European Parliament: Session of 8-12 February 1993
The following RTD-related topics are included in the Agenda of the European Parliament for the Session of 8-12 February 1993: - A report from the Foreign Affairs Committee, on the consequences of disarmament in Western Europe takes the view that EC Member States should work together with members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on a conversion programme for the arms industry. The report is strongly in favour of the proposed International Science and Technology Centre (Council Regulation 3955/92/EEC and Commission Regulation 3956/92/Euratom of 21.12.1992) approved by Parliament in November 1992, to facilitate the retraining of soviet nuclear scientists and to promote research into the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Inter alia, the Foreign Affairs Committee proposes that this Community cooperation (also involving the USA and Japan) with the Russian Federation should extend to promoting research into renewable sources of energy, while further encouragement is given to contacts between East and West European technical institutes and research centres. - The Member reporting for the Energy Committee considers that a sectoral programme should be created specifically for aeronautical engineering in the Community's Fourth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. It is argued that, differing from other high-tech areas, the aeronautical industry requires the most complex technology and hence its RTD discoveries are relevant to other industrial sectors. In addition, the civil market is set to become increasingly competitive following defence spending cuts. This being the case, the Energy Committee is of the opinion that the Community should build on the experiences of the ESPRIT programme, and is in a better position than national governments to bring companies into collaboration with one another. Areas suggested for a cooperative approach include: Fuel and flight efficiency; cost effectiveness, with emphasis on design and maintenance; pollution reduction; improvement of communications and air traffic systems; improved safety. - A further report from the Energy Committee discusses the Commission proposal to establish a multiannual programme for the development of EC statistics on research and development (estimated cost ECU 400,000 in 1993) on the grounds that reliable and harmonized data on RTD is required for development of policy in this area.