31986Y0429(01)

COUNCIL RESOLUTIONof 8 April 1986concerning the mid-term review of the ESPRIT programme(86/C 102/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to Council Decision 84/130/EEC of 28 February 1984 concerning a European programme for research and development in information technologies (ESPRIT) (1) , and in particular Article 8 thereof, Having regard to the Commission communication of 27 November 1985 concerning a review to assess the initial results of the ESPRIT programme, Having noted the report of the independent high level body known as the ESPRIT Review Board, submitted to the Commission in the form of the mid-term review of the ESPRIT programme, I. RE-EMPHASIZES its commitment to the ESPRIT programme which, by means of a collaborative research and development effort, aims to meet the need for the constitution of a specifically European industrial potential in the field of information technology, and hence to combat the increasingly severe international competition in that field; II. WELCOMES the considerable progress already achieved in the area of transnational cooperation in the field of information technology; III. CONFIRMS the main objectives of the ESPRIT programme which remain: - to promote European industrial cooperation in pre-competitive research and development in the field of information technology, -to provide the basic technologies required by the European information technology industry to ensure its competitiveness, -to carry out the work preparatory to standardization in the field of information technology; IV. BELIEVES that the pursuit of these objectives, particularly the harmonization of norms and standards on a European scale, will represent an invaluable contribution to the goal of establishing an internal market by 1992; V. TAKES NOTE of the Commission's intention to submit to the Council by October 1986 at the latest a supplementary report taking account of developments since the presentation of the report of the Review Board; VI. REQUESTS the Commission to ensure, in the implementation of the ESPRIT programme, that, in scope and flexibility, it continues to provide an effective response to the ever-increasing challenge in the information technology field; VII. INVITES the Commission, when submitting its proposals to this effect, to take into account as fully as possible the specific recommendations set out in the Annex to this Resolution. Specific Council recommendations on the future of the ESPRIT programme THE COUNCIL RECOMMENDS THAT: - whilst the pre-competitive nature of future research and development should be safeguarded, the potential industrial application and economic impact of its results should increasingly be emphasized; -within the context of the technological objectives of the programme, and whilst seeking to reinforce its strategic character, closer attention should be paid to the specific requirements of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and research institutes with a view to securing their greater involvement for the future, particularly by offering them further subcontracts; -a concentration of efforts and resources should be sought by greater recourse to more ambitious projects but without detriment to achievements in the area of transnational cooperation; -the structure and composition of consortia should be kept under review so as to ensure the optimum size of projects and an adequate number and type of partners; -the funding arrangements for the programme should be kept under review with a view to establishing the optimum contribution to be made by the Community to different types of organization and projects; -the complementary nature of research and development at national and Community levels should be enhanced by improved cooperation and a better exchange of information between ESPRIT and similar programmes operating at national level; -the Commission should ensure that the ESPRIT Management Committee has access to all relevant information enabling it to discharge its duty of assisting the Commission in the strategic management of the programme; -the Commission should develop a comprehensive strategy for the dissemination of information and research results; procedures and mechanisms currently in force should be reviewed and where necessary overhauled, as their successful functioning is vital to the ultimate success of the programme; -guidelines should be set defining the criteria and detailed arrangements for the access of organizations from EFTA countries to ESPRIT, it being understood that their participation in specific projects depends upon the agreement of the project partners; -in the supplementary report which it intends submitting to the Council by October 1986, the Commission should make an assessment of the technical results of the programme achieved so far. This assessment should also cover the following areas: - the potential economic impact and industrial application of projects, -problems relating to the size and composition of consortia, -cost/benefit as a function of differing levels of financial support, -a comparison of the human resources involved in ESPRIT with the general resource situation in the Community, -particular problems relating to the participation of SMEs. (1) OJ No L 67, 9. 3. 1984, p. 54.