European Parliament defends Community spending on R&D
Minutes of the 13 December 1990 sitting of the European Parliament, made available with the April 1991 distribution of issue No C 19 of the Official Journal, include a Resolution on the 1991 general budget of the European Communities (Section III). Inter alia, Parliament points out that Community spending on research and development is vital to Community competitiveness and essential for economic and social cohesion. It expresses its belief that the "amounts considered necessary" in the legislative decisions for each specific research programme remain indicative and that the budgetary authority should fix each year, in the budget, amounts reflecting actual needs. It considers that because of delay in adopting specific research measures under the third Framework Programme, a reduction of the overhang by ECU 600 million is necessary and justified. Further, it reaffirms Parliament's strategic objective, namely that Community spending on research and development should amount to at least 6% of the general budget.