CELEX: 51990PC0165
Language: en
Date: 1990-05-28
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION ADOPTING A SPECIFIC RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN CAPITAL AND MOBILITY ( 1990-1994 )

16. 7. 90                           Official Journal of the European Communities                             No C 174/85
                Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a specific programme of research and technological
                            development in the field of human capital and mobility (1990 to 1994)
                                               COM(90) 165 final — SYN 170
                                       (Submitted by the Commission on 3 May 1990)
                                                         (90/C 174/13)
  THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                         action the estimate of the financial resources needed by
                                                                  this programme is to be reduced by ECU 930 000,
  Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European           which amount is to be allocated to the centralized
  Economic Community, and in particular Article 130q               activities, in order to comply with the second sentence
   (2) thereof,                                                   of Article 130p (2) of the Treaty;
  Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
                                                                  Whereas this programme must be implemented by the
                                                                   Commission; whereas to help accomplish this, the
  In cooperation with the European Parliament,                    Member States are bound, pursuant to Article 5 of the
                                                                  Treaty, to facilitate the achievement of its tasks where
  Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and                necessary, notably within a committee;
  Social Committee,
                                                                  Whereas among the specific programmes arising from
  Whereas, by Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC(1), the                the third Framework Programme, this programme is
  Council adopted a third framework programme for                 characterized by dealing essentially with the human
  Community activities in the field of research and tech-          resources available for R&TD activities and the
  nological development (1990 to 1994), specifying inter          enhancement of the European scientific and technologi-
  alia the activities to be pursued for the management of         cal community; whereas this goal can be achieved effec-
  intellectual resources (human capital and mobility);            tively by activities intended to supplement the training
  whereas this Decision should be taken in the light of           of young researchers at a postdoctoral level;
  the grounds set out in the preamble to that Decision;
 Whereas Article 130k of the Treaty stipulates that the           Whereas a suitable application of the subsidiarity prin-
 framework programme is to be implemented through                 ciple in this field implies the extending of training
 specific programmes developed within each activity;              received by young researchers in their own country by
                                                                  enabling them, through traineeships made available by
                                                                  the Community, to develop a research activity in a
 Whereas the Joint Research Centre shall contribute               centre of excellence situated in another Member State;
 through its own programme to the implementation of
 the aforesaid activities;
                                                                  Whereas, in order to increase and improve the supply
 Whereas an estimate should be made of the amount of              of host opportunities, it would appear useful also to
 Community financial resources needed to carry out this           provide for networks of associated centres of excellence
 specific programme; whereas the definitive amounts               and for possibilities for access to major installations;
 will be fixed by the budgetary authority in line with
 the financial perspectives covering the period 1988 to
 1992 included in the Interinstitutional Agreement of             Whereas the JRC with its laboratories and installations
 29 June 1988 (2) and with any future financial perspec-         can effectively be included among those organizations
 tives covering the period 1993 to 1994;                         capable of playing an important role in the training
                                                                 of young researchers; whereas the third Framework
Whereas, pursuant to Article 4 of and Annex I to                 Programme provides ECU 25 million intended for
 Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC, the amount deemed                 activities by which the JRC will contribute to this
necessary for the whole framework programme includes             programme;
an amount of ECU 57 million for the centralized dis-
semination and exploitation of results, to be divided up
in proportion to the amount envisaged for each activity;         Whereas it is appropriate to adopt decentralized
whereas in view of the importance of this specific               methods of selecting candidates thereby closely associ-
programme within the 'Human capital and mobility'                ating centres of excellence with the implementation of
                                                                 this action;
(M OJNoL117,8. 5. 1990, p. 28.                                   Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research Com-
(2) OJ No L 185, 15. 7. 1988, p. 33.                             mittee (Crest) has been consulted,
 ---pagebreak--- No C 174/86                       Official Journal of the European Communities                                 16. 7. 90
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:                                  3. The reports shall be drawn up having regard to the
                                                            objectives set out in Annex I to this Decision and
                                                            in accordance with Article 2 (4) of Decision 90/221/
                        Article 1                           Euratom, EEC.
A specific research and technological development pro-
gramme for the European Economic Community in the
field of human capital and mobility, as defined in Annex                              Article 6
I, is hereby adopted for a period of five years as from
1 January 1990.                                              1. The Commission shall assure the implementation
                                                             of the programme. It shall be assisted by an advisory
                                                             committee, hereinafter referred to as 'the Committee',
                        Article 2                            composed of representatives of the Member States and
                                                             chaired by a representative of the Commission.
1. The Community funds estimated as necessary for
the execution of the programme under this decision
amount to ECU 518 million. This amount includes ECU          2. A work programme shall be drawn up, and updated
493 million for the execution of the activities approved     where necessary, setting out the detailed objectives and
by the present Decision, and ECU 25 million for the          the measures to be taken, as well as the financial
activities which the JRC will contibute to the pro-          arrangements to be made for them. The Commission
gramme and which will be subject of a separate decision      shall prepare calls for proposals on the basis of the
of the Council.                                              work programme.
2. From the above sum of ECU 493 million, an
amount of ECU 4 930 000 is drawn for the centralized                                  Article 7
action of dissemination and exploitation. The funds
thus reduced to ECU 488 070 000 include staff cost,          1. In the cases referred to in Article 8(1), the represen-
which may amount to a maximum of 2 %.                        tative of the Commission shall submit to the Committee
                                                             a draft of the measures to be taken. The Committee
                                                             shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit
3. An indicative allocation of funds is set out in Annex     which the chairman may lay down according to the
II.                                                          urgency of the matter. If necessary by taking a vote.
4. If the Council takes a decision in implementation
of Article 1 (4) of Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC, this      2. The opinion shall be recorded in the minutes; in
decision shall be adapted to take account of the afore-      addition, each Member State shall have the right to ask
mentioned Decision.                                          for its position to be recorded in the minutes.
5. The budgetary authority shall lay down the avail-
able appropriations for each financial year.                3. The Commission shall take the utmost account of
                                                            the opinion delivered by the Committee. It shall inform
                                                            the Committee of the manner in which its opinion has
                                                             been taken into account.
                        Article 3
Rules for the implementation of the programme are set
out in Annex III.                                                                     Article 8
                                                             1. The procedure laid down in Article 7 shall apply
                        Article 4                            to:
                                                             — the preparation and updating of the work pro-
The rate of the Community financial contribution shall           grammes referred to in Article 6 (2),
be laid down in accordance with Annex IV to Decision
90/221/Euratom, EEC.                                         — the evaluation of proposals referred to in point 4 of
                                                                 Annex III,
                                                             — the measures to be undertaken to evaluate the pro-
                        Article 5                                gramme.
1. During 1992 the Commission shall review the pro-
gramme and address a report on the results of the            2. The Commission may consult the Committee on
review to the Council and the European Parliament,           any matter within the scope of the programme.
together with proposals for any necessary changes.
2. At the end of the programme the Commission shall          3. The Commission shall inform the Committee with
assess the results obtained. It shall address a report       regard to:
thereon to the Council and the European Parliament.          — the progress of the programme,
 ---pagebreak--- 16. 7. 90                                Official Journal of the European Communities                                    N o C 174/87
— draft calls for proposals referred to in Article 6 (2),                cerned, the Commission shall be authorized to nego-
                                      ,      ,    .      • -, r          tiate, in accordance with Article 130n of the Treaty,
— accompanying measures referred to in point 2 of                        international agreements laying down the terms of such
    Annex 111.                                                           cooperation.
                                                                        Decisions on the conclusion of such agreements shall
                                                                        be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred
                             Article 9                                  to in Article 130q (2) of the Treaty.
Where cooperation with third countries and inter-
national organizations aiming at achieving the objec-                                              Article lu
tives of this programme requires legal undertakings
between the Community and the third parties con-                        This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
                                                                ANNEX I
                                          Scientific and technical objectives and content
             This specific programme fully reflects the approach embodied in the third Framework Programme in terms
             of the scientific and technical goals and the underlying aims which it pursues.
             Paragraph 6 of Annex II to the Framework Programme forms an integral part of the present specific
             programme.
             Unlike other specific programmes this programme does not pursue sectoral objectives through targeted
             research; its goal is to increase qualitatively and quantitatively the human resources in research and
            technological development across the board so as to satisfy the expected needs of the Member States in the
            coming years. This goal will be pursued by increasing the mobility of researchers, especially those at the
            postdoctoral or equivalent level, across the most advanced research centres in Europe.
            More specifically, the aim is to train, through participation in high level research, about 5 000 researchers
            over the five years of the programme. A close collaboration with the other Community general training
            programmes and more specifically those developed by the TFHR through the Comett and Eurotecnet
            programmes is assured.
            Fellowships will be granted to promising young researchers enabling them to spend a period (normally two
            years) in high level research centres in Community countries different from their own. In order to promote a
            balanced geographical distribution of human resources, in particular cases, fellowhips may be prolonged by
            one year, to allow the researchers concerned to return to their home country and there begin to exploit their
            acquired skills.
            A proper hosting system for fellows in high level research centres, including the Joint Research Centre of the
            European Community, in networks of excellence and in special installations will be developed through the
           direct involvement of scientists, technologists and research institutions.
            In order to strengthen this training system, the action carried out under the Science programme will be
           pursued in coordination with present new activities.
           Development of a high level decentralized research training system
           High level research centres, laboratories and institutions with a recognized capacity to provide an added
           value to the training of guest researchers will be identified and chosen, according to the procedures outlined
           in Annex III.
           The chosen centres, laboratories or institutions will indicate the areas of research where they would accept
           trainees, the number of trainees acceptable, and the criteria they would adopt for selecting candidates and
           for monitoring their progress.
           The centres, laboratories or institutions will be chosen on the basis of their scientific and technological
           excellence, on the relevance of their programmes to Community policy, on their capacity to attract good
           candidates and on their managerial capacity.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 174/88                            Official Journal of the European Communities                                            16. 7. 90
           When the novelty or complexity of a research area so requires, networks of centres of excellence linking
           several centres, laboratories or institutions with complementary capacity and established in different Member
           States will be created and given the task of selecting, hosting and training researchers from various Member
           States, through participation in their joint research programmes.
           The networks of centres of excellence will be chosen for participation in the training programmes on the
           basis of the originality of their approach, scientific excellence, relevance of topic and demonstrated added
           value deriving from their linkage. The chosen networks of centres of excellence will select, host and train a
           defined number of researchers from various Community Member States.
           Training in advanced research requiring access to unique research facilities will be pursued. Organizations
           managing such facilities will be chosen on the basis of the quality, novelty, and uniqueness of the research
           programme and installations to which the trainees would have access, as well as on the number and quality
           of expected trainees. Special contributions to adapt, upgrade and operate the large installations for the benefit
           of guest researchers can be considered in addition to the support needed to cover the stipends of the trainees
           and the management costs.
          Selection of the researchers participating in the training programme
          According to the subsidiarity principle, efforts will concentrate on that period of a researcher's life when
          participation in the research work of a high level centre abroad, or in a European network of centres of
          excellence or access to a unique facility is most effective. This generally corresponds to the post-doctoral
          stage. In implementing this principle the difference in the terminology and significance of academic titles and
          practices in the different Member States will be taken into account. Candidates would apply for a fellowship
          and be selected according to the procedures described in Annex III.
          Criteria for selection will include: the curriculum vitae of the candidate, the scientific or technological interest
          of the intended programme, the relevance of the chosen area, the impact on cohesion and the relative
          availability of posts in the host establishment requested by the candidates.
          Research areas covered by die training programme
          The training programme will cover a very broad range of topics in accordance with its horizontal nature. It
          will include strategic research and oriented research related to the research areas foreseen in the first five
          activities mentioned in Article I of the Framework Programme as specified in its Annex II.
          Coherence between the training programme and the activities carried out in the corresponding 14 specific
          programmes will be assured.
          Fundamental research in the exact and natural sciences, including mathematics: in agreement with the open
          nature of the programme the topics to be covered will not be defined a priori. However, particular attention
          will be given to novel emerging multidisciplinary approaches and to approaches leading to a very broad
          spectrum of applications such as the science of complex non-linear systems, the structure of condensed
          matter, plasmas, the interaction between extremely intense radiation and matter, molecular recognition and
          self-assembling structures.
          Interfaces between basic science and technological applications; including by way of example engineering
          science, systems approaches, molecular and super molecular engineering, catalysis and membranes.
          Networks of centres of excellence linking fundamental and applied research centres will be preferred for this
          multidisciplinary approach.
          Human and social sciences: this action will concern essentially training in research relevant for the promotion
          of European competitiveness and performance, in particular economics, as well as the interaction between
          science, technology and society.
          Problems such as the understanding and acceptance of science and technology by the public and the increasing
          interaction between natural science, mathematics and the human and social sciences will also be covered.
 ---pagebreak--- 16. 7. 90                                     Official Journal of the European Communities                                           No C 174/89
             Scientific and technological management
             Decentralization and direct involvement of the scientific community will be key principles in implementing
             the programme.
             The centres, laboratories, institutions, European networks of centres of excellence and large installations
             chosen on the basis of the criteria outlined above will be responsible not only for the selection of the
             candidates but also for the monitoring of their progress.
             The Commission will be responsible for the overall management and monitoring of progress for the whole
             programme.
                                                                       ANNEX II
                                                    Indicative allocation of expenditures
            Because of the horizontal nature of the actions covered by this specific programme, no breakdown by
            scientific and technological area or by means of implementation is proposed.
            The funding will be made available as required to finance actions and accompanying measures as outlined
            in Annex HI.
                                                                      ANNEX 111
                                                  Rules for implementing the programme
                                  and activities for dissemination and exploitation of the results
            1. The Commission shall implement the programme on the basis of the content described in Annex I.
            2. The rules for implementing the programme, referred to in Article 3, comprise training actions and
                accompanying measures.
                The training actions shall be the subject of contracts, primarily for postdoctoral training, through the
                distribution of fellowships and the financial support for access to the facilities of host organizations and
                participation in their research.
                The accompanying measures shall consist in putting to use the resources permitting good technical
                execution, management and evaluation of the programme, and adequate dissemination and accessibility
                of the results of the training actions, and coordination, and increasing awareness of the participants in
                the programme.
           3. Participants in the actions will comprise two categories:
                 (i) individual recipients of training grants;
                (ii) institutions acting as hosts to grant recipients.
               The individual grant recipients defined in (i) must be natural persons established in the Community. The
               institutions defined in (ii) must be legal entities established in the Community (*), such as research
               laboratories of industrial firms.
               Natural or legal persons established in countries which have concluded cooperation agreements on
               scientific and technical research with the Community may, on the principle of mutual benefit, participate
               in the actions undertaken in the framework of this programme. Such contracting parties will not benefit
               from Community financing. They will contribute to the general administrative costs.
          (') For the purposes of this progamme, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), based in Geneva but with the
              major part of its installations on Community territory, may be a participant in the contracts.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 174/90                           Official Journal of the European Communities                                         16. 7. 90
          4. The participants in the training actions shall be chosen on the basis of an annual procedure aimed at
             matching host organizations with applicant researchers.
             The procedure shall comprise two successive calls for proposals as cited in Article 6 (2), which will be
             published in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
             The first call shall be addressed to those centres of excellence willing to host researchers. It shall be
             addressed to three categories of host organization:
                (i) individual centres of excellence;
              (ii) centres of excellence grouped to form intra-European networks linked for the purposes of a scientific
                    and technical theme or a scientific and technical project;
             (iii) centres of excellence offering large-scale, unique research facilities.
             The selection of proposals from host organizations shall be made by the Commission following consul-
             tation with the advisory committee cited in Article 6 (1).
             The second call for proposals shall be primarily addressed to young researchers at a postdoctoral level to
             fill positions made available following the first call outlined above in a country different from that of the
             trainee. The selection shall be decentralized and carried out by the centres of excellence concerned.
             The Commission's contribution shall in general represent 100% of the marginal costs of the action
             (including the full fellowship costs).
             In the cases outlined in (ii) and (iii) above, the Commission may provide support for adaptation of the
             host organizations 1 capacity to receive extra researchers through, for example, modifications to research
             equipment, traval between centres, exchange of materials, etc.
             The terms given to the recipients of Community training grants shall be equal for all (allowances, mobility
             expenses, social insurance), irrespective of the category of host organization.
          5. The dissemination of the results of the training actions shall be carried out within the specific programme
             as well as through the centralized action of dissemination and exploitation, pursuant to the Decision
             referred to in the third subparagraph of Article 4 of Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC.