THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY GUIDELINES FOR A NEW COMMUNITY FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME OF TECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 1987-1991

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION



COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"




COM (86) 129



Vol. 1986/0043

Disclaimer
Conformément au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983,
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit
règlement.
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Economic
Community and the European Atomic Energy Community (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243,
27.9.2003, p. 1), this file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom 1.
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI. L 43 vom 15.2.1983,
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. September 2003
(ABI. L 243 vom 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COH(fS) 129 final·
Brussels, 1? March 19— ··
THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY
Guidelines for a new Community Framework
Programme of technological research
and development
1987-1991
(Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament)
CCK(£6) 129 final.
- I -
The Science and Technology Community :
Guidelines for a new Framework Programme of technological research
and development 1987-1991
SUMMARY
1. A new deal for Europe
Europe accepts the challenge.
In a world characterized by the acceleration of the process of
innovation, the global application of production techniques, the
development of services and, lastly, the expansion of defence
programmes and the importance attached to space in national
technological development, Europe is beginning to organize. The year
1985 saw the launching of the Technology Community, the EUREKA
initiative and the formal confirmation, in the European Single Act, of
technological R&D activities.
Today, the Commission is presenting its guidelines for a new Framework
Programme of technological research and development during the period
1987-91.
2. The contribution of the Community dimension to technological R&D in
Europe
The success and reputation of such programmes as ESPRIT, RACE and
BRITE rest on an appreciation of the added value generated by
Community technological R&D activities.
The Community provides a framework for a synergy of efforts and
abilities; it thus promotes the attainment of economies of scale and
critical size and provides the opportunities for diversification
called for by rapid and expensive scientific and technical
development.
Community action creates the fertile soil for greater creativity and
cooperation on the part of the .scientists and industrialists involved
in strategic programmes and priority and significant projects.
The Community framework links efforts in the field of technology to
the large European market. In 1992 it will lead to open public-sector
markets based on common standards and a common industrial property
policy.
The resources allocated to research are drawn from the Community
budgetary instruments; a,s a supplementary measure, the coming months
will see the presentation of new financial instruments specially
tailored to the particular needs of scientists and industrialists.
The Community context also ensures
policy which extends and underpins
indust ri ali st s .
a link with a dynamic commercial
the efforts of research workers and
- II -
Lastly, the Community provides a coherent framework for the
optimization of the efforts of the Member States, the exploitation of
their specific potential and avoidance of the duplication of
activities, all of which benefits both the Community as a whole and
its individual regions.
3. A new institutional legitimacy for technological research and
development
The European Single Act provides a new political and legal basis for
the development of the Community's scientific and technical strategy.
Community activity in the field of technological R&D will be conducted
in a series of programmes at three levels, namely :
- a unanimously approved multiannual Framework Programme, which will
provide the basis for the balanced overall development of Community
actions;
- specific programmes, adopted by a qualified majority, which are
concerned with particular objectives, designed to promote
cooperation between all the partners and open to participation by
non-member countries;
- supplementary programmes in which Member States will participate on
a voluntary basis.
4. What are the priorities for Community action ?
The outline document proposes the adoption of seven lines of action
adapted to the new requirements of the 1990s.
These lines of action, which are essentially intended to lead to the
improvement of Europe's international competitiveness, a better
quality of life and the creation of a genuine research workers'
Europe, cover the following seven topics :
- management of resources (particularly in agriculture);
- management of energy;
- competitiveness of industry and services (information technology,
telecommunications, etc.);
- quality of life ("Europe against cancer", the fight against AIDS,
safety, environmental protection, etc.);
- science and technology for development;
Europe's scientific and technical potential;
general suport for scientific and technical development (innovation,
scientific networks, machine translation, etc.).
- I l l -
The Commission advocates a substantial increase in activities designed
to increase the competitiveness of industry and its services, not only
in the light of the changing world scientific and technological
context but also because of the increasing pressure of the external
challenge facing our continent.
As regards the management of energy, the Commission hopes to
consolidate Europe's world lead in thermonuclear fusion which,
moreover, is one of the areas where efforts are integrated on a fully
European scale.
A fairly substantial reorganization of activities is recommended with
regard to other aspects of energy research. Nevertheless the
Commission is of the opinion that the present, still unpredictable
fluctuations in the price of petrol should not lead to the abandonment
of this type of research which remains an important factor for the
diversification of the Community's sources of supply and the reduction
of its energy consumption.
The Commission is also examining the possibility of including
activities on the exploitation of space and the development of
aeronautics in the list of actions to be conducted in the next
Framework Programme.
The scale of the challenge and the Community's ability to respond will
necessitate an appreciable increase in the financial resources, both
public and private, national and Community, made available for
research and technology. For its part, the Commission puts the total
financial commitments required for the implementation of the 1987-1991
Framework Programme at 10.000 MioECUs. Although this amount
constitutes an appreciable increase in relation to the budget for the
preceding Framework Programme, it represents less than 5 /. of total
research expenditure in the Member States over the same period.
5. New a rrangements for implementing Community research
For the future Framework Programme, the Commission is in favour of a
significant increase in shared-cost actions of the ESPRIT type
compared with the direct-action projects carried out at the Joint
Research Centre, the role and tasks of which are to be reevaluated a
discussed in a forthcoming communication.
Furthermore, in addition to those already established for
technological R&D in the Community, new implementing arrangements wi
be prepared, for example through the creation of joint enterprises o
the initiation of supplementary programmes for which the European
Single Act provides.
The Commission is prepared to examine the possibility of setting up
flexible structures of the "agency type" as a means of creating an
interface between Community priorities and policies on the one hand
and the specific requirements of operators.
- IV -
Lastly; Community budgetary intervention will be supplemented by a
number of facilities deriving from new Commission initiatives in
respect of financial instruments or techniques, particularly in the
case of technological R8D programmes for industrial-scale application
which are close to the market, such as the EUREKA projects.
6. An open, confident Technology Community
The Technology Community cannot withdraw behind its geographical and
institutional frontiers.
By adopting an open stance towards the outside world, it will
reinforce its international cooperation along the lines already
established in the field of thermonuclear fusion.
On a strictly European level, the Commission recommends a
strengthening of relations with the European Space Agency, CERN, the
European Science Foundation and the Council of Europe.
Bilateral cooperation with the EFTA countries will acquire a new
dimension with the implementation of framework agreements for
scientific and technical cooperation which have already been, or are
about to be, signed.
In the execution of the Framework Programme, considerable importance
will be attached to the development of cooperation within the
framework of COST, in which many non-Member countries are involved.
Lastly, the Commission supports the EUREKA initiative. It considers
that, by virtue of their complementarity, Community programmes and the
EUREKA projects constitute a single whole orientated towards the
attainment of the same objective, namely improved international
industrial competitiveness and greater employment and prosperity in
Europe.
Consequently, the Community and, in particular the Commission, can
make a variety of contributions designed to ensure that the potential
of the EUREKA initiative is fully realized; these include :
- cooperation in EUREKA projects,
- the secondment of qualified staff to the EUREKA secretariat,
- the organization of industrial seminars,
- the provision of access to an information communication system
developed within the ESPRIT framework,
“ access to the large market,
- suitable, new institutional and financial frameworks.
7. Tomorrow/· the 1987-1991 Framework Programme
Following the forthcoming discussion of these guidelines by the
Council and Parliament, the Commission will submit its formal proposal
for a Framework Programme of technological research and development
1987-1991 in July of this year.
*
* *
- 1 -
CONTENTS
I. Introduction
II. Aim of the document
III. Current position and prospects: Europe in the international context
IV. The challenge within: achievement of the European Science and Technology
Community
1. Selection criteria
2. Lines of action
3. Financial balance
V. Implementation of the European Science and Technology Community
1. General framework
2. Preparatory, implementation, financing and evaluation arrangements
A. Existing implementation procedures, role of the JRC
B. New procedures
C. Evaluation of results
3. Accompanying measures
4. An open, confident Technology Community
- EUREKA
- COST
VJ. Conclusions
Annex I : Summary table of Community actions
Annex II : Information sheets relating to Community actions
- 2 - ·
The Science and Technology Community
I. Introduction
The Member States of the European Community are today faced with a task
of major importance : the practical realization of a Science and
Technology Community.
The intention is certainly not to throw away opportunities or fruitful
possibilities for cooperation with non-Community countries. On the
contrary, these Commission proposals cover the opening-up of Community
projects to European countries outside the Community and the improvement
of opportunities for cooperation - on an equal footing - with the major
non-European partners.
The Community is in fact in a position to define and adopt a
technological research and development strategy on a continental scale .
The European dimension is essential in order to meet the considerable and
increasing costs of technological R&D, to take advantage of economies of
scale and of the resultant opportunities for diversification, and to
ensure greater synergy between efforts and capacities in rapidly evolving
scientific and technical fields.
The Community framework makes it possible, in an overall strategic
context, to optimize the various measures required to improve, with a
high degree of complementarity, Europe's economic competitiveness and
scientific and technological base, namely :
- cooperation between scientific and industrial participants in strategic
programmes and priority and significant projects, the results of which
they share at a low cost;
- the creation of a vast precursor internal market through a coherent
policy on standardization, the opening-up of markets, industrial
property, competition, etc.;
- the provision of appropriate financial resources through the use of
existing financial instruments and the new financial management
machinery;
- co-operation in the planning, creation and use of complex and expensive
infrastructures (telecommunications, instruments and large-scale
scientific equipment);
- the establishment of greater cohesion on behalf of the least-favoured
regions and population groups through the use of structural funds for
the attainment of the Community's economic and social objectives;
- reliance on the common foreign and trade policy for the purpose of
adopting common positions in major international discussions;
*· - the development of education and training on the basis of close
cooperation at Community level between the universities and industry
and through the development of new equipment and systems designed to
- 3 -
facilitate adjustment to the forthcoming changes in professional
qualifications and to make available the high degree of expertise
required for the mastery of new technologies.
Thus, the creation of a Science and Technology Community, which has been
regarded as a difficult, if not an impossible task to date, can now be
guaranteed.
Indeed, the Community has been enlarged to 12 Member States and thus has
a new political, economic and commercial base.
The European Council meeting in Milan (28 and 29 June 1985) approved and
adopted the Commission's memorandum "Towards a European Technology
Community".
The declaration of principle approved in Hannover (November 1985) clearly
identified EUREKA and the projects that will result from it as an
extension of Community and multilateral European R,D&D activities, with a
view to optimizing the industrial potential of these projects.
Furthermore, framework science and technology cooperation agreements
between the Community and several other European countries (Austria,
Finland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland) have already been, or will
shortly be, concluded.
Moreover, the chapters on the "Internal Market" and "Technological
Research and Development" in the Single Act have opened the way to the
simultaneous coordinated development of Community scientific,
technological, industrial and commercial policy.
Finally, these developments, at international economic, scientific and
technological level (aeronautics, space, major military programmes,
etc.) confirm the Commission's view that the implementation of an
ambitious new European scientific and technical strategy now seems to be
both necessary and possible.
Necessary, because the scientific and technological capacities of the
great economic powers over the next decade will largely determine their
ability to secure growth and jobs.
Possible, because of the close cooperation and climate of confidence
which have been established between Community enterprises and scientific
organizations in recent years, as well as between the latter and the
Commission, particularly within the framework of the ESPRIT, RACE and
BRITE programmes.
Possible also, because the Community provides a favourable organizational
framework for bringing together and committing the required resources:
coordinated use of human and financial resources, concerted and planned
growth of national and Community funds.
See chapter III of this document
II. Aim of the document
In the Council resolution of 25 July 1983 which approved - as regards the
principles, objectives and criteria for selecting projects - the
Framework Programme of Community scientific and technological objectives
1984-87, provision was made for a review of the programme "in 1985 at the
Latest".
During 1985, research was the subject of much discussion and many
initiatives at European level: the European Council in Milan, the EUREKA
ministerial conference and the Luxembourg intergovernmental conference.
On this basis the Commission, as it announced in particular in its
communication "Towards a European Technology Community", feels that this
review should now be "carried out speedily so as to ensure that a second
Framework Programme for 1987-91 __ is drawn up and adopted without
delay".
This document aims to sketch the broad outlines of the Framework
Programme for 1987-91 and appropriate ways and means of implementing it.
On the basis of this initial document - which does not represent the
Commissions formal proposal and which is completely without prejudice to
its final content - the Commission would like to know the opinions and
attitudes of the Community institutions, especially as regards:
scientific and technical approaches,
priorities and balances,
- the level of financial resources to be set aside for the period 1987-
91.
In the light of these discussions and the conclusions reached, the
Commission will prepare a formal proposal for the Framework Programme
1987-91 and submit it to the Council and Parliament in July 1986.
Ill. Current position and prospects: Europe in the international
context
In recent years, notwithstanding persistent and disquieting weaknesses
which will be analysed below, the Member States have shown not only that
they could cope with a serious crisis, but that they could, through
joining together and/or cooperating, create an almost unparalleled force
in the world.
Furthermore, Europe is maintaining its status as a major world trading
power, since more than a third of international trade passes through the
Community. 40% of the industrial production of what is the most open
economy in the world, the European Community, is traded with non-
member states, i.e. 25% to 30% of its gross domestic product, as compared
with 10-20% in the case of the United States and Japan.
Europe has, thanks to the EMS, managed to preserve a significant degree
of monetary stability in the face of the fluctuations in the dollar and
many other foreign currencies.
2C0M(85)final, 30.9.1985.
- 5 -
Apart from gaining an increasing control over inflation, the Community
Member States have achieved a slow, but genuine increase in investments
and in productivity through the improved distribution of added value for
the benefit of firms; their growth in this respect is greater than that
of the United States, for example«
On the various world markets, Europe's performance has been comparable to
that of its formidable trading adversary, Japan (especially in the OPEC
area). As far as energy is concerned, in ten years Europe's considerable
efforts have reduced its dependence on oil from 65 to 45%, whereas Japan
still relies on oil for more than 60% of its requirements.
Lastly, European successes in the field of science and technology
(Airbus, Ariane, CERN, JET, ESPRIT, BRITE, RACE...) underline the value
and effectiveness of Europe's R,D&D potential.
This very brief survey of some of the encouraging European figures
clearly must not conceal the darker aspects of the situation that argue
even more insistently for an offensive European research and innovation
strategy specifically aimed at the objective of international
competitiveness as a means of improving employment opportunities.
Out in the arena with the great industrialized countries, the Community
Member States are confronted with those whose scientific and technical
potential and dynamism are not only very considerable, but sometimes
quite out of proportion to their own. Development of science and
technology policies by the European nations is still marked to a notable
extent by the economic conditions that prevailed in the seventies,
although a certain revival is beginning to make an impression. Because
most of the European governments were (and still are) greatly concerned
with solving the unemployment problem, science and technology policy was
not, for the most part, a major priority and its financing was,
therefore, subject to severe constraints, in spite of the close links
between technology, growth and employment.
Fortunately, this trend was reversed towards the end of the decade when
most of the governments had realized how important strong R&D was for a
growth economy. There has been, in particular, a tendency to give
priority to applied research, geared to economic needs; most of the
European countries now have science and technology policies with
increasing emphasis on innovation and improving the links between basic
research and industry.
The scale of the effort required must not, however, be underestimated.
In fact there is no single European country, however big, which is
capable of facing up to today's technological challenges on its own. To
appreciate the scale of the effort which is needed, it is worth taking a
close look at five trends that have been marked in recent years:
the acceleration of the innovation process, that is competition
through innovation at the international level. It is the force of
this current which determines the extent to which new technologies,
products and processes make their appearance, together with the
support which comes from large-scale research programmes. Thus,
European countries owe it to themselves to ensure that thebe is
significant growth in the financial resources devoted to R&D if they
do not wish to be left behind, once and for all, in today's race to
innovate;
- 6 -
- the spread in all fields of economic and social activity of new
technologies which are subject to extremely rapid change (data
processing, biotechnology, materials);
- the acceleration of the tendency of productive activities to be
developed on a world-wide scale, a significant factor which can also
be observed in the world of science and technology and which carries
the risk of watering down Europe against the will of its Member
States;
- the rise in the number of "non-material" activities, i.e. the rapid
increase in jobs in the service sector. The wealth of nations is
founded, and will continue increasingly in the foreseeable future to
be built, on highly efficient service activities: services to
production, financial services, communication and information
services, services linked with distribution, training, research, etc;
lastly and perhaps above all, in the short and medium term, the growth
in defence programmes and their repercussions as regards the world
system of research, science and technology. Since the traditional
frontier between civilian and military research is in fact dissolving,
major defence programmes are beginning to have a dual scientific and
technological purpose.
The big defence programmes concentrate R&D into a number of key fields,
such as telecommunications, sophisticated energy sources, large-scale
computers, advanced materials and space. In many countries, this means
large contracts for the big industrial groups (whose R&D structure is
often geared to specialist military applications). At the same time,
these programmes absorb an increasing proportion of the overall research
potential in terms of financing and personnel.
It is worth dwelling for a moment, on this point, particularly as
regards the USA. There the State is assuming an increasingly significant
role through the R&D budgets of the Department of Defense (DOD). The
large increase in expenditure on R&D in the United States must be seen in
direct relation to its military programmes, the most recent and intensive
acceleration being linked with the strategic defence initiative (SDI).
In only a few years the proportion of the public expenditure budget
accounted for by military R&D - i.e. 40 000 million dollars out of a
total of 57 000 million dollars in 1986 - has risen from 50% to 70%.
Apart from the general effect of acceleration that such financial
injections have on the development of technologies, the programmes in
question frequently involve areas of research which are entirely new and
original (serving both civilian and military interests), providing the
foundations for the production and services of tomorrow. Furthermore,
such programmes are designed with a view to developing systems and not
just components or products, a major factor in future competitiveness.
Again,the resources which are devoted to such programmes are a direct
subsidy to the industries which implement them.
Finally, the latest efforts made by the United States may be seen as a
controlled part of the shift towards research on a world scale, given
that they have the effect of setting up cooperation networks for
technological research as well as development.
- 7 -
This is the picture that should be taken into account in setting up a
Community technological R&D system. Unconnected national endeavours are
likely for a long time to deprive the Community of the resources it needs
to make significant breakthroughs in fields which are just as important
to Europeans; this national dispersion is also likely to reduce the role
of Europeans to that of subcontractors in projects which they will not
have the means to gear to their own interests.
Extending the comparison between the Member States and the rest of the
world, even if it is difficult to predict how the industrialized
countries' science and technology policies will evolve in the medium and
long term it is possible to discern a number of trends.
An analysis of the trends observed over the past decade with regard to
public expenditure on R&D shows that the 12 Community Member States
should be devoting around 230 000 million ECU'5 of public funds to R,D&D
over the period 1987-1991, whereas the gross domestic expenditure of
these countries on R&D is estimated at 460 000 million ECU. (As
indicated on page 13 of this document, this overall estimate embraces the
very uneven breakdown that exists between the various Member States).
During the same period, domestic expenditure on R&D should be around
1 000 000 million ECU in the United States and 330 000 million ECU in
Japan (according to an estimate based on an extrapolation from OECD
figures for the past ten years). As far as R&D is concerned then, the
Community falls between Japan, whose technological performance hardly
needs reiterating, and the USA.
This position should also be viewed in the light of the comparative
economic status of each of the three regions. With regard to GDP,
those of the Community and the USA are more or less identical, whereas
that of Japan is around 50% less. Assuming that this trend continues
until 1991, the Community countries' 460 000 million ECU should thus be
compared with 660 000 million ECU for Japan (therefore at a comparable
GDP).
Although this is not a flawless argument, it does prove the validity of
the dynamic strategy adopted by Japan and the United States as regards
future R&D.
It can also be seen that the Community is not in a particularly strong
position compared with the other industrialized countries. The total
USSR expenditure on R&D in 1983 was 26 000 million roubles, i.e.
38 000 million ECU, as compared with the 55 000 million ECU spent by the
12 Member States. Assuming that these trends continue, the amount
corresponding to the Member States' 460 000 million ECU for the period
1987-91 should be around 320 000 million ECU in the USSR; all the same,if
the documents of the 26th Congress, are anything to go by, it is highly
likely that this figure will be exceeded. It is also worth noting the
considerable increase in the number of research workers, which has more
than tripled since 1965 and is Likely to match the US figure in 1987.
Significant too is the signing on 18 December 1985 of the "framework
programme for the scientific and technical progress of the COMECON States
until the year 2000", a huge, ambitious programme.
^The estimates are all expressed at current rates.
Domestic expenditure on R&D, i.e. public and private expenditure. Around 50%
of the total funds available for R&D is accounted for by oublic financing in
the 12 Member States, whereas the corresponding figures are 22% for Japan and
52% for the USA.
Lastly, a number of other countries are emerging gradually in the
fields of science and technology - China, Brazil, India, Mexico, Korea,
etc. - further intensifying "international competition through
innovation".
Against this general background, Europe must be given power, status and
competitiveness at international level and be provided with a solid
base, i.e. a scientific and technological system able to meet challenges
at home and abroad: this the Commission sees as a fundamental objective.
As far as Community activities are concerned, therefore, the Commission
considers it vital to give technological research and development
special priority together with a correspondingly special rate of growth
in the relevant budget appropriations.
- 9 -
IV. The challenge within: achievement of the European Science
and Technology Community “ —
Faced with S/T competition from outside, Europe - this heterogeneous
collection of ageing countries in a rejuvenating world - is likely to
slide gradually into oblivion, despite the substantial advantages it can
call on, if it does not make proper use of these advantages and, in
particular, of the scale and momentum of the Community.
All the analyses carried out by the Commission, the conclusions of which
are widely shared not only by the European Parliament and the Economic
and Social Committee but also by those responsible for national R&D
policies and by the representatives of the scientific and industrial
world show that the European Community must constitute the basis and the
heart of any such undertaking.
The Commission believes that it must conduct its activities
simultaneously on three fronts; this will involve :
a) completion of the internal market which should be effective in 1992.
^ The establishment of this market should enable the Member States to"
combine, in the advanced technology field, the opening-up of their
public-sector markets with access to the corresponding scientific
and technical know-how. An innovative public procurement policy and
a common R, D&D strategy are thus to be considered jointly;
b) the adoption of new financial mechanisms, which should make it
possible to ensure synergy between public and private financing;
c) the continuation and development of a technological R&D strategy
which, in the coming years must involve a fundamental response to
the following major objectives :
the strenthening of the scientific and technological basis of
European industry and the development of its international
competitiveness (Subsection V, Chapter VI of the Single Act);
- the strengthening of the Community's economic and social cohesion,
v. All the Member States and all the regions of the Community must
benefit from the results of the Framework Programme and of the
subsequent specific programmes, and must be involved in the
development process based on the foundations thus established.
The means to be employed and pooled in the context of this dynamic
operation will include the ERDF, the IMPs, the coordination of
other financial instruments (Social Fund, EAG6F guidelines, etc.)
and the definition of new loan instruments^
' - a 9?nerfi; improvement in the quality of life within the Community
(this objective, which covers numerous projects concerning health,
safety and the environment, must both complement and offset the
goal "technological and industrial competitiveness").
To achieve these objectives it appears essential to increase
s ubstantially both public and private funding within the Member States
£ n_d to ensure a significant growth in Community S/T appropriationTlïhTch
must accompany increased cooperation between the different participants
in scientific and technological development (industry, universities.
- 10 -
At national level, expenditure on R, D&D still seems comparatively
slight, averaging only 2 % of GNP ghereas, for example, the corresponding
figure is already 2.8 % in the USA and should reach 3 % in Japan by the
end of the decade.
It should be noted however that there are significant differences between
Community Member States; the 2 % of GNP which they devote on average-to
research covers national efforts ranging from 0.35 % to 2.4 %.
It will be up to the individual States to decide what form any increases
should take, either by stepping up public spending or by encouraging an
expansion of the industrial research effort.
At Community level expenditure in both absolute value and as a percentage
of the Community budget is also modest (about 3% of the general budget of
the Communities and 2.5% of total national public spending on R&D). In
view of the incentive effect and coordinating force of Community spending
on R&D, these funds should be substantially increased and at the same
time the aim should be to achieve optimum use of both Community and
Member State resources.
Achievement of the major objectives outlined above should help to promote
within the Community of Twelve a scientific and technological system that
will allow balanced but selective development. This wish for selectivity
should not, however, lead to certain fields being excluded which come
within the responsibility of the Community (teaching and training,
establishment of a research workers' Europe, agriculture, industry,
preservation and improvement of the human environment, health, safety,
etc.).
This development should be based on a set of projects that make maximum
use of the added value offered by the Community dimension. In concrete
terms, this Community added value is manifested by the following
advantages :
- cost sharing,
- the spreading of scientific risks (discussion of objectives and
methods, greater number of scientific responses),- an increase in the
range of available skills and expertise
- attainment of critical size as regards financial or human resources
- greater efficiency in R&D activities (more ambitious projects, more
rapid acquisition of results with corresponding advantages for
scientific and industrial competitiveness)
- the ability to initiate further measures which are essential to
success.
In this connection, it should be pointed out that the proposed federal R&D
budget for 1987 totals 63.000 million dollars compared with 57.000 million
dollars in 1986 (42.000 million dollars being allocated to the D0D and
4.800 million dollars for the SDI programme alone).
- 11 -
1. Selection criteria
To ensure that the specific projects and programmes selected do in fact
offer that Community added value (which distinguishes them from projects
suitable for implementation at regional or national level or within other
international or multilateral organizations), the Commission considers
the choice must be based on a number of precise criteria:
research on a scale such that the individual Member States could
not, or could only with difficulty, provide the necessary facilities
on their own;
research which has obvious advantages in the way of greater
efficiency and lower costs resulting from the sharing of work and
the mobilization of adequate human and financial resources,
research which, because of the complementary nature of the work
being done nationally and the scale of the problems involved,
especially from the geographical viewpoint, enables significant
results to be obtained for the Community as a whole;
research which provides a favourable environment for international
exchange and creativity;
research which, either because of the scale of its financial
allocation or because of its incentive and stimulating effect,
attains the necessary "critical size" in relation to existing or
future national or multilateral activities;
research which contributes to the implementation of Community
policies including, in particular, the completion of the large~scale
market.
These six basic criteria often overlap or complement each other and in
any case are never mutually exclusive.
2. Lines of action
On the basis of the general considerations outlined above and the
criteria set out, the Commission proposes that seven basic lines of
action, within which priorities and programmes will be chosen, be adopted
for the establishment of the Community's S/T strategy over the period
- 12 -
LIST OF COMMUNITY ACTIONS
1. Management of Resources
1.1 Agricultural and Fisheries Resources
1.2 Raw Materials
2. Management of Energy
2.1 Fusion
2.2 Nuclear Fission
2.3 Fossil, New and Renewable Energy Sources
and Rational Use of Energy,
3. Competitiveness of Industry and Services
3.1 Information Technologies
3.2 Telecommunications Technologies
3.3 Integration of Information and Telecommunications Technologies
into New Applications and Services of Common Interest
3.4 Cooperation on Basic Research on Information Technologies
*■
3.5 Technologies for Manufacturing Industry and Special
Technologies
3.6 Biotechnologies and Agro-Industrial Technologies
3.7 Materials Science and Technology
3.8 Marine Science and Technology
*
3.9 Transport
★
3.10 Scientific Norms, Reference Materials and Methods
4. Quality of life
4.1 Health
4.2 Safety
4.3 Environmental Protection
5. Science and Technology for Development
6. Europe's Scientific and Technical Potential - The Researchers'
Europe
7. General Support for Scientific and Technical Development
7.1 Innovation
7.2 Communication and Information Networks and Scientific Data Bases
7.3 Linguistic Problems
7.4 Forecasting, Evaluation and Statistical Tools
7.5 International Cooperation
- 13 -
In the Commission's opinion, priority should be given to activities
contributing towards:
competitiveness at international level;
improvements in the quality of life,
- the establishment of a research workers' Europe.
An initial outline of the scientific and technical orientation to be
given to these different actions during the period from 1987 to 1991 and
of the corresponding resources which it would seem advisable to allocate
thereto is set out in Annex I in the form of information sheets; this
orientation will be considered and examined in greater detail throughout
the entire preparation of the formal proposal for the new Framework
Programme.
The following summary of the scientific and technical orientation
described in the information sheets can already be provided:
1st line of action : Management of resources
In the case of agricultural resources, it will be necessary to reinforce
the R&D activities conducted to date in the context of the prospects
opened up by the Commission's "Green Paper". The coordination of
national activities is of particular importance in this sector. Close
contacts must be maintained with actions initiated elsewhere (3.6) in the
fields of biotechnology and agro-industrial technologies.
A long-postponed Community action on fish resources should finally be
effectively launched in conjunction with new activities to be developed
in the marine science and technology sector.
The actions proposed in respect of raw materials are essentially based
on, and selectively reinforce, the action in respect of which the Council
adopted a common position in December 1985.
2nd line of action : Management of energy resources
Thermonuclear fusion is one of the fields in which the integration of
European activities is most advanced; the results of this lengthy and
exacting research could both determine and guarantee Community energy
supplies. It therefore calls for sustained and steady efforts funded
from public resources, since it is imperative that existing successes
should not be jeopardized by a lack of adequate finance.
In the field of nuclear fission, emphasis will be placed on the safety
aspects of the introduction of this energy source; the management and
storage of radioactive waste, the regulatory aspects of reactor safety
and safeguards for fissile materials are topics in relation to which the
full value of Community-level activity can be appreciated.
In the case of fossil, new and renewable energy sources and the rational
use of energy, account must be taken of the development of the relevant
techniques, with particular reference to the maturity of some, and of the
fact of enlargement, which will entail a relatively major reorganization
of activities. The current and still unpredictable trends in the price of
- 14 -
petrol, however, should not lead to the abandonment of this topic, which
remains an important factor as regards the diversification of our sources
of supply and reduced energy consumption.
3rd line of action : Competitiveness of industry and services
Clearly, this must be regarded as a priority objective in view of the
existing social and economic situation in the Community, international
developments in science and technology and the increasing pressure of the
outside challenge. The Community can play a decisive role in this
context by encouraging, promoting and supporting all forms of cooperation
between State and industries.
The implementation of ESPRIT has led to a remarkable stimulation of
information technology within the framework of Community R&D activities.
The aim must now be to reinforce existing achievements taking account of
the valuable experience gained during the first programme and of the
intensive efforts being made in this field in Japan and the USA. Special
attention will be given to the field of software, which is both one of
the generic technologies in TIT and a key element in the development of
applications.
The need for Community action has also been felt with regard to
telecommunications, in view of the transnational dimension of this sector
and the scale of the new services offered by the development of advanced
telecommunications networks and terminals. RACE must provide Europe's
response to existing opportunities and shortcomings. In addition to
activities deriving from more specifically technological considerations,
Europe must turn its attention to the integration of information
technology and telecommunications with a view to the development' of new
applications and services in the common interest: education and transport
are suitable sectors for such applications in the common interest in
which, moreover, due account is also taken of social concerns, as
demonstrated by the IRIS initiative. It will be particularly important
to ensure a high degree of coordination of national activities in this
case.
Upstream of technological concerns, it is also proposed to establish
cooperation in basic research on information technology, in order to
provide a constant supply of new know-how in a rapidly developing sector.
Particular emphasis has been laid in Europe on the revitalization of
traditional industries through the exploitation of the new technologies.
The success of the BRITE programme reveals that the Community initiative
in this field is a response to a genuine need. On the basis of the
experience gained, new guidelines are being drawn up for actions relating
to technologies for the manufacturing industries and special
technologies■
Biotechnology has also already demonstrated its enormous potential for
transforming several traditional fields of economic activity, such as the
chemistry and pharmaceuticals sectors. Recognition of this fact led to
the Commission's proposal concerning the reinforcement of actions in the
fiel-d of biotechnology and the initiation of new actions in the field of
agro-industrial technology, which should be closely coordinated with the
agricultural R&D programme to enable the latter to benefit from the
contribution of biotechnology.
- 15 -
To a Large extent, our technological future will depend on our control of
the materials sector, a field, moreover, in which the challenge
represented by developments in the USA and Japan is particularly acute.
The coordinated efforts and creation of Community networks which this
situation seems to call for have given rise to the proposals for new
activities under the materials science and technology project.
Marine science and technology are the subject of a wide variety of
activities in most of the Member States. The Commission is of the
opinion that Community action in this vast field is justified on the
following grounds : use of large-scale, expensive equipment which would
constitute a drain on the resources of individual countries, optimization
of the use of existing equipment (oceanographic vessels, underwater
machinery, etc.), the pooling of existing complementary skills in the
Member States, the application of research results in the implementation
of common policies, its potential for aid to developing countries and a
contribution to the development of the internal market through the
acceptance of common standards.
The transport sector constitutes the preferred field for transnational
actions. Although limited as yet to a number of COST projects of
acknowledged value, Community R&D activities in this sector deserve to be
strengthened, both by the extension of COST projects and by the
initiation of original Community activities.
Completion of the internal market represents one of the fundamental goals
of the Community in the coming years. Among the numerous initiatives
which must be launched with a view to the attainment of this objective
particular importance must be attached to the definition and adoption of
common standards. The preparation of rules and standards is frequently
based on upstream research activités which, if jointly conducted,
facilitate the adoption of rules and standards recognized by all parties;
this fact has given rise to the new proposals for the continuation and
strengthening of Community action in respect of scientific standards and
reference materials and methods, particularly within the framework of the
4th line of action : Quality of life
The importance attached to industrial
not divert the Community from the aim
its citizens.
competitiveness and services should
of improving the quality of life of
As stated earlier, the Commission takes the view that special attention
should be devoted to attaining that objective, in view of its direct
socio-economic value, its impact on the social acceptability of new
technology and the effects of research undertaken on citizens' welfare.
Three main lines of action are proposed:
health, with a reinforcement of activities relating to epidemiology
and the establishment of common standards. Special projects on cancer
(Europe against Cancer) and AIDS should also be developed;
safety: a number of recent accidents in industrial plants have in
particular highlighted the importance of improving the safety of
high-risk plant through more thorough scientific analysis;
- 16 -
" environmental protection : the transnational nature of problems in
these areas is self-evident, and Community action is proving
particularly desirable in this respect along the lines set out in
particular in the Community's environment policy.
5th line of action : Science and technology for development
Europe has a duty to remain attentive to the problems of the Third World;
science and technology are an important aspect of development. Community
action in the field should be continued and intensified, with due regard
to the specific circumstances of both the Community and the recipient
countri e s .
In particular, close cooperation should be established between European
laboratories and institutes in the most advanced developing countries, on
the basis of which specific or regional schemes should be conducted for
the benefit of the least developed countries (possibly through the
reinforcement or creation of local scientific and technical structures).
6th line of action : The researchers' Europe
The vitality and creativeness of the science and technology community
depend primarily on the calibre of the individuals and teams that
organize and carry out technological R&D. The mobility of researchers,
the strengthening of scientific and technical networks, training,
retraining and the optimum use of present and future major scientific
facilities are areas that are now calling for support and action at
Community level. The new policy lines proposed reflect that need.
7th line of action : General support for scientific and technical
development
Community technological RD&D can only develop in a favourable climate.
Recognition of this fact has prompted the Commission to consider
including in the new framework programme activities aimed at ensuring
that such a climate is created.
These are:
activities relating to innovation and the utilization of the results
of Community research: the Community R&D effort should be able to
benefit from improved innovation machinery ensuring that the results
of R&D are used by socio-economic operators;
activities concerning communication and information networks and
scientific data banks, which constitute the essential infrastructure
for a research workers' Europe: this should produce synergy between
geographically dispersed R&D organizations and thus improve the
quality and effectiveness of R&D and speed up the transfer processes.
Technological developments now make this possible.
- 17 -
The Commission has examined the desirability of including the utilization
of space and the development of the aeronautical industry in the list of
activities to be conducted under the forthcoming Framework Programme.
As regards space,, it is necessary to examine the extent to which, while
acknowledging the areas of responsibility of the national and European
organizations specializing in space activities, and the European Space
Agency in particular, the Community could play a greater role on the
scientific, technological and industrial level.
Such a role could involve utilizing in the socio-economic Sphere the
technologies that have been developed so successfully at European level.
In the case of activities relating to telecommunications, the remote-
sensing of agricultural resources and the development and protection of
the environment, the technologies developed have already begun to be
utilized. The Commission is continuing its effort to identify other
space-related fields in which action at Community level could contribute
added value.
As regards aeronautics, consideration is still being given to the extent
to which it is opportune to put forward a specific activity at Community
level. A preliminary information sheet on this topic was included in
Annex I under the heading Transport.
Clearly, in selecting the appropriate scientific and technical approach,
as in the adoption of the financial resources considered necessary for
its implementation over a five-year period (see below), the Community
must retain the freedom to make any adjustments dictated by changing
political, economic, scientific and technological conditions. In
particular, it must be able to take account of efforts designed to
accelerate the process of discovery and innovation.
It will therefore be essential to include a review clause providing for
such adjustments in the text of the decision relating to the 1987-91
Framework Programme.
3. Financial balance
3.1. For each activity, a range of financial estimates is given in the
table in Annex I. These ranges correspond to different levels of
emphasis as regards implementation of the objectives outlined.
Different combinations of these estimates, according to the relative
priority attached to the individual activities, add up to the total
amount that the Commission is contemplating at this stage, namely
9 000 million ECU at current prices for the five years of the
Framework Programme. This amount is supplemented by a reserve
representing some 15% of the above-mentioned figure, thus producing
a grand total of 10 350 million ECU.
The reserve is intended to cover the financing of activities which,
in view of developments in the political, scientific and
technological situation, the Commission might be prompted to propose
but cannot identify at this stage.
The Commission is aware of the need to increase expenditure on
technological R&D gradually; this requirement will be taken into
account in outlining the changes in commitment and payment
appropriations for the period 1987-91.
- 18 -
3.2. A direct comparison of the major amounts and the financial balance
thus outlined for 1987-91 with those of the preceding Framework
Programme is hardly possible given the different approach adopted
with regard to the very structure of the Programme. Under the
1984-87 Framework Programme, the financial balance related to the
objectives to the attainment of which the R, D&D actions
contributed, in accordance with varying proposals. Thus, the
programme on non-nuclear forms of energy contributed to the
attainment of the objectives "Improvement of the management of
energy resources" (74 %) and "Promotion of industrial
competitiveness" (16 %) and, to a lesser extent (less than 5 %), of
other objectives under the first Framework Programme. Under the new
structure, financial balance is direcly related to actions covering
one or several R&D programmes. Nevertheless, the following table
provides a very broad outline of changes in the relative priority of
the different topics on which the Coimmunity's action is based.
Topics Position 1984-87 Execution of 84-87 1987-91
December 1985 in 1982 Framework Framework Programme Framework
Programme in December 1985 Programme
- Agricultural and
fisheries resources. 3.3% 5.6% 2.6% 2.0%
raw materials
- Energy 65.4 % 47.2% 47.3% 21.0%
- Industrial
competitiveness 16.9% 28.2% 35.7% 60.0%
- Quality of life 9.7% 10.3% 10.5% 7.5%
- S/T for development 0.7% 4.0% 1.7% 1.5%
- Europe's S/T potential 0.0% 2.3% 1.6% 5.0%
- General support for
S/T development 4.0% 2.4% 0.6% 3.0%
100 % 100 % 100 % 100 %
- 19 -
Implementation of the Science and Technology Community
General framework
The European Single Act provides a new political and legal basis for
the development of the Community's scientific and technical strategy.
The Single Act fixes the strengthening of the scientific and
technological bases of European industry and the promotion of the
development of its international competitiveness as Community
objectives.
Community activity in the field of technological R&D is to be
conducted in a series of programmes at three Levels, namely :
~ a unanimously approved multiannual Framework Programme, which will
provide the basis for the balanced overall development of Community
actions;
specific programmes adopted by a qualified majority, which are
concerned with particular objectives, designed to promote
cooperation between all the partners (enterprises, research centres)
and open to participation by non-member countries;
supplementary programmes in which only certain Member States will
participate.
Pending ratification of the Single Act by the Member States, the
Commission's proposal concerning the 1987-1991 Framework Programme is
based on Article 235 of the EEC Treaty and Article 7 of the Euratom
Treaty.
The specific programmes which are the responsibility of the Community
will be adopted in accordance with the procedures laid down by the
European Single Act; the Council, acting by a qualified majority, will
take a decision on a proposal submitted by the Commission in
association with the Parliament; the specific programmes which are the
responsibility of Euratom will be adopted in accordance with an
identical procedure except that, in this case, Parliament will merely
be consulted.
All research, development and demonstration activities will be
presented or referred to in the Framework Programme. Nevertheless,
the text of the decision to be adopted unanimously by the Council will
not mention :
- specific programmes under the ECSC Treaty, which are covered by a
Commission decision;
- demonstration projects in the field of energy, since these are
intended to demonstrate the economic value of products or processes
developed downstream of technological R&D actions, and thus extend
the Community's research activity.
- 20 -
Preparatory, implementation, financing and evaluation arrangements
Even in preparing the Framework Programme, and in addition to its basic
consultation of Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and
CREST, the Commission intends to refer repeatedly to the various
consultative committees attached to it (CST, CODEST, IRDAC, ESPRIT
Committee, etc.).
These Committees are made up of representatives of scientific and
technical circles, industry, the trade unions, consumer associations
and the like; the Commission considers that the involvement of all the
interested "participants" is essential for the definition of the
Community science and technology strategy best adapted to the
requirements and aspirations voiced.
Existing implementation arrangements - Role of the JRC
In order to implement the actions adopted in the Framework Programme,
the Commission intends not only to use the full range of existing
arrangements but also to specify a number of new procedures, which the
European Single Act in particular makes available to it.
As regards procedures currently in use (direct action, shared-cost
projects, concerted action, demonstration projects), the attached table
shows the preferred approach to be taken in respect of the procedures
proposed for each action.
The sharea-cost procedure is obviously the one used in most cases; it
makes possible an optimal use of the limited resources available to
Europe by combining the resources of industry or national research
institutes and those of the Community.
Direct action calls for some comment upon the future role of the JRC.
For the implementation of the Framework Programme, the Commission will
call on the JRC to undertake the activities most suited to this
procedure. The Commission is currently preparing the new JRC programme
for the period 1987-91 on the basis of the existing general guidelines
for the Framework Programme; together with this new programme, it will
submit a document entitled "Guidelines for the Future Development of
the JRC". These guidelines derive from the overall evaluation recently
carried out by the JRC Scientific Council.
It is clear that JRC's vocation is found essentially in the
establishment of norms and standards, that is, the development of the
scientific knowledge and techniques necessary to permit regulatory
authorities to fix norms and standards on a solid and neutral basis;
this being an important element in achieving the internal market. The
vocation of the JRC is equally tied to research on industrial safety
and the protection of the environment, fields in which the JRC has a
special role closely related to acquired competence and to existing
experimental installations.
Present research carried out in the JRC already comprises a number of
projects which are a good fit with its vocation but which should be
further developed in the future programme. As compared to the present
situation it is planned to enlarge programmes falling within Community
actions relating to the "competitiveness of industry and of services"
LIST OF CO MMU NI TY ACTIONS
1. Management of Resources
1.1. Agricultural and Fisheries Resources — ----- :— J____ ..
1.2. Rau Materials -- . . . __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2. Management of Energy
2.1. Fusion - ______ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2.2. Nuclear Fission ............ ...... ..... .......
2.3. Fossil, New and Renewable Energy Sources and - - - - - - -
Rational Use of Energy
3. Competitiveness of Industry and Services
3.1. Information Technologies --- — ------ -- - - - - - -
3.2. Telecommunications Technologies.... . ..... .........
3.3. Integration of Information and Telecommunications _ _ _
Technologies into New Applications and Services
of Common Interest
3.A. Cooperation on Basic Research in Informatiqn Technologies —
*
3.5. Technologies for the Manufacturing Industry and Special
Technologies _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___________
3.6. Biotechnologies, Agro-Industrial Technologies __________
3.7. Materials Science and Technology _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ________
3.8. Marine Science and Technology _. _____ a ___ ..
*
3.9. Transport . ... .
*
3.10. Scientific Norms, Reference Materials and Methods ______
A. Quality of Life
A.1. Health
A.2. Safety . ...
A.3. Environmental Protection____ __ _
5. Science and Technology for Development ______________ _
6. Europe's Scientific and Technical;Potential -
the Researcher's Europe ----- -■ --------- ----
7. General Support for Scientific and Technical Development
7.1. Innovation
7.2. Communication and Information Network and Scientific
Data Bases ------ -------
7.3. Linguistic Problems .... - — ----- -----------------
7.A. Forecasting, Evaluation and Statistical Tools ------- -
7.5. International Cooperation
This action will be executed x to a liaited extent
xx to a considerable extent
xxx priaarily
on the basis of the procedure in question
Concerted
Action
Shared-Cost
Action
Joint Research
Centre
Supplementary
Progranes
Reearks
xxx - - - - -
x .....
XX — --
xxx _ _
X X f i x — (1) see Reoote Sensing
section
X
XX
xxx
xxx _ _ _
xxx
X X
XXX __ _ _
X
X X
xx
xxx
xxx
X — . . . . . . . . . . . xxx
X X X X
X X
X X
- xxx
xxx
xxx . .. __
... - (2) (2) JRC Materials section in 3.10
to be specified
X X . _ _ _ _ _ _ X X
xxx X X X
xxx . .
X . . . . .
X X - - - - - - - - - - - - -
XX
x.rx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
— -
xxx
X X X X X
XX
X ... __
X X
' X X X
X X X
- 22 -
and to the "quality of life". In contrast, the JRC effort on "energy
management" should be reduced. These changes represent a significant
step forward in comparison with the present programme. The evaluation
report recently issued by the Scientific Council indicates that the
JRC is capable of responding to these changes.
To attain the desired end, the JRC must be suitably integrated within
the framework of Community research. Still basing itself on the
conclusions of the evaluation report, the Commission has the intention
on the one hand, of taking measures to ensure better integration
between various means of research and, on the other, of guaranteeing
better contact between the JRC, industrial circles and national
research organizations. It also plans to increase the mobility of JRC
research staff as well as to make the necessary arrangements to
increase the number of visiting scientists and research fellows coming
from the Community.
B. New Arrangements
In addition to applying management procedures and financing
arrangements which already exist, the Commission wishes to make use of
a set of new methods which are both more flexible and better adapted
to the new range of proposed actions. New procedures are already
planned or are under study in the Commission's departments.
In this connection, reference can be made to the new arrangements
which could be implemented quickly:
1- Joint undertakings: here it is a matter of extending (with or
without the participation of the Community, of all or some of the
Member States, and possibly of non-Member States), the system laid
down in the EAEC and EEC Treaties, after amendment and
si mplifi cati ons.
2- Supplementary programmes: programmes of this type - such as those
which have existed or which still exist in the EURATOM framework
- can from now on be developed on the basis of the EEC Treaty.
These programmes, with or without a contribution from the Community
budget, would be defined and carried out only by the Member States
concerned and financed by national funds.
3- Minority participation by the Community in national and
multinational actions or projects. With this arrangement it would
be possible to involve the Community in actions or projects of
Community interest in exchange for a degree of financial support.
4. Community budgetary intervention will be supplemented by a number
of facilities deriving from new Commission initiatives in respect
of financial instruments or techniques, particularly in the case of
technological R&D programmes for industrial-scale application which
are close to the market, such as the EUREKA projects.
5. Lastly, still with a view to ensuring the same complementarity in
relation to existing arrangements, the Commission is prepared to
examine the possibility of creating flexible structures of the
"agency" type which can provide an interface between Community
priorities and policies and the special requirements of operators.
- 23 -
Evaluation of results
To complete this set of arrangements, the Commission intends finally
to reinforce the system for evaluating its research programmes and
their results in the light of the experience gained over several
years.
In particular, evaluation by independent experts which has already
been applied in respect of numerous Community activities (JRC,
programmes on renewable sources of energy, the ESPRIT mid-term review,
etc.) will be conducted systematically and periodically for all R&D
programmes.
Accompanying measures
In order to support the implementation of R, D&D programmes it will,
moreover, be possible to make use of a range of accompanying measures.
By way of example, reference can already be made to the following :
- all of the initiatives appropriate to the organization of the large
market (standards, free movement of goods and capital, tax
harmonization). In particular, the Commission will endeavour to
facilitate inter-industrial R&D agreements and the exploitation of
their results within the framework of its competition policy. In
applying Community competition rules, the Commission will accord
favourable treatment to state aid for technological R&D.
- The implementation of specific activities of particular interest to
those states or regions of the Community whose scientific and
technical development calls for special efforts.
As pointed out earlier, a balanced development of all the Member
States and regions of the Community will essentially depend on the
translation of the Framework Programme into a set of approriate
specific programmes.
In addition, the use of the ERDF and the IMPs for certain
infrastructure projects can be considered together with the creation
of new financial arrangements which could support infrastructure
projects and at the same time meet the needs of small and medium­
sized firms.
Furthermore, other proposals have already been submitted by the
Commission, such as the programme relating to the development of
certain less-favoured regions of the Community for improved access
to the advanced telecommunications service (STAR Programme,
COM/85/836 final). In the framework of shared-cost R&D programmes
the Commission's departments are studying ways and means of
systematically linking laboratories or firms in less-favoured
regions to R&D institutions in those Community countries which are
most advanced in science and technology, in fields in which this
type of association facilitates valuable cross-fertile cooperation.
- the implementation of measures concerning small and medium-sized
undertakings with a view to involving them in the progress of the
Community and allowing them to exploit the Community's large-scale
market potential to the full.
- 24 -
The Science and Technology Community must take account of the fact
that the advanced industrial economies are going through a period of
intense technological change, during which small and medium-sized
businesses are frequently best suited to the adoption of innovatory
policies and the maintenance of a high degree of competitiveness
based on innovation. These businesses can guarantee Europe's place
in the new international division of labour and the competitive
dissemination of its technology. Consequently, the Community will
seek to create a suitable environment for the development of a
network of healthy, dynamic and innovatory small and medium-sized
European businesses. The Commission will shortly send the Council a
communication specifically concerned with this type of action.
- finally, increased support for the training and retraining of
research workers. It should be mentioned here that in the Framework
Programme of Community scientific and technical activities only
initiatives favouring postgraduate research workers and scientists
will be considered. These activities therefore go beyond the scope
of the COMETT programme (Community Programme for Education and
Training in Technology), which is essentially concerned with the
further training of student, teachers, engineers and technicians
with regard to changes in the new technologies and thus constitutes
a necessary complement to the actions planned under the
technological R&D Framework Programme.
4. An open, confident Technology Community
The reinforcement of Community action in the field of technological R&D
certainly does not represent an isolationist withdrawal behind its
geographical and institutional frontiers on the scientific and technical
level. On the contrary, it must be accompanied by increased
international cooperation, especially in a field such as thermonuclear
fusion and more particularly at European level.
- The close links established with the European Science Foundation, the
European Space Agency, CERN and the Council of Europe must be
maintained and, where appropriate, strengthened, in particular by the
execution of joint projects.
- Bilateral cooperation with the EFTA countries will acquire a new
dimension with the implementation of the framework agreements on
scientific and technical cooperation which have aLready been, or which
are due to be, signed. These countries, which are already involved in
a number of Community programmes both under the Euratom (fusion,
radioactive waste) and EEC (environment, raw materials) Treaties should
in future cooperate more closely with the Community in several sectors,
such as telecommunications, information technology, manufacturing
techniques and materials.
- Lastly, in preparing the new Framework Programme, particular attention
must be paid to existing links with two multilateral cooperation
initiatives, namely the extremely new EUREKA programme and the much
older COST. At the present stage of planning, the following links
between the Community action and these two initiatives can be outlined.
EUREKA
The EUREKA initiative is the expression of the wish of the Government's
of eighteen European states and the Commission to implement a policy
centring on the joint confrontation of the challenges posed by the
development of new technologies and their incorporation in the industrial
innovation process.
Twenty-six cooperation projects involving industries from several states
and, in many cases, the Community have been launched since the
declaration of principle defining, in particular, the goals and
implementing conditions of this initiative was adopted by the European
Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Research in Hanover on 5-
6 November 1985, following the launching of the initiative at the
European Technology meeting in Paris on 17 July 1985 in response to the
initial discussion at the Milan European Council on 28-29 June 1985.
The declaration points out these "EUREKA projects are not intended to
replace existing technological cooperation in Europe - such as the
programmes of the European Communities - nor its subsequent development.
On the contrary, their purpose is to extend or supplement this
cooperation".
Whilst the Community will continue to develop scientific and
technological programmes on the basis of objectives, criteria and
priorities defined jointly with the Governments and industries of the
Member States, EUREKA projects will essentially be implemented on the
initiative of individual enterprises seeking to cooperate. These
enterprises will be responsible for project management including, in most
cases, financing. The projects will mainly relate to the joint
development of advanced techniques close to the market or of
infrastructures of transnational interest.
The Commission has supported this initiative from the start, considering
that, if conducted in a consistent and symbiotic manner, the Community
programmes, together with their resultant projects and the EUREKA
projects, can, by virtue of their complementarity, constitute a whole
which will make possible the attainment of the common objectives of these
two categories of action, namely the increased productivity and
competitiveness of European national industries and economies on the
world market and a resultant contribution to greater prosperity, and
higher levels of employment.
In this connection, it should be emphasized that the general budget of
the European Communities for 1986 contains a new Chapter 78 on
Expenditure arising from the participation of the European Communities
in Scientific and Technological Prospects of Community Interest - EUREKA
and others".
The Commission believes that the Community must make a variety of
contributions to EUREKA to enable the full potential of this initiative
to be realized. These include :
- the immediate and direct involvement of its experts in the preparation
of the procedures now under discussion concerning the execution of the
project, and its agreement in principle to second qualified staff to
the EUREKA secretariat.
- 26 ■ -
It will also be necessary to provide access in conjunction with
Ireland, to the EUROKOM information communication system developed
within the framework of ESPRIT.
- participation in the organization of industrial seminars such as that
on gallium arsenide and biotechnology.
- direct Community participation in certain EUREKA projects of recognized
Community interest.
- Community cooperation in EUREKA projects representing a direct
extension of activities conducted within the framework of Community
projects (e.g. projects on amorphous silicon, software portability,
membranes, the environment and research networks).
- the Community's contribution to the success of research cooperation
through the creation of a large internal market which will provide the
optimum conditions for the economic exploitation both of
Community programmes and of EUREKA projects.
- lastly, the creation in the future of the abovementioned flexible
institutional and financial frameworks suitable for EUREKA projects
whose implementation would be in the Community interest.
Links with COST
The Commission has repeatedly stressed the importance that it attaches to
furthering cooperation within COST. This form of cooperation had its
beginnings in 1971 and it has enabled a wide range of activities to take
place in different scientific and technical sectors by combining the
advantages of a flexible procedure, of variable association between
States - depending on their specific interests - and of participation by
non Member States in the scientific and technical activities of a wider
Europe.
Since COST was created, its background has of course altered profoundly.
The expansion of the Community from six to twelve States, the
diversification of the range of Community R&D programmes, the opening of
those programmes to more and more non-Member countries, the strengthening
of the bonds between the EFTA and Community countries as a result, in
particular, of the Luxembourg Declaration of April 1984, and the
launching in 1985 of the EUREKA initiative are all factors which cannot
be disregarded when examining the future of COST.
There must be provision in future for a symbiosis between Community
programmes, COST and EUREKA projects. As one of the avenues of activity
open to Europe, COST seems particularly suited to:
- highly specific activities which are limited in time and are not well
adapted to inclusion in the Community's major long-term programmes and
which, moreover, while adopting the EUREKA "bottom-up" approach, are
unable by their very nature to share EUREKA's background owing, for
example, to their distance from the market.
- activities in areas inadequately covered, if at all, by Community
programmes, such as transport or aquaculture.
- 27 -
The Commission will pursue its dialogue with the Member States and the
other COST States on the direction in which to steer COST in future. It
must be accorded considerable importance when the new Framework Programme
is put into effect.
- 28 -
V I . Conclusions
The initial responses - whether informal or not - of all of the advisory
bodies consulted (CREST, CODEST, IRDAC, CGC, ESPRIT Committee, ...) have
confirmed the Commission's conviction that the creation of a European
science and technology community is both necessary and feasible.
A great effort by all the participants (public institutions engaged in
R&D, large-scale enterprises, small and medium-sized businesses and
national and Community bodies capable of contributing to the attainment
of this objective) is thus called for.
Among this vast array of activities to be conducted and initiatives to be
Launched, it will be necessary in the coming months to define the action
to be taken by the Community, that is that part of the undertaking to be
conducted jointly.
The vehicle for this undertaking must be the "1987-91 Outline programme
of Community scientific and technological activities" forming the basis
of Europe's scientific and technical strategy.
That is why, before preparing a formal proposal for an outline programme,
the Commission hopes to draw upon this document, which does not
constitute its formal proposal or prejudge its contents,and its annexes
in discussing the following with the Community institutions:
- the general S/T lines to be followed,
- the priorities and balances to be respected,
- funding and the gradual "increase in power" to be provided for in
terms both of commitments and of payments.
The Commission will draw up its formal proposal as regards scientific and
budgetary aspects, in the light of these discussions and the conclusions
drawn and will send it to the Council and to Parliament in July 1986.
ANNEX I
SUMMARY LIST OF COMMUNITY ACTIONS
1. Management of Resources
1.1. Agricultural and Fisheries Resources
1.2. Raw Materials
2. Management of Energy
2.1. Fusion
2.2. Nuclear Fission
2.3. Fossil, New and Renewable Energy Sources and
Rational Use of Energy
3. Competitiveness of Industry and Services
3.1. Information Technologies
3.2. Telecommunications Technologies
3.3. Integration of Information and Telecommunications
Technologies into New Applications and Services
of Common Interest
3.4. Cooperation on Basic Research in Information Technologies
★
3.5. Technologies for Manufacturing Industry and Special
Technologies
3.6. Biotechnologies, Agro-Industrial Technologies
3.7. Materials Science and Technology
3.8. Marine Science and Technology
*
3.9. Transport
*
3.10. Scientific Norms, Reference Materials and Methods
4. Quality of Life
4.1. Health
4.2. Safety
4.3. Environmental Protection
5. Science and Technology for Development
6. Europe's Scientific and Technical Potential -
the Researchers' Europe
7. General Support for Scientific and Technical Development
7.1. Innovation
7.2. Communication and Information Network and Scientific
Data Bases
7.3. Linguistic Problems
7.4. Forecasting, Evaluation and Statistical Tools
7.5. International Cooperation
Supplementary programmes (outside own resources)
identified to date : HFR
Range in *
MioECUs
90- 180
60- 90
1060-1200
600- 700
250- 350
2200
1000
700- 900
40- 50
600- 900
350- 460
200- 300
pm**
50— 80***
300- 350
140- 160
230- 280
285- 320
100- 200
400- 500
80- 150
20
80- 100
30- 35
50- 60
100
* in July 1986, the Commission will submit a formal proposal, as
regards the scientific and financial aspects, in the light of its
discussions with the community institutions.
** the sum subsequently decided upon will be taken from the reserve
*** does not include a possible action in the field of aeronautics which
would be funded from the reserve
ANNEX II
BACKGROUND MATERIAL ON COMMUNITY ACTIONS
****************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COMMUNITY ACTIONS page
1. Management of Resources 1.1-1
1.1. Agricultural and Fisheries Resources 1.1-1
1.2. Raw Materials 1.2-1
2. Management of Energy 2.1-1
2.1. Fusion 2.1-1
2.2. Nuclear Fission 2.2-1
2.3. Fossil, New and Renewable Energy Sources
and Rational Use of Energy 2.3-1
3. Competitiveness of Industry and Services 3 - 1
3.1. Information Technologies 3.1-1
3.2. Telecommunications Technologies 3.2-1
3.3. Integration of Information and Telecommunications
Technologies into New Applications and Services
of Common Interest 3.3-1
3.4. Cooperation on Basic Research on Information Technologies 3.4-1
*
3.5. Technologies for Manufacturing Industry
and Special Technologies 3.5-1
3.6. Biotechnologies and Agro-Industrial Technologies 3.6-1
3.7. Materials Science and Technology 3.7-1
3.8. Marine Science and Technology 3.8-1
*
3.9. Transport 3.9-1
*
3.10. Scientific Norms, Reference Materials and Methods 3.10-1
4. Quality of Life 4.1-1
4.1. Health 4.1-1
4.2. Safety 4.2-1
4.3. Environmental Protection 4.3-1
5. Science and Technology for Development 5 - 1
6. Europe's Scientific and Technical Potential
The Researchers' Europe 6 - 1
7. General Support for Scientific and Technical Development 7.1-1
7.1. Innovation 7.1-1
7.2. Communication and Information Networks
and Scientific Data Bases 7.2-1
7.3. Linguistic Problems 7.3-1
7.4. Forecasting, Evaluation and Statistical Tools 7.4-1
7.5. International Cooperation * 7.5-1
1.1 - 1
1. MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES
1.1. Agricultural and Fisheries Resources
1.1.1. Agricultural Resources
a. Community- actions in agricultural research have for fundamental
reasons and in the general interest to aim at increasing the
effectiveness of the human and financial resources devoted to
agriculture:
- seeking to avoid, through better coordination, useless duplications
of effort;
- stimulating the development of an agricultural scientific community
in Europe;
- orienting research efforts in line with the requirements of the
common agricultural policy.
This policy faces a series of challenges which will influence its
future development; excess production of the principal agricultural
products, consequent pressure on prices, the need for high quality
food products, the need to find non-food outlets, the need to
stabilise the rural population in certain regions by revenues of
non-agri cultural character, the concern caused by the risks to the
environment posed by certain methods of modern agriculture, etc.
Community agricultural research has to take account of these
challenges and strive to develop research actions capable of
anticipating the difficulties which they are inevitably going to
impose upon agriculture and the common agricultural policy.
b. Community research, development and demonstration activities will be
based upon four major orientations :
1. Efficiency of production techniques : in plant (including forestry)
and livestock productivity, integration with industrial activities
upstream and downstream (see corresponding references under
"agro-industrial"), energy utilisation, integrated biological
control, new technologies in agricultural engineering, and in all
areas, the application of information technologies;
2. Utilisation of soil and water : soil degradation and fertility,
alternative uses, water management, and the development of advanced
technologies (particularly teledetection and related information
technologies);
3. Regional balance : integrated rural development (particularly in
Mediterranean regions), specific production problems of less
favoured regions, diversification;
4. Utilisation and quality of agricultural products :
traditional products, new products and derivatives
industrial use, improvement of nutritional quality
research on
for food or
of products.
1.1 - 2
These orientations, which largely reflect the options discussed by
the SCAR (Standing Committee on Agricultural Research) for the
coordination of agricultural research in the European Community,
have to be considered also in close relationship with the actions
"Biotechnology and agro-industrial technologies" (see § 3.6).
For all these areas, the Community dimension offers particular
advantages in enabling the costs of pre-competitive and generic
research to be shared and its benefits diffused; or enables
research to be undertaken in areas where national efforts are
inadequate. For areas such as harmonisation of methodologies and
analytical methods, it is essential for coherent standardisation.
c. The proposed effort incorporates the experience of earlier years, (the
3rd programme runs from 1984 to 1988, value 30 MioECUs) but reflects
both the impact of new technological tools, and the evolving new
policy priorities. Thus, for example, the soil map work has renewed
relevance with the growing need for new uses for land, and the
regional needs of Mediterranean agriculture acquire increased
importance in view of the new Member States.
d. It is envisaged that most of the proposed actions should be shared
cost, including scientific stimulation. Demonstration projects are
also indispensable elements to ensure the useful exploitation and
dissemination of results. In some areas, concerted actions may be
employed. The JRC will contribute through its teledetection
activities.
e. To reach the minimum level of efficacy, the funds required are
estimated between 60 and 150 MioECUs for the period 1987-1991.
Some of these objectives are covered by research under article 41 of
the Treaty and correspond to an amount of 100 MioECUs.
1.1.2. Fisheries Resources
a. Fish production is an important source of high quality protein for the
Community but although EEC output is now of the order of 6 million
tonnes, the Community is in deficit. The aim of EEC Common Fisheries
Policy (CFP) is therefore to increase production wherever this is
possible without damage to fish stocks and to make better use of the
material landed. There is a considerable potential of the application
of new methods of resources management, of reducing waste and of
increasing production from certain areas which have so far received
relatively little attention.
b. Since the elaboration of the CFP fisheries research has been an
integral component of Community strategy. There is no question of
separating research from the other elements making up overall policy
with regard to Community fisheries. Apart from this fact, there is
every reason why fisheries research should have a high priority within
the CFP. This has become even more important since the enlargement of
the Community to Spain and Portugal, where fisheries have a particular
importance. It is clear that if the Community fishing effort is to be
applied on a rational basis, research into socio-economic aspects of
the fishery must be a major consideration.
At the same time there are also a number of areas of research which
are of very considerable interest to the Community, in particular
those relating to :
- management of fishing resources : assessment of stocks by modern
techniques (including remote sensing), biological models taking
account to the interaction of species, multidisciplinary approach
(biological, technical and socio-economic) to the management of
fishing operations;
- catching techniques : improvement of fishing gear and methods;
- aquaculture : growth, survival and feeding of the species cultivated
(fish, molluscs and crustaceans), diagnosis and treatment of
diseases, genetic research to develop breeds suitable for rearing;
- processing of produce : refrigeration, sterilization, storage,
optimum use of small fish and byproducts, control and improvement of
, food quality.
The main criteria to be borne in mind in the seltction of research
topics, as already stated above, are the requirements of the Community
market and the need to maintain fish-stocks for the future.
So far, the Community has not undertaken any significant action in the
research field but this situation is about to be remedied with the
expected implementation of a multiannual research programme, prepared
by the Commission and now under discussion in the Council. The
programme will be achieved in two ways. Firstly, the Community will
fund investigations undertaken by several Member States on a
collaborative basis and secondly it will aid and co-ordinate an
exchange of research workers, the publication of data and the
organisation of symposia and seminars. Moreover cooperation with
third countries may be envisaged under COST procedures, particularly
in the field of aquaculture.
These activities imply Community funding of about 30 MioECUs on a five
year basis.
1.2 - 1
1.2. Raw Materials
. (*)
1.2.1. Non-Fuel Minerals
a. Despite the entry of Spain and Portugal in the Community which
will bring sizeable mineral reserves, the EEC trade balance
deficit for primary minerals raw materials (12,000 MioECUs in
1984) will remain high for a number of strategic and critical
metals (although decreasing for base metals). This situation makes
it necessary to promote the exploitation of domestic primary and
secondary (recycling) resources, and to increase its cost-
effectiveness. Furthermore, the mining and metallurgical sectors
must remain competitive in their operations throughout the world.
Such objectives cannot be met without an adequate research effort.
The market for raw materials is cyclical. To a large extent,
publicly funded research should be anti-cyclical, particularly as
experts predict in the long term an upward change from the
currently depressed situation.
b. Research on primary raw materials will focus on problems of common
interest in exploration (preparing concepts and methods in view of
a future revival of exploration activities), mining technology
(improving the economic viability of existing mines and developing
advanced technologies for future mines) and ore processing
(treating complex, lean and refractory ores and ores which contain
metals for advanced materials technology). An overall objective is
to reduce investment and operating costs.
Research on those topics can greatly benefit from a coordinated
multinational approach. Main reasons for believing this are :
- the same types of deposits and of mines occur throughout the
Community,
- modern exploration concepts will rely more and more on the
combined processing of data from several disciplines and
particularly on developments in areas of high technology; this
may exceed the expertise available in any Member States,
- the modernisation of processing plants and of mines can be
achieved only through joint research efforts implying adequate
scale of work and appropriate dissemination of results to
industry.
Other possible orientations :
- research on sea-bed resources, particularly in the 200 miles-
EEZ,
excluding steel, which is covered under ECSC activities
2~ Continental. Lithosphere studies for basic research on processes
of ore concentration (Links to be set up with nationaL and
internationaL programmes). The scope for investigations here
cLearLy exceeds the potentiaL of any one Member State.
In the area of secondary raw materials, the Community dimension of
research arises :
- from the simiLarity of probLems encountered in aLL Member
States,
- from the need to spread through industry the resuLts of
research, thus promoting innovation in a rapidLy evoLving fieLd,
- from environmentaL protection considerations.
For exampLe, new materiaLs such as speciaL aLLoys and composites
wiLL be used more and more in industriaL sectors having high
technoLogicaL deveLopment, and wiLL have to be recycLed.
Research in the recycLing of urban and industriaL waste (pLastics,
gLass, paper and organic matter) wiLL concentrate on the economic
recovery of materiaLs which can compete on the market with primary
sources.
c. With respect to the current effort, which has yieLded encouraging
resuLts in the evaLuation report, the foreseeabLe trend for future
research is as foLLows :
in expLoration : Less focus on base metaLs, more on mineraLs
needed for new materiaLs and technoLogies,
- in mining technoLogy : emphasis on robotics, rock fracturing,
transportation and underground safety,
in mineraL processing : emphasis on deveLoping advanced
techniques and on new fLotation reagents.
d. Most of the EC sponsored research is to be carried out under cost
sharing contracts in projects invoLving firms and/or research
organizations in at Least two Member States.
Part of the funding is to be devoted to coordination activities,
either on topics which are aLready studied in the nationaL
programme, or to arrive at common methods and standards.
1.2.2. Wood
a. As stated again most recentLy in the SILVA conference (Paris,
1986), the EC trade baLance deficit for wood and wood products
comes to 17.000 MioECOs per year, and is second onLy to petroLeum
products. Yet, the 12 Member States have a Large forest resource,
at Least 53 MioHa, but it is far from yieLding its reaL potentiaL
due to a variety of technicaL, sociaL and economic reasons.
1.2 - 3
Forests play other useful roles. Beside wood production, they
regulate water resources, prevent soil erosion, decrease air
pollution and provide invaluable amenities to the population, be
it close to urban centres or in remote areas. Yet, they are
threatened by man-made enemies (pollution, fire), pests (insects,
fungi, viruses), meteorological phenomena (droughts, wind),
encroachment by urbanization.
The afforestation of land which agriculture may relinquish in the
near future will require careful management to make it profitable
and avoid considerable financial losses.
Research may help considerably in addressing the multiple problems
of European forestry.
Wood-using industries must also be encouraged to develop and apply
the most sophisticated technologies in order to make the best use
of basic products which are often of relatively low quality and
compete more successfully with their larger, vertically integrated
U.S. and Scandinavian counterparts.
b. Community-sponsored research in this field is justified and needed
for attacking problems of common concern. Similar types of climate
and soils are found throughout the Member States : the same tree
species and ecotypes are found or must be introduced. Pests spread
freely across national borders, so do pollutants and wind storms
or droughts. The problems of utilization of forest products are
si mi Lar.
Community coordinated research is also justified in that it may
provide a sound technical basis for the development of Community
policies (environmental protection, norms for the internal market,
regulations on land use, development of less-favoured regions,
integrated Mediterranean programmes and more specific forestry
actions, etc..).
To be most effective this research should be integrated for the
whole "wood chain" from seed production to the final use of wood
and other forest products, including problems such as genetic
improvements, tree physiology, protection against pests and
pollution, wood utilization as a source of fibre and as chemical
feedstock.
c. EC research carried out since 1982. has made it possible for
European specialists to cooperate closely and also produce a
number of patents and industrial applications in such areas as
sawing, pulp making, paper recycling, etc., (it may be noteworthy
that Sweden and Switzerland joined this programme). Future
research will capitalize on the results obtained and place more
emphasis on joint projects of common interest. Whereas results can
be acquired fairly rapidly in technological developments, they are
much slower in forest production as such, and here continuity of
the effort is essential.
Community research in this field is carried out mainly through
cost sharing contracts with research organizations and industrial
firms but coordination of national programmes must be greatly
expanded in relation to what has been done heretofore.
Considering the importance of this action for many Member States,
in particular the new ones, and in order to achieve a significant
impact, it is estimated that this action on raw materials should
be funded at a level of 60 to 90 MioECUs for the period 1987-1991.
This level of effort would represent about 5 to 77. of the funding
of this field of research in the Member States.
2. MANAGEMENT OF ENERGJT
2.1. fusion
a. The long-term potential of fusion, namely to open a new way of power
generation, friendly to the environment and using practically
inexhaustible fuel, remains a valid and strong argument to vigorously
continue its development. Fusion could contribute in a few decades to
strongly reduce the economic, ecological and political vulnerability
of Europe.
The way towards the prototype reactor (DEMO, which should prove the
economic feasibility of fusion) goes first through the demonstration
of the scientific feasibility of fusion (hopefully to be made by JET
and its foreign equivalents in the early nineties), and second through
the demonstration of the technological feasibility of fusion (to be
achieved by NET, the Next European Torus, and its equivalents; NET is
presently in the phase of conceptual design).
Fusion has already today a large high-technology content : JET, the
specialized devices in construction or in operation in the associated
laboratories, and the NET oriented components development, are by
themselves a demonstration of high technology, with spin-offs (in
particular in the fields of superconducting magnet technology,
robotics, and high power microwave systems) to the benefit of other
branches of science and of European industry. The role of industry is
expected to grow appreciably when NET will enter the phase of
engineering design.
b. In conformity with reiterated Council Decisions, "the Community Fusion
Programme is a long-term cooperative project embracing all the work
carried out in the Member States in the field of controlled
thermonuclear fusion. It is designed to lead in due course to the
joint construction of prototype reactors with a view to their
industrial production and marketing."
A large scale well integrated programme is made necessary by the
difficulties and the length of the road towards commercial fusion
power, together with the high costs and the scientific uncertainties
involved. In Europe, all activities of the Member States (plus Sweden
and Switzerland) constitute a single programme supported by the
Commission. The Community approach makes Europe an appealing partner
for international collaboration (USA, Japan, USSR, Canada__ ) and has
led, not only to added, but also to created values such as JET, the
setting up of the NET team, and the mobility of Staff.
The main objectives of the 1987-91 fusion activity are :
- to establish the physics and technology basis necessary for the
detailed design of NET; this implies the full exploitation of JET
and of several medium-size specialized tokamaks in existence or in
construction and the strengthening of the technology programme;
- to embark, possibly in 1989/90, on the detailed design of NET;
- to explore the reactor potential of some alternative lines
(Stallarator and Reversed Field Pinch).
2 . 1 - 2
c. The scientific and technical achievements of the European programme
place Europe in the forefront of world-wide magnetic fusion research.
JET is the leading fusion experiment in the world, which achieved its
initial objectives for the basic performance phase on time and in
budget, and hence made formidable progress towards the demonstration
of the scientific feasibility of fusion. The European medium-size
machines contribute in a powerful way to the progress of fusion and to
the future success of JET. Europe is also leading in research on
stel larators and reversed field pinches, which are alternative
configurations to the Tokamak. European industry has built all these
devices (to give an example, more than 98 % in cost of JET contracts
has been placed within Europe) and has already been entrusted with
some long-terr advanced development (for instance high frequency, high
power RF Generators). Its involvement should make a qualitative and
quantitative jump towards 1989/90, when a decision could be taken on
the start of the engineering design of NET.
d. The structure of the fusion programme is that it is driven by the
relevant national institutions coordinated by the Commission within
the system of Associations. All fusion activities in the Member
States (plus Sweden and Switzerland) and in the JRC are integrated
into "the European programme".
The fusion activity is carried out along three modes of action, the
first two of them corresponding to shared-cost actions :
- JET (a Joint Undertaking);
- the General Programme (Associations, NET and Technology);
- the JRC (technology concentrated on fusion safety, including the
tritium handling laboratory, on materials and on support to NET).
e. On the basis of an analytical cost estimate of the various elements of
the activities sketched above, the Community funds required amount to
approximately 1060 to 1200 MioECUs, which cover the fusion programme
proper and the fusion activities at JRC. The fusion programme proper
encompasses the same activities which are covered by the March 1985
Council Decision.
2.2 - 1
2.2. Nuclear Fission
a. Development of the nuclear fission energy is one of the main ways of
reducing - through diversification of energy sources - the Community's
dependence on imported fossil fuels such as oil. In the long term,
through advanced technologies - notably fast breeder reactors - fission
energy can virtually be considered as a renewable energy source.
Therefore, continuation of a resolute effort on nuclear energy remains
an essential aspect of the European energy policy.
The strategic objective of increasing energy source diversification and
reducing energy dependence from imports must be compatible with the
objective of protecting the population and the environment. A two-
pronged approach is therefore necessary :
- while the safety and the benign environmental impact of the present
generation of nuclear technologies must be maintained and confirmed,
- further progress and innovation towards more performant systems
should be assured by conceivable technological improvements.
b. The proposed R, D&D will be carried out according to the following main
lines :
Reactor safety problems - including those raised by the mature light
water reactor industry - extend beyond frontiers : progressive
harmonization of safety requirements and criteria is necessary to be
developed and maintained at the Community level in order to provide an
equivalent and satisfactory degree of protection of the
population/workers/environment, and to assist development of trade.
The main thrust of the effort will be directed to light water reactor
safety and reliability (including feedback from aging plants), fast
breeder reactor accident progression analysis and circuits integrity,
and codes and standards convergence.
Work related to the radioactive waste management will receive
particular attention. Problems raised by radioactive waste operations
involve a combination of issues of social/ legal/ administrative/
financial/ technical nature which need to be resolved in one and same
context. The effort will progressively concentrate on demonstration of
safe waste disposal options with a view to reach a European concensus
and to harmonize policies within the Community.
Other more technical oriented problems are those related to
decommissioning operations. In this field, the effort will concentrate
on demonstration of relevant technologies with a view to harmonize the
approach and policies within the Community.
The Commission is a safeguarding authority in its own right
(Chapter VII of the Euratom Treaty) and has carried out R, D&D in
support of this institutional task. In the future the transportation
and handling of nuclear materials are going to increase as reactors and
other nuclear installations now under construction will become
operational. Therefore, the Commission will have to further develop
methodologies and techniques to adequately deal with the increasing
number and variety of facilities to be monitored.
Finally, Community effort could lend support to the Member States
engaged in the development of advanced reactors and systems including
their fuel cycles.
Fission energy R&D, by its nature requires continuity. However, the
following shifts in emphasis are foreseen :
Nuclear reactor safety R&D will undergo an overall reduction,
especially in the light water reactor field. The Commission will
promote the transfer of experience and methodologies acquired in this
field to other industrial and potentially hazardous activities.
What concerns the radioactive waste management, basic R&D wilt diminish
but R&D oriented towards the demonstration of safe disposal options
will strongly increase, leading to an overall increase in effort.
Decommissioning of nuclear installations effort will follow a similar
trend as the radioactive waste management.
Safeguards R&D will undergo a mild expansion.
Supporting actions on development of reactor systems and their fuel
cycle is virtually all a new activity essentially focussed on
demonstration.
The implementation of actions in the fields reactor safety, radioactive
waste, and safeguards will have recourse both to the JRC activities and
to the shared cost contracts.
Decommissioning of nuclear installation will be performed exclusively
by shared cost action.
Supporting actions for the development of reactor systems and their
fuel cycle will be performed essentially through complementary
programmes and/or joint enterprises.
For Community action to achieve significant impact, the funding needed
to support R, D&D in the above areas for the period 1987 to 1991, is
estimated to amount between 600 and 700 MioECUs. This corresponds to
5 to 10 % of total Member States effort. However, because the
Community action is selective (i.e. it is concentrated upon safety
related issues and not deployed over the whole spectrum of Member
States activities) the percentages of Community funding in the proposed
activities will be higher.
Complementary programmes for support to development of reactor systems
and their fuel cycle would be additional.
2.3 - 1
2.3. Fossil, New and Renewable Energy Sources and Rational Use of Energy
a. The importance of the energy technologies which are the subject of.
this action, derives directly from the Community energy strategy^ *
and its objectives, defined so as to contribute to the overall goal :
increasing security of supply and decreasing energy imports. With
regard to the technologies in question, these objectives call for an
increased contribution of solid fuels and of new and renewable sources
by the end of the century and for a 20 to 25 % energy demand intensity
reduction by the mid-nineties. The Community should undertake
adequate efforts to achieve these medium-term objectives and also to
support its long-term energy strategy - independent from short-term
energy market developments.
One pre-requisite for the realization of these objectives is the
development of a wide range of innovative energy technologies to be
applied in all sectors of our economy. This represents a major
challenge for science and industry, as the energy technologies of the
future must be competitive/taking into account not only their direct
cost but also their inherent environmental consequences, in particular
as concerns fossil fuel.
The present oil market conditions - although not expected to last very
long - are likely to lead to a reduction in national and private
funding for energy research in fields covered by this action. This
would affect many industrial and other laboratories for which the
energy aspects are considered as driving forces towards innovation.
The future markets for the technologies involved are of the order of
many billions of ECUs per year.
b. It is the Commission's opinion that stimulating European research
laboratories and industry to prepare for capturing a significant share
of these markets - both within the EC, in other industrialized
countries and in the developing countries - should be continued. This
implies that the Community further supports the joint funding of
collaborative projects, the coordination of research and testing as
well as the development of norms and standards. This concerns not
only a number of the well known classical energy fields but also, and
even more, quite a number of "horizontal" fields where a particular
need is identified. Examples of horizontal fields are : combustion
science, sensor techniques, phototronics, energy engineering, etc...
The added value of this Community action will consist primarily of a
coordinated approach towards realization of the Community energy
strategy, of promotion of the competitiveness of the European industry
by optimal use of expertise and of financial resources, and of
promotion of the creation of a real internal market for energy
technologies. The recent enlargement of the Community and the
particular needs for R&D support of some Member Countries have to be
duly considered.
currently being discussed by the Council
2 . 3 . , - 2
• While the 1987 "photograph" of Community R&D will be determined by the
current activities, the orientations for Community research in the
second part of the period 1987-1991 will be along the followinq
lines :
Continuation (but reoriented, to take account of results and their
evaluation) of the actions on :
- solar energy (possibly merged with a programme on building
technologies),
- energy from biomass
- energy conservation,
- solid fuel utilisation,
- hydrocarbon exploitation and use,
- new energy vectors (possibly merged with the hydrocarbons sub-
programme),
- energy systems analysis.
Depending on the needs of the Member States, current R&D on geothermal
energy will progressively be terminated while high technology work in
the field of exploration, instrumentation and hot-dry-rock-technology
should be carried out in other, new, separate activities. The solar
energy chapter might concentrate on "passive solar", data collection
and testing. Wind energy research should be brought to an end. Energy
conservation might be concentrated on certain very advanced
technologies (batteries, clean car, fuel cells) and important
horizontal areas (combustion science, sensor techniques, etc.).
As already pointed out, many of the above actions will be re-shuffled
T^with the assistance of the CGC) in order to concentrate on very
specific advanced technology objectives (for example : clean use of
coal in the solid fuels area) and horizontal fields. This re­
shuffling might also lead to devote separate chapters to :
photovoltaic technology and systems,
- bioethanol,
advanced building technologies (energy saving, solar architecture).
In addition, a completely new area should be addressed by an
activity on :
deep gas and deep geology (possibly including hot-dry-rock
technology).
It must be pointed out that the choice between the different options
outlined above as well as the more detailed content of each action
should be determined in consultation with the CGC and in the light of
the first results of the third non-nuclear energy R&D programme and of
its corresponding JRC actions, becoming gradually available.
The major part of the work under this action will be carried out
through contract research; the specific activities on standards and
testing (solar, buildings, conservation) will be carried out within
(or under supervision of) the JRC, and certain other activities could
be carried out via (reinforced) concerted actions.
2.3 - 3
e. Community funding required for research in this action is estimated
between 250 and 350 MioECUs for the period 1987-1991. This amount
represents between 7 and 12 % of the total spending of Member States
in the same areas.
Beyond those activities mention should be made of the energy
demonstration projects and of the coal research carried out in the frame
of the ECSC Treaty.
3. COMPETITIVENESS OF INDUSTRY AND SERVICES
Information technologies, telecommunications technologies
and their applications
(Introduction to items 3.1., 3.2., 3.3. and 3.4.)
1. Because of their enabling character and of their pervasiveness,
information and telecommunications technologies (IT&T) play a key role
in all scientific, economic and social activities. Performance in
these domains will heavily influence the socio-economic choices open
to Europe.
Already 2/3 of the GDP or 55% of the labour force are classified as
concerned with information activities (acquisition, processing,
transmission, storage, selling) and thus rely on performance in IT&T.
The competition between economic regions worldwide will strongly
depend on their ability to use IT&T in an effective and timely manner
to meet economic and social objectives
Because the deployment of IT&T enhances skill content, and thus the
efficiency of all factors of production, these technologies are
particularly appropriate to Europe which has both to optimise the
uti lisation of its scarce natural resources and also to compensate for
the cumulative negative impact of industrial production on the
environment and to maximales its relatively important scientific
assets and skills.
IT&T offers a tremendous potential for creation of new products,
processes and services addressing economic problems but, maybe more
importantly, offers new ways to address urgent social problems in
domains such as health care, road safety, adult education and others.
The United States and Japan, but also other countries are steadily
increasing and concentrating their efforts in IT&T by funding big
projects such as INS, 5th generation computer, SDI or by creating
favourable conditions, stimulating cooperative R&D between
universities and companies.
-■ The Community wide dimension, framework and instruments are
particularly appropriate for the development of R&D activities in the
field of IT.
Research and technological developments in this sector are
characterised by :
The importance of R&D expenditures to devote in order to keep the
pace. European or american semi-conductors industry must spend some
7 to 10% of their yearly turnover in R&D.
3 - 2
- The increasing speed of technological evolution (with a shortening
of the delay between two technological generations to some 2 years).
- The relative scarceness of human resources (limited amont of
specialists in areas characterised by very fast changes).
- The increasing need of pluridisciplinary approach.
- The fruitfullness of innovations gained through the work performed
by small groupings such as University scientists, SMEs...
The constraints set out by this situation (difficulty of recouping R&D
expenditures below a minimum threshold of some 5 to 10% of the world
market; fierce competition between companies; heavy technological and
financial risks) may be overcome at Community level by cooperative
actions allowing :
- The definition of common objectives and strategies.
- The pooling of scarce human and financial resources, and the
consequent work sharing.
- Economies of scale for instance (european companies in the IT sector
must devote to R&D twice or three times as much resources, in
percentage of their turnover, as their American or Japanese
competitors, with much poorer results).
- The broadening of the research areas and of the technological
options investigated.
- A concerted and coherent approach in the field of standardization
and of complementary measures.
- A stimulation of skills and centers of excellence existing all over
Europe, as demonstrated by the participation of, all Member States
in ESPRIT.
3. In order to answer this challenge, and to exploit the Community
advantage it is necessary to pursue and strengthen the actions
initiated during recent years at the level of technology base as well
as complement them so as to create synergy and favourable conditions
for their translation into applications.
This process indicates a set of specific concerted actions, addressing
a number of key factors or issues which are closely related to each
other :
- Further strengthening of the technology base.
Improving the use of industrial R&D capacities by cooperation and
work sharing.
3 - 3
- Contributing to the formation of a Community wide market for IT & T
products, equipments and applications by reinforcing efforts in
standardisation, certification and opening up of public procurement.
- Stimulating demand by infrastructure projects, pilot schemes and by
creating a favourable environment for the wide use and diffusion of
new applications.
- Diffusion of technology into less privileged regions.
- Improving the level of education and training.
4. Concerning the technology aspects, the content scope and objectives of
the actions related to IT & T and their applications are established
according to the following pattern :
- Preliminary analysis of the strategic importance of the envisaged
action for Europe.
- Definition with the interested partners of key factors and of the
subsequent action lines to be set up.
- Establishment of a definition phase to precise the detailed
objectives and the necessary human and financial resources to
gather.
Permanent evaluation of the actions and yearly review of the
workplan.
The actions proposed in the 1987-1991 Framework Programme will build
on previous actions, in particular the :
- Microelectronics Programme,
- Pluriannual Informatics Programme,
- ESPRIT phase I (initiated in 1984), and
- RACE definition phase (launched in 1985).
Based on the evaluations carried out on the above mentioned programmes
and in consultation with industry, the scientific community and the
national administrations, the new Framework Programme should include
the continuation of :
ESPRIT I with ESPRIT II, in accordance with the recommendations of
the Council, of the mid-term Review (Autumn 1985) and of industry.
3 - A
ESPRIT II will put the emphasis on technology integration and on
more ambitious and more focused projects, including also increased
attention to the generic technology requirements of advanced
applications.
- RACE definition phase with RACE main. The main phase of RACE (to be
launched in 1987) will establish the technology base, the
precompetivive developments and the work necessary for common
specification and standards which are required for progressive
introduction of integrated broadband communication infrastructure
and services.
Exploratory academic research in order to strengthen European
cooperation in basic research related to IT&T.
Moreover, greater emphasis will be put on developing new applications
in concert with the respective users, drawing on synergy between
parallel developments.
Complementary actions addressing major objectives of common interest
(and covering some of the seven areas mentioned in the IRIS
initiative) include the use of IT&T for supporting :
Learning, teaching and training, which will permit the overcoming of
some of the distance and access constraints to learning (DELTA).
Road-safety, traffic guidance, and mobile communication, which can
be addressed by exploiting synergy between parallel technological
developments and could result in an integral solution offering major
advantages in terms of costs and infrastructure requirements
(DRIVE).
Bioinformatics and medical informatics, which can benefit in cost
performance by a systematic and timely introduction and integration
of advanced IT&T (BICEPS).
Other areas which may offer opportunities for Community action are
being actively explored and may result in the next two years in
proposals for action. These concern :
the domain of laboratory equipment technology (to improve R&D
productivity) and financial technology which would make financial
transactions speedier and more secure;
- other domains contributing to social objectives in Europe.
The follow-up of the microelectronics and the informatics programme
will occur in the framework of ESPRIT.
3 - 5
The proposed actions will take the form of shared cost programmes and
will be carried out in close concertation with national and
intergovernmental activities.
The required resources will be estimated in concertation with the
respective actors and Member State administrations. At this very
preliminary stage, and under the assumption that the current
modalities would be applied, the efforts would be situated
approximately between 3940 and 4150 MioEcus over 5 years.
This amount corresponds to a few percents of the overall efforts made
at national level by Member States.
As this Community effort focus on key areas of strategic relevance,
and on the strengthening of technological cooperation, it will exert a
multiplier effect and will produce results far beyond the rather
limited appropriations requested on the EEC budget.
3.1 - 1
3.1 Information Technologies
a. This action covers the ESPRIT programme the objectives of which are to take
advantage of the Community dimension :
- to enhance the technology base in IT on the precompetitive level,
enlarging scope and applying economics of scale, in order to meet
successfully the requirements of the world market in the nineties
- to improve the use of scientific and industrial R&D capabilities by
cooperative efforts,
- to pave the way to widely accepted international IT standards, and
- to promote the transfer of technology in the IT sector with particular
emphasis on needs of SME's.
b. The programme has just been reviewed by an independent high level body
(ESPRIT Review Board). The results of this review, which demonstrate that
ESPRIT has been successfully established and is well on its way to meeting
its objectives, has been transmitted to the Council and the Parliament
(C0M(85)616 final). Moreover, the yearly workprogramme of ESPRIT is a
unique character!stic, ensuring that the programme is under constant
assessment.
In accordance with the recommendations of the ESPRIT Review Board, and as a
result of an extensive conslutation process with industrial experts a
consensus view on the scope and content of the programme from 1987 onwards
is emerging along the following axes:
1. Microelectronics and peripheral technologies
- Silicon technology. Silicon technology represents the foundation of
the IC industry and silicon-based devices are responsible for the
dramatic reduction in the cost of electronic equipment that has
occurred in the past years and will continue in the future. Specific
technological targets would be eg. 4 million transistors on a chip
using 0.5 micron technologies and 3D-integration.
Compound semiconductors. The use of compound semiconductors for
high-speed circuits is expected to become increasingly relevant in
future computer and telecommunication systems as well as in other
applications. Europe has the potential opportunity to become a
significant supplier of compound semiconductor devices. To ensure a
sufficient European capability in this area, a significant increase
of the current R&D level is required.
Computer aided design (CAD). The availability of CAD for very large
scale integration for the overall success of the efforts in
microelectronics continues to be a crucial factor. Future CAD
projects will take advantage of the results achieved so far in ESPRIT
and will in particular focus on very high performance systems,
testing aspects as well as standardisation aspects.
3.1 - 2
~ Peripherals. Peripherals represent an ever increasing proportion of
the total cost of IT systems. A major technology push in response to
future market demands requires, in particular, substantial R&D
efforts in magnetic, optical and magneto-optical storage, printers,
sensors and displays.
Information processing systems
“ Systems design and architectures. The overall aim is to ensure that
IT industry has the necessary facilities to produce high quality
systems, quickly and economically. Systems, of similar complexity of
those being developed in 1985, should within 10 years be developed
with 'lO/o of the resources required to develop the systems today.
Furthermore, novel architectures for IT systems will be developed and
analysed with respect to their reliability and performance.
- Knowledge engineering. The use of knowledge based systems is expected
to provide a qualitative jump in future applications of IT. The level
of cooperative generic research in this area needs to be maintained
in order to successfully meet the competitive requirements in the
nineties.
Signal processing. The ability to process speech and complex images,
are expected to be important new characteristics of future IT
systems. Accordingly R&D in this area will be on continuous speech
recognition with large vocabulary, and advanced image processing
systems.
Integration of IT into application systems
" IT support systems. This area is concerned with the basic IT
technologies relevant to the office, production, other professional
applications and the home sector. It includes eg. R&D on
workstations, I/O subsystems for broad spectrum applications, man-
machine interfaces and interfaces with the physical environment. Its
potential impact on medium-term market requirements is expected to be
particularly relevant.
~ Factory automation. IT applications in production environments are of
utmost importance to European economy. Key target is to establish
open systems architectures, promote CAD/CAM systems and shop floor
control systems. The level of R&D in this area needs to be
considerably increased.
“ Integrated IT systems comprise technology integration projects
building upon different technologies, and oriented towards selected
applications.
Measures with respect to the dissemination of the results of R&D
projects play an increasing role in the further progress of the action.
A broad-scale participation of SME's to the action is considered to be
vital in order to maintain and stimulate its innovative character, which
is a prerequisite to meet its overall objectives.
3.1 - 3
Expected results :
- enable the European information technology industry to successfully meet
the competitive requirements of the world market in the nineties,
- diffusion of these technologies through different sectors of our economy
leading to product, process and service innovations.
Motivation for EC action :
- pooling of resources and worksharing is necessary to compete with the
massive public programmes in the US and Japan,
coordinated approach is also necessary to develop common standards and to
encourage industrial cooperation in Europe.
Industry representatives currently estimate the overall efforts necessary
to carry out the above described work to 30000 manyears to be invested
progressively from 1987 onwards. These estimates need to be consolidated in
the forthcoming months. These efforts would correspond to approximately
2200 MioECUs Community contribution.
3.2 - 1
3.2 Telecommunications Technologies
a. For the competitiveness of European economies the price-performance of
telecommunications services plays a decisive role in the emerging
global market-place. In order to maintain a strong position and lead in
the transition towards fully digital operation Europe will need to
invest in a timely manner in the advanced telecommunication
technologies and make optimal use of its resources.
The EC telematics industry and Telecommunications Operators Research
Establishments have, in 1984, established a broad based consensus on
the objective :
Community-Wide Introduction of Integrated Broadband Communication (IBC)
by 1995 taking into account the evolving Integrated Services Digital
Networks (ISDN)
and worked out common requirements for :
R&D in Advanced Communications-technologies in Europe (RACE)
which aims at establishing the technology base for progressive
introduction of Community IBC infrastructure and services.
RACE distinguishes several phases or stages of commitments which
correspond to progressively improved definition of the objectives and
requirements. Specifically:
Definition phase (decided in 1985), to execute initial work as required
to focus the main programme R&D accurately on future functional
requirements of the network, the terminal area and future applications,
and the evaluation of key technology options.
Phase I (1987-1991) will have the objectives:
- the technology base for IBC,
- the precompetitive developments necessary for the provision of
trial equipments and services for IBC demonstration,
- support for the work of CEPT and CCITT in the formulation of
common proposals for specifications and standards.
Phase II (1991-1996), depending on the outcome of phase I, would have
the overall objectives of developing the technology base for enhanced
IBC equipments and services beyond 1995.
3.2 - 2
b. Scope (Phase I) :
1. Specific system aspects
Part 1 addresses the system engineering aspect of IBC and will
explore systems architecture, subscriber environments, network
sub-systems, operations and maintenance related issues. In doing
so, it will take into account ISDN and alternative carrier concepts
and mixes.
The work addresses three closely related but distinct aims:
- exploration and identification of IBC systems evolution,
- identification and specification of functional requirements
serving as objectives for the R&D on the sub-systems and basic
technology levels, and
- specification of the verification and testing required before
full scale development is considered i.e. the definition of the
requirements for demonstration and trials.
2. Research into the requirements of the users and service providers
The understanding of the user and service provider Requirements is
a key condition for the conception and design of future
infrastructure and services. Some requirements can be assessed on
the basis of past experience with sufficient accuracy to serve as
an orientation for the technical development. However, new services
and operational concepts for users and service providers require
careful research. This is in its own right a significant
multidisciplinary R&D effort.
Past experience with the introduction of new communication services
clearly demonstrates the risks of separating technical from market,
application and user oriented research. Accordingly part 2 has been
designed to address the link between the users and the service
providers on the one hand, and the developing technology options on
the other.
3. Enabling and supporting technologies
This part addresses the three main families of technologies
which the successive generations of IBC implementation will
- electronic components used for communications,
- optics and optoelectronics, and
- design tools for communication systems.
on
buiId:
3.2 - 3
The aim of the R&D in these domains will be to advance the
performance characteristics for their applications in
telecommunications, i.e.
performance in terms of bandwidth and complexity,
system compatibility, i.e. aptness to standardisation, and
live-cycle costs, including quality, reliability and
maintenance.
Although the main thrust of part 3 is at the basic technology
level, some sub-system considerations are implicitly included since
some components (e.g. microprocessors) represent in terms of
complexity, sub-systems in themselves.
4. Dedicated communication software
This part addresses the software R&D issues which are particular to
the application in telecommunications. It is assumed that progress
in software technology aimed at in national programmes and ESPRIT
are realised and that the work in RACE can benefit from it.
A considerable effort will be required to develop adequate tools
that will meet simultaneously the operational and managerial
specifications of telecommunications. This applies particularly to
IBC which will require a very large, complex, and functionally
rich, software implementation.
5. Terminal technologies
Having a powerful and low-cost IBC technology is an essential pre­
requisite for the introduction of broadband services, but
insufficient unless parallel major progress is made in improving
the cost-performance of terminal technology.
IBC aims ultimately at serving the public at large, i.e. cannot be
seen just under the aspect of specialised services for the business
community which may be prepared to pay comparatively high system
costs. For IBC to achieve high penetration rates and wide
acceptance, costs have to be very much reduced.
Terminal equipment with the right characteristics enabling easy and
friendly use and the right cost-performance will require major
technological advances and prolonged efforts of a considerable
scale. This kind of technology cannot be expected to derive
automatically from business applications.
Part 5 defines the R&D which promises to offer adequate performance
for the use by the general public at sufficiently low cost levels.
3.2 - 4
c. The thrust of RACE would be to establish on the world market a strong,
if not leading, position of the Community telecommunications
manufacturing and service industries in broadband communications and
accelerate the emergence of a strong and competitive Community market
for telecommunication equipment and services. The phase I will result
in a common technology base and contribute to the convergence in
technical and functional specifications, which is of decisive
importance for the emergence of a Community-sized market for broadband
infrastructures, equipments and services.
d. The objective of providing Europe's economies in the 1990s with
telecommunications services leading in cost-performance can only be
realised by making full use of Europe's integral assets in technology,
industrial capacities, human resources, markets and finance. A
concerted approach offers advantages of scale and scope comparable to
those available to Europe's main competitors. The investments
associated with developments are so high that it goes largely beyond
what operators and industry can invest on the economies national
markets can offer.
The RACE programme which will be carried out with the participation of
all Member States, will be instrumental in harnessing Europe's
considerable technological expertise in areas such as optoelectronics,
advanced semiconductors and software for multi—service broadband
telecommunications systems. This will service business needs on a
community scale for low-cost, reliable and secure data, voice and
image communication as well as providing a wide variety of
communications and entertainment services for private users.
e. In 1984 a planning exercise has been carried out by the
telecommnication industry and operators, which identified the pre-
competitive effort offering significant advantage of Community scale.
This planning exercise led to an approcimate level of 14.000 man-years
for five years. The Council of Ministers decided in July 1985 a
definition phase, which will define the scale and scope of the effort
to be engaged in the main phase. On this basis and supposing a 50%
Community financing, this evalution leads to an estimation of
1000 MioECUs.
The Council of Ministers decided in July 1985 an 18 months definition
phase, which will further define scale and scope of the efforts to be
engaged under this action.
3.3 - 1
3.3. Integration of Information and Telecommunications Technologies into
New Applications and Services of Common” Interest ~
Progress in information technologies and telecommunications (IT&T) is
rapidly transforming the socio-economic conditions and the basis of the
world economy. This offers new opportunities to solve present and future
societal problems in all spheres of life. The benefits of this change
will depend on mastering these technologies and their conscious
application and choice governed by societal needs and aspirations. The
successful exploitation of these new possibilities requires a well
considered and systematic approach involving the respective main actors
since in most cases traditional sectors undergo in this context profound
transformations.
Besides the direct application of IT&T the systems-integration with other
technologies, leading to new applications and services, opens up a most
important potential for the future, both in terms of economic
opportunities and of contribution to societal objectives in Europe.
A. The systems-integration of IT&T with
“ i e_a.r.ni,n9 and teaching permits the realisation of advanced open
learning concepts which will not only provide the educational
community with enhanced tools but also remove constraints in access
to learning (DELTA);
road-safety and mobile communication offers powerful means to reduce
traffic accidents, improve traffic management and thereby transport
economics (DRIVE);
bjoinformatics and medical informatics can be developed to
considerably further improve research, diagnostics and health care
(BICEPS);
laboratory technology offers major improvement in the productivity
of research, development and experimentation (PERT);
financial technology offers advances towards the realisation of
Community-wide financial services, markets and a reduction of crime
(DIME).
Background and method of elaboration of the actions:
The identification of these actions has resulted from the consultati
of the respective actors and have been indicated in the C0M(85) 350
and C0M(85) 530 "Technological Europe" as areas where the Commission
is developing action proposals. Some of their objectives have been
confirmed in the framework of IRIS as corresponding also to the
socio-political perception of Community priorities.
3.3 - 2
The method of elaboration for these actions follows a consistent
sequence of steps:
1) an initial in-house ana lysis of the importance and the likely
"value-added" o T T C o m m u n i ty approach resulting in the
identification of overall objectives and lines of action;
2) exploratory investigation and definition of the detailed
objectives and T h e optimal approach to an effective use of the
overall Community resources with the respective main actors;
3) preparation of proposals for concerted actions embedding the
Community measures in the context of national and international
activities;
4) launching of a definition phase serving the systematic
developmenFof the action by the respective main actors;
5) implementation including periodic reviews and assessments of
developments which might require adjustment of objectives and
approach;
6) on-going critical evaluation and adjustment in the light of the
experiences gathered in the implementation.
The first step is guided by the priorities of the Community and the
political orientation of Council and Parliament as it translates for
the domain of IT&T.
During the second step each action is subject of systematic
investigations drawing on external expertise as well. The best
qualified organisations are identified in an open bidding procedure in
the Official Journal.
Step three is referred to as "planning exercise", it consists of a
systematic involvement of the main actors in developing the action
proposaIs.
The definition phase represents the last step before the
implementation of an action. It consists of initial work as may be
required to verify the objectives, approach and assessment of the
requirements to realise them.
With the implementation the task of evaluating is taken up which
^extends both to external changes, i.e. requirements, state-of-the-art,
etc. as well as progress of the projects making up the action. In
yearly intervals the workprogramme and resource allocation is
systematically re-examined.
At a suitable stage of the implementation, an independent review aids
the Council and Parliament to assess the action in the light of its
objectives.
For each of the subjects described below it is indicated which stage
has been reached.
3.3 - 3
B. Other actions aiming more specifically to societal objectives will be
identified in the coming months according to the orientations given by
the Research Council of December 1985 in its debate on IRIS. In this
context, preliminary studies will be launched to explore Community
initiatives in priority areas dealing with objectives such as :
- better health;
- safer life;
- domestic and home applications;
- improvement of services and facilities for people living in rural
areas.
★ *
*
The estimates of the resources derive from the detailed workplans;
therefore it is at this preliminary stage not possible to provide
reliable figures. Still based on initial assessments one could envisage
Community contributions situated between 700 and 900 MioECUs.
3.3 - 4
DELTA (developing European Learning through Technical Advance)
a. A skilled population can rightly be considered as the single most
important asset of Europe. With rapid changes in human activities, the
importance of life-long education and training increases and with it
the need to extend the formal education for it to become more flexible
and adaptable to the needs of the learner and teachers. Progress in
information and telecommunication technologies opens up the
possibility to overcome distance and access constraints and the
economic realisation of advanced open learning concepts (i.e. an
approach to learning under which the barriers relating to formalities,
location and time are dimished).
Learning technology represents, moreover, a major future world market
opportunity for the Community equipment and service industry and
teaching professions.
DELTA is to concert the development by Community industry and academia
of equipment, systems and tools for advanced open learning. This
action will bring together at the Community level the potential users
and producers of open learning systems and associated equipment, thus
enabling the Community to achieve economy in scope and scale, which
are now lacking. DELTA will benefit from synergy with on-going actions
in the field of information technologies (ESPRIT) and
telecommunications (RACE).
The programme identifies the technological efforts required to reach
the following objectives:
1988-90: overcoming of distance and access constraints, via the
adaptation of existing infrastructures, systems, equipment
and technology
1990-95: enhanced handling and access of information, based on
progressive digitisation of IT&T complemented by specific
learning-oriented features
1995-2000: smart learning aids, based on the features of "5th
generation" computing and integrated broadband communication
(IBC).
b. Scope :
1. Interdisciplinary concertation on present and feature learning
support requirements
By developing in a timely manner an understanding of the requirements
and opportunities it will be possible to establish synergy, share work
and cooperate throughout the Community and thereby improve the
effectiveness of the resources available.
In order to support this process and optimise the use of Community
resources and focus the research efforts, a systematic analysis and
systems engineering evaluation of the learning system and its
functions is required. This will be achieved by means of the
development of a learning systems reference model.
2. Learning Technology and Systems R&D
»
This entails a systematic development of the features specific to the
learner and authoring/teaching requirements. The programme will place
particular emphasis on improving delivery to the learner,
communication between learners and tutors/teachers, the ease of
authoring and the economics and management of the overall system.
3. Testing and validation
The importance of the "human factor" in this domain requires the
thorough testing of learning technology and concepts at all stages of
the development. The programme foresees the realisation of a
satellite-based open testing facility accessible from all parts of the
Community.
4. Developing interoperability
In order to achieve acceptable economies as well as flexibility in
use, multi-media interoperability will need to be established. This
requires, over and above the on-going standardisation work in IT&T,
the application-specific development of standards and conventions
facilitating progress in this domain.
5. Creating favourable conditions
While learning technology is potentially very attractive and offers
advantageous solutions, this process wilt be retarded unless specific
accompanying measures are adopted lowering the "entry-barrier".
DELTA will help to accelerate the emergence of new techniques,
facilities and tools to support learning, in particular the
realisation of new Open Learning concepts. It will provide the
technologies to educationalists and learners to reduce the distance
and access constraints.
In this emerging new domain, human expert resources are rare and
sparsely distributed throughout the Community. In addition to re­
inforcing efforts to exploit the opportunities opening up in the use
of learning technology, it will also be necessary to focus efforts by
concertation and work-sharing within a defined framework of objectives
and measures. The opportunities for industry will depend on reasonable
market sizes as can be offered in a Community framework. DELTA will
provide a vehicle for better use of resources and attracting
industrial support.
The resources estimated necessary will be indicated at a later stage.
3.3 - 6
DRIVE (Dedicated Road Safety Systems and Intelligent Vehicles in JEurope)
a. Each year 55.000 people are killed and 1.8 million people injured on
roads in the Community. The overall societal costs of these accidents
is very high and it has been estimated that 3.2 billion ECU a year
could be saved by applying information and telecommunication
technologies to avoid car collisions.
Moreover, the indirect effects of road safety on the quality of life
and the economy are numerous and of great importance, e.g. on the
congestion of roads.
Recent advances in IT&T are progressively opening up new and much more
cost-effective ways of improving road-safety and transport management
in general.
b. Scope :
DRIVE will contain application-specific R&D&D&T addressing in
particular the systems engineering and systems-integration aspects.
1. Accident avoidance system
This area is concerned with the integration of various "safety-
related" electronic subsystems into an integrated vehicle control and
management system.
2. Vehicle communication systems
In the coming decade mobile telephony will increasingly become
standard equipment of vehicles. The infrastructure provided for this
service can at the same time support safety and traffic management
functions.
3. Traffic management and control
The use of IT&T as part of an integrated application will permit
considerable progress to be made in avoiding congestions, navigation
in towns, re-routing in case of blockages and the clearing of routes
in emergency situations.
c. The Programme DRIVE is to provide the framework in which industry and
administrations can Europe-wide develop the technological means to
achieve
a drastic reduction of serious road incidents, and
economies of scale and scope required for an early
development and introduction of these techniques.
Improving road-safety is a common objective of all Member States and
sharing the burden of developing new means of improving road safety
and communications are clearly to the advantage of both the citizens
as well as the industries concerned. The way for such a development is
prepared in R&D&D&T efforts as to be undertaken in the framework of
DRIVE.
For 1987 a definition phase is envisaged preparing the main programme
foreseen to be implemented in 1988. This will permit a precise
formulation of the work offering the greatest advantage of Community
scale and being complementary to work carried out on the Member State
level.
The resource estimates are to be indicated at a later stage of
development of this action.
3.3 - 8
BICEPS (Bio-Informatics Collaborative European Programme and Strategy)
a. The continuous growth of medical expenditure has become a major issue.
In the European Community, the total expenditure for social services
has in real terms, increased by 27% since 1975 and its accounts now
for more than one quarter of the GDP. Of the total ECU 720 billion
expenditure more than 75%, ie ECU 540 billion relate to medical
services and care for the aged. As life expectancy grows the demand
for further improvements in the quality and cost-effectiveness is also
likely to increase.
BICEPS develops IT&T to meet the specific needs of medical services
and the use in medical and biotechnological R&D&D&T.
b. Scope :
1. Medical informatics
A further improvement of health care and better economics of providing
it will depend on progress in numerous domains. One of the
opportunity areas for progress builds on the consequent exploitation
of the potential of IT&T. Their application in various functions can
ring very significant improvements in quality, availability and cost-
effectiveness of medical care.
2. Bio-informatics
A major part of the medical expenses in associated with pharmaceutical
products and medical research. In this domain there is strong
dependence of progress in biotechnology and medical research with
bio-informati cs.
Therefore, BICEPS addresses both the medical-informatics and bio-
informatics needs.
Links with Community actions ESPRIT, RACE and the BAP exist as well as
with actions on the level of Member States.
c. The results of BICEPS are expected to provide for a rapid development
of advanced techniques for both the medical services and
medi cal/biotechnological R&D&D&T.
d. ESPRIT is resulting in generic information technology on with specific
efforts in bio-informatics can build. The IT-industry is
collaborating already on a Community scale. This offers particular
opportunities to assemble the expertise and industrial capacities to
support the work in this domain. Furthermore, there are considerable
advantages in worksharing and cooperating for both the speeding up of
development and the gathering of experiences which is crucial for
building up the confidence of the medical profession in new
techni ques.
3.3 - 9
e. For 1987 a definition phase is envisaged preparing the main programme
foreseen to be implemented in 1988. This will permit a precise
formulation of the work offering the greatest advantage of Community
scale and being complementary to work carried out on the Member State
level.
The resource estimates are to be indicated at a later stage of the
preparation of this action.
3.3 - 10
PERT (Professional Electronics and Research Technology)
a. The Community's productivity in R&D and here particularly in
high-technology domains is significantly below that achieved in the
USA and Japan which have made enormous advances in this respect in
. recent years based on a consequent use of advanced IT&T.
The objective of PERT is to improve the productivity in Community R&D
equal to or better than that of its main competitors.
b. Scope :
1. Information resource management in the laboratory environment
The information resource management is one of the central problems in
laboratory work. Advanced techniques using recent progress in IT&T
offer the potential of major improvements. However, the laboratory
conditions and diverse requirements demand a systematic effort in
developing compatible components and subsystems which can
interoperate to meet a wide range of conditions. This represents a
major task in systems-R&D, systems engineering and
systems-integration.
2. Data capture
Rapid gathering of data and their pre-processing is a key factor in
speeding up technological analyses. New techniques using progress in
sensoric and IT&T permit the development of more versatile devices for
these needs.
3. Information interpretation
Increasingly screening and alternative interpretation of technological
data, concepts and conditions require sophisticated tools for
interpretation and simulation. While these tools have been developed
for engineering purposes their use for designing and interpreting
experiments is still in its early stages. PERT is to develop
generalised laboratory/scientific tools for these functions. This
includes the development of knowledge-based used friendly applications
for the interpretation of information.
PERT is to result in a significant improvement in the productivity
technological R&D and the provision of high performance tools for
accelerating the industrial development processes.
of
3.3 - 11
Besides being a problem common to all Member States the investment and
the specialists in this domain are comparatively limited. A work-
sharing and cooperative approach not only improves the chances for
each project but because of the systems interdependencies synergy and
cross-fertilisation will be important. Within a Community action,
defined jointly with the main actors, this can be realised.
For 1987 a definition phase is envisaged preparing the main programme
foreseen to be implemented in 1988. This will permit a precise
formulation of the work offering the greatest advantage of Community
scale and being complementary to work carried out on the Member State
level.
Resource estimates are to be indicated at a later stage of the
preparation of this action.
3.3 - 12
IE (Development of integrated Monetary Electronics)
Already most financial transactions are carried out by electronic
transmission and also electronic theft outweighs by far armed
robberies. This and recent developments of using IT&T to implement
special finance technologies such as the "smart card" (microcomputer
on a bank card) are signalling the emergence of "electronic cash" and
major changes of the way citizens receive and spend money.
With a consequent development of the technologies now within reach
'personalised electronic money' could be developed which could only be
used by the legitimate owner, i.e. eliminate the risk of unauthorised
use or stealing. Conventional bank robberies could soon be made a
thing of the past.
Furthermore the 'smart card' will be able to serve numerous other
functions in all spheres of human activity requiring authentication.
DIME is to carry out R&D in the use of IT&T for financial services and
other services with the objective of taking the lead in the
development of 'personalised electronic money' and the development of
'smart card technology' suited to serve as a generalised tool for
crediting and authentication.
Scope :
1. Intelligent credentials
The use of monies depends basically on the ability to provide
"evidence of having credit". In conventional money this is achieved by
authorised bank notes. More recently bank or credit cards have been
introduced which can be considered a first generation of personalised
money. However, this development is far from having reached its end.
The heart of 'personalised electronic money* may well be a
'microcomputer on a card-like device'. This device will use personal
characteristics of the bearer, e.g. fingerprints, to be protected
against use by others. The device could store any amount of credit the
bearer chooses to put on it and in paying the corresponding amount
would be withdrawn from the card as from an account.
The principles of how this can be realised are comparatively simple,
but its technical realisation with the degree of reliability required
for general use requires systematic R&D&D&T of considerable scope.
Much the same technology will also serve numerous authentication
functions. In order to avoid excessive proliferation of different
cards systems and operations, research will need to establish the
optimal approach.
3.3 - 13
2. Falsification counter measures
Bank notes and even credit cards are increasingly exposed to being
forged. In developing 'new forms of credit' this problem is of utmost
importance. The potential of a 'microcomputer on a card' is largely
sufficient, but the implementation of counter measures needs to be
consistent with the functions of the device and of the numerous
options possible the most practical has to be identified and
researched.
DIME is to result in providing a sound technological basis for the
introduction in Europe of 'personalised money' which reduces the
possibility of money being stolen or falsified.
Money and the protection of personal property and safety is an
objective all citizens and their governments throughout the Community
share. Furthermore, for realising the full benefit of such a new
financial technology it will be essential that it can be used
throughout the Community. In view of the required investment for the
terminal equipment and the objective of good economics, the size of
the Community market will be a decisive factor.
For 1987 a definition phase is envisaged preparing the main programme
foreseen to be implemented in 1988. This will permit a precise
formulation of the work offering the greatest advantage of Community
scale and being complementary to work carried out on the Member State
level.
Resource estimates are to be indicated at a later stage of the
preparation of this action.
3.4 - 1
3-4. Cooperation on Basic Research on Information Technologies
a. This action covers collaborative research and concerted actions with
the objective to improve the use of scientific capabilities in
computer science by cooperative efforts.
b. It is expected that universities and research institutes will be
active in industrial projects, but there remains the necessity that
present and future efforts in precompetitive research with commercial
application should be supplemented by promoting research into IT at a
more fundamental level without immediate direct application. Basic
research is also an important element for the training of the highly
qualified manpower, which is strongly needed by IT as well as other
industry. This type of research is, of course, mainly carried out in
universities and in public or private research institutes.
One positive way was indicated by the ESPRIT Review Board, which
recommended that one of the benefits of the programme is the breaking
of geographical isolation of certain institutions.
The Review Board viewed on to propose that a few selected European
centres of excellence in IT should be encouraged to become
international in their orientation.
Such centres would preferably be based on existing activities and
would also build on efforts developped at European level, notably in
the framework of COST activities related to computer science.
The Commission could support such research in areas of strategic
interest, provided that:
the European dimension be guaranteed by an ambitious common work
programme to be agreed by a High Level Board drawn from leading
experts,
- the best organisations in that field (a maximum of 4 or 5) who would
be sufficiently motivated by the task to willingly work to this
common work programme in a reasonable manner.
There should be strong focus on promising selective research areas,
which have not yet reached maturity, and where therefore Community
action could provide some visible impetus. These would include e.g.:
- molecular electronics;
- special sectors of cognitive science and artificial intelligence;
special sectors of solid state physics applied to IT (amorphous
silicon, magneto-optical research ...)
c. Expected results
enable European IT science to develop excellency in sectors of
strategic relevance by critical mass efforts;
- improve the use of scientific R&D capabilities in IT by cooperative
efforts and concerted actions.
d. Motivation for EEC action : scarce and scattered -esources need to be
coordinated and directed towards critical mass efforts.
e. It is estimated that between 40 and 50 MioECUs Community contribution
would be necessary for a five-year period.
3.5 - 1
3.5. Technologies for Manufacturing Industry and Special Technologies
a. In the recent years, a recovery of European industry has begun to
become apparent. Technology is a major factor in sustaining this
recovery. In the 90s, this factor will increase even further in
importance in facing competition from the USA, Japan and other
countries of the Pacific. All sectors will need high technology and
nowhere is this more the case than in sectors like motor vehicles,
chemicals, textiles, clothing, shipbuilding, construction, furniture,
which employ over 25 million people - nearly 70 % of the industrial
workforce of the Community - and in all countries will continue to
represent the largest contributor to that part of the GDP provided by
industry.
Increasingly, the dividing line will not be between sectors like
electronics and the mature industries but, irrespective of sector,
between those who make full use of the newest technologies and those
who do not. The potential for change is greatest in sectors which so
far have been the slowest to absorb new technology and it is therefore
on those that efforts will need to be concentrated and where the
encouragement given by Community programmes will bear fruit.
The problem consists not only in the development of appropriate new
technologies (especially multidisciplinary technologies) at the
precompetitive stage and their application, but also in the need to
use research resource more efficiently through co-operation across the
frontiers.
Among the major priorities supported by the governments in the USA and
Japan are research projects of an inter-disciplinary character in new
production technologies and in the engineering aspects of new
materials. For example, in the USA the university-industry co­
operative research centres in fields such as polymer processing,
welding, process control and triboloby and, in Japan, the R&D project
on basic technologies for future industries receive annually several
hundred million dollars from the central governments. Moreover, as is
well known, the US Department of Defense and NASA both continue to
fund research in these fields on a major scale which has a rapid
impact on industry and there is a constant flood of technical
information. These programmes are ample evidence of the strategic
importance which these countries attach to these technologies.
b. BRITE continues to develop in constant and continuing close
consultation with industry and the fields currently of the highest
priority but constantly under review together with industry are :
- the improvement of the strength and inherent reliability over long
periods of time of engineering materials and components,
- the reduction in the deterioration of materials through corrosion,
wear, biodeterioration, etc...,
- the tribology of mechanical systems,
3.5 - 2
- Laser technology for manufacturing,
- joining techniques : new and improved welding techniques, and
adhesive bonding,
- new testing methods including non-destructive testing, on-line
testing and computer-aided testing,
- advanced design and manufacturing techniques, in particular those
suitable for SMEs and for specialised industrial purposes,
- membrane science and technology,
- catalysis and particle technology,
- specific applications of advanced materials (see 3.7 for enabling
R&D on materials),
- applications of new technologies in manufacturing processes with
special problems, e.g. production processes involving the use of
flexible materials.
The reaction of manufacturing industry to the first call for proposals
has confirmed its interest in co-operative precompetitive research
aimed at :
- improving the co-ordination of work otherwise carried out
independently in several Member States by industry and other
organisai i ons,
- helping cross frontier collaboration between different industry
sectors and between industry and university.
The conditions for participation (participants from more than one
Member State with at least one industrial participant, 50 % industrial
participation in the costs) have ensured the industrial nature of the
projects proposed and their overall high quality.
559 projects were received nearly all of great interest and of high
quality (with on average four participants in each project) of which
only 102 could be accepted because of the budgetary constraints. This
represents much too high a disappointment rate and could discourage
firms - in particular SMEs - from participating. Despite intensive
information campaigns, many firms had not heard of BRITE in time to
prepare for the first round and the adhesion of Spain and Portugal
will increase the number of potential participants. It would not be
surprising if the number of proposals for the second round of BRITE
was several times that for the first round.
In view of the need to create for manufacturing industry a European
cross-frontier co-operation infrastructure and to respond to the
international competition a major increase in the budget is necessary
for the second call for proposals (IRDAC has advised that for the
second round this should be at least 300 MioECUs).
c. Ultimately, BRITE-type projects should become self-supporting and co­
operation within a revitalised Community become a naturaL and accepted
procedure without support from Community funds. There is nevertheless
likely to be a continuing need fro BRITE well into the 1?90s.
A follow-on activity (BRITE revised) is therefore envisaged to be
developed in close consultation with industry.
3.5 - 3
The experience of the first and second rounds of BRITE will make it
possible to deepen and concentrate its strategic approach by tackling
in depth new areas including
- the problem of bringing new technologies emanating from many sectors
to the manufacture of a wide range of new or technologically
improved products including furniture, textiles, paper-based
products, machine-tools, etc..,
- the use and means of use of new materials by including all aspects
finally needed for economic performance such as design, handling,
manufacturing, inspection, standards and training.
This activity is likely to include a range of pilot and demonstration
projects. IRDAC has already explained the need for cooperative
projects based on the "pilot demonstration plant" or "demonstration
factory" approach in order to encourage the wider adoption of the new
technologies in European industry. Moreover, many BRITE projects will
within a few years, need follow-on action to demonstrate at larger or
at full-scale the technological and economic viability of the
processes developed.
d. The financial amount estimated necessary for these activities for the
period of the Framework Programme is situated between 600 and
900 MioECUs.
Research and pilot demonstrations in favour of the steel sector (new
and improved production processes and improved steel properties and
fabrication procedures) will continue to be funded from the ECSC
budget.
3.6 - 1
3.6. Biotechnologies and Agro-Industrial Technologies
3.6.1. Biotechnologies
a. As in the 1984-87 version of the Framework Programme, the
recognition of biotechnology as a specific action is motivated by
the major impact that the applications of modern biology to
agriculture and industry will have on the activities of several
traditional economic factors. Some 40% of manufacturing output in
a developed economy is biological in nature of origin and numerous
advances of fundamental significance (production of new crop
plants, synthesis of vaccines, drugs and chemicals with high added
value, development of techniques for processing, transformation,
extraction, detoxification, ..) are now being made or are expected
before the end of the present century.
b. The main reasons for current relative weaknesses of the Community
in modern biotechnology have been identified (C0M(83)672) and can
be attributed to the fragmentation and dispersion of research
efforts, a shortage of scientists with advanced training adapted
to the requirement of Biotechnology R&D and the absence in the
Community of a supportive context for the rapid development of
modern biotechnologies. The objectives of the proposed activities
are to provide, in the most important areas of biotechnology, a
transnational dimension to the isolated efforts carried out in
each Member State for :
- encouraging mission-oriented research and the reinforcement of
R&D contextual infrastructures in those sectors where important
bottlenecks have clearly been identified which cannot be rapidly
overcome without the pooling of competences and facilities
dispersed throughout the Community;
- organizing these dispersed competences and facilities in a
Community training network of exceptional quality from which
young scientists in each Member State can fully benefit.
The fields of biotechnology R&D where Community efforts
for transnational research and training should be
conducted in priority, through cost-shared actions and
training contracts, are the following :
- data banks : modelling of biological structures,
processes and systems;
- collections of biotic materials;
- enzyme engineering and protein design;
- genetic engineering;
- physiology, genetics and molecular biology of species
important for agriculture and industry (area, essential
for long term innovations in biotechnology, not covered
by the current RAP Biotechnology (1985-89);
- technology of cell and tissue culture in vitro;
- development of in vitro tests for pharmacology and
toxicology;
3.6 - 2
- evaluation of risks associated with modern
biotechno logy.
- promoting the concertation of the Member States for the
effective implementation of the Community action priorities
which, in addition to research and training, and concertation
itself, comprise : raw materials of agricultural origin,
regularoty regimes, intellectual property, demonstration
activities.
c. What is proposed above by the Commission is in fact a continuation
and amplification of the work carried out in the biomolecular
engineering programme (BEP) (April 82 - March 86) and in the RAP
Biotechnology (1985-1989). The results obtained in the
biomolecular engineering programme and the launching in 1985 of
the RAP Biotechnology have demonstrated the possibility and
utility of Community research and Community training in
biotechnology. Transnational networks of laboratories of high
scientific quality have been constituted throughout Europe which
undertake joint research for the elimination of important
bottlenecks to innovative applications and which provide an array
of services and training facilities adapted to the complex
requirements of modern biotechnology. It remains, through
additional efforts during the period 1987-1991, to intensify the
activities of this large multi-disciplinary, polyvalent "institute
without walls" distributed throughout the entire territory of the
Community and, now that the foundations of a transnational network
are firmly established, to stimulate much more actively than in
the past, joint partnerships at Community level between
universities and industries. A very important task, in this
connexion, wilt be the continuation and amplification of long-term
Community research leading to the development of new crop plants
adapted to the industrial requirements of the Community and to the
promotion of innovative technologies for the exploitation by
industries of agricultural feedstocks.
As far as concertation is concerned, the work initiated in 1985
for assessing the strategic significance of new developments in
biotechnology and for promoting the necessary coherence between
the various areas of Community policy affecting or affected by
biotechnology needs to be continued and amplified, together with
the promotion of the concertation necessary between Member State
and Community activities in biotechnology.
d. The action includes work to be carried out as cost-shared actions
(research), training and concerted actions.
/
3.6 - 3
3.6.2. Agro-Industrial technologies
a. The advances of modern biology and biotechnology have increased and
will continue to increase agricultural productivity; throughout the
world, developed economies face the prospect of growing surpluses,
with heavy economic and political problems of disposal, unless they
can find nex uses for land, new ways of creating real value from the
products of agriculture. Advances in animal and plant genetics, in
the applications of science on the farm, and in the conversion and
addition of value to agricultural outputs, particularly by
biotechnolgy, enlarge the range of possible source materials and of
industrial products obtainable from agriculure. The need in Europe is
particularly urgent because of past successes of productivity; the
scope for innovation expands as we increase our understanding of plant
molecular genetics and physiology, of microbial and cellular
metabolism, and of enzymology and fermentation science. The future of
agriculture in the EC will depend increasingly on developing sources
of non-food income.
b. In order to exploit these new possibilities, a "total system" approach
is needed, and its feasibility needs to be developed and convincingly
demonstrated by exploratory, pilot and demonstration activities.
The detailed choice of activities will typically be driven by market
considerations, but the industries concerned must interact in close
partnership with the research laboratories and with agricultural
expertise. Research, development and pi lot/demonstration activities
will be sought in three areas :
- the industrial inputs to agriculture;
- new product and/or production opportunities through agro-industrial
technologi es;
- quality and production competitiveness in food products.
The influence of the Community on agricultural policy, the importance
of a "total system" approach within which a favourable (or non­
obstructive) policy context is required at European level, and the
desirability of pooling experience Europe-wide, all indicate the value
of setting these initiatives in the context of a Community framework.
c. The biomolecular engineering programme (1982-86) has been focussed on
agriculture and food industry topics, and has led to important
advances in plant genes and enzymology; such work is being continued
in the biotechnology action programme. But these and other
breakthroughs at a pre-competitive level require innovations at the
boundary between agriculuture and industry to enable them to
contribute to socio-economic objectives. Evidence from other areas
(e.g. energy demonstration projects) demonstrates the value and need
for propagating innovation in this way. Hitherto no such provision
has been made in Community biotechnology research programmes; although
the importance of such systematic promotion is increasingly recognised
both in Member State national programmes and by our major industrial
competitors.
It is envisaged that the proposed actions, carried out in close
correlation with the actions in agricultural research, should be
shared cost, (up to 50 % of full costs). Industrial co-finance and
collaboration will be actively solicited.
* *
•k
The Community contribution necessary to fund these activities should
be in the range of 350 to 460 MioECUS. This would allow to provide a
transnational dimension to the main efforts carried out by each Member
State in the most important areas of biotechnology, as well as
starting in agro-industrial technologies three projects per year and
per Member State for each of the last four years of the planned
period.
3 . 7 - 1
3.7. Materials Science and Technology
a. Advanced materials are already, and will remain for the future,
crucial elements in almost all important manufacturing industries.
The scientific and technical progress linked with materials will have
a considerable effect on the prosperity of sectors such as motor
vehicles, aerospace, shipbuilding, railways, electronics, telematics,
building, energy production, biomedical and many others.
This field includes a wide variety of items such as metals, plastics,
ceramics, concrete, glass, electronic materials and composites.
Equally, the properties to be improved are also numerous : mechanical
strength, lightness, stiffness, cheapness, flexibility, electrical and
magnetic properties, high or low temperature related properties, etc.
The considerable economic significance of this area is best
highlighted by the following figures : the added value generated by
the materials industries for all OECD member countries may be
estimated at about $ 500 billion and the corresponding number of jobs
at 20 mi llion.
It is with advanced materials and their rational use that
manufacturing industries will be able to improve the performance of
their products and thus make them more competitive. Advanced
materials will also contribute to the rational use of raw materials
and energy and the control and reduction of pollution.
b. Europe has lost some ground to the United States and Japan. Although
there are materials laboratories with a high reputation in Europe,
their innovative capacity is in decline. This failure to keep up in
the field of advanced materials bears a certain similarity to what has
happened in the field of information technologies. Europe's creative
spirit is receding and its laboratories are less efficient than their
overseas partners. 4 out of 5 patents on materials are applied for by
American and Japanese companies and a major part of the high
technology materials available in Europe is either produced under
license or imported (carbon fibers, special polymers, etc.)
No single Member State can afford the resources necessary to be
competitive over the entire spectrum of advanced materials. A
Community action is essential to encourage worksharing and pooling of
financial and manpower resources on the european scale. Only by
reducing duplications and sharing large research facilities and
equipments can Europe maintain the pace with its overseas competitors.
Effective use of advanced materials is essential for the success of
the products of European Industry. Development of improved materials
and development of improved techniques for exploiting materials make
complementary contributions to this goal. Although generally
distinct, these activities must be carried out in continuous close
inter-action. For this reason the work in the area of materials
science and technology and the work in the area of technologies for
manufacturing industry (section 3.5) are and will be carried out in
close consultation.
3.7 - 2
c. The former materials research programme on substitution and technical
ceramics was rather small. It was limited to the fundamental aspects
of substitution of strategic metals such as chromium, cobalt and
tungsten, and the investigation of technical ceramics in regard to
ceramic powder preparation and characterization.
A Community action commensurate with the challenges will need to
address the following wide range of advanced materials which are
promising in terms of improved or new performances, functions and
applications.
The effort will cover fundamental research (understanding of
properties and phenomena) as well as technological R&D on means of
processing, testing, characterising and producing these materials :
- engineering ceramics : powder quality and processing, reliability,
brittleness, shaping;
- polymers : in particular investigation of new types of polymers with
high thermo-mechanical properties, large stability area, polymer
blends, and conducting polymers;
- composite materials and fibres : further development of organic
matrix composites and high strength fibres; optimisation of metallic
matrix composites with ceramic fibres; special composites with
amorpheous, vitreous, or elastic matrices; matrix/fibres interface
phenomena;
- advanced metal alloys : light and hard metal alloys, magnetic
alloys; powder techniques (rapid solidification), near net shape
forming;
- electronic materials science : including special semi-conductors
( 11 / VI amorphous, organic, etc...) and biomaterials (detailed work
to be defined in relation with activities described under items 3.1
and 3.4);
- amorpheous and disordered materials : special materials including
glasses, vitreous materials, non crystalline solids, such as
amorpheous metallic alloys, prepared by fast quenching.
Other areas which could also be considered at Community level
depending on resources available include : superconducting materials,
advanced building materials, and biomaterials.
A Community pilot laboratory integrating equipments for advanced
materials synthesis and processing research should be set up in the
JRC. This ion/laser/electron foundry, would operate as a demonstrator
project open to industrial participation and researchers from alt
Member States.
More specific orientations and the allocation of the Community
resources between fundamental research and technological R&D and among
the various material families, materials for specific functional
applications, and processes will be defined and reviewed on the basis
of economic studies and surveys on new opportunities and industrial
requirements and taking into account the national activities.
Most of the research will be carried out through cost-shared projects
with an average Community funding of 50 %.
Concerted projects will also be considered, where appropriate, to
encourage sharing of information and experience between well
established teams from different Member States.
The Community will also promote the development of data bases, the
training of scientists and the transfer of knowledge through
conferences and symposia.
Considering the strategic importance of materials research for the
European industry, the Community RSD effort should be substantially
increased to improve the strategic coherence of the national efforts
which are still too fragmented and to keep up with the massive efforts
in the United States and Japan.
The effort estimated necessary for the 1987-1991 period is estimated
between 200 and 300 MioECUs. This level of effort corresponds to
about 20 % of the present Member States effort (excluding military
research).
3.8 - 1
3.8. Marine Science and Technology
a. The oceans are the last frontier, the least known part of our planet.
They cover 70 % of its surface area, have been used by man from times
immemorial to reach other continents and to supply him with food and
other resources. Yet, it is only fairly recently that their
multifarious role has been fully apprehended.
They play a fundamental function in the mechanism of climate, provide
living resources for food, feed, fertilizers, drugs; their continental
shelves conceal large reserves of hydrocarbons, the deep ocean bottom
is a potential source of minerals. Sea water itself is a solution of
many chemicals useful to man. The ocean is also the ultimate
depository of the wastes from human activity, which may threaten its
equilibrium. Its capacity to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
may determine whether man will eventually cause an irreversible and
unfavourable modification of the climate.
The increasing realization of the importance of the marine environment
to man has led recently to the preparation and adoption by many
countries of the Law of the Sea.
It is important for the EC to gain a better knowledge of the seas
around it in order to better protect and exploit them. In fact, a
sizeable research effort is already devoted to marine sciences and
technologies in the Member States, in the civilian and military
sectors. It is estimated that public non-defense R&D expenditure in
this area amounts currently to about 400 -500 MioECUs per year. This is
comparable to US funding for non-military research, whereas Japan
spends about 200 MioECUs.
It appears at this juncture that many of the national research
programmes are being re-assessed or renewed, or that new integrated
programmes will soon be launched. A coordination at Community level
appears thus particularly timely.
( *)A specific EC action in this broad field is justified on several
grounds : use of large or expensive equipment straining the resources
of any single country, the optimization of the utilization of existing
facilities (research vessels, submersibles, etc.), complementarity of
skills and competences available in the various Member States, the
application of research results for the implementation of Community
policies, aid to developing countries, the contribution to the
development of the internal market through the acceptance of common
norms and standards, etc.
There is indeed a large scope for cooperating at EC level.
b. In marine_ sciences, the objectives would be :
1. A better knowledge and understanding of the EEZ (exclusive economic
zone) of the Member States (physical, chemical, biological,
geological). Regional oceanography projects would deal respectively
There are at present several ongoing or proposed EC research programmes
concerned in part with marine problems : environmental protection,
remote sensing, navigation, materials, energy, fisheries,
radioprotection, radio-active waste disposal, etc., but no integrated
action.
3.8 - 2
with the Mediterranean, the East Atlantic, the Channel and North
Sea, the Baltic. Developing countries could be aided in similar
studies of their EEZ.
2. The scientific basis for coastal management and protection, for
which Member States share common problems and preoccupations.
3. A contribution to the understanding of the arctic and antarctic
regions.
In marine technologies (which would contribute i.a. to solving the
above-mentioned problems), the objectives might be :
1. To develop jointly the next generation of marine instrumentation
(buoys systems, underwater acoustics, unmanned submersible vehicles,
autonomous pollution monitors, etc.).
2. To promote the construction of a deep ocean drilling ship, which
would provide a European capability in this field.
A number of supporting and less costly initiatives could also be
implemented to further European marine sciences and technologies such
as :
1. The establishment of a "clearing-house" to optimize the use of the
high sea oceanographic vessels and other expensive equipment such
as the existing exploration submarines and facilities to study large
marine ecosystems ("mesocosms"), etc.
2. The training of scientific manpower in the oceanological
disciplines, including for scientists from the developing countries.
3. The development of data bases on marine science and technology.
4. The acquisition of a minority participation in large facilities,
mobile or not, in order to gain access to them for the Member States
which were not involved in their initial funding.
A sharper definition of the EC activities will require further
consultation of government authorities, industry and the scientific
community, possibly by means of "announcements of opportunities".
In view of the substantial activities carried out by Member States, it
is likely that the action will be executed by means of (reinforced)
concerted action, shared cost action and, possibly, minority
participation and joint undertakings.
The means required for a significant action at Community level should
be determined at a later stage, before the format proposal of the
Commission is submitted. The corresponding amount will be drawn from
the financial reserve mentioned in the summary table.
3.9 - 1
3.9. Transport
3.9.1. General Action
a. Research in the Member States has produced results that put the
Community on the same footing as the most advanced industrialized
countries in terms of new transport techniques.
However, these results have often been obtained from rival
research programmes which, although possibly spurred on for that
very reason, lead where uses are concerned to damaging
situations :
- projects for public services or captive markets have great
difficulty in finding uses in the Community or the rest of the
world. This is the case, for example, in high-speed track guided
transport on land and in urban transport;
- projects for normal commercial purposes that have met with
competitive worldwide success up to more recent years are
affected by the crisis and will face growing international
competition. This is the case, in particular, of road and
maritime transport.
On the other hand, projects involving international cooperation,
after the disappointing commercial showing of certain technical
successes that were poorly suited to the market, have finally
given transport operators the products they need, the chief
example being the airbus programme.
The Community's technological capital in the transport sector must
therefore break out of the usual national straightjacket. It is on
this that the productivity of research and utilization of results
hinge, and what is at stake is whether the Community transport
sector can :
- adapt to the new demand in trade within the Community and with
the rest of the world (network changes, effects of new
techniques, changes in the quality and quantity of traffic
patterns);
- respond to the constraints of the economic situation and the
social environment;
- be competitive in the Community economy and rise to the
challenge from outside Europe and, in so doing, be a carrier
market for the Community transport equipment industries.
b. The common transport policy is designed to ensure that the
Community transport system does its job with the help of all modes
of transport, without favouring or penalizing one or the other.
The provisions to emerge from the Treay are conceived on this
basi s .
But research must provide the way for the transport system to
adapt in the long-term to requirements.
3.9 - 2
In this respect, the changes and increase in demand, the economic
situation, the constraints and the effects produced by other
sectors are considerable factors and will continue to develop.
Research must therefore centre on the following :
- for track-guided transport :
. automation of traffic monitoring, signalling and track
equipment;
. simulation of train-driving;
. lightening, noise reduction and aerodynamics of vehicles;
. linear motors;
. effects on passengers (e.g. travelling through tunnels) and on
the environment (e.g. noise, unsightliness).
- for road trafic :
. analysis of road accidents;
. improvement of the safety of heavy goods and passenger
veh icles;
. optimation of the electric vehicle.
- for maritime transport :
. ship management, maintenance, functions, condition, economic
routing;
. configuration and performance of the ship, sturdiness of the
hull, resistance to forward motion;
. new types of ship and unconventional propulsion equipment to
meet commercial requirements;
. management of maritime traffic;
. man-ship system.
- for air transport :
. flammability and toxicity of materials used in the cabin;
. rationalization and modernization of air traffic control.
Community action will be called upon :
- both as a complement to schemes in the Member States when
national programmes coexist and cooperation is needed for
greater efficiency and easier dissemination of results and,
possibly, standardization;
- and when themes require a Community dimension because of the
resources needed, the lack of incentive from regulations or
commercial prospects, or the final use of Community interest.
c. Although no R&D programmes in the transport sector have been
implemented by the Community a number of projects concerning
transport have shed a certain amount of light :
- COST projects on transport;
- concerted Community action (COST 301) on navigation aids;
- transport projects in the "Non-Nuclear Energy" programmes or the
"Energy Saving" demonstration programmes.
3.9 - 3
This gives rise to the need for :
- either shared-cost projects or concerted action schemes
depending on the case in question;
- possible association with non-Community countries that are
members of COST;
- possible additional programmes for a certain number of projects.
The importance of transport research differs widely from one
Member State to another although it is a major item in non-member
countries that are geographically significant for Community
transport, such as Switzerland, Austria and the Scandinavian
countries. It sometimes requires substantial funds but in a large
number of cases its prime need is for momentum, incentive or even
simple cooperation.
d. A general research action with a budget of 50-80 MioECUs would
enable considerable impetus to be given to the transport sector.
This action is complemented in the field of road safety with a
specific activity aimed at applying information technology and
telecommunications (see "DRIVE", described in point 3.3.).
3.9.2. Aeronautical Technology
a. The European aeronautical industry is a major source of strength
to the countries of the Community. It designs and manufactures a
full range of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. Substantial volumes
of aircraft, engines and equipment are exported. The industry is a
"leading-edge" developer and user of advanced design techniques,
materials and manufacturing methods. Over and above the direct
benefit of advanced technology in its own business, the industry
transfers important technological benefits to other industries -
in areas such as composite materials, joining techniques, etc..
The commercial success of an aeronautical product is vitally
dependent upon the quality of design and manufacturing technology
which it incorporates. Thus, all readily available advanced
technology is routinely exploited and further advancement of the
state-of-the-art is costly, not only because of the refinement of
technologies as such but also because of the extreme care which is
taken to verify the adequacy of new technologies from a flight
safety point of view.
Despite the high cost of furthering technology, the pace of
advance in the world market is high. Although European research
continues to make notable contributions to aeronautical
technology, the prevailing state-of-the-art is overwhelmingly
determined by the very large US aeronautical research effort. This
US research effort is partly funded by the US industry, but it
benefits in addition from very large US government support under
programmes pursued by NASA and by DOD. The scale of US research
activity, both generally and in notable programmes such as SDI and
the hypersonic transatmospheric aircraft, is such that the pace of
technology advance outstrips the capacity of the European
aeronautical industry, supported by national government
programmes, to remain abreast of the prevailing technological
state-of-the-art.
3.9 - 4
b. The Commission believes that this situation calls for remedial
action at European level. Reliance upon licensing or importation
of US technology does not seem to be an acceptable basis for the
long term success of the industry. Equally, solving the problem by
increasing individual national support programmes does not provide
an efficient remedy. For these reasons, the Commission believes
that steps now must be taken to review the longer term research
needs of all the European aeronautical industry with a view to
developing a harmonized programme for medium to long-term research
requirements. In doing so it believes that the very favourable
experience of the management approaches used in the ESPRIT
programme and in the BRITE programme, involving a major
participation of the industries in the definition and guidance of
the programmes pursued, should be taken into account. Specific
proposals for the construction of an action are not yet possible
since further consultation with industry and with Member States'
administrations will be required.
c. As regards the scale of activity which should be contemplated, it
can be expected that to achieve a significant effect, the scale of
action must be some measurable fraction of the present level of
aeronautical research. This wouLd imply, for the Community as a
whole, activity at the level of some hundreds of MioECUs per year.
The corresponding Community contribution would be drawn from the
financial reserve mentioned in the summary table.
3.10 - 1
10. Scientific Norms, Reference Materials and Methods
The satisfaction of the need for further harmonisation and
standardization is one of the major objectives of a number of
Community policies : the completion of the internal market, energy,
consumer protection, agriculture, environment and health.
In addition to the need for harmonisation of written standards is
the need to demonstrate the quality of a product and to prove that _
it conforms to either a standard or regulation, (this requiring
testing, measurements and analysis). Further there is a need for
research and data bases to promote and facilitate the establishment
of written standards.
Each Member State possesses a metrology service. This functions as a
high level scientific body ensuring the standardization of the most
fundamental units and that there is agreement throughout the country
of all measurements.
The provision of such basic metrological infrastructure necessary
for industrial developments, is in every country - also in the USA
and Japan - considered to be a public service.
Problems of this kind have, however, often a transnational, character
and the Community can, because of its neutrality, play an essential
role in overcoming differences in particular by using know-how
developed in its laboratories and by coordinating the efforts of
national, public and industrial laboratories.
. The actions of the Community in this area are threefold :
1. The BCR programme has established efficient means of
collaboration between the metrology institutes within the
Community, which have allowed a large number of measurement
problems to be resolved via the more than 80 collaborative
projects sofar executed. This collaboration will be expanded in
particular with regard to the development of the measurement
methods required by the new technologies.
The BCR programme will also establish, for those areas not
covered by national authorities, collaborations leading to, above
all, improvements in analytical techniques and the production of
ancillary measurement methods recognized at the Community level.
In this way it will be possible to ensure traceability of
analyses and tests in such difficult and varied fields as health,
the environment and food, not forgetting the need of industry.
The emphasis on standardization for the completion of the
internal market and other policies and the introduction of new
technologies will increase the demand for such activities.
2. The programme of reference measurements and materials will
continue in our own uniquely qualified laboratories in Geel, and
in association with similar large institutes both within the
Community and the rest of the world, to establish nuclear data,
principally for neutron induced reactions, where this is
3.10 - 2
necessary for applications involving nuclear fusion and fission.
In addition an important part of the measurement and reference
material activity will relate to radioactive sources, neutron
flux and doses, target materials and the analyses of fissile
materials and isotopic compositions. Geel will also use its
experience in the nuclear field to collaborate increasingly with
BCR in other areas.
3. The JRC activities on materials and structures, conducted in
Petten and Ispra, will be increased to respond to the growing
need for improved reliability and standardization. The emphasis
will be on the development of reliability methods, models and
codes of practice for industrial structures and on research and
data bases on the behaviour of materials under extreme
performance conditions with the aim to promote standards.
Increasingly, collaboration will be established with Community
shared cost actions (e.g. BRITE and EURAM) and with national
laboratories.
c. The Community financial effort necessary to carry out this action is
estimated between 300 and 350 MioECUs.
4 . 1 - 1
4. QUALITY OF LIFE
4.1. Health
a. Each Member State, with its long experience and vast resources, is
primarily responsible for promoting and preserving the health of its
citizens but becomes increasingly overcharged by the steadily mounting
costs of health care which is escaping national control.
Global health expenditures are presently estimated to superate yearly
150 milliard ECU in the Community of which less than one percent (about
1.2 milliard ECU) are spent for medical and public health research.
However, research efforts at national level atone prove to be insufficient.
Since most national programmes consist of a large number of relative small
projects carried out by relative small and scattered research teams, co­
ordination of cooperation is indispensable. Especially a Community effort
of pooling in advanced fields (such as application of modern biotechnology,
medical informatics, advanced medical technology) the more or less scarce
national expertise and of jointly exploring new R, D&D avenues will create
a real innovation potential capable to solve major health care problems and
to curb health care expenditures efficiently, and will contribute to the
industrial development.
b. The Community effort will focus on three main R, D&D areas :
Co-ordination of medical and public health research, oriented towards :
_ major health problems common to all Member Staites, by including as new
targets CANCER (as follow-up of the Luxemburg summit) and AIDS (at
request of the European Parliament), and by continuing either ones
referring to age related (including disabilities) and to environment and
life-style related health problems, respectively.
. improvement and joint use of health resources, encompassing both medical
technology R, D&D and health services research (research on health
care delivery and organization).
For such an effort there will be a high return value for low-cost
investment at Community level (e.g. electrocardiography : improvement in
processing with cost reduction of only 10% will save 100 Mio ECUs per
year!)
Development of predictive medicine and novel therapy : this new intention
will promote the application of modern biotechnologies in their most
advanced aspects to the medical field and, in particular, to very early
diagnosis of diseases and novel methods of treatment. Its R, D&D will
mainly be oriented towards better knowledge of the human genoma, immunity
technology (applicable to cancer, auto-immune diseases, infections),
genetic engineering procedures permitting to repair DNA defects (e.g.
in congenital diseases of genetic origine), and industrial production of
diagnostic tests kits (e.g. AIDS).
Such Community attempt will fill in some gaps subsisting in the scientific
and technological knowledge (gaps which prevent the full utilization of
modern biotechnologies in the medical field), favour a European
transnational cooperation, speed up the implementation of technologies
already applicable, and at the same time promote a European scientific
milieu which generates a high innovation potential with promising economic
impact.
4.1 - 2
Improvement of occupational medicine as continuing institutional task is
carried out under the ECSC Treaty. The inherent activities are oriented
towards presenting health problems and occupational diseases associated
with the specific environment of coal and steel industries. They will
include research on chronic diseases such as those of the respiratory
system, physiopathology, as well as on other diseases of workers in
steelworks, cooking plants, coal and iron mines such as back problems, skin
diseases,... and aim at further improvement of health standards in the ECSC
industries by establishment of links between occupational diseases and
workplace nuisances, and by development of preventive measures, early
detection techniques, mitigation measures.
Occupational diseases are among the major cause of morbidity, both among
miners and among workers in cooking plants and in the iron and steel
industries, and hence present a community-wide problem.
c. The medical and public health research include two new targets (cancer and
AIDS), the continuing ones will undergo changes in their S/T content (by
terminating several projects, reorienting other ones and adding new ones).
Thus, the total number of projects will increase from presently 30 to more
than 70. Past experience has confirmed the importance of gradual co­
ordination and all evaluation reports proved its scientific, medico-social
and economic value.
The predictive medicine and novel therapy is a new undertaking based on
past experience from the Biotechnology programmes which gives confidence in
a real efficiency of such operation.
The third area includes continuing activities under the ECSC Treaty.
d. The medical and public health research will be carried out by means of the
concerted action method with increased support to centralized facilities,
the predictive medicine and novel therapy by shared cost (or marginal cost)
action, and the occupational medicine through contracts.
e. The Community funding needed to support R, D&D in the above areas for the
period 1987 to 1991 is estimated to amount between 140 and 160 MioECUs.
Additional to this amount is the research on occupational medicine covered
by the ECSC budget.
As a comparison, in the sole field of the medical and public health
research the yearly cost of research , performed in Member States, is
estimated at more than 200 MioECUs in 1987 at more than 400 MioECUs in
1990, which then corresponds to a co-ordination of 25% of total national
activities.
4.2 - 1
4.2. Safety
a. No human activity can be risk free. People are exposed to a variety
of hazards in every aspect of life : physical from various human
activities and the forces of nature, chemical from acute and chronic
poisons, or even biological ones. In addition, with the advance of
technology, new risk factors are added and their control becomes more
complex. Against this background, public interest and concern in
maintaining a safe environment are growing.
Many of the safety issues that are encountered are similar in nature
throughout the Community, and thus permit common solutions to be
economically developed and used. Community approach is often the best
solution when a considerable investment in time, money and effort is
required, and the knowledge gained by research effectively transferred
into application.
b. The proposed effort will focus on selected safety issues such as risks
inherent to industrial and other human activities, fires, special
technologies for hazardous environments, and natural hazards. Primary
prevention will have a high priority.
1. Characteristic for many industrial activities is that they raise a
diversity of safety problems whose solutions call for sizeable
effort, considerable expertise, and in many cases due consideration
of issues of social, legal, etc... nature. An integrated approach
for safety - allowing environmental and other constraints and also
technological advances to be taken thoroughly into account as they
become known - is playing an increasing importance.
The work wilt concentrate on technological hazards of potentially
significant importance, occupational groups exposed to a higher
accident risk than the rest of the population, and major risk
factors that are common to several industries :
« The research on major technological hazards will be oriented
towards the understanding, prevention, and mitigation of
consequences of important chemical/petrochemical accidents. The
problem of preventing and mitigating such events is shared by the
entire chemical/petrochemical sector; the need therefore is felt
for appropriate Community regulation and research support. The
EC directive "on major hazards of certain industrial activities"
is a first step.
- Improvement in occupational safety in the coal and iron/steel
industries as a continuing institutional task is carried out
under the ECSC Treaty. In this field further co-ordinated work
is needed at the Community level to assist in the application of
research results.
- The rationale for activities concerning radiation protection
originates from the obligations of the Commission to maintain
relevant competences as laid down in the EURATOM Treaty and in
directives. Scientific support is important for the assessment,
management and political evaluation of problems of radiation
risk, which is an area of Community-wide public concern.
4„2 ~ 2
2. Almost 80 % of all accidents are happening in the private
environment, i.e. in connection with activities at home,
recreation, sport, etc».. The corresponding costs for insurance,
medical care, etc... are several tens of billions of ECUs every
year. In addition, there are considerable losses of production.
At the Community level no common effort has been made sofar to
reduce the above expenses while there are ongoing activities in the
USA and Japan.
The proposed research will concentrate on the elimination of risks
in the private environment, in particular it will focus on
accidents due to the introduction of new kind of home-equipments,
on relevant data banks, on consumer protection against dangerous
products, on special products for the elderly, handicapped,
chi Idren, etc...
3. The overall cost of fires within the Community has been estimated
to an average of almost 1 % of 6NP. Whereas fire-fighting
techniques are generally well developed, methods of optimizing
levels of protection are still at the empirical stage.
The proposed fire safety effort should produce a scientifically
based approach and develop relevant quantitative engineering
techniques. The work will focus on three areas : research for
harmonization and regulation purposes, basic fire research, and
applied research.
4. Remote handling technology has the potential to extend man's access
to the natural wealth of the world and the range of his productive
activities in incompatible or dangerous environments. Such
hazardous domains include plants in key industries (handling
radioactive, biologically active, toxic or combustible materials),
the space and the oceans. There is also a public service domain
concerned with firefighting, etc...
An estimated Community market for this technology of
500 MioECUs/year from 1990, of which at that time about 1/3 would
be nuclear, is large enough to serve as a springboard into a world
market, but only if the R&D effort can be focused and user-led
demonstrations coordinated.
The proposed effort will focus on the three most relevant problem
areas : demonstrations of prototypes (each typical of a class of
applications), user and technician education, and underlying
research.
5. Although destructive natural events may occur Locally, their
economic impact is going to be shared by all the Community.
Moreover, some hazards, as for instance earthquakes, are shared by
various countries of the EC, so that the ways and means of early
alert, and efficient prevention and mitigation, are a matter of
Community cooperation in a multidisciplinary approach and in a
coordinated adoption of corrective measures. Community cooperation
is therefore particularly appropriate in fields where it is
necessary to build up efficient means for rapid information
exchange, thorough data storage and trans-frontier establishment of
survey networks.
4.2 - 3
Natural disasters research in the EEC will focus upon a selected
yet typical and frequent events such as earthquakes, storms, floods
and forest fires, which are likely to cause increased loss and
damage to densely populated areas. Depletion of land resources due
to drought in vulnerable ecological and societal contexts should
also be taken account of.
c. Safety R, D&D by its nature requires continuity. The following
evolution is foreseen :
The scope of the current programme on technological hazards/industrial
risks will be broaden.
The occupational safety effort includes continuing activities under
the ECSC Treaty.
As far as work on radiation protection is concerned, projects of a
more fundamental character wilt be gradually diminished, increasing
emphasis will be given to scenarios of accidental and environmental
exposure, their consequences for man and society, and the reduction of
exposure using risk evaluation and optimization, in support of EC
Basic Safety Standards.
The coordinated efforts in the fields of private environment, fire
safety, and special technologies for hazardous environment represent
new initiatives.
The existing climatology and natural hazards research programme
includes the study of the mechanisms and impacts of some extreme
climatic events and of earthquakes, but so far with appropriations
which are very much below the real needs.
d. Work will be apportioned according to the best availability of
competences and with a view to the maximum possible benefits :
The major technological hazards effort will be carried out by means of
in-house-, cost shared-, and concerted actions, the occupational
safety through contracts, and the radiation protection through cost
shared action.The work on risks in private environment will be carried
out mainly by means of cost shared actions and to a lesser extend by
the JRC, whereas the work on fire safety by concerted- and cost shared
actions, the efforts on special technologies for hazardous
environments and on natural hazards through cost shared actions.
e. Community funding required to support R, D&D in the above safety
related areas for the period 1987 to 1991 is estimated between 230 and
280 MioECUs. Additional to this amount is the research on
occupational safety covered by the ECSC budget.
It is estimated that the work on radiation protection will cover a
significant part (35 to 45 %) of all pertinent national research
(which in EUR 12 is estimated at 80 to 100 MioECUs/year) in
collaboration with almost all national centres of expertise. The
effort on special technologies for hazardous environments and on
natural hazards could represent between 5 to 10 % of the Member States
spendings in those fields.
4.3 - 1
4.3. Environmental Protection
a. Preserving and improving the environment is now universally recognized
as an absolute prerequisite to ensure man's survival and his material
and psychological well-being. Long-term economic development is
contingent upon the conservation and wise use of natural resources.
Of utmost importance is also the prospect of climate modification and
consequences thereof. Increasing emphasis is given also to the
protection and conservation of our cultural heritage.
The problems involved are essentially of a trans-frontier nature. The
economic implications of environmental policy have made it imperative
to give it a Community dimension. Science and technology are needed
to provide a sound basis for regulations as well as the techniques
needed to correct or prevent environmental damage. Setting high
environmental quality objectives spurs technical innovation. Industry
is induced to develop environmentally safer technologies which may
find a market at home and abroad.
b. Community cooperation in environmental research is thus particularly
appropriate as it supports one of the main policies of the Community
which must rest upon a body of sound scientific and technical
knowledge. Whilst the EC research action in this vast and diversified
field should not, and could not, substitute national efforts which are
often very important, it should coordinate them, complement them, and
evaluate the results achieved. It can also mobilize, in large
international projects (such as epidemiological surveys), the
expertise, skills and equipment spread over the territory of the
Communi ty.
EC research on the environment must have the triple aim of :
- solving immediate problems for the preparation or implementation of
current acts of the EC environmental policy;
- identifying and investigating environmental issues which will emerge
in the foreseeable future, in view of the often long lead time
necessary to obtain results;
- developing the basic understanding of ecological processes, and of
the climate system.
It should be stressed that the problems posed by the environment not
only need a multidisciplinary (hence often international) approach for
their solution, but also, due to their strong economical implications,
they are of capital importance for resource planning in an integrated
economical unit such as the EC.
c. EC environmental research was initiated in 1972 and has yielded many
useful results as attested recently by an evaluation panel. (Research
Evaluation Report No 14, 1985). These results have been applied in
the formulation of environmental policy measures.
4.3 - 2
Over the years, research has evolved from a corrective to a more
preventive approach, as well as towards more fundamental concerns.
Consequently, the research efforts on straight-forward effects of
major pollutants, on which now a considerable body of knowledge is
available, has been considerably reduced and is now limited to rather
few unsolved problems.
For the 1987-1991 time frame it is proposed to carry out research
under this heading in the fields of environment proper, climatology
and cultural goods.
1. Environmental research will deal in particular with :
- detection, measurement, analysis and monitoring techniques for a
wide range of pollutants and environmental conditions (including
aerospace remote sensing);
- effects of pollutants on health and on ecosystems (e.g.
consequences of "acid rain"), and on the cultural heritage
(buildings, monuments);
- assessment of human activities on environment quality, such as
testing and evaluation of chemicals;
- elucidation of basic principles of environmental process
(ecosystem research, bio-geochemical cycles);
- development of technologies for the reduction and prevention of
pollution, and waste management;
- restoration of the deteriorated environment, in particular of
damaged ecosystems.
2. Climatological research concerns a most important component of the
human environment, the one upon which our harvests, water
resources, health and energy needs depend. It should aim at a
thorough understanding of the climate system, and at developing
techniques for climate forecasting and for assessing the
ecological and societal consequences of any climate change, such
as the one likely to occur in the course of the next century
because of the warming induced by the atmospheric C02 increase due
to fossil-fuel burning.
In either case the inclusion of Spain and Portugal in the
Community brings with it new or intensified environmental problems
(e.g. water conservation, desertification) which must be taken
into consideration.
3. Research on the protection and conservation of the cultural goods
is not limited to assessing the effects of pollution on materials
already mentioned, but has also to aim at establishing methods for
damage prevention, the elimination of the man-made increment to
natural decay and to investigate methods for the restoration of
irreplaceable cultural objects. The emphasis, placed until now on
historical buildings and freely accessible monuments, has to be
enlarged to public collections of art, printings and books and
archeological objects, etc.
EC research on environmental protection encompasses in-house, contract
research and concerted actions. Tasks assigned to the JRC in this
respect tend to be those of a central nature such as the constitution
of data bases (e.g. ECDIN on environmental chemicals) reference
measurements for environmental monitoring (e.g. the Central Laboratory
for Air Pollution Measurements) the organization of joint field
experiments etc. Concerted actions, which involve several European
non-Member States within the COST system, are carried out on subjects
for which a sizeable programme exists at the national level. Shared-
cost contracts are the instrument used to fill research gaps and to
stimulate cooperation between research organizations in the Member
States.
In financial terms, the EC effort should represent a significant
fraction of the total amounts spent within the Community (EC plus
national programmes), in order to ensure an efficient coordination on
European level by means of complementary, gap-bridging contract
research and concerted actions. A share of about 15 % of the total
public spendings in the Community for environmental research seems
adequate to achieve this goal.
In view of these considerations it is estimated that EC funding in
environmental research should be between 285 and 320 MioECUs for the
1987-1991 period.
5 - 1
5. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT
a. The action concerned with a scientific and technical aid to
development envisaged for the period 1987-1991 follows the first
Community^programme "Science and Technology for Development"
1983-1986 . The latter represented the very first initiative aimed at
applying science and technology to the solution of Third World
problems within a well structured multiannual R&D programme.
The new Community action will continue to play an important role in
the revival of European tropical research, in decline after the
acquisition of independence of former colonies. The new action must
also allow for a more extensive and successful participation of Third
World research institutes in the research projects which interest
them.
b. The action covers two main research areas:
1. Tropical and subtropical agriculture including:
- food production: development of food crops resistant to adverse
natural conditions (drought, disease, pests etc.), improved
management of forage resources, fisheries and livestock (animal
genetics, veterinary medicine);
- forestry production: species suitable for humid and arid zones;
- land conservation and regeneration: protection from
desertification, improvement of water resources;
- improvement of farming systems taking into account the needs of
the rural population and the preservation of natural resources;
- post-harvest technology and product processing in liaison with
human nutrition and animal feed.
To support these activities, modern techniques such as remote
sensing or techniques adapted to local needs (especially for energy
supply in rural areas) will be applied.
2. Tropical medicine, health and nutrition including:
- transmissible tropical diseases (prevention, diagnosis,
treatment) and non-transmissible tropical diseases (such as
haemoglobinoses);
- health systems and the population: socio-medical research carried
out with the help of the populations with a view to organizing
health systems; demographic studies and surveys, applied research
on populations in relation with ecosystems;
- interdisciplinary research taking into account the agricultural,
socio-economic and medical aspects of nutrition into the problems
of nutritional deficiencies, malnutrition, food toxicology.
The research already undertaken or planned in the above-mentioned
sectors contributes to the consolidation of the Community
"Development" and "Science and Technology" policies. Science and
technology are considered essential instruments of development which
on the medium-long run will make the developing countries true
partners of the EC Member States.
O.J. n° L352 of 14.12.1982
In particular, Community-promoted research on tropical medicine offers
more opportunities to develop diagnostic tools and to prepare
appropriate drugs and vaccines to fight the most frequent diseases,
thus improving the world position of the Community from a
humanitarian, political and economical point of view. And the
agricultural research, through Community action can count not only on
the European genetic resources, but also on those still largely
available of developing countries.
The importance of this Community action resides also in the training
possibilities and therefore in the learning opportunities it offers
not only to people from developing countries, but also to young
European scientists.
Furthermore, the action, as well as other EC R&D programmes, will
permit to avoid duplication of national and international efforts and
will make the results more meaningful and of wider application.
The new action covers essentially the same sectors considered within
the first programme "Science and Technology for Development"
1983-1986. The evaluation of the research.potential expressed by the
about 2.000 proposals received in reply to the calls of the first
programme and the analysis of the preliminary results of about 430
research contracts concluded have permitted to individuate the
research priorities to be taken into consideration within the new
action. In its implementation the action :
- will place more emphasis on the stimulation of the research
activities of developing countries, thus improving or creating their
endogenous capacities in science and technology;
- will provide those countries with appropriate infrastructure and
scientific equipment when necessary, according to appropriate
contractual procedures;
- will contribute to the improvement of cooperation between scientists
as well as to the setting up of associative networks;
- will include an enlarged training component with possibility of an
exchange of scientists between laboratories and/or assignment of
experts to projects requiring a competent aid;
- will aim for a more effective application of the research results,
for the benefit of the people of developing countries.
The action will be implemented by means of shared cost contracts
between CEC and institutes from developing countries and member
States. However the possibility to organize some concerted actions,
especially for the creation of associative networks is not excluded.
The estimate of the financial resources considered necessary for the
implementation of the new action is based on:
- the research potential expressed in the course of the first
programme, especially by developing countries;
- the impact the action should have on the bilateral and multilateral
activities of Member States in order to ensure a coordination effect
(7-8% of national R&D activities);
- the impact on Community activities implemented in the framework of
its development policy.
5 - 3
The overall financial means should amount between 100 and 200 MioECUs
for the period 1987-1991, taking into consideration the above
conditions and the enlarged context (12 Member States). This
enlargement certainly requires increased efforts for the attainment of
the objective of a common policy and a common structure in the
implementation of the new action, but it will also offer the
opportunity to benefit from the historical links existing between the
two new Member States and the Latin American countries.
6 - 1
6. EUROPE'S SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL POTENTIAL
The Researchers' Europe
a. To improve the Community's scientific and technical competitiveness by
breaking down the compartments in Europe's "science space" and
establishing a true "researchers' Europe"; this is a major requirement
in the Community's medium and long term socio-economic development.
b. Faced with the need to strengthen the effectiveness of their potential
to undertake research and produce inventions, Member States have
implemented measures to stimulate scientific and technical creativity
at a national, as well as at the international level. However these
measures, which are often close to individual fields of activity (such
as molecular biology) or exclusively linked to specific research
topics, and which are confined to what is essentially a national or
binational geographical area, correspond only partly, despite their
undeniable value, to the constantly changing needs of the Community
and its Member States. A multinational activity is therefore needed
in order to reinforce and develop the range of existing measures.
It would seem therefore that the Community level is the most
appropriate one to achieve this aim. Modern science and technology
requires a multitude of views and complementary approaches, often of a
multidisciplinary character, which call for synergy between men and
ideas as well as for research teams possessing a certain "critical
size". This implies of necessity that there be a "geographical
context" such as the Community, which is as big as possible.
In these circumstances the Commission proposes to develop its activity
in two main directions :
1. Researchers :
Reducing administrative and social obstacles to the mobility of
researchers.
Research training, developing specialities, supplementary training
for scientists.
Developing intra-European scientific and technical cooperation and
the mobility of researchers.
Retaining and supporting high calibre researchers in Europe.
2. Facilities :
Optimising the development and exploitation of major scientific and
technical installations.
Eliminating obstacles to and providing help for the free
circulation of scientific and technical equipment.
c. With its "Plan to Stimulate European Cooperation and Scientific and
Technical Interchange 1985-1988", which followed on from the
experimental activity 1983-1984, the Commission followed this route.
Up to date some 650 teams of researchers in the Community have been
linked in this way, in 265 joint projects, and several dozen
"scientific networks" have been set up thanks to the Community
action, which has been recognised in all the circles concerned as a
success.
It has aroused a deep interest, not just in the Member States some of
which have now started similar activities themselves on a national
level, but also in international organisations such as the Council of
Europe and in European non-Member States (Austria, Finland, Norway,
Sweden, Switzerland). Some of the latter have officially made known
their wish to take part in the action and, in accordance with the
mandate given by the Council in March 1985, negotiations have been
started to agree the conditions, particularly the financial conditions
under which such participation could take place.
Encouraged by this success and by the interest which it has aroused
the Commission now proposes to build upon the activity which has been
carried out up to now. In this respect the Commission considers that
a particular emphasis should be placed on the social and cultural
aspects of the "researchers' Europe" and on making full use of the
Community's potential so far as major scientific and technical
installations are concerned.
Avenues for actions :
1. Researchers :
The Commission proposes to identify and implement contextual
measures of an administrative and regulatory nature both to
eleminate obstacles and support mobility.
Again, it is intended that incentives in the shape of financial
support will be made available in various forms (research grants,
laboratory twinnings, operations contracts, sectoral "bourses",
advanced courses, scientific awards and prizes) to promote
training, scientific and technical cooperations, the mobility of
researchers and the retention in Europe of high calibre researchers.
2. Facilities :
The Commission feels that it would be opportune on the one hand to
provide Community support so as to enable researchers in the
Community to make use, free of charge, of time and experimentation
facilities at a major scientific and technical installation. In
return, the installation could, thanks to the Community
contribution, be adapted, given special features and operated more
economically.
With a view to involving, ultimately, 5% of European researchers in
transnational cooperation activities of this kind the Commission feels
that the goal of 2.5% of researchers (10,000 people) should be adopted
for the year 1991.
To this end and on the basis of the experience so far gained, the
financial resources required may be estimated between 400 and
500 MioEcus for the whole period 1987-1991 (corresponding to 0.2% of
public R&D expenditure budgeted for the Europe of 12 during the same
period).
7.1 - 1
7. GENERAL SUPPORT FOR SCIENTIFIC AMD TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT
7.1. Innovation
The European Council has underlined the importance of reinforcing the
scientific and technical foundations of European industry and of
promoting its international competitiveness.
To this end, the Commission proposes to stimulate the whole innovation
process in the Community through two specific fields :
- an improved dissemination and exploitation of the results of Community
research, demonstration and technological development (RDTD)
activities;
- a strategic programme for the transnational promotion of innovation and
technology transfer (SPRINT).
7.1.1. Dissemination and Exploitation of RDTD Results
a. The proposed amendments to the EEC Treaty explicitly confirm that
"dissemination and exploitation of the results of Community research,
demonstration and technological development (RDTD) activities"
constitute one of the four inter-related types of action to be
undertaken by the Community in the field of technology.
In the context of a Community-wide market, improved dissemination and
exploitation of results will lead, throughout the enlarged Community,
to an increase in general scientific and technical knowledge, a
general improvement in economic competitiveness and an increase in the
number of jobs created. Certain investigations indicate that, even
with the scarce resources so far available, this action has already
led to the creation of about three thousand (direct and indirect)
permanent jobs, at a cost per job substantially lower than costs which
are usual in either the public or the private sector. About half of
these new jobs involve transnational activities.
b. This horizontal action will be implemented to the benefit of all
regions through three lines :
1. An activity covering the dissemination of all Community RDTD
results including :
- patent screening, filing and defending, to ensure that
exploitable material is protected;
translating Community RDTD results into several languages and
providing appropriate ways and means for dissemination to the
scientific community, to decision takers in the public and
private sectors and to the general public.
2. An activity covering the exploitation of the JRC's R&D results:
market evaluation of JRC inventions; support for constructing
prototypes and pilot plants; search for industrial partners for
exploitation or further development; granting licences; publicity.
3. An activity covering the exploitation of the results from all other
RDTD activities as far as the Community as such is involved
(shared-cost actions, including demonstration projects, COST,
EUREKA and cooperation agreements with third countries, etc..) :
- to ensure proper exploitation by adherence to the relevant legal
and contractual obligations for protection, exploitation and
licensing in the interest of the Community;
- to offer selective and precompetitive support in the field of
protection, exploitation and licensing, limited to certain types
of contractors (research centres wholly or partly publicly owned,
SMEs and universities), providing that the work has a
transnational character or cannot be adequately supported by
national measures and that provision is made via royalties for
repayment of the Community's financial support.
The experience of the Commission's services has proved that these
tasks are far better handled by an approach which enables specialized
services for the protection of inventions, the dissemination of
information and the exploitation of research results to be put at the
disposal of individual research activities.
A notable strengthening of this existing horizontal action, which
could be achieved at a cost modest in relation to the overall research
budget, would lead to benefits far in excess of that cost.
In close collaboration with managers of RDTD activities, researchers
and inventors and, where appropriate, the technical assistance of the
JRC, the work listed under b. will be implemented - notably for
reasons of competence, cost effectiveness and budgetary rules - by the
Commission's specialized services (which should be adequately
reinforced), assisted by external experts working under contract.
Exploitation projects requiring the further development of inventions,
or the realization of demonstration installations, will be carried out
by external enterpreneurial bodies acting under contract with the
Commi ssion.
1.2. Strategic Programme for the Transnational Promotion of Innovation
and Technology Transfer (SPRINT)
The proposed amendments to the EEC Treaty confirmed that "The
Community's aim shall be to stengthen the scientific and technological
basis of European industry and to encourage it to become more
competitive at international level. In order to achieve this, it shall
encourage undertakings including small and medium-sized undertakings,
research centres and universities in their research and technological
development activities; it shall support their efforts to co-operate
with one another, aiming, in particular, to enable undertakings to
exploit the Community's internal market potential to the full __ ".
Consequently a horizontal action is proposed aiming at the development
of a European supporting infrastructure for innovation and technology
transfer, particularly for the benefit of small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs).
It has indeed been shown that SME's are not in a position to exploit
effectively the results of research and to innovate without the
support of an infrastructure giving them access, across national
borders, to the finance, the information and the wide range of
advisory services, etc., which they require. In this connection, it
should be remembered that it has also been shown that the largest
potential for innovation is to be found in SMEs.
It is thus fully in the interest of SME's that this infrastructure
should be Community-wide, because this enables them to take advantage
of the size of the European internal market.
This action is split into three chapters :
1. The establishment of "human networks", namely tha transnational
interconnection of the various intermediaries that hold the know­
how which SMEs need : technology transfer specialists. Chambers of
Commerce, technology management consultants, marketing consultants,
venture capitalists, etc__
2. The development of "instruments", enabling SMEs (or the
intermediairies that work for them) to have easy access to the
information, originating from all Member States, which they
require : technological conferences, information systems on
technologies available for licensing or on the research
laboratories which can provide them with support, on technical
standards and specifications to be respected in each country, on
research reports issued at a national level containing data which
could be exploited by industry, etc..
3. Systematic concertation between Member States on measures to be
taken at a national level to promote research, innovation and
technology transfer, with the aim of not only enabling Member
States to take advantage of each other's experiences, but also to
suggest new measures to be taken at Community level.
The proposed action is designed to follow on from a first 3 year
experiment, decided by the Council of Ministers on 25 November 1983,
concerning the "Plan for the transnational development of the
supporting infrastructure for innovation and technology transfer".
The Commission has been implementing this plan for over 2 years. On
the basis of the experience acquired it can be confirmed that the
"infrastructure" approach is essential. It has at the same time become
very clear that the most important elements of this infrastructure are
transnational "human networks" and an effective system of concertation
between Member States.
7.1 - 4
It should be pointed out that this concertation, apart from the
exchange of experience to which it leads, provides feedback into the
Plan and generates specific new actions to be undertaken at a
Community level.
The action requires both a number of preparatory studies or pitot
projects and the implementation of full-size transnational operations
on the basis of shared-cost contracts.
* *
★
The financial resources necessary to carry out these activities are
estimated between 80 and 150 MioECUs for the duration of the Framework
Programme. Additional funding for activities relating to dissemination
and exploitation of research results will come from individual
programmes.
7.2 - 1
7.2 Communication and Information Networks and Scientific Data Bases
a. The establishment of Europe-wide communications and information
networks is a key element to:
1. Strengthen the European research infrastructure :
Fundamental, technological and engineering research requires good
computer based communication media to help researchers
- to work effectively while geographically dispersed, through
better and quicker access to relevant information sources and
improved communication with other scientists;
- and to sharpen their fundamental research capabilities in Europe
in order to use them more quickly than our competitors.
The creation of a European integrated computer network should
create a network scientific culture, initiate and intensify
cooperation between separate national research groups.
2. Improve the process and speed of innovation and stimulate the
industrial exploitation of industrial results, through the links
and bridges provided between universities, industrial research
centres, standardisation specialists and marketing people.
3. Lead to consistent approach and implementation of European common
standards. (Furthermore a European Computer Network should provide
a welcoming structure for EARN members when IBM finance ceases
supporting the EARN network).
b. The objective is the provision of a common integrated computer
communication infrastructure and associated services, using public
data networks and linking the computers and individuals of
universities as well as academia state and industrial research
centres. It will allow exchange of data, software, messages and
research results on a European-wide basis and also allow for the
sharing of massive and expensive resources such as information data
bases, super-computers, specialised services centres for expert
systems and artificial intelligence.
This infrastructure will build upon efforts being made in order to
develop and implement OSI standards and to provide the EEC with high
speed and/or broadband communication services (in the framework of
ESPRIT and of RACE).
Created under the auspices of the Commission, the RARE association
(Réseaux Associés pour la Recherche Européenne) aims to provide a high
quality networking infrastructure using the data services operated by
the PTT s, for the support of research and academic endeavour on a
European basis.
The European research network (ERN) constitutes another important
European project of which the Commission is a partner. It has similar
objectives. Internal discussions are currently taking place within
the Commission to define its active participation and contribution.
7.2 - 2
c. Motivation for EEC action :
- use of EEC wide capabilities in R & D and contribution to the
creation of the European community of researchers;
- coordinated approach required to develop and implement common
standards (in liaison with CEPT);
- substantial cost savings compared to a multiplicity of incompatible
national networks designed for the same purpose;
improvement of European-wide transfer of technology, including SMEs
and less favoured regions by setting down geographic barriers to
access of information.
d. At this very preliminary stage, one could envisage a Community
contribution of approximately 20 MioECUs. A first estimate of the
actual expenditure from the different national programmes of the
Community is in the order of magnitude of 80 MioECUs per year.
Furthermore part of the work which does not involve RDDT is carried
out within other programmes such as INSIS and IT & T standardisation
action plan.
f.5 - 1
7.3. Linguistic Problems
a. Language is the principal medium for human communication and for
recording of knowledge. For the Community with nine official
languages two classes of problems arise which are both decisive for
its success or even survival :
- Multilingualism : the national and cultural identity of the Members
is inseparably tied to their national (and regional) languages. It
is therefore a duty of the Community to make sure that all Members
can communicate with the Community institutions and with each other
in their own languages, without being discriminated against. This
calls for fast, cheap and reliable translation and interpretation
services, which are only possible through an extensive employment of
advanced information technologies. Only if the language barriers
are effectively overcome can Europe hope to avoid both external and
internal linguistic and cultural colonialism, with all its economic
implications, and to achieve equal chances for all its Members.
- Language understanding : the Community and its Members are making a
considerable effort to close the gap in the domain of advanced
information technologies which are recognized as one of the main
factors for future economic growth. IT research includes as a
priority area advanced information processing including knowledge
engineering expert systems, man-machine communication (written and
spoken), etc. Since the large majority of human knowledge is
recorded and communicated in natural language, the success of the
technologies ultimately depends on our ability to open this
information source to advanced information systems, and to
communicate the knowledge to the users in their own language.
Our competitors in the USA and Japan attribute a high priority to
natural language understanding in their respective IT programmes.
Together with the hardware, they export in a growing measure natural
language components (mostly in English) such as text processing, data
bases, speech synthesizers etc. At stake is not only the
competitiveness of the Community in the fast growing language
industry, but ultimately its own identity. The multilingual dimension
and the past efforts both at Community and at national level have
given Europe a certain advance over its competitors in this domain.
This advance must be maintained and increased through a coordinated
effort of all those concerned.
b. The long term objective of a Community R&D programme (coordinated with
national programmes) is the creation of methods, tools, technologies,
knowledge bases and prototype systems which can become the basis for
the development of an autonomous and strong European language
industry. The principal motivation for a Community action is the fact
that the fundamental problems to be resolved, such as the analysis and
synthesis of written and spoken language, interfacing linguistic
modules with information systems etc., are to a large extent common to
all languages, and require common solutions. These common methods and
tools should be used by the Member states (in cooperative ventures) to
create the monolingual and multilingual analysis and synthesis
modules, which in turn can be integrated into a variety of (prototype)
application systems.
While many of the problems are unlikely to be fully solved within this
century and require long-term basic research, the main concrete lines
of action for the period 1987-1991 are the following :
- Completion by 1990 of a first multilingual prototype machine
translation system (EUROTRA) capable of dealing with all official
Community languages and operational in a limited subject field and
for limited text types. EUROTRA was approved by the Council in
November 1982 (5 1/2 years, 16 million ECU). After the accession
of Spain and Portugal the Commission has proposed an extension of
the programme by 18 months and of the funding by 11 million ECU to
cover the increase of languages from 7 to 9 (and language pairs from
42 to 72).
- Support to the industrial development of an automatic translation
system which can be used in a multitude of domains and environments
(Community institutions, industry, commerce, services, information
and documentation). The preparation of this programme should start
in 1988, and the programme itself in 1990 (EUROTRA-II).
- Development of methods and tools for the reusability of lexical
resources in computerized applications, and creation of standards
for lexical and terminological data (LEXTERM). This action should
also include the support to the creation of national terminologies
in domains where they are missinq (preparation phase 1987, execution
1989)
Long-term basic research for the next generation of high-quality
machine translation systems and other natural language processing
systems. This research should include advanced semantic methods,
subject field expert knowledge, inference techniques, interfacing of
language processing modules with information and expert systems,
speech analysis and synthesis (EUROTRA III).
The cooperative decentralized organization of the EUROTRA project has
proven its adequacy as it acted as a stimulating and catalyst factor.
But it also showed some structural weakness of R8D in the domain of
linguistic problems at national level, which in a few cases lead to
considerable delays in the start-up of the national contributions to
the programme. Especially objective-oriented contract research is
insufficiently organized in many of the Member States and future
programmes should contribute to the improvement of the structures and
to the training of professionals.
For all projects a cost-shared action is foreseen. Projects with a
prevalent research orientation should be funded by the public sector
(Community, national contributions) while for projects with a clear
development component contributions from the private sector should be
expected.
The overall effort is estimated at about 280 MioECUs to which the
Community would contribute between 80 and 100 MioECUs, the Member
States 80 MioECUs and the private sector 110 MioECUs. This Community
level of effort would represent 15 to 20 % of the present overall
public effort of the Member States.
7.4 - 1
7.4. Forecasting, Evaluation and Statistical Tools
7.4.1. Forecasting (FAST)
a. Forecasting and assessing the implication and consequences of long
term scientific and technological change for the economic and social
development of the Community Member Countries remains one of the
principal tools available to the Commission in view of identifying new
objectives and new priorities areas for its action in the field of
RDTD.
b. During the execution of FAST II, an entire new generation of R&D
programmes and actions has come into life (ESPRIT, RACE, BRITE, CUBE,
STIMULATION...) which have increased the capacity of the Commission to
analyse tong term scientific and technological development and derive
strategic orientation.
Furthermore, greater and more systematic attention is paid to
technological change and its economic and social implications and
consequences by other services within the Commission (particularly by
the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Education).
The European Parliament itself has also decided in 1985 to set up a
Parliamentary office for the evaluation of scientific and
technological choices.
Thus, the FAST programme will no longer be the unique place within the
Commission and the Community Institution where activities comparable
to forecasting and assessment in the field of science and technology
are carried out.
A renewed interest is equally shown in the member countries, both at
executive (government) and legislative (parliament) levels, into the
analysis of long term societal implications and consequences of
scientific and technological development.
These new developments call therefore for :
1. an intensification of the specific role of the FAST programme;
2. opening new directions in the FAST research approach and portfolio
c - Ad 1 ■ The intensification of the specific role of the FAST programme
within the new Commission environment and in relation to recent
developments in the Member Countries.
This means :
- a strenghtened emphasis on the entire spectrum of
technological "families" and particularly in the long term
prospects of their integration (between IT, materials and
biotechnologies, between oploelectronics, IT automation and
materials, etc...) and the consequences for the European R&D
structure, industrial and education systems;
7.4 - 2
- greater focus on assessment of the implications and
consequences of new emerging fields of science and technology
applications;
- a greater emphasis on the "network" approach, in order to
bring together the forecasts and analyses made within the
Commission and Community institutions, and in the Member
States, and to integrate their results in science and
technology policy options.
Ad 2 . Opening new directions in research approach and portfolio :
This means :
- improvement and diversification of the proper tools
(information data bases, promotion and ad hoc European
"observatories") for better observing and analysing the
changes in the scientific and technological system;
- greater attention to the long term factors and dynamics in the
innovation processes, transfer and diffusion;
- carry out, on a more systematic manner, studies focussing on
the world development, problems and prospects of science and
technology, taking into account the accelerated
transnationalisation of economy, technology and R&D;
- and, in close relation with IRIS, strengthening the links with
the world of producers and users of new application of
advanced science and technology.
d. The work will be carried out as a shared costs action, as it is the
case since the beginning of FAST.
e. The amount to be spent on this action during 1987-91 is estimated
between 15 and 18 MioECUs.
7.4.2. Evaluation
a. A close scrutiny of scientific activities is necessary not only for
the development of more effective science policies, but also for
ensuring that in an era of growing demands for accountability, society
at large is provided with the necessary assurances that public funds
expended on research are effectively contributing to the attainment of
social and economic objectives set by the Community and its Member
States. Furthermore the increasing awareness of the importance of R&D
for economic growth has resulted in a growing recognition of the value
of R&D evaluation. This is proven by the interest shown by the Member
Countries and by several international organizations such as the UN
and the OECD.
( . h - 5
b. For the period 1987-91 the Commission will continue to follow the
principles exposed by the plan of action relating to the evaluation of
Community R&D approved by the Council on 28 June 1983. This
evaluation is performed at the level of each individual activity in
time to provide input for the formulation of the next programme. Its
methodology is based on the "peer evaluation" carried out by external
groups of independent experts, without neglecting, whenever possible,
the use of quantitative indicators.
In order to carry out this activity in an effective way, the
Commission will encourage research in this field in the Community and
continue its efforts in the development of appropriate evaluation
methodologies and in the establishment of a Community evaluation
network.
c. Evaluation techniques will reflect the growing Community R&D priority
towards programmes contributing to industrial competitiveness. This
implies that a specific effort will be devoted towards the analysis of
all aspects contributing to industrial innovation and competitiveness.
The importance of socio-economic impact assessments has been
repeatedly stressed by several Member States. A full consideration of
this aspect will require evaluations at a higher aggregation level
than carried out up to now.
d. The amount to be spent on evaluation activities during 1987-91 is
estimated between 10 and 12 MioEcus.
7.4.3. Statistical tools
a. Support of forecasting and evaluation in the form of comprehensive
statistical data bases is essential. Such support consists not solely
of the data themselves but should also attempt to embody the expertise
of those who collect and use the data. This support should be
developed in the form of knowledge based expert systems. The
objective of such systems is to improve the productivity of
statistical information by enhancing its value to the user.
b. This activity should include a fundamental study of the problems
underlying the construction of expert systems in the field of
statistics, proposals for standards to be applied in order to ensure
compatibility of future work in this area and complete prototype
systems designed to operate in selected areas. In addition to the
specific results in the field of statistics, experience of more
general applicability will be acquired which will be relevant to the
wider field of research in the development of expert systems.
A Community approach is necessary to coordinate and reinforce the
current efforts scattered in a few Member States by providing a
general integrating frame, and to develop common standards to promote
the generalised use of these new tools.
c. This new Community activity should be carried through cost-shared
projects and would require an amount in the order of 5 MioECUs for the
1987-91 period. This would represent 5 to 10 % of the efforts of the
Member States in this field.
7.5 - 1
7.5. International Cooperation
a. A more active scientific presence in developing countries is becoming
an important part of the Community strategy. An appropriate response
can only be decided upon through a detailed knowledge of the needs of
its partners. A true transfer of technology to developing countries
can only be achieved by strengthening this cooperation between Europe
and these countries.
As a consequence of the strengthening of scientific relations with all
countries,, economic opportunities arise through the opening up of
export markets and at the same time more assistance can be given with
the development of poorer populations.
The individual countries of Europe have available a remarkable science
and technology potential; however, ohly a collective effort will enable
the Community to respond to the increasing demand for cooperation from
developing countries.
Scientific and technical cooperation provides one of the pillars on
which increasingly rest the worldwide cooperative agreements which the
Community signs with Third Countries. The industrialized countries,
and the members of EFTA in particular, wish in effect to join the
Community in order to increase their scientific potential and to
rationalize the resources necessary to sustain a research effort.
Developing countries, in their turn, await the Community's scientific
and technical aid that is so necessary to speed up their development.
b. A Community action was launched in 1984 with a modest budget, in order
to support actions on scientific and technical cooperation with
industrialized countries on one hand and with developing countries,
more specifically non associated Third World countries, on the other.
These scientific and technical actions aim at strengthening the
cooperation established in a more general frame within other Community
policies.
The objectives and the methods of carrying out international science
and technology cooperation differ according to whether they relate to
developing countries or to industrialized countries.
1. For developing countries these actions are aimed either at
complementing the R&D programme "Science and Technology for
development" (see point 5) or at preparing future R&D·programmes.
For developing countries, the need is for aid intended to
strengthen local research, especially through the establishment of
links between European institutes and those in developing
countries. The joint execution of research work on topics of
common interest is the final objective of the cooperation which we
wish to attain.
The main ways of achieving this objective are the following :
- assistance with the establishment of research programmes;
- training of scientists;
- exchanges of information;
- joint organization of seminars, workshops and conferences;
- creation of research networks between European and Third World
institutes;
- joint research.
2. Scientific and technological cooperation with the industrialized
countries, on the other hand, aims essentially at strengthening
exchanges of information and scientific personnel between the
Community and these countries, in order to :
- increase research capacities,
- reduce research costs,
- avoid duplication of research activities, and
- coordinate the work involved.
The principal actions which are in progress in this regard are the
following :
- exchanges of information;
- seminars, workshops;
- organization of joint meetings;
- visits and periods of training and information;
- joint projects and exchanges of research workers.
These actions are complemented, in the case of non-EC European
countries, by their direct participation in Community R&D
programmes.
The fields covered by this new initiative are most diverse and vary
according to needs and mutual interests. Agriculture, environment and
new technology have been the sectors in which the greatest number of
research actions have been initiated, especially in developing
countries. Cooperation with industrialized countries, by contrast, is
centred in the field of more advanced technologies and fundamental
research.
Identification of themes for cooperation takes place jointly with the
partners, and financial participation is also negotiated by mutual
agreement. It is normally fixed with regard to the degree of
development, especially scientific, and the financial capacity of the
country concerned. With certain developing countries (China, the ASEAN
states, India, Brazil, Mexico, etc.) the funding has been set,
initially at least, as almost entirely a charge on the Community.
The tendency now, however, is to transform aid into a true cooperative
relationship and for the developing countries to be responsible for a
percentage of the costs of the research activities. Among other things
this permits an increase in the number of activities that can be
carried out.
The attainment of "joint funds" with our partners and the negotiation
of framework-contracts are the important administrative and budgetary
instruments on which to base the enlargement of this international
cooperation.
7.5
In order to be able to respond to the demand for scientific cooperation
which is destined to increase considerably, especially regarding the
newly associated countries in Latin America (and also following the
Community entry of Spain and Portugal), substantial credits must become
available. A Community action, taking account of the needs to be met
and the objectives to be followed, must be able to count on a sum
estimated between 50 and 60 MioECUs for the period 1987-91 in order to
be of significance.


Full & Egal Universal Law Academy