Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header

Programme Category

Programme
Contenu archivé le 2023-03-27

Article available in the following languages:

EN

Specific programme of research and technological development (EEC) in the field of telematic systems in areas of general interest, 1990-1994

 
Part of the third framework programme for Community activities in the field of research and technological development (1990 to 1994) under subactivity I.1.: "Information and communications technologies", the programme is based on the experience and results obtained from exploratory activities (AIM, DELTA, DRIVE) or preliminary activities (investigation of needs in rural areas and libraries).

The actions under the programme involve information and communications industries, telecommunications operators, providers of telecommunications services and pioneer users of advanced communications. Special account will be taken of the needs for management and transmission of electronic information as a consequence of completion of the single European market. These needs will be identified in collaboration with users: public authorities, businesses in manufacturing or service industries, academic institutions and individuals.

The activities are pre-competitive and pre-normative and concentrate on providing opportunities for interoperability between national systems, for defining standards, architectures and functional specifications.

Pilot projects will be included when it can be shown there is a need to verify technology, to demonstrate interoperation standards and where there is broad interest to all Member States.

Some of the experimental development activities will be carried out based on the results of the INSIS, CADDIA and TEDIS programmes and, where appropriate, certain parts of the ESPRIT and RACE programmes. Following work that has already been done as part of the EUROTRA programme, the development of operational systems linked to information and communications systems will be developed as part of language research and engineering.
To ensure the interoperability of systems, peripherals and telematic networks at trans-European level, giving special attention to considerations of quality, reliability, security and ease of use of services, and to economies of scale and the abolition of barriers to information exchange.
Seven areas:

- Support for the Establishment of Trans-European Networks between Administrations (ENS):
To define common requirements for electronic information exchange and to examine the need for interoperability between electronic information networks within Member States; to carry out studies and pre-normative research for the definition and subsequent establishment of the trans- European telematic services networks essential to national administrations for the completion of the single market and the provision of the services necessary to the free movement of persons, goods, services and capital and for increasing economic and social cohesion in the Community. In the first instance, work may concern such areas as customs, social services, emergency services and statistics. Subareas:
. Identification of needs and implementation strategies;
. Development of the technologies relating to telematic services and validation of common functional specifications;

- Transport Services:
To contribute to the development, in the field of transport, of integrated trans-European services using advanced IT and communications to improve the performance (safety and efficiency) of passenger and goods transport services, and at the same time reduce the impact of transport on the environment. Subareas:
. Road transport (DRIVE):
Building on the exploratory research in DRIVE (1988- 1991) under the second framework programme and in close liaison with relevant EUREKA projects, work in this area will cover the interface between road and rail transport as well as that between road and sea transport. The activities will be divided into three interactive parts: definition of functional specifications in the context of a strategy for the use of technology and telematic systems for communication and traffic control, the development of new technologies and experimental systems, and validation work;
. Strategies for the use of technologies, telematic services and systems and contribution to the definition of common functional specifications;
. Technologies and experimental development of systems;
. Validation and pilot projects;

- Health Care (AIM):
To stimulate the development of harmonized applications of information and communication technologies in health care and the development of a European health-care information infrastructure taking into account the needs of users and technological opportunities. Three main lines, making use of the exploratory work of the 1988-1989 AIM programme (Advanced Informatics in Medicine) and in close cooperation with other Community programmes:
. Strategies for the use of technologies, telematic systems and services and contribution to the definition of common functional specifications;
. Development of telematic technology applied to medicine;
. Validation and integration;

- Flexible and Distance Learning (DELTA):
Based on the exploratory work of the 1988-1990 DELTA programme and in close cooperation with other Community activities such as COMETT and EUROTECNET, the work in this area will be carried out in three interdependent parts:
. Strategies for the use of technologies, telematic systems and services and contribution to the definition of common functional specifications;
. Development of systems and technologies;
. Experiments on the validation and integration of services;

- Libraries:
To facilitate user access, by optimum use and development of equipment and telematic systems, to the wealth of knowledge held in libraries, while reducing the handicaps caused by the present disparate infrastructures in the Community;

- Linguistic Research and Engineering (LRE):
To develop a basic linguistic technology which can be incorporated into a large number of computer applications where natural language is an essential ingredient. This requires the creation of linguistic resources (grammars, dictionaries, terminology collections, and corpora of text) for the nine official Community languages, and the definition of standards for these data. The area is divided into three parts: research, development of resources and pilot applications. It is based on the results and experience drawn from EUROTRA and certain specific projects conducted under ESPRIT and national research programmes;

- Telematics Systems for Rural Areas (ORA):
To develop a better understanding of the common needs and opportunities for telematic services and of the impacts of such services on rural life, to establish a common understanding of network configuration requirements and options and a common understanding of service requirements for telematic services, and to prepare the way for the harmonized planning and introduction of telematic service infrastructures in rural areas.
The Commission is responsible for the implementation of the programme, assisted by a committee composed of representatives of the Member States and chaired by a representative of the Commission.

The programme comprises research and technological development (RTD) projects, accompanying measures and concerted actions.

The projects are the subject of shared-cost contracts, with Community financial participation not normally exceeding 50%. Universities and other research centres have the option of requesting, for each project, either 50% funding of total expenditure or 100% funding of the additional marginal costs. Contracts relating to shared-cost research projects must as a general rule be concluded following a selection procedure based on calls for proposals published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. Projects must, as a general rule, provide for the participation of at least two partners, each independent of the other, established in different Member States.

The accompanying measures consist of:
- The organization of seminars, workshops and scientific conferences;
- Internal coordination through the creation of integrating groups;
- Advanced technology training programmes, with emphasis being placed on multidisciplinarity;
- Promotion of the exploitation of results;
- Independent scientific and strategic evaluation of the operation of the research projects and the programme.

Concerted actions consist of action by the Community to coordinate the individual research activities carried out in the Member States. They may benefit from funding of up to 100% of coordinating expenditure.

The Commission is authorized to negotiate, in accordance with Article 130n of the Treaty, international agreements with third countries which are members of COST, in particular the member countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, with a view to associating them with the whole programme or a part of it. Where framework agreements for scientific and technical cooperation have been concluded between the Community and European non-Member States, bodies and enterprises established in those countries may, on the basis of the criterion of mutual benefit, be allowed to become partners in a project undertaken within the programme.

No contracting body based outside the Community and participating as a partner in a project undertaken within the programme may benefit from Community financing for this programme. The body concerned shall contribute to the general administrative costs.

The Community funds estimated as necessary for the execution of the programme amount to ECU 430 million, of which a sum amounting to 1% of the budget is earmarked as the contribution from the programme to the centralized scheme for the dissemination and exploitation of results.

The knowledge acquired in the course of the projects will be disseminated both within the programme and by means of the centralized scheme. Specific information on projects will be provided in close cooperation with CORDIS (Community R&D Information Service).

The Commission will review the programme during the second year and send a report to the European Parliament and the Council. At the end of the programme an evaluation of the results achieved will be conducted by a group of independent experts and submitted to these same bodies.