Council Decision extends SPRINT main phase A Council Decision of 20 December 1993 on the implementation at Community level of the main phase of the strategic programme for innovation and technology transfer (the SPRINT programme) amends an earlier Decision in order to extend the main phase of the programme by one year,... A Council Decision of 20 December 1993 on the implementation at Community level of the main phase of the strategic programme for innovation and technology transfer (the SPRINT programme) amends an earlier Decision in order to extend the main phase of the programme by one year, to the end of 1994. The Decision amends Council Decision 89/286/EEC which, on 17.4.1989 adopted the SPRINT programme for the period 1989-1993. Following an assessment of the results achieved by the programme during the first thirty months of operation, the Council considers that there is a need to continue the actions undertaken by SPRINT and to reinforce them in such a way as to contribute to the initiative to relaunch growth, to ensure coherence with the other Community instruments promoting innovation and technology diffusion, and to prepare for the integration of SPRINT into the Fourth Framework Programme for research and technological development. The programme aims to promote innovation and technology transfer by strengthening the innovative capacity of European producers in the context of the single market, by fostering the rapid penetration of new technologies and the dissemination of innovation throughout the Community economy, and by enhancing the effectiveness and coherence of existing instruments and policies in this field. The funds estimated as necessary for the execution of the programme over the six-year period amount to ECU 109 million as compared with the estimated ECU 90 million provided for in the original Decision. An indicative breakdown of expenditure per Action Line is annexed to the Decision.
