CELEX: 51989PC0397
Language: en
Date: 1989-08-28
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION CONCERNING THE FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME OF COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT ( 1990-1994 )

No C 243/4                               Official Journal of the European Communities                                 23. 9. 89
                                                                II
                                                        (Preparatory Acts)
                                                   COMMISSION
               Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the framework programme of Community activities
                            in the field of research and technological development (1990 to 1994)
                                                       COM(89) 397 final
                                        (Submitted by the Commission on 4 August 1989)
                                                          (89/C 243/06)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                            Whereas, pursuant to Article 4 of the abovementioned
                                                                    Decision, the Commission examined the state of
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European               implementation of the second framework programme, in
Economic Community, and in particular Article 130q (1)              particular through an evaluation report prepared by a
thereof,                                                            group of independent experts;
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 7                Whereas, in view of the rapid pace of technological
thereof,                                                            development, new economic challenges which the
                                                                    Community must meet, the increased level of global
                                                                    competition and the need to keep in view the horizon
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
                                                                    beyond 1992, Community activities in the field of
                                                                    research and technological development must be inten-
Having regard        to   the   opinion   of   the  European        sified and made more complete; whereas, in the light of
Parliament,                                                         these factors, a new framework programme should be
                                                                    adopted for the period 1990 to 1994 in association with
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and                    the current framework programme 1987 to 1991;
Social Committee,
Whereas the Single European Act incorporated a Title                Whereas the Community's activities mut be based on the
VI (Articles 130f to 130q) into the EEC Treaty; whereas             principle of subsidiarity, and whereas the Community's
that Title constitutes the new legal basis for Community            activities in the field of research and technological
activities in the field of research and technological devel-        development must thus provide added value in relation
opment; whereas, in particular, Article 130f lays down              to activities carried out at national level;
that the Community's aim is to strengthen the scientific
and technological basis of European industry and to
encourage it to become more competitive at international            Whereas the strengthening of research and technological
level; whereas, in order to achieve this, the Community             development policy must constitute an element of the
is encouraging companies, including small and                       harmonious      development     and    cohesion   of    the
medium-sized undertakings, research centres and univer-             Community;
sities in their research and technological development
activities and is supporting them through appropriate
actions;                                                            Whereas it is necessary to retain the pre-competitive
                                                                    nature of Community research and technological
Whereas, on the basis of Article 130i, all Community                development and at the same time the process of
activities in this field are set out in a multiannual               technological progress requires a continuum of inter-
                                                                    linked activities, ranging from basic research to the
framework programme;
                                                                    demonstration of the applications of new technologies;
Whereas, following an initial framework programme for
the period 1984 to 1987, a second framework                         Whereas Community research and technological devel-
programme for the period 1987 to 1991 was adopted by                opment activities should incorporate a prenormative
the Council Decision 87/516/Euratom, EEC (*) and is in              dimension in order to guarantee the scientific and
the process of being implemented;                                   technical basis necessary to establish adequate norms and
                                                                    standards; and whereas such an approach is likely to
                                                                    facilitate the completion of the single market and to
C) OJ No L 302, 24. 10. 1987, p. 1.                                 provide a response to the Community's increased
 ---pagebreak--- 23. 9. 89                              Official Journal of the European Communities                              No C 243/5
responsibilities in the fields of environment, health and        Whereas it is appropriate to estimate the amount
safety,                                                           required for the implementation of the framework
                                                                 programme in 1993 and 1994. which, with regard to its
Whereas the Joint Research Centre is called on to                 realization in financial terms, shall comply with the
contribute to the implementation of the framework                budgetary discipline agreed upon for these years in a
programme in those fields in which an impartial and               future agreement, taking as its basis the amount provided
independent expert opinion is required for the benefit of         for the final year of application of the current
all Community policies;                                          Agreement;
                                                                  Whereas the funds effectively available for the execution
Whereas the dissemination and exploitation of the results         of the framework programme shall be determined
of research and technological development activities are          according to the budgetary procedure in line with the
essential elements in the process of innovation, in               abovementioned agreements;
particular for small and medium-sized undertakings, and
whereas, for this reason, a global initiative should be          Whereas it will be possible for new financial instruments
undertaken which will apply to all activities in the field        drawing on market resources to be developed outside the
of research and technological development;                        framework programme but related to it, in order to
                                                                  facilitate exploitation of the results of research and
Whereas a new initiative should be launched to improve            technological development programmes;
the mobility of young researchers at post-graduate level,
relying on networks of centres of excellence throughout           Whereas the Commission, in discharging its responsi-
the Community;                                                    bilities, undertakes to improve the efficiency of
                                                                  programme management, in particular by implementing
Whereas efforts should be focused on a limited number             an advanced monitoring system and decentralized
of activities and specific programmes corresponding to            procedures at the project level;
the strategic priorities laid down in the framework
programme;                                                        Whereas the Scientific and Technical               Research
                                                                  Committee (CREST) has been consulted,
Whereas the framework programme is implemented
through specific programmes and whereas, furthermore,             HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
decisions may be taken on supplementary programmes
within the meaning of Article 1301, participation within                                      Article 1
the meaning of Article 130m and cooperation with third
countries or international organizations within the                1.    This framework programme for Community
meaning of Article 130n;                                          activities in the field of research and technological devel-
                                                                  opment, hereinafter referred to as the 'third framework
                                                                  programme', shall cover the period 1990 to 1994. The
Whereas the Community's involvement in Eureka
                                                                  provisions laid down for specific programmes adopted in
 projects which fit in with activities downstream of the
                                                                  the context of Decision 87/516/Euratom,                EEC
 Community's research and technological development               concerning the framework programme for 1987 to 1991
 strategy should be increased by means of appropriate              shall remain in force.
 instruments and the interface between the framework
 programme and European cooperation activities in the
                                                                   2.    The third framework programme shall provide for
 field of scientific and technical research (COST) should
                                                                   six activities grouped as follows:
 be improved, in accordance with Articles 130m and
 130n;
                                                                   Diffusion technologies
 Whereas it is necessary to make an estimate of the                1. Information and communications technologies;
 Community financial means necessary for the realization
 of the research and development activities envisaged, in          2. Industrial and materials technologies.
 accordance with Article 130i(l) of the EEC Treaty;
 whereas this amount is entered in the financial                   Management of natural resources
 perspective included in the Inter-institutional Agreement         3. Environment;
 of 29 June 1988 (') for the years 1990 to 1992; whereas
 the item TMPs and research' of the abovementioned                 4. Life sciences and technologies;
 perspective allows the retention of a sum of about ECU
 2 400 million; whereas as a consequence of the annual             5. Energy.
 technical adjustments provided for in the Agreement, the
 working assumption has been made that this amount will            Management of intellectual resources
 be about ECU 2 700 million;
                                                                   6. Human capital and mobility.
                                                                    3.    Without prejudice to the amount of ECU 3 125
  (') OJ No L 185, 15. 7. 1988, p. 33.                             million deemed necessary in respect of the framework
 ---pagebreak--- No C 243/6                                 Official Journal of the European Communities                                     23. 9. 89
programme for 1987 to 1991 which it will be possible to              two Council decisions, covering the periods 1990 to 1992
enter in the budget from 1990 onwards, the amount of                 and 1993 to 1994 respectively.
Community expenditure deemed necessary for the
execution of the activities envisaged by the present
                                                                                               Article 3
Decision shall be ECU 7 700 million. Of this amount,
ECU 2 700 million are estimated to be necessary for the              The detailed rules for financial participation by the
execution of the activities envisaged during 1990, 1991              Communities in the third framework programme as a
and 1992 and ECU 5 000 million for the implementation                whole shall be those provided for in Title VII of the
of the activities envisaged during the years 1993 and                Financial Regulation of 21 December 1977 applicable to
1994. The budgetary authority shall determine the                    the general budget of the European Communities,
available funds for each year.                                       without prejudice to the charging to the budget of any
                                                                     contributions from the Communities to supplementary
4.    The breakdown of the amount deemed necessary                   programmes or to national or multinational activities or
for the period 1990 to 1994 between the six activities               projects.
referred to in paragraph 2 is set out in Annex I.
5.    The activities referred to in paragraph 2 and                                            Article 4
their scientific and technical objectives are described in           The financing of activities related to the dissemination
Annex II.                                                            and exploitation of the results of the specific
                                                                     programmes shall be brought about, in the context of
                             Article 2                               coherent management, by bringing together sums
                                                                     allocated to these activities according to a percentage to
1.    The third framework programme shall be
                                                                     be determined for each specific programme.
implemented through specific programmes in accordance
with Articles 130k and 130p of the Treaty, covering each
of the areas referred to in Article 1 (2).                                                     Article 5
2.    For the implementation of the specific programmes,             During the third year of execution of the third
decisions may be taken on supplementary programmes                   framework programme the Commission shall assess its
within the meaning of Article 1301 of the Treaty, on                 progress. It shall examine, in particular, whether the
participation within the meaning of Article 130m, and on             objectives, priorities, activities envisaged, and financial
cooperation within the meaning of Article 130n.                      resources are still appropriate to the changing situation.
                                                                     In the light of this review, as far as is necessary, it shall
3.    The amounts deemed necessary for the implemen-                 make proposals for the revision of the framework
tation of each specific programme shall be the subject of            programme.
                                                              ANNEX   I
               Framework programme of Community activities in the field of research and technological development
               (1990 to 1994)
               Breakdown of the amount deemed necessary:
                                                                                                      (in millions of ecus)
                 I. Enabling technologies
                    1. Information and communications technologies                                         3 000
                    2. Industrial and materials technologies                                               1 200
                II. Management of natural resources
                    3. Environment                                                                            700
                    4. Life sciences and technologies                                                      1 000
                    5. Energy                                                                              1 100
               III. Management of intellectual resources
                    6. Human capital and mobility                                                             700
                                                                                                  Total    7 700
 ---pagebreak--- 23. 9. 89                               Official Journal of the European Communities                                     No C 243/7
                                                               ANNEX     II
          Activities
          The third framework programme (1990 to 1994) defines new objectives for giving an innovatory push to
          Community action. The orientations defined in the 1987 to 1991 framework programme remain in force in
          the implementation of the specific programmes, where an element of continuity is required.
          The choice of scientific and technical objectives rests on the principle of Community added value. This
          principle, and the exercise of selectivity which results, are of vital importance for the efficient use of the
          limited funds at the Community's disposal. The modification of industrial attitudes towards further trans-
          national initiatives; replying to the essential challenges of industrial competitiveness; implanting European
          attitudes in the training of young researchers — these are the criteria that have guided the selection of
          objectives listed in the current Annex.
          As concerns the preferred means of action, the shared-cost action remains the principal instrument. In
          those cases where coordination of existing research at the national level is the predominant aspect,
          concerted action will be used.
          The Joint Research Centre participates in the implementation of the framework programme. A new
          emphasis will be given to this participation by reinforcing research with a prenormative character in the
          area of industrial and materials technologies; by a reorientation of research on nuclear safety; by the
          reinforcement of activities linked to the environment and industrial risks; and by a new emphasis on
          technological forecasting. The financing of JRC research activities relevant to the framework programme
          will be brought about by bringing together funds available from the sums allocated to the specific
          programmes.
          The Council shall define the detailed arrangements for the dissemination of knowledge resulting from the
          specific programmes. This requires general action and a unified management within the Commission
          services to achieve coherence. In particular, this management has to provide for diffusion of results through
          publications as well as by computerized means according to common standards and protocols, the
          adaptation of industrial and intellectual property rules, innovation transfer and the exploitation of results
          within the Community. The financing of these activities is achieved by grouping funds deducted from the
          sums allocated to the specific programmes.
          In strict accordance with the guiding character given to the framework programme by the Treaty, the
          following paragraphs make reference to the strategic elements of the 1990 to 1994 framework programme.
                                                  I. ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES
           1. Information and communications technologies
              The interaction between information and communications technologies, the increased requirements of
              users and the necessity to constitute a real nerve system for the single European area lead to a
              re-orientation of efforts along three main lines, while preserving the synergies required for subjects of
              great Community interest such as high-definition television.
              A. Information technologies
              Apart from the research produced within the Esprit Programme, re-oriented towards the new
              generation of technologies, laying more stress on prototypes and multi-supplier and distributed systems,
              new activities will receive priority in the following areas.
              — Microelectronics
                  The objective is to contribute to the creation of a European manufacturing capability for advanced
                  products, in particular integrated circuits in conjunction with the JESSI project. It is crucial to
                  maintain the skills necessary to ensure the survival of the European electronics industry, associating
                  the efforts of suppliers and users, and to enable potential new applications in the most advanced
                  areas.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 243/8                                Official Journal of the European Communities                                    23. 9. 89
              — Peripherals
                   The objective is to produce new generations which are reliable, low-cost and mass produced, taking
                   into consideration for complex systems the most up-to-date technologies and for developing new
                   manufacturing methods. The action should favour the appearance of new in-out and storage
                   arrangements.
              — Software
                   Systems and tools need to be developed enabling productivity in software production to be
                   increased.
            . — IT applied to industrial engineering
                   The action will contribute to optimizing the use of advanced CAD/CAM systems in strategic
                   industrial sectors.
              B. Communications technologies
              In parallel to the continued development of an integrated broadband network, the objective consists of
              developing intelligent, reliable and secure networks as well as new value-added and profitable services
              adapted to developing user needs.
              Priority has also to be given to the growing demand for mobile telephony services and the integration of
              these services into networks. The requirements to be taken into account concern those of private life
              and leisure as well as professional life. To meet these needs and ensure a flexible transition between
              successive generations of networks, the following actions are foreseen:
              — development of intelligent networks, using new techniques of information transfer, optical communi-
                   cations and artificial intelligence;
              — mobile communications: specific issues need to be resolved, such as communication security,
                   saturation of available frequencies, the efficient use of airborne methods of transmission, equipment
                   miniaturization and the integration of mobile telephony into universal networks;
              — image communication: building on numerical image transfer (including HDTV), research efforts are
                   needed to integrate image into multimedia communications and to ensure the development of allied
                   protocols and coders-decoders;
              — service engineering: work on architectures and software, realized on basic teleservices and on
                   improved value-added services.
              These actions will be accompanied by others, aimed at ensuring the reliability and the security of
              communications by means of developing verification and testing technologies. Finally, it will be
              necessary to identify the characteristics and common function of certain model services by realizing real
              scale experiments in advanced communications.
              C. Development of telematic systems in areas ojgeneral interest
              The realization of the large internal market is setting new requirements in the field of information
              exchange. At the level of public administration, faced with problems determined by the abolition of
              barriers and the realization of the single market, these requirements comprise topics such as the interior,
              justice, customs, and social security. At the level of the individual user, questions of transport, health,
              distance learning, environmental protection and access to rural areas predominate.
              To meet these requirements, beyond the efforts being undertaken within regional or national contexts,
              additional Community effort is needed. This comprises the development of telematics systems combining
              information technologies, communications and audio-visual techniques. Industrialists, network users and
              suppliers throughout the Community will be encouraged to regroup around projects which meet both
              the requirements of economic development and social demand, thereby cementing a community of
              interest and spirit.
              These projects, the full development of which will take place outside the framework programme, require
              preparatory R & D work, including language research and engineering, of a collaborative nature and
              including pilot experiments which will act as a catalyst and form the building blocks for future action.
           2. Industrial and materials technologies
              The objective is to contribute to the necessary rejuvenation of European manufacturing industry by
              developing its science base and the advanced technologies required. Technological developments will be
               integrated with considerations of emerging market requirements and of more severe environmental
               constraints. Priority will be given to major integrated projects; among these, the development of the
               'clean car'.
 ---pagebreak--- 23. 9. 89                             Official Journal of the European Communities                                      No C 243/9
            This strategic step leads to a shift in priorities in the areas described below accompanied by the phasing
             out of areas such as membranes and catalysis.
             — Materials
                 Emphasis will be placed on materials with specific properties, exploiting recent breakthroughs in the
                 understanding of microscopic structure;
             — on materials for use in extreme or unusual conditions, as well as on environmental and whole life
                 cycle aspects of materials, including recovery and recycling.
             — Design
                 Reducing 'design to product' lead time requires advances in the scientific and technical basis of
                 design, including materials selection, systems analysis, design rules for manufacture, assembly,
                 reliability and maintenance. Emphasis is placed on design-relevant enabling technologies, such as
                 fluid dynamics, power systems and acoustics; process control, particularly aimed at 'zero-defects'
                 products.
             — Manufacturing
                 Improvement of the management of manufacturing operations: manufacturing practices must aim at
                 greater efficiency, shorter implementation times, reduced 'work in progress' and unit costs, higher
                 quality levels. Research includes mathematical modelling, adaptation of computer-aided design and
                 manufacturing techniques, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.
             — Measurement and testing
                 A new emphasis on the formulation and implementation of common norms, standards and codes of
                 practice is stimulated by the completion of the internal market. This leads to new requirements for
                 scientific and technological know-how to provide an objective base for normative work.
                                        II. MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
          3. Environment
             The purpose is to provide the scientific knowledge and technical know-how needed by the Community
             to carry out its new role relating to the environment, according to Title VII of the EEC Treaty. In this
             sector, the research activities have a common horizontal dimension of prenormative research, aimed at
             the preparation of environmental quality norms, safety and technical norms, methodologies for environ-
              mental impact assessment. The new actions are concerned with the following four areas.
             — Participation in the Global Change Programme
                  The objective of the programme is to understand the processes governing environmental change and
                  to assess the impact of human activities. European participation will contribute to the development
                  of research on the interaction between biogeochemical cycles, atmospheric chemistry, physical and
                  chemical oceanography, climatic processes.
              — Technologies and engineering for the environment
                  In addition to research on environmental monitoring, including remote sensing, a specific action will
                  be directed at introducing techniques and engineering systems to protect and rehabilitate the
                  environment.
              — Large integrated research projects
                  These projects address the whole range of problems arising from major environmental issues. They
                  may concern large coordinated campaigns, from observation and experimentation focusing on the
                  continental or marine environment to integrated operations attacking all aspects of a regional issue.
              — Research on economic and social aspects
                  This includes the scientific research to support the study of the legal and ethical aspects of environ-
                   mental policy and management. This deals with risk assessment, perception and management; the
                   economic evaluation of environmental impacts; the socio-economic impact of the implementation of
                   environmental policies; and the effectiveness and consistency of laws and regulations related to
                   environmental matters.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 243/10                            Official Journal of the European Communities                                       23. 9. 89
          4. Life Sciences and technologies
             The long-term strategic objective is to contribute, in a selective and integrated way, to the development
             of Europe's potential for understanding and using the properties and structures of living matter.
             — Basis biotechnology
                 Emphasis is shifted towards strengthening the science base, through research centred on under-
                 standing biological information, transformation and control systems, whilst keeping in mind the
                 ethical implications of such work. In particular, the research actions will include genome analysis,
                 related to genomes of representative species; neurobiology and immunology; macromolecular
                 modelling; nutrition; testing, also in order to provide the scientific prenormative basis for
                 Community regulations.
             — Agricultural and agro-industrial research
                 Research in the agricultural and forestry sectors will include projects on crop and animal
                 production, taking into account the present objectives of the common agricultural policy and of
                 rural development; it will contribute to major interdisciplinary programmes, such as a programme
                 aimed at finding effective remedies for desertification. Research will be developed in the field of
                 aquaculture and fisheries. Research, development and demonstration actions will be taken beyond
                 current activities, exploiting results from plant molecular biology and physiology research, through
                 soil-plant interaction, to harvesting and processing. Emphasis is placed on increasing resistance of
                 plants to adverse agents by genetic means. In the field of industrial utilization of agricultural raw
                 materials, the strategic priority is to obtain, through chemical and biological processing, new
                 biodegradable products and to provide clean energy sources by exploiting biomass.
             — Biomedical and health research
                 The main focus is on new ways of tackling socially and economically relevant diseases, through
                 concerted methodological and protocol studies in epidemiological, experimental and clinical
                 research. For cancer, attention is shifted towards early tracing of carcinogenic factors and the devel-
                 opment of new tests for anti-carcinogenic drugs. For AIDS, a new activity aimed at the development
                 of control systems, including chemotherapy and vaccines will be developed.
             — Life sciences and technologies for developing countries
                 Emphasis is placed on tropical agriculture (integrated management of agricultural resources for
                 reducing food shortages in regions at risk whilst protecting the environment) and on tropical health
                 research (efforts are concentrated on new steps to combat some major tropical diseases).
          5. Energy
             Environmental compatibility has become a key element for energy systems. Therefore the central
             issue of Community action in this field is shifted towards the development of clean and safe energy
             technologies. This is pursued in the following three areas:
             — Fossil, renewable energy sources, energy utilization
                 A diversity of technological options is required, taking into account energy-related environmental
                 problems such as the greenhouse effect and acid rain. The research includes the use of hydrogen and
                 other suitable substitutes for liquid fuels in the transport sector. In-depth analysis is carried out on
                 the concept of 'zero emission power', which is focused on electricity generation having a minimal
                 environmental impact. Certain lines of research inconsistent with this approach are discontinued,
                 such as research on coal liquefaction. Following recent breakthroughs in the understanding
                 of combustion processes, and of new electrolytes and catalysts, new energy production and saving
                 technologies will be developed.
             — Nuclear fission safety
                 Community action will put further emphasis on the harmonization of safety approaches and thus
                 reinforce the prenormative dimension of its research. A new impulse will be given to research on
                 reactor safety, radioactive waste management, fuel elements, actinides and control of fissile
                 materials. Radiation protection research will include radiation from natural and medical sources,
                 a better definition of the risks of low radiation doses, new technologies to assess quickly the
                 radiological consequences of nuclear accidents.
 ---pagebreak--- 23. 9. 89                               Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n Communities                         N o C 243/11
             — Controlled nuclear fusion
                  The Jet Joint Undertaking is prolonged up to 1996, in order to achieve control of plasma in
                  conditions close to those of the Next Step (Engineering fusion test reactor). Work for the detailed
                  design of the Next Step as well as for new systems will be pursued. Some existing fusion devices will
                  be phased out having completed their experimental programmes. The present keep in touch activity
                  in inertial confinement is developed, through fundamental research on the interaction of plasma with
                  laser light and possibly with accelerated heavy particles. Muonic and other cold fusions will be
                  explored.
                                     III. MANAGEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL RESOURCES
          6. Human capital and mobility
             The purpose is to provide the European research system with the trained human resources on which it is
             critically dependent and which are likely to become increasingly scarce in the years to come.
             A new initiative characterized by the highest efficiency and Community added value is required. These
             two requisites are inherent in a major project of mobility of young researchers, at post-graduate level, in
             the area of the exact and natural sciences, technologies and economic science. Training at the interface
             between basic sciences and technological applications will be pursued.
             The Community will finance the cost of training, generally for a period of two years, in centres of
             excellence of a country different from the country of origin. This is a Community investment in human
             capital, which will have pervasive effects over the whole research and technological development system
             and on cohesion and the redressing of intracommunity imbalances. This investment can, where
             necessary, be complemented by support measures in favour of networks of research training centres.
             An important role in the implementation of the programme will be played by the scientific community
             itself, through its own institutions, particularly for the identification of networks of centres of excellence
             and the selection of candidates.