research on human embryonic stem cells shall include, as
          appropriate, details of licensing and control measures that will be taken by the competent
          authorities of the Member States as well as details of the ethical approval(s) that will be
          provided.
          As regards the derivation of human embryonic stem cells, institutions, organisations and
          researchers shall be subject to strict licensing and control in accordance with the legal
          framework of the Member State(s) involved.
1
        Research relating to cancer treatment of the gonads may be financed.
 ---pagebreak--- 30.12.2006       EN                 Official Journal of the European Union                     L 400/375
4.       The fields of research set out above shall be reviewed for the second phase of this
         programme (2010-2013) in the light of scientific advances.
                                                  Article 5
1.       The Specific Programme shall be implemented by means of the direct actions as
         established in Annex III to the Framework Programme.
2.       The rules for participation and dissemination relating to direct actions shall apply to the
         Specific Programme.
                                                  Article 6
1.       The Commission shall draw up a multi-annual Work Programme for the implementation of
         the specific programme, setting out in greater detail the objectives and scientific and
         technological priorities set out in the Annex, and the timetable for implementation.
2.        The multi-annual Work Programme shall take account of relevant research activities
         carried out by the Member States, Associated States and European and international
         organisations. It shall be updated where appropriate.
 ---pagebreak--- L 400/376        EN                Official Journal of the European Union                     30.12.2006
                                                 Article 7
The Commission shall arrange for the independent assessment provided for in Article 7 of the
Framework Programme to be conducted concerning the activities carried out in the fields covered
by the Specific Programme.
                                                 Article 8
This Decision shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal
of the European Union.
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 19 December 2006.
                                                For the Council
                                                The President
                                            K. KORKEAOJA
 ---pagebreak--- 30.12.2006       EN               Official Journal of the European Union                      L 400/377
                                                ANNEX
1.      Objective
To provide customer-driven scientific and technical support to the Community policy making
process, ensuring support to the implementation and monitoring of existing policies and responding
to new policy demands.
2.      Approach
The JRC will reinforce its customer-driven orientation, and its strong networking with the scientific
community, in the specific context of growth, sustainable development and security by:
–        flexibly responding to the developing needs and requirements of the European policy
         makers,
–        focusing attention on issues which are important in terms of societal concern, which have a
         research component and which have a dominant Community dimension,
–        developing partnerships with research centres, universities, industry, public authorities,
         regulatory bodies in the Member States and with third countries and international bodies;
–        reinforcing its competencies and facilities,
 ---pagebreak--- L 400/378         EN                 Official Journal of the European Union                     30.12.2006
–         the JRC has focused its resources to respond to the S/T challenges arising from the
          complex and multi-faceted aspects of Community policy related issues. It has done so by
          organising its activities around the main policy areas and by establishing synergies with
          other sources of S/T support available in the Member States. It will further enhance this
          capacity, also by collaborating with EU Agencies, other EU Institutions, notably with the
          European Parliament, and authorities in the Member States,
–         increasing transparency when setting its research priorities by making the criteria for these
          priorities publicly available.
An integrated approach to the provision of S/T support to policies represents a key feature of this
Specific Programme. Indeed, in various areas the need for understanding interactions between
technological change, scientific developments, innovation and competitiveness and different
regulatory and policy approaches (e.g. economic instruments, voluntary schemes and flexible
mechanisms) is very acute. A strong research base will underpin such objectives. The participation
in the direct actions of the Framework Programme will strive to maximise complementarity with the
institutional programme outlined in section 3 below.
The JRC will strengthen its position in the European Research Area, by facilitating access to its
facilities by European and non-European researchers, including early-stage scientists. It will
increase its cooperation with other public and private research organisations, consistently improve
the scientific quality of its own activities and contribute more scientifically to training, which will
remain a high priority for the JRC.
 ---pagebreak--- 30.12.2006       EN                 Official Journal of the European Union                      L 400/379
Dissemination of knowledge among the various stakeholders involved in this process will represent
a key feature of the approach and efforts should be made to increase the involvement of SMEs in
research actions. Activities will also be aimed at the support to the implementation and monitoring
of legislation and at the dissemination of best practises in the context of EU-25, Candidate and
Neighbouring Countries.
The JRC will respond to the call for 'better regulation' of the new Lisbon agenda by underpinning
ex-ante as well as ex-post policy assessment and appraisals, supporting the Commission
evidence-based policy initiatives. Furthermore, requirements issued in the context of policy
implementation and monitoring will lead to the setting up of fit-for-purpose support activities
insofar as they are research based.
New challenges associated with the growing need to respond to crises, emergencies, and pressing
political imperatives will be met by building up capacities and facilities in selected areas to provide
adequate support in an EU context.
 ---pagebreak--- L 400/380        EN                 Official Journal of the European Union                        30.12.2006
Community external and security-related policies will exercise new demands upon the JRC
throughout the duration of the Seventh Framework Programme. These areas of work will be
supported by in-house and secure information/analysis systems to respond at short notice. By the
same token, the global and international dimension of the JRC's work will also develop further in
the present programme.
A specific part of the JRC's resources is devoted to exploratory research, to develop new knowledge
and new competencies. Resources are invested in exploratory research as "seed money" which
might yield practical results at a later stage and, if successful, will contribute to the activities of the
JRC in the medium to long term.
When requested in the context of its support for thematic policies, the JRC will engage into specific
exercises leading to a better exploitation (including dissemination when feasible) of relevant
EU-wide research results. In doing so it will enhance the benefits of knowledge society. Where and
when appropriate, research conducted by the JRC should be coordinated with the research
undertaken under the "Themes" of the "Cooperation" Specific Programme, in order to avoid overlap
and duplication.
 ---pagebreak--- 30.12.2006       EN                Official Journal of the European Union                   L 400/381
3.       Activities
3.1.     Policy Theme 1: Prosperity in a knowledge intensive society
3.1.1.    Agenda 1.1 Competitiveness and Innovation
Fostering EU competitiveness, transparency of internal market and trade will be pursued by the
production and dissemination of internationally accepted references and the promotion of a
common European measurement system. Comparability of measurement results will be fostered
through the provision of quality assurance tools like reference materials, reference measurements,
validated methods and data in a broad range of policy related areas such as:
–        safety of chemicals and products including cosmetics, through the development of a
         system of reference for integrated chemical risk assessment and by S/T support to the
         chemicals legislation including support (training) to the preparation of European
         Chemicals Agency (ECA),
–        alternative (non-animal) testing approaches and intelligent testing strategies,
–        food safety, quality and authenticity; feed safety; bio-technology,
–        eEnergy (cleaner and renewable energy sources and carriers),
–        security and protection of the citizen,
–        environment and health.
 ---pagebreak--- L 400/382        EN                 Official Journal of the European Union                    30.12.2006
This reference work will be pursued in close cooperation with Member State institutions,
international standardisation bodies (ISO, CEN, Codex Alimentarius, AOAC), regulatory
authorities and industry. The JRC maintain a role as Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) in
the areas of genetically modified food and feed, food contact materials and feed additives and take
up a role as CRL in further related fields of its competence.
The JRC will pursue the development of advanced econometric modelling and sensitivity analysis
techniques in a wide range of policy fields, in macro-economic modelling, short term analysis of
financial and business cycles and the development and assessment of composite indicators.
The JRC will also continue to apply the financial econometrics and statistics tools in the area of
financial services (for instance, Clearing and Settlement and banking directives). It will remain
involved in a variety of initiatives by providing support to ex ante and ex post assessments
(including impact assessments) by developing specific indicators and carrying out analyses.
The JRC will increase its support to the development of Community policy on international trade,
with particular emphasis on the impact of trade policy on sustainable development and
competitiveness.
 ---pagebreak--- 30.12.2006       EN                  Official Journal of the European Union                      L 400/383
The Lisbon agenda for growth and jobs will be supported by direct quantitative socio-economic
analysis – also in relation to the "better regulation" principle – in a number of policy areas like
macro-economic stability and growth, financial services, aspects of competitiveness, lifelong
learning and the human capital dimension of the Lisbon strategy, agriculture, climate change,
sustainable energy and transport systems. The JRC will contribute to a better understanding of the
relationship between education provision and the needs of the knowledge society, of circulation of
knowledge, of factors affecting equity in education and how efficient use of educational resources
can be achieved.
At the core of competitiveness and environment objectives are the eco-efficient technologies which
will continue to be identified and assessed by the European Integrated Pollution Prevention and
Control Bureau and by input to the implementation and monitoring of the Environmental
Technology Action Plan. The conditions under which these technologies are developed will be
studied, to identify the barriers to their dissemination, to assess performance targets and use and to
analyse the measures to improve their uptake.
Support to competitiveness will also be provided through activities such as:
–         support to the setting up and maintenance of European standards such as Eurocodes,
          Euronorms, IEC, ISO norms and European Reference Materials,
–         developing standards for environmental and security monitoring systems and harmonised
          data access in the context of INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe)
          and GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security),
 ---pagebreak--- L 400/384         EN                Official Journal of the European Union                    30.12.2006
–         strengthening the European Measurement Infrastructure by interlaboratory comparisons in
          support to accreditation/certification processes.
The JRC will also provide its scientific/technical support for the development of risk assessment
and management procedures as a tool for European decision-making.
3.1.2.    Agenda 1.2 European Research Area
The JRC will contribute directly to European Research Area by increasing its scientific networking,
training and mobility of researchers, access to research infrastructures and collaborative research. It
will participate in European Technology Platforms, Joint Technology Initiatives and Article 169
actions where relevant. Special attention will be paid to involving partners in the new Member
States and Candidate Countries.
The JRC will provide support to evidence-based research policy-making at both Community and
Member State levels.
This strategic support to research policy-making will be complemented by providing technology
assessments of the research priorities in individual thematic areas.
The consolidation, development and dissemination of science and technology foresight methods
will also be promoted at European level.
 ---pagebreak--- 30.12.2006       EN                Official Journal of the European Union                      L 400/385
3.1.3.    Agenda 1.3 Energy and Transport
The JRC will focus its energy activities on a smooth transition to less carbon intensive and
renewable sources and carriers of energy (including hydrogen), increased efficiency of energy
systems and improved safety and security of energy supply. The objectives of the JRC in the area of
energy are:
–        to provide a sustainable energy reference system feeding the Community policy needs with
         S/T expertise on technological innovation and evolution (all energy sources and end-use
         energy efficiency),
–        to act as reference centre for pre-normative performance verification and certification of
         selected technologies (i.e. cleaner fossil, bio-mass, photovoltaic, fuel cell and hydrogen),
–        to provide information on reliability of energy supply for Europe and on the availability of
         renewable energy resources. In addition, the JRC will facilitate a fact-based debate and
         informed decision-making on the appropriate energy mix to meet the European energy
         needs.
The JRC will contribute to the development of sustainable transport in Europe by focusing on:
–        the environment with research on emission control and related impacts on ecosystems; the
         potential to reduce emissions by emerging technologies under different policy scenarios,
 ---pagebreak--- L 400/386         EN                Official Journal of the European Union                     30.12.2006
–         the techno-economic dimension with research on the assessment of externalities, improved
          fuels and engines, alternative vehicles concepts and the impact of innovation on
          competitiveness and economic growth as well as to assessments of transport policy
          options,
–         the social dimension, with activities including research in spatial, urban planning, impacts
          on health and awareness raising. Efforts will also be devoted to aspects of safety and
          security of air, land and maritime transport.
Energy and transport are the main sectors responsible for pollution affecting the air quality. The
JRC will support the EU thematic strategy on air pollution (CAFE Clean Air for Europe) with
particular attention on characterisation and apportioning of emissions from various sources in
support to the development of emission abatement strategies. Harmonisation/Normalisation of
reference tests and methodologies for measurement of emissions will be undertaken.
 ---pagebreak--- 30.12.2006        EN               Official Journal of the European Union                      L 400/387
3.1.4.    Agenda 1.4 Information Society
The JRC will support the formulation of Information Society Technology policies and instruments
contributing to a competitive European knowledge society by generating prospective analyses and
strategies related to the knowledge society. Growth, solidarity, inclusion and sustainability will be
points of attention. The JRC will also contribute to the implementation of the Community policies
closely linked with or strongly benefiting from Information Society Technology developments. This
covers applications in e-business, e-health, personal security, home environment, e-learning,
e-governance, and environment as well as the determination of the potential for new developments
in the pursuit of the overall European strategies on growth, inclusion and quality of life and ICT for
trust and confidence.
The JRC will work on "convergence" in the IST area with the aim of assessing potential impact on
society in terms of competitiveness, privacy, ownership and social inclusion. Convergence
applications will be pursued in the area of health (bio-sensors, nano-technology and cognitive
sciences), security (sensors, public security and personal integrity) and environment (monitoring
technologies and sustainable environmental management).
 ---pagebreak--- L 400/388         EN                Official Journal of the European Union                    30.12.2006
3.1.5.    Agenda 1.5 Life Sciences and Bio-technology
Life sciences and bio-technology are pertinent to many policy areas where they can significantly
contribute to the Community objectives. This potential is broadly recognised in health, agriculture,
food, environment and other sectors where applications are being rapidly developed. The provision
of reference materials and validated methods requires access to and control of a broad range of
advanced bio-technological instruments. In the context of its collaboration with competent national
organisations, the JRC will further develop its competencies in this area in view of the legislative
and regulatory context.
In particular, the JRC will carry out studies on the socio-economic impact of selected applications
of bio-technology and life sciences in support of future legislation. With an integrated effort in
nano-bio-technology, physics, biology and chemistry applied to detection techniques the JRC will
contribute to the development of new strategies and technologies for environment and health
monitoring, (eco) toxicology studies, food and feed chain control and security.
Activities will be developed inter alia. in the following areas:
1)        Bio-technology and health-related aspects:
          –     provision of quality assurance tools for genetic testing,
 ---pagebreak--- 30.12.2006       EN                Official Journal of the European Union                    L 400/389
         –     studies on genome-based diagnostic applications and drug development
               (e.g. pharmacogenomics),
         –     development and validation of advanced methods for refining, reducing and
               replacing animal tests for bio-technological pharmaceuticals, for predicting the
               toxicity of chemicals by in vitro cell cultures, high throughput techniques and
               toxicogenomics,
         –     identification and assessment of novel bio-informatic methodologies in support to
               "omics" approaches, integrating physiological responses modulated by individual
               susceptibility and life style factors,
         –     development of a methodological framework for properly considering risk modifiers
               in human health risk assessment,
         –     assessment of environmental and health impacts of nano-technologies including
               nano-toxicology.
2)       Bio-technology in agriculture, food and feed:
         –     prospective studies on emerging bio-technological applications in food production
               (e.g. functional food, cloned farm animals and molecular "pharming" crops),
         –     GMO detection, identification and quantification (includes validation of high
               throughput screening methods, and quality assurance tools for GMOs of next
               generations),
 ---pagebreak--- L 400/390         EN               Official Journal of the European Union                 30.12.2006
          –     studies on the coexistence of GM/non-GM crops; studies on the economics of
                GM crops.
3.2.      Policy Theme 2: Solidarity and the responsible management of resources
3.2.1.    Agenda 2.1 Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries
The JRC will with its research support European policies for Rural Development, Agriculture and
Fisheries covering all the three dimensions of sustainability:
–         Production aspects: support to implementation, control and monitoring of the CAP (Single
          Payment Schemes, Cross compliance and Farm Advisory Systems), including Integrated
          Administration and Control Systems for arable lands and permanent crop registers, and
          implementation of rural/urban cadastre to support market and investment (using
          positioning/navigation techniques). Crop production forecast based on growth simulation
          models, area frame techniques, remote sensing and an agro-phenological network. Support
          to the implementation of an EU farmer insurance system. Support to the methodological
          aspects of the new EU agriculture statistical system (including LUCAS).
 ---pagebreak--- 30.12.2006       EN                Official Journal of the European Union                     L 400/391
–        Environmental aspects: Assessing implications of good agricultural and environmental
         conditions and studying impacts and effectiveness of agri-environmental measures on soil
         and water conditions, bio-diversity and European landscapes. Analysing links between
         agricultural, rural development and regional policies and their impacts on European land
         use changes through the development of indicators and spatial models. Evolution of
         promotion measures for low input and organic agriculture and soil fertility. Supporting the
         development of targeted territorial strategies for the implementation of rural development
         programmes. Assessing the impact of climate change on agriculture in view of adaptation
         measures. Contribution to mitigation of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions by dedicated
         energy crops and by energy recovery from agri-wastes.
–        Producer/consumer aspects: Strategic policy analyses in areas such as: impact of the
         CAP reform on the sustainability of farming systems; responsiveness of agriculture to
         consumer demands: food characterisation and control, impact of quality assurance (QA)
         and certification schemes managed within supply chains, and responsiveness to
         environmental and animal welfare standards; projection and policy impact analyses of
         main European agricultural commodities in terms of production, world market, prices,
         income and consumer welfare; impact of changes in trade policy and world commodity
         markets; agricultural policies in rural development in conjunction with other policies.
         Specific attention will be given to the impact of CAP Reform in the new Member States
         and Candidate Countries and the analysis of impacts/effects of rural development policies.
 ---pagebreak--- L 400/392         EN                Official Journal of the European Union                    30.12.2006
          Common Fisheries Policy objectives will be addressed by improving the quality and
          timeliness of scientific data and by developing processes for the assessment of the
          economic and social impact of management options. New technologies, including fish
          origin identification based on DNA analysis, will be used to identify non-compliance.
          Attention will be paid to techniques which favour stakeholder involvement. In line with the
          Community's emerging maritime policy, the feasibility of services developed for fisheries
          – such as vessel monitoring by remote sensing and electronic reporting, will be extended to
          merchant vessel identification. The impact of a growing aquaculture sector, including in
          environmental, and socio-economic terms, will be assessed.
3.2.2.    Agenda 2.2 Natural Resources
The JRC is participating in the work towards a holistic approach related to monitoring change and
analysing impacts and pressures on natural resources aiming to develop integrated concepts for
sustainable development. In complement to the Agenda 2.1, this research will be closely aligned to
the EU's seven thematic environmental strategies. It will pay attention to the sharing of
environmental information and feed the development of GMES by playing an important role in its
research activities. Applications will conform to INSPIRE principles.
More specifically, activities will concentrate on:
–         Water management in the context of the Water Framework Directive and Maritime Policy
          with attention to ecological quality of inland and coastal water of Europe, pollutant cycles,
          harmonised measurements of chemical and biological contaminants, dynamic modelling
          and pan-European information systems.
 ---pagebreak--- 30.12.2006       EN                  Official Journal of the European Union                      L 400/393
–        Soil protection initiatives identified in the Soil Framework Directive, with focus on
         streamlining the flow of soil information in Europe, the definition of common criteria and
         methods for delineating risk areas of soil threats, and approaches for soil monitoring.
–        Life-cycle analysis approaches to track resources from extraction through use, recycling
         and ultimate disposal of materials. Sustainable production and consumption of natural
         resources and materials, and the environmental impact and sustainability of products under
         different technology and policy scenarios.
–        Forestry; a system for monitoring Community forests will be established with information
         on forest fires, forest ecological condition and forest resources. Activities will cover forest
         bio-diversity indicators, tools for the analysis of post-fire impacts, analysis of interactions
         of forest fires, soils and climate change, and the integration of information related to
         forests resources available from Member States.
–        Provision of continuing technical support to the development of INSPIRE: contribution to
         the EU shared environment information system (in close cooperation with the European
         Environment Agency and ESTAT).
–        Impact assessment of structural and cohesion programmes and support to the definition and
         evaluation of Community Regional Policies by mean of territorial indicators at regional
         and urban level.
 ---pagebreak--- L 400/394         EN                Official Journal of the European Union                    30.12.2006
3.2.3.    Agenda 2.3 Environment and Health
The link between environment and health represent a new focus of attention at European level. The
JRC will contribute to this emerging policy field by:
–         the development and validation of methods for monitoring pathways and assessing
          exposure: ambient air (air quality), indoor air (products, smoke), drinking water and food
          (including contact materials, contaminants in food chain). A contribution to the
          development of total human exposure approach is foreseen notably in the area of
          chemicals,
–         the assessment of health effects through experimental work, bio-monitoring,
          toxicogenomic analyses, computational techniques and analytical tools,
–         exploiting knowledge derived from the two items above in order to contribute to the future
          development of an integrated environment and health system, in line with the policy
          framework on environment and health information being developed under the EU Action
          Plan.
3.2.4.    Agenda 2.4 Climate Change
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a central objective of the Kyoto protocol. Assessing the
potential for reducing GHG emissions (mitigation measures) in a common framework is therefore a
key item in the JRC agenda. Quality assessment, verification and analysis of GHG emission data
will be pursued, especially in difficult sectors such as agriculture and forestry. Similar work will
address the issue of verification in the context of carbon trading.
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Adaptation to climate change has become imperative and the JRC will continue to collect and
assess data related to climate impacts on various vulnerable sectors of the European economy. This
includes agriculture, forestry, water resources and natural risks. Assessing hazards related to climate
change will focus on the incidence at European level of floods, droughts, forest fires, storms,
deterioration of air quality and coastal and marine processes.
Adequate knowledge of the signals and impacts of climate change around the world is necessary.
Global monitoring techniques will be further developed to assess changes in the atmosphere, oceans
and terrestrial biosphere which either drive or result from climate change. This work forms part of
the European contribution to the global observing systems formally endorsed by the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change (contribution to the Global Climate Observation System). Similar
work will address the verification of carbon trading associated with the Kyoto Protocol's flexible
mechanisms (Joint Implementation and Clean Development Mechanism) and future regimes beyond
2012. The JRC will engage in a 3rd phase of the TREES (Tropical Ecosystem Environment
observations by Satellites) programme, to update the preceding assessments of global forest cover.
The JRC will collaborate with other modelling centres around Europe to develop trade-off scenarios
and cost-benefit analyses. Of particular relevance for the Seventh Framework Programme is the
analysis of options for the post-Kyoto period which will open discussions on integrating climate
policies in other sectoral policies.
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3.3.      Policy Theme 3: Freedom, security and justice
3.3.1.    Agenda 3.1 Internal Security
JRC will give S/T support to Community policies related to the establishment of the area of
freedom, security and justice, and customs in particular through its research activities. The focus
will be on applying IT and systems analysis competencies to the protection against crime and fraud,
smuggling and illicit trafficking; the protection of citizens and critical infrastructures against
terrorism; and migration and border management. Technical support to integrated border
management (e.g. interoperability) will also be provided.
Activities will include support to:
–         the capacity to detect and monitor fraud against the Community budget and diversion of
          funds through automatic intelligence gathering and advanced analytical techniques applied
          to large datasets,
–         assessing threats and vulnerabilities of critical infrastructures in key sectors at the Union
          level (e.g. information systems, financial systems, industrial plants, public buildings,
          transport systems and infrastructures, communication networks, financial networks,
          navigation systems, electricity and gas/oil infrastructures, food distribution systems, etc),
–         the prevention, preparedness and risk management of scenarios triggered by intentional
          acts (sabotage of industrial installations, blasts, impacts, biological and chemical agents,
          attacks to food systems) on infrastructures,
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–        border security and management through standards and testing for bio-metric sensors,
         monitoring systems to detect illicit trafficking, monitoring migration flows,
–        information gathering in the field of transport of goods by air, sea, road, using various
         tracking technologies,
–        the EU crisis room structure (ARGUS) and crisis response mechanisms.
3.3.2.   Agenda 3.2 Disasters and Response
In the context of natural and technological disasters and accidents, the JRC will foster a better
capacity to understand and deal with vulnerabilities, risks, early warning, alert systems, monitoring
and damage assessment, prevention and mitigation measures. In particular it will contribute to the
improvement of Community response capacity and crisis management in terms of rapid response,
monitoring, damage assessments (e.g., in the context of the Civil Protection Mechanism and
Solidarity fund intervention).
The Major Accidents Hazards Bureau will contribute to safety management through monitoring
accidents and incidents and drawing lessons learned, specifically in Seveso II installations.
With respect to natural disasters, the JRC will focus on the development of early warning and alert
systems drawing upon models, earth observation technologies, and measurement networks for a
variety of situations across Europe including floods, droughts, oil spills, earthquakes, forest fires,
avalanches, landslides and storms. Multi-hazard risks will be studied for the Mediterranean/Black
Sea basin and the fringes of the Atlantic Ocean. Reporting on and drawing lessons from natural
disasters will be continued. Work in this agenda will also be conducted in support to the
development of GMES services related to crisis and emergencies.
 ---pagebreak--- L 400/398         EN                 Official Journal of the European Union                      30.12.2006
3.3.3.    Agenda 3.3 Food and Feed Safety and Quality
Activities will be in line with the Fork to Farm concept. The JRC will provide validation of methods
and harmonised procedures for a broad range of food and feed types. It will also reinforce its ability
to deal with food and feed crises by its expertise in food and feed analysis and by entering new
areas where needed. Attention will be paid to a close cooperation with the European Food Safety
Authority.
Specific domains of action will cover:
–         validation of molecular biology and hyphenated techniques for food and feed control e.g.
          in the area of allergens, functional and organic food,
–         areas related to food and health where future legislation is expected (e.g. micro-biology,
          functional and organic food, allergens, health claims in labelling),
–         areas related to feed safety for existing legislation (e.g. feed additive authorisations),
–         micro-biology for food and feed, validation of bio-molecular detection methods for
          micro-organisms, in particular for pathogens in food and water,
–         validation of analytical methods for the detection of banned substances, of contaminants,
          feed additives and animal proteins, compliance with labelling Directives and for
          designation of origin (e.g. isotopic methods),
–         electronic traceability along the feed-food chain.
 ---pagebreak--- 30.12.2006        EN               Official Journal of the European Union                      L 400/399
3.4.      Policy Theme 4: Europe as world partner
The JRC will support Community decision-making in the framework of external policy instruments
(development cooperation, trade and instruments responding to crises and peaceful conflict
prevention including the instruments for Stability and Humanitarian Aid).
3.4.1.    Agenda 4.1 Global Security
The JRC will, through its research, enhance its support to Community reconstruction and
humanitarian aid programmes through novel technologies (including space, geo-spatial analysis,
web intelligence, real-time information systems) to serve several levels of intervention (from
preparedness to rapid response and field operations) in order to address the identification of
forgotten crises, early warning of potential crises, humanitarian needs assessment and relief,
integrated crisis response and post-crisis damage assessment. Support for international humanitarian
aid will also be provided through an extension of the functionalities of the Global Disaster Alert and
Response System, to cover a broad range of humanitarian disasters in close cooperation with the
UN Agencies (especially its Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs).
The JRC will establish a global geo-spatial database and contribute to services (rapid mapping) in
support of crisis management and security; inter-operability of systems and standards for supporting
data exchange between systems, notably with Council SitCen and EU Satellite Centre. This activity
is undertaken in the context of the development of future GMES pilot services.
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The JRC will provide S/T support in relation to the implementation of measures in the context of
the envisaged Instrument for Stability, addressing trans-border challenges and longer-term global
stability and security issues. JRC will work on the issue of proliferation of WMD and dual use
goods and technologies, including export control, border control, supply chain security, and country
profiling. Systems to be further developed for that purpose include export control classification
systems, intelligence based systems, data warehousing and multi-lingual web mining intelligence
tools. Strong integration with the relevant JRC activities under the Euratom specific programme is
foreseen.
Remote sensing analysis techniques and systems for integration and analysis of multiple source data
(including earth observation and open source) are central to the approach; they will be used in
support to the implementation of the Community's external policy activities such as those relevant
for the Kimberley process and mechanisms for monitoring illegal trade including in timber and dual
use items. These activities will contribute to the global dimension of the GMES initiative.
3.4.2.    Agenda 4.2 Development Cooperation
An Observatory for Sustainable Development and Environment will initially be established in
Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries. Environmental diagnostics and country profiles, scenario
building and cross policy interactions will be the three components served by the information
gathering and communication system lying at the heart of the Observatory. The provision of
long-term observation of resources and environmental parameters (e.g. on land cover, forest cover,
fires, bio-diversity, coastal zones, climate vulnerability, etc.) will support trends analyses. The
development will be carried out in close collaboration with the GMES initiative and the Africa
Monitoring for Environment and Sustainable Development programme.
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The global crop monitoring component of the observatory will be developed in the context of food
security and the Community initiative on poverty eradication and sustainable development.
Research work will focus on new methods for assessing food supply and needs, food security
information systems and vulnerability assessments.
End products delivered will be "client driven", i.e. in this particular case be designed in a way that
they respond to the needs and are manageable by Developing Countries.
Cooperation with major actors (UNEP, FAO, EUMETSAT, WFP, ESA GMES-GMFS) will be
reinforced.
Ethical aspects
During the implementation of this specific programme and in the research activities arising from it,
fundamental ethical principles are to be respected. These include, inter alia, the principles reflected
in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, including the following: protection of human
dignity and human life, protection of personal data and privacy, as well as animals and the
environment in accordance with Community law and the latest versions of relevant international
conventions and codes of conduct, e.g. the Helsinki Declaration, the Convention of the Council of
Europe on Human Rights and Bio-medicine signed in Oviedo on 4 April 1997 and its Additional
Protocols, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Universal Declaration on the human
genome and human rights adopted by UNESCO, UN Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention
(BTWC), International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the
relevant World Health Organisation (WHO) resolutions.
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Account will also be taken of the Opinions of the European Group of Advisers on the Ethical
Implications of Bio-technology (1991-1997) and the Opinions of the European Group on Ethics in
Science and New Technologies (as from 1998).
In compliance with the principle of subsidiarity and the diversity of approaches existing in Europe,
participants in research projects must conform to current legislation, regulations and ethical rules in
the countries where the research will be carried out. In any case, national provisions apply and no
research forbidden in any given Member State or other country will be supported by Community
funding to be carried out in that Member State or country.
Where appropriate, those carrying out research projects must seek the approval of the relevant
national or local ethics committees prior to the start of the RTD activities. An ethical review will
also be implemented systematically by the Commission for proposals dealing with ethically
sensitive issues or where ethical aspects have not been adequately addressed. In specific cases an
ethical review may take place during the implementation of a project.
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The Protocol on protection and welfare of animals annexed to the Treaty requires the Community to
pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals in formulating and implementing Community
policies including research. Council Directive 86/609/EEC of 24 November 1986 on the
approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States regarding
the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes1 requires that all
experiments be designed to avoid distress and unnecessary pain and suffering to the experimental
animals; use the minimum number of animals; involve animals with the lowest degree of
neurophysiological sensitivity; and cause the least pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm. Altering
the genetic heritage of animals and cloning of animals may be considered only if the aims are
ethically justified and the conditions are such that the animals' welfare is guaranteed and the
principles of bio-diversity are respected.
During the implementation of this programme, scientific advances and national and international
provisions will be regularly monitored by the Commission so as to take account of any
developments.
1
        OJ L 358, 18.12.1986, p. 1. Directive as amended by Directive 2003/65/EC of the European
        Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 230, 16.9.2003, p. 32).