European Council on Fourth Framework Programme
Following the European Parliament's vote in favour of increasing from ECU 13.1 billion to ECU 13.7 billion the overall budget for the Community's 1994-1998 scientific and technological research programme (the Fourth EEC Framework Programme of Research and Technological Development together with the EAEC Framework Programme for Research and Education in the field of Atomic Energy) and the subsequent Council discussions which took place on 6.12.1993 the Summit of Heads of State and of Government of the European Union, meeting in Brussels on 10-11 December 1993, considered that the total budget for this research framework should be not less than ECU 12 billion, to which might be added a reserve of ECU 1 billion, to be released at a later date. The Members of the Summit (the Council of the European Union) noted that the implementation of an ambitious, well-targeted research programme should make a significant contribution to efforts towards European recovery, particularly in areas such as information technology, the importance of which was also stressed in other conclusions of the European Council. This view is equally emphasized in the Commission's White Paper on Economic Renewal, introduced to the Summit by Jacques Delors, which formed a basis of the Summit's considerations. The Council and Ministers for Research, meeting before the end of 1993, hope to establish a Common Position on the Framework Programmes, despite the remaining disagreement among the Member States centring on the issues of the overall budget and the role of the Joint Research Centre.