SP(2007)0054

PURPOSE: to adopt a Specific Programme related to the direct actions on research, technological development and demonstration to be carried out by the Joint Research Centre (JRC).

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2006/975/EC concerning the Specific Programme to be carried out by means of direct actions by the Joint Research Centre under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013).

CONTENT: the adoption of the JRC Specific Programme stems from Council Decision 1982/2006/EC concerning the Seventh Framework Programme (2007-2013). See: COD/2005/0043 . The new 7 th Framework Programme is centred on four research pillars: Co-operation; Ideas; People; and Capacity.

The JCR is a supporting body of the EU offering help to the EU institutions (specifically the European Commission) to enact and implement research programmes. Its stated mission is to research areas of key concern to the EU including, inter alia , prosperity in a knowledge-intensive society, solidarity, sustainability and responsible management of resources, security and freedom and Europe as a world partner.

As such, the over-arching objective of the JRC Specific Programme is to establish the activities for the non-nuclear actions of the JRC in order to provide customer driven scientific and technical support to the Community policy making process. The Programme has been awarded a EUR 1 751 million budget to help realise these objectives.

Its activities are set out in Annex to the Decision under the following headings/policy themes:

1) Prosperity in a knowledge intensive society . The JRC will seek to foster EU competitiveness through the following sub-headings:

Competitiveness and Innovation : Objective: To conduct research into the production of internationally accepted references as well as the promotion of a common European measurement system, such as the safety of chemicals and cosmetic products, alternative (non-animal) testing, food safety, eEnergy, the security and protection of citizens and environment and health. The JRC will collaborate closely with other national and international bodies, regulatory authorities and industry (ISO, CEN etc.) to achieve these objectives.

European Research Area : Objective: The JRC will contribute directly to the European Research Area by increasing its scientific networking, the training and mobility of researchers and by allowing access to its research infrastructures and collaborative research.

Energy and Transport : Objective: To focus JRC energies on a smooth transition to less carbon intensive sources of energy as well as aiding the EU thematic strategy on air pollution.

Information Society : Objective: To support the formulation of EU Information Society Technology policies.

Life Sciences and Bio-technology : Objective: To focus research on Life Sciences and bio-technologies: In many respects controversial, the Commission, nevertheless, recognises that life sciences and bio-technologies can contribute significantly towards helping the EU become the most competitive knowledge-based economy by 2010. As such the JRC is asked, inter alia , to focus on issues such as the provision of quality assurance tools for genetic testing, studies in genome-based diagnostic applications, and studies assessing the impact of nano-technologies on the environment and public health. There is also a separate heading for bio-technology in agriculture, food and feed.

2) Solidarity and the responsible management of resources: The JRC is asked to support European policies for Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries around a core theme of sustainability. Research activities under the sub-heading of “Natural Resources”, will be based on a holistic approach and will be closely aligned to the EU’s seven thematic environmental strategies. More specifically, activities will concentrate on water management, soil protection initiatives, life-cycle analysis and forestry. The impact of climate change on the environment will also be given priority under this policy-heading.

3. Security and freedom: The JRC will be asked to focus on applying IT systems to help in the fight against crime and fraud, smuggling and illicit trafficking, the protection of critical infrastructures, counter-terrorism measures and migration and border management. Technical support to integrated border management and its inter-operability will also be provided.

4. Europe as a world partner: The JRC will be asked to conduct research on global trade as well as instruments for stability and humanitarian aid. Thus, for example, the JRC will establish a global geo-spatial database and contribute to services supporting crisis management and the development of future GMES pilot services.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 2 January 2007.

Decision 2006/975
OJ L 400 30.12.2006, p. 0367

Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the report drafted by David HAMMERSTEIN-MINTZ (Greens-ALE, E), on the proposal concerning the Specific Programme to be carried out by means of direct actions by the Joint Research Centre under the 7th Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013). The following amendments were adopted in plenary:

- a new recital states that publicly funded research should be directed primarily towards public needs and priorities and seek complementarity with privately funded research. Work undertaken by the Joint Research Centre should be coordinated with research carried out under the thematic priorities to avoid overlap with and duplication of national research programmes;

- the Commission should arrange for an independent assessment to be conducted concerning the activities carried out in the fields covered by the programme, which would include environmental, social, health and animal welfare criteria;

- the JRC must focus attention on issues which are important in terms of societal concern, which have a research component and which have a dominant community dimension, or which are of significance to a substantial proportion of the Community. It must also intensify its cooperation with other European institutions, in particular the European Parliament;

- the overall administrative expenditure of the Specific Programme, including internal and management expenditure for the Joint Research Centre should be proportional to the tasks undertaken under the Specific Programme and is subject to the decision of the budgetary and legislative authorities. Budget appropriations shall be used in accordance with the principle of sound financial management, namely in accordance with the principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness, as well as the principle of proportionality;

- the Commission’s assessment must contain an assessment of the soundness of financial management and an evaluation of the efficiency and regularity of the budgetary and economic management of the Specific Programme;

- as with all the specific programmes, a new clause states that the Commission shall provide prior information to the budgetary authority whenever it intends to depart from the breakdown of expenditure stated in the remarks and annex to the general budget of the EU;

- the JRC must increase transparency when setting its research priorities by making the criteria for these priorities publicly available and by informing the European Parliament and the Council of the reasons justifying the choice of research priorities;

- efforts should also be made to improve the access of SMEs to research results . This will encourage dialogue between science and society.

T6-0522/2006

Debate in Parliament

A6-0335/2006

A6-0335/2006

PE374.077

On 21 September 2005, the Commission presented a proposal for a Council Decision concerning the Specific Programme to be carried out by means of direct actions by the Joint Research Centre under the 7 th Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013).

The overall financial amount initially proposed by the Commission amounted to EUR 1 817 million.

The Commission subsequently adapted the budgetary aspects of these proposals following the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 on the Financial Framework 2007-2013.

The new overall amount is set at EUR 1 751 million.

Please refer to the financial statement for more details.

COM(2005)0439/2
EUR-Lex

Package of legislative proposals following the Interinstitutional Agreement on

budgetary discipline and sound financial management

The conclusion on 17 May 2006 by the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament of the agreement on the 2007-2013 financial framework (Interinstitutional Agreement on budgetary discipline and sound financial management – please refer to procedure ACI/2004/2099 ) marks a real success for Europe, providing a stable financial framework for the political priorities of the enlarged Union for the next seven years. It is now up to the institutions and Member States to ensure that the financial resources available are used and implemented as well as possible. Action at European level must contribute true added value to that taken at national, regional or local level and must have an optimum impact on each European player. The Commission is ready to play a full role in all these areas.

The agreement marks a decisive step forward towards the ultimate objective of providing the Union with operational programmes by the beginning of 2007. Work must now be continued on each legislative act. To this end, the Commission intends to continue to provide momentum and act as a facilitator, as it has been doing since the start of the negotiations.

As part of the negotiations on the 2007-2013 financial framework, in October 2005 the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission adopted a joint declaration in which they undertook to continue work on the legislative proposals currently being discussed and then, once the interinstitutional agreement had been adopted and on the basis of amended proposals by the Commission, to reach agreement on each of these proposals. Thus, in accordance with Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty and in order to facilitate this phase for each legislative act, the Commission has adopted a total of 30 proposals, 26 of which are amended and 4 new.

The proposals amended as a result of the IIA are as follows:

Programmes concerning the external policy of the Union and development cooperation:

Ø COD/2004/0219 ( European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument )

Ø COD/2004/0220 ( development co-operation and economic co-operation instrument )

Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows Programme (JHA):

Ø COD/2005/0046 (European Refugee Fund)

Ø COD/2005/0047 ( External borders fund, 2007-2013 )

Ø COD/2005/0049 ( European Return Fund )

Fundamental Rights and Justice Programme (JHA):

Ø COD/2005/0037/A (DAPHNE )

Ø COD/2005/0037/B ( drugs prevention and information )

RDT Framework Programme and specific programmes :

Ø COD/2005/0043 ( RDT Framework Programme )

Ø CNS/2005/0044 (Nuclear Research Programme )

Ø CNS/2005/0184 ( Joint Research Centre - JRC )

Ø CNS/2005/0185 ( Transnational cooperation specific programme )

Ø CNS/2005/0186 ( Specific programme Ideas, frontier research )

Ø CNS/2005/0187 (S pecific programme supporting researchers )

Ø CNS/2005/0188 ( RDT Capacities specific programme )

Ø CNS/2005/0189 ( specific programme direct actions by the Joint Research Centre JRC )

Ø CNS/2005/0190 ( fusion energy, nuclear fission and radiation protection specific programme)

Employment and social cohesion Programme: COD/2004/0158

Programmes in the fields of youth and education:

Ø COD/2004/0152 ( Youth )

Ø COD/2004/0153 ( Education – lifelong learning )

Consumer Protection and Public Health Framework programme:

Ø COD/2005/0042/A ( Public health )

Ø COD/2005/0042/B ( Consumers )

Programme in the fields of energy, environment and transport :

Ø COD/2004/0218 ( LIFE+)

Ø COD/2004/0154 ( TransEuropean networks in the areas of energy and transport )

Ø CNS/2004/0221 ( Decommissioning of the Bohunice nuclear plant )

GALILEO ( radio-navigation by satellite ): COD/2004/0156

In terms of new proposals , the Commission has already submitted three in the area of agriculture and rural development policy and fisheries and aquaculture policy:

Ø CNS/2006/0081 ( fisheries and aquaculture )

Ø CNS/2006/0082 ( rural development )

Ø CNS/2006/0083 ( common agricultural policy ).

Certain legislative acts do not form part of this package of measures, in particular those on which political agreement has been reached since 17 May. For these measures, the Commission has played a full part in helping to bring about agreement between the arms of the legislative authority. The same applies to the acts for which conclusion of the interinstitutional agreement does not modify the Commission’s original proposal. For all the others, which are included in the package presented, the changes proposed by the Commission take account of the content of the interinstitutional agreement adopted, either in a simplified form, where the financial resources allocated to each programme must be adapted, or in a more detailed form where the structure or even the content of the act must be revised. It should also be noted that four of the amended proposals contain amendments already voted on by the European Parliament at first reading and that one proposal has been divided into two amended proposals in response to a request by the Council and the European Parliament, although Parliament has not yet proceeded to a first reading of this proposal.

Based on these amended proposals, the Commission calls on the European Parliament and the Council to continue their discussions of these proposals and conclude them as soon as possible in order to ensure that all the legal instruments are available in time for the effective launch of the programmes in January 2007.

COM(2006)0239
EUR-Lex

PE374.085

CES0583/2006

PE368.074

2715

PURPOSE: To establish a specific programme of direct actions for the Joint Research Centre (JRC) within the context of the EU’s 7 th research framework programme.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decisions

CONTENT: The European Commission is presenting five “specific programmes” in follow up to the approval of the 7 th Framework Programme in April 2005. The first relates directly to actions funded under the Joint Research Centre. The other four are entitled: Co-operation, Ideas, Peoples and Capacity. The one under discussion here relates to direct actions being funded under the Joint Research Centre specific programme.

Background:

The restructuring of the RT&D framework programmes is a bid by the European Commission to help the EU achieve its goal of becoming the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010 and to help the EU realise its ambition of devoting 3% of GDP to RT&D by the same date. The specific programmes identified by the Commission have been designed to address major weaknesses in the level, quality and impact of European research. Their creation represents a further consolidation of the European Research Area by offering financial support to the free movement of ideas, knowledge and researchers. The re-structuring of the programmes includes a number of core innovations, including, for example, allowing researchers (under some actions) to identify topics for future funding. Other advances include the setting up of a Risk-Sharing Facility to improve access to EIB loans for large scale European actions and the establishment of a European Research Council. The Commission is also looking to overhaul the management methods of the framework programme by introducing improved efficiency drives through the externalisation of administrative tasks to an executive agency, seeking a clearer presentation of evaluation criteria, guaranteeing transparent work programmes and streamlining procedures for approving projects.

Specific Programme – Joint research Centre :

The main purpose of this Council Decision is the establishment of a specific programme for the “Joint Research Centre” under the 7 th research framework programme. The JCR is a supporting body of the EU offering help to the EU institutions (specifically the European Commission) for the enactment and implementation of the research programmes. It provides scientific and technological support to users through a Work programme with roughly one hundred actions.

The objective of the proposed specific programme is to continue the JCR’s work of providing customer-driven scientific and technical support for the EU policy making process. The JCR will be asked to implement and monitor existing EU policies as well as having to respond to new policy demands. Its activities are grouped around a number of policy themes. The first being “Prosperity in a knowledge intensive society”, whereby the JRC will seek to foster EU competitiveness through,

- Researching the production of internationally accepted references and the promotion of a common European measurement system. Other fields of research could include the safety of chemicals and cosmetic products, alternative (non-animal) testing, food safety and eEnergy. The JRC will collaborate closely with other national and international bodies, regulatory authorities and industry to achieve these objectives.

- Supporting evidence-based research policy-making at both EU and Member State level.

- Focusing on a smooth transition to less carbon intensive sources of energy as well as aiding the EU thematic strategy on air pollution.

- Supporting the formulation of Information Society Technology policies.

- Focusing research on Life Sciences and bio-technologies: In many respects controversial, the Commission, nevertheless, recognises that life sciences and bio-technologies can contribute significantly towards helping the EU become the most competitive knowledge-based economy by 2010. As such the JRC is asked, inter alia , to focus on issues such as the provision of quality assurance tools for genetic testing, studies in genome-based diagnostic applications and studies assessing the impact of nano-technologies on the environment and public health. Significantly, the Council Decision specifically states that the JRC will NOT conduct research into human cloning for reproductive purposes, modifying the genetic heritage of human beings, creating human embryos solely for the purpose of research, for the purpose of stem-cell procurement or for somatic cell nuclear transfer. In addition all research activities that are prohibited in all the Member States will not receive funding under this specific programme.

The second policy theme is entitled “Solidarity and the responsible management of resources”, whereby the JRC is asked to support European policies for Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries around a core theme of sustainability. Research activities under the sub-heading of “Natural Resources”, will be based on a holistic approach and will be closely aligned to the EU’s seven thematic environmental strategies. More specifically, activities will concentrate on water management, soil protection initiatives, life-cycle analysis and forestry. The impact of climate change on the environment will also be given priority under this policy-heading.

The third policy theme is entitled “Security and freedom”, whereby the JRC will be asked to focus on applying IT systems to help in the fight against crime and fraud, smuggling and illicit trafficking, the protection of critical infrastructures, counter-terrorism measures and migration and border management. Technical support to integrated border management and its inter-operability will also be provided.

The fourth policy theme is entitled, “Europe as a world partner”. Under this heading, the JRC is expected to conduct research on global trade as well as instruments for stability and humanitarian aid. Thus, for example, the JRC will establish a global geo-spatial database and contribute to services supporting crisis management and the development of future GMES pilot services.

To conclude the JRC is expected to form links with research institutions across the EU as well as EU universities.

For further information concerning the financial implications of this measure, please refer to the financial statement.

COM(2005)0439
EUR-Lex

PURPOSE: To establish a specific programme of direct actions for the Joint Research Centre (JRC) within the context of the EU’s 7 th research framework programme.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decisions

CONTENT: The European Commission is presenting five “specific programmes” in follow up to the approval of the 7 th Framework Programme in April 2005. The first relates directly to actions funded under the Joint Research Centre. The other four are entitled: Co-operation, Ideas, Peoples and Capacity. The one under discussion here relates to direct actions being funded under the Joint Research Centre specific programme.

Background:

The restructuring of the RT&D framework programmes is a bid by the European Commission to help the EU achieve its goal of becoming the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010 and to help the EU realise its ambition of devoting 3% of GDP to RT&D by the same date. The specific programmes identified by the Commission have been designed to address major weaknesses in the level, quality and impact of European research. Their creation represents a further consolidation of the European Research Area by offering financial support to the free movement of ideas, knowledge and researchers. The re-structuring of the programmes includes a number of core innovations, including, for example, allowing researchers (under some actions) to identify topics for future funding. Other advances include the setting up of a Risk-Sharing Facility to improve access to EIB loans for large scale European actions and the establishment of a European Research Council. The Commission is also looking to overhaul the management methods of the framework programme by introducing improved efficiency drives through the externalisation of administrative tasks to an executive agency, seeking a clearer presentation of evaluation criteria, guaranteeing transparent work programmes and streamlining procedures for approving projects.

Specific Programme – Joint research Centre :

The main purpose of this Council Decision is the establishment of a specific programme for the “Joint Research Centre” under the 7 th research framework programme. The JCR is a supporting body of the EU offering help to the EU institutions (specifically the European Commission) for the enactment and implementation of the research programmes. It provides scientific and technological support to users through a Work programme with roughly one hundred actions.

The objective of the proposed specific programme is to continue the JCR’s work of providing customer-driven scientific and technical support for the EU policy making process. The JCR will be asked to implement and monitor existing EU policies as well as having to respond to new policy demands. Its activities are grouped around a number of policy themes. The first being “Prosperity in a knowledge intensive society”, whereby the JRC will seek to foster EU competitiveness through,

- Researching the production of internationally accepted references and the promotion of a common European measurement system. Other fields of research could include the safety of chemicals and cosmetic products, alternative (non-animal) testing, food safety and eEnergy. The JRC will collaborate closely with other national and international bodies, regulatory authorities and industry to achieve these objectives.

- Supporting evidence-based research policy-making at both EU and Member State level.

- Focusing on a smooth transition to less carbon intensive sources of energy as well as aiding the EU thematic strategy on air pollution.

- Supporting the formulation of Information Society Technology policies.

- Focusing research on Life Sciences and bio-technologies: In many respects controversial, the Commission, nevertheless, recognises that life sciences and bio-technologies can contribute significantly towards helping the EU become the most competitive knowledge-based economy by 2010. As such the JRC is asked, inter alia , to focus on issues such as the provision of quality assurance tools for genetic testing, studies in genome-based diagnostic applications and studies assessing the impact of nano-technologies on the environment and public health. Significantly, the Council Decision specifically states that the JRC will NOT conduct research into human cloning for reproductive purposes, modifying the genetic heritage of human beings, creating human embryos solely for the purpose of research, for the purpose of stem-cell procurement or for somatic cell nuclear transfer. In addition all research activities that are prohibited in all the Member States will not receive funding under this specific programme.

The second policy theme is entitled “Solidarity and the responsible management of resources”, whereby the JRC is asked to support European policies for Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries around a core theme of sustainability. Research activities under the sub-heading of “Natural Resources”, will be based on a holistic approach and will be closely aligned to the EU’s seven thematic environmental strategies. More specifically, activities will concentrate on water management, soil protection initiatives, life-cycle analysis and forestry. The impact of climate change on the environment will also be given priority under this policy-heading.

The third policy theme is entitled “Security and freedom”, whereby the JRC will be asked to focus on applying IT systems to help in the fight against crime and fraud, smuggling and illicit trafficking, the protection of critical infrastructures, counter-terrorism measures and migration and border management. Technical support to integrated border management and its inter-operability will also be provided.

The fourth policy theme is entitled, “Europe as a world partner”. Under this heading, the JRC is expected to conduct research on global trade as well as instruments for stability and humanitarian aid. Thus, for example, the JRC will establish a global geo-spatial database and contribute to services supporting crisis management and the development of future GMES pilot services.

To conclude the JRC is expected to form links with research institutions across the EU as well as EU universities.

For further information concerning the financial implications of this measure, please refer to the financial statement.

COM(2005)0439
EUR-Lex