Status of Commission proposals for new RTD programmes
At its meeting of 24 April 1991 on research, the Council of the European Communities endorsed an interinstitutional political compromise signed in Strasbourg on 17 April 1991 by the Presidents of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission to resolve the differences which had emerged between these institutions with regard to the Commission's proposals for specific RTD programmes in the following areas: Marine science and technology; environment; life sciences and technologies for developing countries; development of telematics systems; communications technologies. Vice-President Pandolfi also stated that the Commission accepted the agreement. The European Parliament is expected to state its position formally at its May part-session. It should therefore be possible to adopt the five programmes in the near future. The provisions of the interinstitutional agreement will be incorporated in them by the Council. These provisions are also of relevance to the other specific RTD programmes yet to be adopted under the 1990-1994 Framework Programme. During the same meeting the Council adopted common positions on two of the latter: Information technologies, and biomedicine and health. Agreement was reached on the substance of three other programmes: Non-nuclear energy, industrial and materials technologies, and agriculture and agro-industry. Common positions on these will be adopted once the texts are finalized. The common positions will be forwarded to the European Parliament for its part-session from 13 to 17 May.