COUNCIL DECISION of 20 November 1989 on two specific research and development programmes in the field of the environment - STEP and Epoch (1989 to 1992) (89/625/EEC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES :
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 130q (2) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission(1),
In cooperation with the European Parliament(2),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee(3),
Whereas Article 130k of the Treaty provides that the Framework Programme shall be implemented through specific programmes developed within each activity;
Whereas by its Decision 87/516/Euratom, EEC(4), as amended by Decision 88/193/EEC, Euratom(5) the Council adopted a Framework Programme for Community activities in the field of research and technological development (1987 to 1991), providing inter alia  for activities in the field of the environment;
Whereas that Decision provides that a particular aim of Community research must be to strengthen the scientific and technological basis of European industry, particularly in strategic sectors of advanced technology, and to encourage it to become more  competitive at international level, and that Community action is justified where research contributes inter alia to the strengthening of the economic and social cohesion of the Community and the promotion of its overall harmonious development, while  being consistent with the pursuit of scientific and technical excellence; whereas it is intended that the Science and technology for environmental protection (STEP) and European programme on climatology and natural hazards (Epoch) programmes should  contribute to the achievement of these objectives;
Whereas the Council of the European Communities and the representatives of the Member States, meeting within the Council, declared in their Resolution of 19 October 1987 on the continuation and implementation of a European Community policy and action  programme on the environment (1987 to 1992)(6) that improving the scientific bases of environment policy, inter alia through appropriate research programmes, was one of the priority areas of Community action;
Whereas the participation of certain European non-member States in a Community research and development programme in the field of the environment would be beneficial;
Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research Committee (Crest) has given its opinion,
Two specific research and technological development programmes STEP and Epoch for the European Economic Community in the field of the environment, as defined in Annexes I and II, are hereby adopted for a period of four years, starting from 20  November 1989.
The funds estimated as necessary for the execution of the two programmes amount to ECU 115 million, including expenditure on a staff of 28. The funds and staff are allocated as follows:
-STEP: ECU 75 million (19 staff)
-Epoch: ECU 40 million (9 staff)
An indicative allocation of these funds is set out in
Annex II.
Detailed rules for the implementation of the programmes and the rate of the Community's financial participation are set out in Annex III.
1.  In the third year of the programmes' implementation, the Commission shall review them and send a report on the results of this review to the European Parliament and the Council. This report shall be accompanied, where necessary, by  proposals for amendment or extension of the programmes.
2.  At the end of the programmes, an evaluation of the results achieved shall be conducted by the Commission, which shall report thereon to the European Parliament and the Council.
3.  The abovementioned reports shall be established having regard to the objectives and criteria set out
in Annex I to this Decision and in accordance with
(2) of Decision 87/516/Euratom, EEC.
The Commission shall be responsible for the execution of the two programmes.
The Commission shall be assisted by a Committee of an advisory nature, hereinafter referred to as the Committee, composed of the representatives of the Member States and chaired by the representative of the Commission.
Contracts concluded by the Commission shall govern the rights and obligations of each party, in particular arrangements for the dissemination, protection and exploitation of research results.
1.  The representative of the Commission shall submit to the Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The Committee shall deliver its opinion within a time limit which the Chairman may lay down according to urgency of the matter, if  necessary by taking a vote.
2.  The opinion shall be recorded in the minutes of the Committee; in addition, each Member State shall have the right to have its opinion recorded in the minutes.
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.
The procedures laid down in Article 6 shall apply in particular to:
-the contents of the calls for proposals,
-the assessment of the proposed projects and the estimated amount of the Community's contribution to them,
-the implementation of concerted actions,
-departures from the general rules governing Community participation set out in Annex III,
-the participation in any project by non-Community organizations and enterprises referred to in Article 8 (2),
-any adaptation of the indicative allocation of funds set out in Annex II,
-the measures to be undertaken to evaluate the programmes,
-arrangements for the dissemination, protection and exploitation of the results of research carried out under the programmes.
1.  The Commission is hereby authorized to negotiate, in accordance with Article 130n of the Treaty, agreements with European non-member States participating in European Cooperation in the field of scientific and technical research (COST),  and with those having concluded framework agreements for scientific and technical cooperation with the Community, as well as with international organizations, with a view to associating them wholly or partly with the programmes.
2.  Where framework agreements for scientific and technical cooperation between non-member States and
the European Communities have been concluded, organizations and enterprises established in those countries may, on the basis of the criterion of mutual advantage, become partners in a project undertaken within these programmes.
No contracting party based outside the Community and participating as a partner in a project undertaken under the programmes may benefit from the Community financing of the programmes. Such contracting party shall contribute to the general  administration costs.
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.