Activites

• 1999/02/01 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Decision 1999/182
  • OJ L 026 01.02.1999, p. 0001
• #2154
• 1998/12/22 Council Meeting
• 1998/12/22 End of procedure in Parliament
• 1998/12/15 Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading
  • T4-0724/1998 summary

    The Parliament's conciliation agreement negotiated with the Council on the Fifth Framework Research Programme (1998-2002) was approved. The Parliament's Rapporteur was Ms. QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL (D, EPP). The programme's budget, at EUR 14.96 billion, represents a slight increase in real terms on the Fourth Framework Programme. Furthermore, there are provisions allowing for greater flexibility when allocating resources in the years ahead to take account of scientific and technical needs at the time.�

• 1998/12/14 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 1998/12/09 Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading
  • A4-0493/1998
• 1998/11/25 Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs
  • 3626/1998
• 1998/11/17 Final decision by Conciliation Committee
• 1998/09/29 Formal meeting of Conciliation Committee
• #2113
• 1998/07/13 Council Meeting
• 1998/06/17 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T4-0357/1998 summary

    In adopting the recommendation for second reading by Mrs Godelieve QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL (PPE, D) the European Parliament called for a maximum overall amount for Community participation of ECU 15 040 million. The Council proposed 12 740 million and the Commission proposed 14 833 million. The programme should apply to four areas: - the implementation of research technological development and demonstration programmes (ECU 12 000 million; the Council proposes ECU 10 039 million); - promotion of cooperation with third countries and international organizations regarding Community research to technological development in demonstration activities (ECU 500 million). The Council proposed ECU 458 million); - the dissemination and utilization of results of RTD activities (ECU 420 million; the Council proposes ECU 350 million); - measures to encourage the training and mobility of researchers in the Community (ECU 1320 million; the Council proposes ECU 1205 million). Parliament wishes to specify the objective of research activities within the framework programme: optimizing scientific and technical conditions for the international competitiveness of the EU, improving the quality of life of Community citizens and meeting the criteria of ecological sustainability. Parliament calls for the measures for the adoption of particular measures to encourage the effective participation of SMEs (for example the systematic consultation of SMEs by the Commission simplification of formalities and more transparent procedures). Concerning research activities Parliament calls for: - the introduction of criteria related to social development including measures to foster the participation of women in all fields of research and technological development; - health measures contributing to the fight against diseases relating to the environment and food in view of the immense costs arising therefrom (for example allergies); - consideration of the needs of the elderly and disabled; - the addition of a new key action concerning social changes brought about by the introduction of new information and communications technologies. The European Parliament, in adopting an amendment by the PPE Group by 394 votes to 124 and 13 abstentions, urges that no research activity which results in a modification of the genetic heritage of human beings by manipulation of germ cells or manipulation at another stage in embryonic development, which modification might become part of the genetic heritage will be carried out. It also pledges that no activity in the area of human cloning, that is to say the reproduction of human embryos carrying the same genetic information as another human being whether alive or dead be planned. It also calls for research which results in the destruction of embryos to be banned. Similarly, no European Union research funding should be used for the development or manufacture of weapons.�

• 1998/06/16 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    Commissioner Cresson thanked Parliament, which had supported the Commission’s proposal aimed at providing the framework programme in question with a budget of ECU 16.3 billion, while considering that the chances of achieving a unanimous vote in favour of the amount proposed were small. The Commission had therefore opted to maintain the amended proposal without including any amendments other than those already incorporated as they stood or largely unchanged at the conclusion of first reading. As for the group of amendments on the implementation and management of the framework programme, Mrs Cresson announced that a range of measures moving in the same direction as most of the amendments was being prepared by the Commission.

• 1998/06/03 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A4-0226/1998
• 1998/04/02 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2076
• 1998/03/23 Council Meeting
  • 06108/1/1998 summary

    The common position incorporates a large number of Parliament's amendments, whilst respecting the general approach of the Commission proposal. The Council followed four guiding principles: - the need for a more focused and concentrated Community research effort based on greater efficiency and added value; - the role of the Framework Programme as a instrument for the realization of major Community objectives, in particular, improving the competitiveness of European industry vis-à-vis its international competitors, stimulating growth and employment and improving quality of life; - a realistic approach in setting objectives and defining activities, taking into account that the Union's priorities are evolving in the framework of Agenda 2000 and that a new financial perspective will be negotiated during the lifetime of the Fifth Framework Programme; - the need for simplicity and clarity of the text, thereby avoiding details best suited to the specific programmes. In relation to the main aspects of the Framework Programme, the Council's position is as follows. (1) Structure and content of the programme: The common position follows the Commission's approach, based on concentrating activities around a limited number of programmes. The Council, however, has included a fourth thematic programme devoted to research in the areas of energy and the environment, with a consequential transfer of certain key actions from the thematic programmes 'quality of life' and 'competitive growth' to this new programme. The Council has also: - divided the fourth thematic programme into two subprogrammes on environment and energy respectively, each with a separate budgetary allocation; - split the energy sub-programme into two key actions, giving more emphasis to renewable energy sources; - approved for the most part the key actions proposed by the Commission but made provision for new key actions on the ageing population and global change and a combined key action on land transport and marine technologies; - introduced a new key action on marine sciences in the environment programme. As regards the horizontal activities, the common position introduces some changes to pay greater attention to SMEs and the socio-economic dimension, by introducing a new key action on socio-economic research. With the future enlargement of the Union in mind, particular measures to facilitate participation in the Framework Programme of States in the preaccession phase have also been incorporated. (2) Overall amount: The Council has reached an agreement on an amount of ECU 12 740 million, divided as follows: - first activity (research programmes); ECU 10 039 million - second activity (international cooperation); ECU 458 million - third activity (dissemination and optimization); ECU 350 million - fourth activity (training and mobility of researchers); ECU 1 205 million - direct activities to be carried out by the Joint Research Centre (JRC); ECU 688 million. In view of the fact that the current financial perspective expires at the end of 1999, the overall amount will be distributed between the first and second periods of the Framework Programme: ECU 3 100 million for the period 1998 to 1999 and ECU 9 640 million for the period 2000 to 2002. The common position provides for a new decision by Parliament and the Council if the overall amount proves not to be compatible with the new financial perspectives for the years 2000-2002, or in the absence of a financial perspective. A joint declaration by the three institutions would ensure compliance with this provision. The overall amount will need to be revised in the event of accession of new Member States during the lifetime of the Fifth Framework Programme. (3) Breakdown of funds: The common position follows the Commission proposal with regard to the breakdown of funds between the four activities of the Framework Programme. It nevertheless gives a higher priority to Activity 2 (international cooperation) and Activity 3 (innovation and SMEs). The common position also reflects the importance attached by the Council to the training and mobility of researchers, in the context of measures to stimulate growth and employment (it maintains the relative share of activity 4 at the level proposed by the Commission, i.e. 10%). The Joint Research Centre will gradually adopt a more competitive approach. (4) Implementation and management: Whilst sharing a number of the concerns expressed by Parliament regarding the need for efficient and transparent implementation and management, the Council considers that this is a question to be dealt with in the specific programme decisions. �

• #2067
• 1998/02/12 Council Meeting
• 1998/01/14 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(1998)0008 summary

    The Commission's second amended proposal incorporates the spirit and substance of several of Parliament's amendments, particularly the one proposing a fourth thematic programme. However, some of Parliament's amendments concerning the wording of the themes and the detailed formulation of their scientific and technological content reflect an approach by sectors and by disciplines which departs from that advocated by the Commission. In addition, where the points of view converge as to the substance, the Commission's amended proposals are based on suggestions made by the Council. The major amendments concern: (1) The structure of the first action of the framework programme which now comprises four thematic programmes: (a) improving the quality of life and the management of living resources; (b) creating a user-friendly information society; (c) promoting competitive and sustainable growth; (d) preserving the ecosystem. In this reconfiguration, the Commission is encouraging the integrated, multidisciplinary and multisectoral approach pursued so far. The first programme is refocused around concerns relating to health, the quality of life and the management of living resources, while the new (fourth) programme addresses the safeguarding of the natural resources heritage. The third programme will now focus mainly on a combination of issues relating to production and transport. (2) The key actions: - the two key actions 'health and food' and 'environment and health' of the programme 'Improving the quality of life and the management of living resources' have been merged into one single key action 'health, food and environmental factors'; - the key action 'advanced energy systems and services' is split into two separate key actions 'promoting the sustainable use of energy' and 'developing cleaner, more competitive and diversified energy supply' and transferred to the new programme 'preserving the ecosystem'; - two additional key actions are created: the first on 'the ageing population' within the programme 'improving the quality of life and the management of living resources' and the second 'global environmental change in climate' within the new programme 'preserving the ecosystem'; - the title of the key action 'the city of tomorrow' is amended to include the cultural heritage. (3) As regards the overall allocation and distribution of funds, it is proposed that the figures proposed by the Commission for the overall amount (ECU 14 833 m) and its breakdown over the four activities be confirmed. As regards the breakdown of resources within the first activity, the changes made reflect the revised structure on the basis of four programmes: (a) improving the quality of life and the management of living resources: ECU 2650 millions; (b) creating a user-friendly information society: ECU 3925 millions; (c) promoting competitive and sustainable growth: ECU 3100 millions. (d) preserving the ecosystem: ECU 2100 million. �

• 1997/12/18 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0629/1997 summary

    In adopting the report by Mrs QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL (EPP, D) Parliament set the overall amount for Community financial participation in the fifth framework programme for R & D at ECU 15.4 billion (the Commission proposed an amount of ECU 14.833 billion). Parliament considered that the research activities supported under the fifth framework programme should have as their aim the improvement of the quality of life of citizens and the scientific and technological conditions of the Union's international competitiveness, while satisfying the condition of ecological sustainability. It advocated the adoption of measures to encourage the effective participation of SMUs in the programmes. The European Commission had proposed three themes for the first Community activity (research programmes) but Parliament adopted an amendment providing for four themes: a) life sciences and technologies: health, food and environment, fight against transmissible and rare diseases, the cell factory, chemical and molecular biology bases and degenerative diseases, especially diseases and handicaps relating to age; b) information and communication technologies: systems and services for the citizen, new working methods and electronic trading, multimedia, essential technologies and infrastructures; c) transport - mobility - production: land-based and marine transport and technologies, aeronautics and astronautics, mobility and interoperability, products, procedures and organizations; d) energy - environment - sustainable development: advanced energy systems and services in the energy sector, including fossil fuels and renewable energies and, in the environment sector, cultural heritage and sustainable development; rural and mountain areas, coastal areas, urban areas, global climate change, water management and technologies. Parliament also adopted an amendment concerning the amounts and their breakdown for the four activities in the period 1998-2002: - first activity (research programmes): ECU 12.165 billion (Commission ECU 11.775 billion); - second activity (cooperation with third countries and international organizations): ECU 550 million (Commission: ECU 491 million); - third activity (dissemination and optimization of results): ECU 410 million (Commission ECU 350 million); - fourth activity (stimulation of the training and mobility of researchers): ECU 1.460 billion (Commission: ECU 1.402 billion). Parliament called on the Commission to submit a proposal for adaptation of the scientific and technological objectives and measures halfway through the term of the fifth framework programme. It also proposed that Parliament should establish mechanisms enabling its members to scrutinize the implementation of all parts of the framework programme. �

• 1997/12/16 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    The rapporteur stressed the importance of the added value provided by European research programmes. She explained that this went beyond the promotion of improved exchanges between researchers of different nationalities as it responded to the need to give SMEs every opportunity and to encourage the Joint Research Centre to assert itself as an independent body. As regards the funding envisaged, the rapporteur considered that the Commission, with its ECU 16.7 billion, had not shown much vision as this was equivalent to just under 4% of total research expenditure by the EU governments. Commissioner Cresson noted with satisfaction that Parliament had supported and reinforced the innovative aspects of the Commission’s proposal. In particular, with regard to the financial aspects, the Commissioner commented that Parliament’s draft opinion proposed a fifth framework programme with a budget of ECU 400 million more than proposed by the Commission. She was in this respect convinced that, faced with competitors such as the North Americans and Japanese who were not letting up on their research efforts, the European Union could not allow itself to cut back or allow a levelling off of the resources allocated to research at European level. Furthermore, Mrs Cresson agreed with the spirit of Parliament’s amendments which she judged to be very useful in several cases (for example, the amendment which translated into operational terms the interdependency between the decision to adopt the fifth framework programme and its financial allocation and the negotiation on the future financial perspectives of the European Union, or those amendments aiming to ensure a better balance between men and women in the ‘Improvement of human potential’ programme and the introduction of the question of equality of opportunity as a theme for socioeconomic research). Finally, the Commissioner stated that she intended to increase her cooperation with Parliament during the implementation of the research programme because Parliament was best placed to ensure that European research was used to serve European citizens.

• 1997/12/04 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0396/1997
• #2042
• 1997/11/10 Council Meeting
  • 2042
• 1997/08/11 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(1997)0439 summary

    The modified proposal seeks to complement the proposal for a decision on the Fifth Community Framework Programme for a financial package which marks a substantial increase over the simple maintenance of the average percentage of GNP. The Commission proposes that this increase be set at 3%, that is to say a package of ECU 14.833 billion broken down as follows: - First activity (programmes for research, technological development and demonstration): ECU 11.775 billion; - Second activity (cooperation with third countries and international organisations): ECU 491 million; - Third activity (dissemination and optimisation of results): ECU 350 million; - Fourth activity (measures to encourage the training and mobility of researchers): ECU 1.402 billion; - Direct activities undertaken by the Community Joint Research Centre (JRC): ECU 815 million. �

• #2005
• 1997/05/14 Council Meeting
  • 2005
• 1997/05/14 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1997/04/30 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1997)0142 summary

    OBJECTIVE: the proposal for a decision seeks to establish a Fifth Community Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration activities (1998-2002). SUBSTANCE: in submitting its draft Fifth Framework Programme for research and technological development 1998-2002, the European Commission followed a new approach whose main characteristics are as follows: - focusing of research efforts on a limited number of objectives in order to avoid scattering resources; - greater attention to the dissemination and exploitation of research findings; - flexible implementation and the simplification of administrative procedures; - in the context of the Intergovernmental Conference, less cumbersome decision-making procedures providing for the adoption of the framework programme by a qualified majority. Alongside this, a set of detailed and objective criteria has been drawn up to define the content of the framework programme, grouped together in three families: (a) social objectives, chief among which is the impact on employment; (b) scientific, technological and economic development, the basic objective being to increase the European Union's competitiveness; (c) lastly, 'European added value'. To make it easier to focus efforts on a smaller number of objectives, the Fifth Framework Programme is organized on the basis of six major programmes reflecting the four activities provided for in the Treaty for the implementation of the framework programme: three 'thematic' programmes corresponding to the first activity referred to in the Treaty (research programmes); three 'horizontal' programmes corresponding to activities II (international cooperation), III (dissemination and exploitation of results) and IV training and mobility of researchers). The general topics of these activities are as follows: - Thematic programmes: (a) unlocking the resources of the living world and the ecosystem; (b) creating a user-friendly information society; (c) promoting competitive and sustainable growth; - Horizontal programmes: (a) confirming the international role of European research; (b) innovation and participation of SMEs; (c) improving human potential. Each of the three thematic programmes comprises: - a series of key actions (16 are proposed) linked to the major economic and social objectives as far as the future of the Union is concerned; - activities for research and development of generic technologies; - activities in support of research infrastructures. With a view to achieving maximum efficiency, the thematic and horizontal programmes are both complementary and interrelated, one of the main functions of the horizontal programmes being to contribute to the smooth implementation of the thematic programmes. The Commission is also proposing to introduce a greater degree of coordination both between the various activities under the framework programme and with other Union policies and national research programmes; it also suggests closer links with the European cooperation frameworks COST and EUREKA.. In addition, Articles 130k, l and n of the EC Treaty will be exploited as an adjunct to the other activities under the framework programme, for example through the implementation of measures of particular interest to only a small number of Member States. In order to increase management flexibility and respond to unexpected situations, within each programme a 'free space' will be created, i.e. funds which can be made available quickly in order to finance an urgent measure. Finally, the Commission wishes to improve the methods by which the framework programme is managed: - by relaxing procedures and shortening deadlines in such a way as to facilitate access to the programmes, in particular for SMUs; - by carrying out its implementing role to the full: the bulk of the authority for implementing the specific programmes would be delegated to the Commission alone, with the programme committees taking decisions only on the definition of the programmes and the indicative allocation of the amounts, and no longer on individual measures such as the selection of projects and their funding. As regards the financial and budgetary aspects, at this stage the Commission is not proposing a financial framework; it will do so when it adopts its proposal future financing framework, immediately after the Intergovernmental Conference in July 1997. However, the Commission takes the view that the average percentage of Union GNP reached by the Fourth Framework Programme between 1995 and 1998 must represent a minimum for the overall funding of the Fifth Framework Programme expressed as a percentage of average forecast GNP between 1999 and 2002. �

• #1976
• 1996/12/05 Council Meeting
  • 1976

Documents

• Debate in Council: 1976
• Legislative proposal published: COM(1997)0142
• Debate in Council: 2005
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(1997)0439
• Debate in Council: 2042
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A4-0396/1997
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0629/1997
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(1998)0008
• Council position published: 06108/1/1998
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A4-0226/1998
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T4-0357/1998
• Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs: 3626/1998
• Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading: A4-0493/1998
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading: T4-0724/1998
• : Decision 1999/182
• : OJ L 026 01.02.1999, p. 0001

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)