European Parliament Energy and Research Committee on budget of Fourth Framework Programme

The Energy, Research and Technology Committee of the European Parliament exchanged views during April 1993 on the financial appropriation for the Fourth Framework Programme for Community research and technological development, 1994-1998. This exchange followed the meeting of ...

The Energy, Research and Technology Committee of the European Parliament exchanged views during April 1993 on the financial appropriation for the Fourth Framework Programme for Community research and technological development, 1994-1998.

This exchange followed the meeting of Ministers of the Member States of the European Communities within the Council of the European Communities in Luxembourg on 29 April 1993, on the subject of Research, where a Commission working document on the Framework Programme was debated.

Here, the Council's overall reaction to the financial and policy guidelines proposed was very positive; it has been announced that a formal proposal from the Commission may be submitted to the Council by mid-1993. In turn, this would permit a Council Decision on the Fourth Framework Programme to be reached before the end of the year.

However, the European Parliament's Research Committee takes the view that the present estimated Community appropriation for implementation of the Framework Programme (a total of ECU 13.1 billion) is very small considering the RTD challenges which face the European Community during the period 1994-1998:

- First Activity: RTD and demonstration programmes, ECU 10,925 million.
- Second Activity: Cooperation with third countries, ECU 790 million.
- Third Activity: Dissemination and application of results, ECU 600 million.
- Fourth Activity: Stimulation and mobility of researchers, ECU 785 million.

The Parliamentary Committee also considers necessary an indicative repartition of funding between the seven themes of the First Activity. At present this Activity is provisionally to receive:

- Information and Communications Technologies, ECU 3900 million.
- Industrial Technologies, ECU 1800 million.
- Environment, ECU 970 million.
- Life Sciences and Technologies, ECU 1325 million.
- Energy, ECU 2525 million.
- Research for a European transport policy, ECU 280 million.
- Targeted socio-economic research, ECU 125 million.

The next Council policy debate on the Fourth Framework Programme is scheduled for June 1993, when national experts will have the opportunity to further analyse the Commission's proposals.