PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement renewing the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and India.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2009/501/EC concerning the conclusion of an Agreement renewing the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and the Government of the Republic of India.

CONTENT: by Decision 2002/648/EC (see CNS/2001/0175 ), the Council approved the conclusion of the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and India. Article 11(b) of the Agreement provides that the Agreement is to be concluded for an initial period of five years and may be renewed by mutual agreement between the Parties after evaluation during the last year of each successive period.

At the EC-India S&T Steering Committee meeting held in Brussels on 15 and 16 November 2006, both Parties expressed their interest for the renewal of the Agreement for five more years. The material content of the renewed Agreement is identical to the material content of the Agreement, which expired on 14 October 2007. The Parties consider that rapid renewal of the Agreement would be in their mutual interest.

Therefore, the Agreement renewing the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and India is hereby approved on behalf of the Community.

The Agreement is based on principles of:

a partnership for balanced mutual benefits, reciprocity, the timely exchange of information, the appropriate protection of intellectual property rights.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: the Agreement shall enter into force once all the necessary procedures have been completed.

The European Parliament adopted, by 652 votes to 7 with 19 abstentions, under the consultation procedure, a legislative resolution amending the proposal for a draft Council decision concerning the conclusion of an Agreement renewing the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and India. The report had been tabled for consideration in plenary by Christian EHLER (EPP-ED, DE), on behalf of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Parliament inserted several new recitals as follows :

- responsibility for the efficient coordination and facilitation of cooperative activities under the Agreement rests with the EC-India S & T Steering Committee and it is desirable that the committee meet annually to review the work programme and that its rules of procedure be based on the principles of transparency and accountability;

- priority objectives of the joint research activities to be carried out under the Agreement should be to produce comparable information and to improve the body of data;

- efforts should be made by both parties to increase the participation of the Community and India in each other's research programmes, to boost the number of exchanges of researchers between the Community and India and to improve the mobility of researchers generally;

- priority attention should also be given to energy and environment policies and to the necessary development of innovative energy technologies. Joint efforts and initiatives, for instance with a view to developing economical carbon capture and storage and renewable technologies, which are in the interest of both partners, should be undertaken;

- special attention should also be given to the principle of reciprocity;

- it is desirable that a mid-term evaluation of the implementation of the Agreement be carried out.

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted a report drafted by Christian EHLER (EPP-ED, DE), and made some amendments to the Council decision concerning the conclusion of an Agreement renewing the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the EC and India. The Committee inserted several new recitals as follows :

- responsibility for the efficient coordination and facilitation of cooperative activities under the Agreement rests with the EC-India S & T Steering Committee and it is desirable that the committee meet annually to review the work programme and that its rules of procedure be based on the principles of transparency and accountability;

- priority objectives of the joint research activities to be carried out under the Agreement should be to produce comparable information and to improve the body of data;

- efforts should be made by both parties to increase the participation of the Community and India in each other's research programmes, to boost the number of exchanges of researchers between the Community and India and to improve the mobility of researchers generally;

- priority attention should also be given to energy and environment policies and to the necessary development of innovative energy technologies. Joint efforts and initiatives, for instance with a view to developing economical carbon capture and storage and renewable technologies, which are in the interest of both partners, should be undertaken;

- special attention should also be given to the principle of reciprocity;

- it is desirable that a mid-term evaluation of the implementation of the Agreement be carried out.

The proposal for a Council Decision incorporates the official and final text of the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and India (see Council doc. 14418/07 ), signed by the parties on 30 November 2007.

The body of the text of the Agreement and its objectives remain unamended (refer to the summary of the Commission’s proposal of 09/10/2007).

Recall that the purpose of this Agreement is to renew the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and India for an additional five years. The material content of the renewed Agreement is identical to the material content of the Agreement, which expired on 14 October 2007.

The proposal for a Council Decision incorporates the official and final text of the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and India (see Council doc. 14418/07 ), signed by the parties on 30 November 2007.

The body of the text of the Agreement and its objectives remain unamended (refer to the summary of the Commission’s proposal of 09/10/2007).

Recall that the purpose of this Agreement is to renew the Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the European Community and India for an additional five years. The material content of the renewed Agreement is identical to the material content of the Agreement, which expired on 14 October 2007.

PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement on Scientific and Technical Co-operation with India.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision .

CONTENT: in 2001 the Community signed an Agreement on Scientific and Technical Co-operation with the Republic of India (see CNS/2001/0175 ), to be concluded for an initial period of five years. The Agreement may be renewed, by mutual agreement between the parties, following an evaluation. At the EC-India S&T Steering Committee in November 2006, both Parties expressed their interest in renewing the Agreement.

The purpose of this proposal, therefore, is to renew the Agreement for a further five years. Rapid renewal for five more years would be in the best interest of both Parties in order to maintain a seamless continuity in EC-India scientific relations. Since the material content of the renewed Agreement will be identical to the material content of the current Agreement (which expires on 14 October 2007), a simplified, one-step, procedure involving a single act concerning signature and conclusion is being proposed.

Based on the above, the Commission requests the Council to:

approve, following Parliamentary consultations, the conclusion of an Agreement that renews the existing Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the EC and the Republic of India; and authorise the President of the Council to designate the person empowered to sign the Agreement in order to express the Community’s consent to the renewed Agreement.

The Agreement’s main objective is to encourage and facilitate cooperative research and development activities in science and technology fields of common interest between the Community and India. The Agreement is based on the principle of: partnership; reciprocal access to research activities; timely information exchange; and the correct protection of intellectual property rights.

Cooperative activities will be subject to the availability of funds and to the laws and regulations (including those on tax and customs exemptions) applicable in the territories of each Party. Costs will be shared – without any transfer of funds from one Party to the other. An Annex to the Agreement sets out the IPR provisions that are to govern the Agreement.

PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement on Scientific and Technical Co-operation with India.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision .

CONTENT: in 2001 the Community signed an Agreement on Scientific and Technical Co-operation with the Republic of India (see CNS/2001/0175 ), to be concluded for an initial period of five years. The Agreement may be renewed, by mutual agreement between the parties, following an evaluation. At the EC-India S&T Steering Committee in November 2006, both Parties expressed their interest in renewing the Agreement.

The purpose of this proposal, therefore, is to renew the Agreement for a further five years. Rapid renewal for five more years would be in the best interest of both Parties in order to maintain a seamless continuity in EC-India scientific relations. Since the material content of the renewed Agreement will be identical to the material content of the current Agreement (which expires on 14 October 2007), a simplified, one-step, procedure involving a single act concerning signature and conclusion is being proposed.

Based on the above, the Commission requests the Council to:

approve, following Parliamentary consultations, the conclusion of an Agreement that renews the existing Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between the EC and the Republic of India; and authorise the President of the Council to designate the person empowered to sign the Agreement in order to express the Community’s consent to the renewed Agreement.

The Agreement’s main objective is to encourage and facilitate cooperative research and development activities in science and technology fields of common interest between the Community and India. The Agreement is based on the principle of: partnership; reciprocal access to research activities; timely information exchange; and the correct protection of intellectual property rights.

Cooperative activities will be subject to the availability of funds and to the laws and regulations (including those on tax and customs exemptions) applicable in the territories of each Party. Costs will be shared – without any transfer of funds from one Party to the other. An Annex to the Agreement sets out the IPR provisions that are to govern the Agreement.