CELEX: 51988PC0113
Language: en
Date: 1988-03-02
Title: AMENDED PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION ADOPTING A PLAN TO STIMULATE THE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND INTERCHANGE NEEDED BY EUROPEAN RESEARCH SCIENTISTS ( SCIENCE ) ( 1988-1992 )

No C 145/10                             Official Journal of the European Communities                                     2. 6. 88
                                                               II
                                                       (Preparatory Acts)
                                                  COMMISSION
               Amended proposal for a Council Decision adopting a plan to stimulate the international
               cooperation and interchange needed by European research scientists (SCIENCE) (') (1988 to
                                                              1992)
                                                      COM(88) 113 final
               (Submitted by the Commission to the Council pursuant to Article 149(3) of the EEC Treaty on
                                                        11 March 1988)
                                                         (88/C 145/11)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                            Whereas the establishment of a researcher's Europe will
                                                                    make a contribution to reducing differences in scientific
                                                                    level between the Member States of the European
Having, regard to the Treaty establishing the European              Community;
Economic Community, and in particular the second
paragraph of Article 130Q thereof,                                  Whereas it is in the interests of the Community to
                                                                    associate non-Member States and international organiz-
                                                                    ations in certain Community programmes, particularly
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,                  those which contribute to reinforcing Europe's overall
                                                                    scientific potential;
In cooperation with the European Parliament,
                                                                    Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research
                                                                    Committee (CREST) has been consulted on the
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and                    following measures,
Social Committee,
                                                                    HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Whereas the Council adopted the first plan to stimulate
European cooperation and scientific and technical inter-                                      Article 1
change on 12 March 1985;
                                                                    A programme entitled the 'plan to stimulate the interna-
                                                                    tional cooperation and interchange needed by European
Whereas the terms of Article 130K of the Treaty provide             research scientists', hereinafter referred to as the 'Stimu-
that implementation of the Framework Programme be                   lation plan', as set out in the Annex, is hereby adopted
carried out by means of specific programmes developed               for a five-year period commencing on 1 January 1988.
within each of its action lines;
                                                                                              Article 2
Whereas     the multiannual Framework Programme 1987                The operational arrangements for implementing the plan
to 1991      should contribute to the reinforcement of              are set out in the Annex.
scientific and technical potential and infrastructure in all
countries   of the Community;                                                                 Article 3
                                                                    The funds estimated as necessary for the execution of
Whereas the Council, in Decision 87/516/Euratom/EEC                 the Stimulation plan amount to 167 million ECU,
of 28 September 1987, adopting the multiannual                      including expenditure on a staff of 18. The Community
Framework Programme 1987 to 1991, included within it                financial support awarded to 'Stimulation' activities shall
activities aimed at stimulating, reinforcing and improving          constitute 100 % of the cost of these scientific and
the Community's human resources in research and devel-              technical cooperation and interchange actions.
opment;
                                                                    The definitive total of the funds together with the staff
                                                                    numbers shall be established by the Budgetary Authority
                                                                    in the framework of the Annual Budget procedure and
(') OJ No C 14, 19. 1. 1988, p. 5.                                  as a function of current need.
 ---pagebreak--- 2. 6. 88                                  Official Journal of the European Communities                                No C 145/11
                            Article 4                                   technical research (COST) and with countries which
                                                                        have concluded scientific and technical framework
1.    The Commission shall undertake the implemen-                      cooperation agreements with the Community, with a
tation of the Stimulation plan by means of bursaries,                   view to associating them fully or partially in the Stimu-
research grants, grants for high-level courses, contracts               lation plan.
encouraging the twinning of laboratories and operations
contracts. It shall be assisted by the Committee for the
                                                                                                   Article 6
European Development of Science and Technology
(CODEST), set up under Decision 82/835/EEC (') and                      30 months after implementation of this Stimulation plan
by consultants.                                                         begins, the Commission shall reexamine it and shall
                                                                        submit a report evaluating the results obtained up to that
2.    The contracts drawn up by the Commission shall                    point to the Council and to the European Parliament.
show the rights and obligations of each party,                          If necessary this report shall be accompanied by
particularly the methods of disseminating, protecting and               proposals intended to modify the plan in the light of the
exploiting the research results and of making any reim-                 results of this evaluation.
bursement that may be necessary of the funding given.
                                                                        When this Stimulation plan has been fully implemented
                                                                        the Commission will submit to the Council and to the
                            Article 5                                    European Parliament a report evaluating the results
                                                                        obtained.
In conformity with Article 130N of the EEC Treaty, the
Commission is authorized, under the conditions                          The reports mentioned above shall be prepared in the
indicated in Annex I, to negotiate agreements with                       light of the objectives set out in Annex I to this Decision
 European non-member States and international organiz-                   and in conformity with the stipulations of Article 2 (2) of
 ations, particularly with non-member States taking part                 the Framework Programme.
 in European cooperation in the field of scientific and
                                                                                                   Article 7
 C) OJ No L 350, 10. 12. 1982, p. 45.                                    This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
                                                              ANNEX I
                                                        STIMULATION PLAN
               1. Definition and objectives:
                  The Stimulation plan consists of a range of activities selected on the basis of their scientific and
                  technical quality, which have as their aim the establishment of a network of scientific and technical
                  cooperation and interchange at European level which will gradually be extended. The overall objective
                  is to improve the efficacy of scientific and technological research in all the Member States and to
                  contribute thereby to the reduction of scientific and technical development disparities between the
                  different Member States of the European Community. It covers all fields of science and technology (the
                  exact and natural sciences).
                  Whilst the Stimulation plan therefore aims to improve the overall scientific and technical quality of
                  research and development in all Member States of the Community, its specific objectives are:
                  — to promote training through research and, by means of cooperation, the better use of high level
                      researchers in the Community,
                  — to improve the mobility of scientists from Community Member States,
                  — to develop and support intra-European scientific and technical cooperation,
                  — to encourage the establishment of intra-European cooperation and interchange networks with the
                       aim of strengthening the Community's scientific and technical competitiveness.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 145/12                              Official Journal of the European Communities                                     2. 6. 88
          2. Operational procedures:
             In order to achieve the foregoing objectives the Commission will take a number of measures aimed at
             researchers and research and development teams or organizations, with a view to securing harmonious
             scientific and technical development in the Community.
             These measures will take various forms:
             — post-university research bursaries, which consist of financial support awarded to scientists in order
                 for them to gain supplementary training by taking part in the implementation of a research project in
                 a laboratory situated in a Community Member State other than their own for a period ranging from
                 12 months (minimum) to 36 months (maximum),
             — research grants which consist of financial support awarded to a host laboratory, to make it possible
                 to meet costs associated with moving or seconding a researcher from one Community Member State
                 to another, employing a scientist in a team working in a Community Member State other than his
                 own, or enabling a researcher from one of the Community's industries to develop a specialization by
                 working in a university or industrial laboratory in a different Community Member State,
                 (Depending on the type of researcher involved and what he needs to do, a research grant can be of
                 various kinds:
                 — awards for short stay visits (between two weeks and six months) to be used by a researcher from
                      the Community wishing to undertake an experiment at a specific scientific and technical facility
                      not available in his own country,
                 — awards making it possible to meet mobility expenses (travel, accommodation, insurance, removal
                      . . .) research costs and possibly also the salary costs of a researcher, seconded to or integrated
                      into a research team from a Community Member State other than his own for a period ranging
                      from six months (minimum) to three years (maximum),
                 — awards covering the costs related to the mobility and research work of a scientist from a
                      Community Member State, employed by a European industrial enterprise, who goes to follow a
                      long training course (one to three years) at a laboratory in a Community Member State other
                      than his own.)
             — subsidies for high level training courses are intended to provide financial support to organizations
                 located in the Community, offering a specialized, high level course, so that they may open it to
                 scientists from other Member States of the Community who can thus receive supplementary training
                 or convert to other specialities,
             — contracts for the twinning of laboratories from different countries are intended to enable researchers
                 in several Community Member States, who are working separately on an advanced topic, to
                 combine their efforts without having to set up a special joint laboratory. (This will encourage the
                 establishment of a research team going beyond the 'criticial mass' required.) The mechanism
                 involves: awards enabling researchers to meet, undertake joint experiments, exchange results,
                 supplement their equipment or strengthen staff levels by employing scientists, preferably from a
                 different Member State, on a temporary basis,
             — contracts for the development of multidisciplinary, transnational operations would, by virtue of the
                 financial resources made available, enable the associated research teams to have enough resources
                 (including equipment) and be able to bring together the best expertise available in different countries
                 and disciplines, in order to achieve a predetermined objective or to undertake jointly a
                 predetermined scientific task in the framework of an S/T cooperation 'network'.
             Apart from these measures the Stimulation plan could be supplemented by certain similar incentive
             measures (bursaries, research grants, subsidies) financed in the context of each Community research and
             development programme, by agreement with the appropriate Management and Coordination Committee
             (CGC).
          3. Measures to stimulate interchange and cooperation apply to all fields relevant to the exact and natural
             sciences, such as:
             — mathematics,
             — physics,
             — chemistry,
             — life sciences,
             — earth sciences and ocean sciences,
             — scientific instrumentation,
             — engineering sciences.
 ---pagebreak--- 2. 6. 88                              Official Journal of the European Communities                                  N o C 145/13
         4. In the fields in which support will be granted, multinational projects to benefit from the Community
            support measures will be chosen above all on the basis of their quality, the extent to which they are
            multidisciplinary in content, their innovative aspects and their value in terms of breaking down barriers
            between different forms of research and development. As a general rule, where scientific and technical
            quality is comparable, priority will be given to projects likely to promote economic and social cohesion
            within the European Community.
         5. The Commission will see to it that there is consistency between the stimulation activity and programmed
            Community research and development activities.
         6. The Commission will at the same time undertake a series of consultations, surveys and seminars with the
            cooperation of Community scientific and technical circles in order to analyse and evaluate scientific and
            technical needs and opportunities, with the aim of providing more detail to the content of subsequent
            Stimulation plans.
            The Commission will cooperate closely with the national authorities to ensure consistency between these
            activities and national policies on research stimulation.
         7. In the framework of the arrangements set out in Article 6 of the Decision non-Member States and
            international organizations associated in the Stimulation plan must contribute to the financing of their
            involvement in Stimulation activities as well as to the Community's general administrative costs.