ECU 28 million allocated to coal research
The European Commission has recently proposed the award of ECU 28 million in financial aid for technical coal research projects for 1998, pursuant to Article 55(2) of the European Coal and Steel Community Treaty. The total of ECU 28 million would go to 25 coal research projects, as well as to cover additional costs associated with the research. A reserve list of 13 projects which are considered to deserve financial support, but which are judged to be of lower priority, has also been established, and these may be financed later in the year with the aid of supplementary or residual means. In making the selection of projects, the Commission's services were guided by the broad general aims of the technical coal research programme, as laid down in the "Medium-term guidelines for technical coal research (1994-1999)" which identified priorities such as: - Efficient protection of the environment and improvement of public understanding of the role of coal as an energy source; - Improving the competitive position of coal; - Rational utilisation of Community resources; - Improving occupational health and safety in the coal domains. Questions of health and safety and those relating to the environmental aspects of coal mining and utilisation have been given particular prominence. The draft decision contains details of the projects selected, the aims and objectives of each project, as well as project participants and the total EU financial aid granted to each project. The Commission's Decision will be finalised once it has received the assent of the Council and the opinion of the ECSC Consultative Committee.