No C 346/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 31. 12. 82
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision amending Council Decision 79/783/EEC of
11 September 1979 adopting a multiannual programme (1979 to 1983) in the field of data
processing
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European
Communities No C 193 of 26 July 1982, page 4.
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION
On 23 July 1982 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic and Social
Committee in accordance with Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community.
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its
202nd plenary session held in Brussels on 24 and 25 November 1982.
The full text of the opinion is as follows:
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Economic Community, and in particular Article 198
thereof,
Having regard to the request made by the Council of the
European Communities on 23 July 1982 for an opinion
on the proposal for a Council Decision amending Council
Decision 79/783/EEC of 11 September 1979 adopting a
multi-annual programme (1979 to 1983) in the field of
data processing,
Having regard to the decision taken by its chairman on
9 August 1982 instructing the Section for Industry,
Commerce, Crafts and Services to draw up an opinion
and a report on the matter,
Having regard to the opinion adopted by the
abovementioned Section at its meeting on
3 November 1982,
Having regard to the oral report made by the rapporteur,
Mr Nierhaus,
Having regard to the discussions at its 202nd plenary
session held on 24 and 25 November 1982 (meeting of
25 November 1982),
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION
unanimously:
1. General comments
1.1. The proposed Council Decision makes it clear
that the measures to promote data processing are to be
continued beyond 1982 in line with the objectives set for
the programme. The Committee is aware of the cardinal
importance of these technological developments for the
future of the Community's economy both domestically
and internationally and for this reason welcomes in
principle the extension of the multiannual
programme.
1.2. The Committee also recognizes the need to give
special encouragement to developing practical
applications of new technologies to the stage where the
product is ripe for marketing, if the Community is to close
the gap with its American and Japanese competitors.
1.3. Care must be taken that the expertise of firms
based in non-member countries - some of which have
invested considerable sums in the Member States -
continues to be available to the Community EDP sector.
At all events, appropriate steps must be taken to ensure
that the benefit of results of Community-sponsored
research actually accrues to the Community.
1.4. As software development is currently something
of a bottleneck in EDP technology and will most probably
remain so in the immediate future, the Committee would
stress the need to step up further development in this
sector.
1.5. Regarding the work on research and
development and on the sector's 'environment' (structural
changes in employment, effects on working conditions
and on training, acceptance of the new technologies by
workers, data protection, etc.), i.e. the first part of the
programme, the Committee expects that:
— this work will be stepped up within the limits of the
expenditure committed,
— the funds will be increased at a later stage if essential
additional projects so require,
31. 12. 82 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 346/13
the abovementioned 'environment' will be taken into
account in the implementation of the promotion
measures in the second part of the Council Decision -
in so far as is possible and expedient under the
particular circumstances.
2. Specific comments
2.1. Since the resources allocated (about 5 % of the
funding for national programmes in Europe) are
relatively small, it is absolutely essential that they be
concentrated to a large degree on a few key areas if they
are to give an effective stimulus to further development.
The emphasis must be placed on projects which are
inadequately covered by national programmes since they
are intended to further the common market. In the
Committee's view this precondition is met by the
proposed projects.
2.2. The further development of programming
languages, international standardization in particular, is
a matter of priority for the software industry over the next
few years. The programming language ADA offers
excellent prospects, particularly for systems
programming. The Committee would, however, point
out that previous work in particular sectors of industry
should play a special part in the selection of projects, in
order to enhance efficiency. For the same reason national
developments should be monitored and taken into
account in the promotion plans.
2.3. The financial aid must be used to ensure that the
results of the assisted projects are documented and
disseminated as quickly as possible so that industry and
science have access to them and can use them. In the case
of pilot applications, special encouragement should be
given to projects involving the training of instructors to
train EDP specialists.
2.4. The Committee endorses the promotion and
development of cross-frontier information systems as
they are an important precondition for the exchange of
information within the Community and thus for greater
integration of the national economies.
2.5. As far as the choice of terminals is concerned, the
ergonomic aspect and user convenience should figure in
the development work. This will provide special
opportunities to pursue further the items in the first part
of the programme (sector 'environment') (cf. point 1.5 of
this opinion).
2.6. The Committee attaches key importance to the
solution of the problem of data security, especially in the
case of distributed data bases for public health. The
complete confidentiality of personal data should be
guaranteed before there is any participation in the
project.
2.7. It is anticipated that before any decision is taken
on support for application projects, a careful
examination will be made of current requirements so as to
avoid misinvestment.
Done at Brussels, 25 November 1982.
The Chairman
of the Economic and Social Committee
Francois CEYRAC
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision on a preparatory phase for a Community
research and development programme in the field of information technologies
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European
Communities No C 314 of 30 November 1982, page 44.
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION
On 16 November 1982 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic
and Social Committee in accordance with Article 198 of the Treaty establishing the European
Economic Community.
Full & Egal Universal Law Academy