A Community framework for R & D : with evidence / Select Committee on the European Communities.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Lords. Select Committee on the European Communities.
Date:
1990
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: A Community framework for R & D : with evidence / Select Committee on the European Communities. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/156 (page 6)
    The main emphasis of the programme was to improve Europe’s industrial competitiveness. Most of the money was for research linked with industrial development, but some was for science and engineering projects not immediately related to industrial interests. THE THIRD FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME 5. In 1989 the Commission proposed a Third Framework Programme 1990—94', which would overlap with the existing one by two years. This followed the Commission’s own Report on the State of Science and Technology in the Community’ and the Report of the “Five Wise Men” into the Second Framework Programme’. The Commission argued‘ for a new programme rather than for a revision of the existing one because of the accelerating pace of technological progress; the need to strengthen Europe’s industrial competitiveness; and “... the need to respond in a more effective way to the directions fixed by the Single [European] Act ...” The main change was the ordering of activities around six strategic “lines”, grouped under three headings. The balance of funding between areas would change (more details are given in Appendix 4) and there were elements both of “necessary continuity” and of “discontinuity and novelty” with existing programmes. The Commission also undertook both to develop a “global initiative” for improving the dissemination of research results, and to improve the efficiency of its management. 6. The Commission’s proposal was given high priority by the Council and, after detailed negotiation, was unanimously agreed on 15 December 1989, subject to a final “conciliation” procedure with the European Parliament. This was completed in February 1990. The total level of funding agreed was 5.7 becu (£4.2 billion), comprising 2.5 becu (£1.8 billion) for 1990-92 and 3.2 becu (£2.3 billion) for 1993-94. The six strategic “lines” were: (i) Information and communications technologies; (ii) Industrial and materials technologies; (iii) Environment; (iv) Life sciences and technologies; (v) Energy, (vi) Human capital and mobility’. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT 7. The Commission’s proposal for The Third Framework Programme was referred to Sub- Committee B (Energy, Transport and Technology). In November 1989, the Sub-Committee took oral evidence from the Hon. Douglas Hogg, M.P., Minister for Industry in the Department of Trade and Industry, and from Professor Paolo Fasella, Director-General, Directorate-General XII, European Commission. They also took a limited amount of written evidence. From that evidence, the Sub-Committee concluded that the document then before the Council was in general satisfactory, subject to final agreement of a number of details in the technical annex. They were thus glad to note the Council’s subsequent agreement of the proposal. 8. This Report accordingly concentrates on a number of general issues arising from the evidence, the significance of which can be expected to increase as successive framework pro- grammes grow in importance. The most important is the question of additionality of money received in the United Kingdom from Community funds and the apparent attribution of such funds to Departmental budgets. How this system works is set out in paragraphs 23—27 below and the evidence taken from the Treasury and from a number of other witnesses is summarised in paragraphs 54-64 below. The Committee’s Opinion on additionality is to be found in paragraphs 91-102 below, summarised in paragraphs 118-121 below. 9. Part 2 of this Report attempts to explain how the Community’s involvement in R & D actually works and Parts 3-5 summarise the evidence received. Part 6 sets out the Committee’s opinions, which are summarised in Part 7. A list of members of the Sub-Committee appears in Appendix 1. The Sub-Committee are most grateful to those members of the Select Committee 1 OJ C 243, 23.9.89. f * COM(88)647 Final, 10086/88 (December 1988). * SEC(89)1139, “Report of the Framework Programme Review Board”, June 1989, by Pierre Aigrain, Sir Geoffrey Allen, Eduardo de Arontes e Olivera, Umberto Columbo and Hubert Markl. * In its Foreword to the Proposal, paragraphs 4-5. ° HC Deb, 17 January 1990 col 318.