15.10.2009

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 247/84

Thursday 10 April 2008
Research Fund for Coal and Steel *

P6_TA(2008)0117

European Parliament legislative resolution of 10 April 2008 on the proposal for a Council decision on the multiannual technical guidelines for the research programme of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (COM(2007)0393 — C6-0248/2007 — 2007/0135(CNS))

2009/C 247 E/20

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2007)0393),

having regard to Article 4(3) of Council Decision 2003/76/EC of 1 February 2003 establishing the measures necessary for the implementation of the Protocol, annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the financial consequences of the expiry of the ECSC Treaty and on the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (1), pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C6-0248/2007),

having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure,

having regard to the report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (A6-0039/2008),

1.	Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

2.	Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty;

3.	Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

4.	Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially;

5.	Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission.

TEXT PROPOSED BY THE COMMISSION

AMENDMENTS BY PARLIAMENT

Amendment 2

Article 4, paragraph 1, subparagraph 1a (new)

Such projects shall make coal more competitive on local energy markets, subject to efficient use being made of local coal reserves.

Amendment 3

Article 4, paragraph 2, point (ca) (new)

(ca)	more efficient conversion of the primary energy latent in coal into other energy forms, for example through the use of conventional coal gasification and liquefaction technologies;

Amendment 4

Article 4, paragraph 2, point (cb) (new)

(cb)	more economic and more reliable technologies.

Amendment 5

Article 6, paragraph 2, point (d)

(d)	the refurbishment of waste heaps and the industrial use of residues from coal production and consumption;

(d)	the refurbishment of waste heaps and the use of residues from coal production and consumption;

Amendment 6

Article 7, paragraph 1

Research projects with this objective shall relate to the prospects for long-term energy supply and concern the upgrading — in economic, energy-related and environmental terms — of coal deposits which cannot be extracted economically by conventional mining techniques. Projects may include studies, the definition of strategies, fundamental and applied research and the testing of innovative techniques which offer prospects for the upgrading of Community coal resources.

Research projects with this objective shall relate to the prospects for safeguarding long-term energy supply and concern the upgrading and efficient transport — in economic, energy-related and environmental terms — of coal which cannot be extracted economically by conventional mining techniques. Projects may include studies, the definition of strategies, fundamental and applied research and the testing of innovative techniques which offer prospects for the upgrading of Community coal resources.

Amendment 7

Article 7, paragraph 2

Preference shall be given to projects integrating complementary techniques such as the adsorption of methane or carbon dioxide, coal bed methane extraction and underground coal gasification.

Preference shall be given to projects integrating complementary techniques such as the adsorption of methane or carbon dioxide, coal bed methane extraction and use as an energy source, efficient coal burning in heat and electricity generation processes and unconventional underground coal gasification methods .

Amendment 8

Article 8, point (ja) (new)

(ja)	steel castings and forgings and sintered products obtained by powder metallurgy from iron powders and ferro-alloys as semi-finished products for further processing;

Amendment 9

Article 9, point (b)

(b)	steel properties addressing mechanical properties at low and high temperatures such as strength and toughness , fatigue, wear, creep, corrosion and resistance against fracture;

(b)	steel characteristics addressing the mechanical properties of steels at low and high temperatures such as strength under varying degrees of tension, hardness, shock resistance , mechanical and thermal fatigue, creep and fracture resistance and abrasion wear and corrosion resistance ;

Amendment 10 and 11

Article 9, point (c)

(c)	prolonging service life, in particular by improving the resistance of steels and steel structures to heat and corrosion;

(c)	prolonging service life, in particular by improving the resistance of steels and steel structures to high-temperature wear, corrosion and other influences ;

Amendment 12

Article 9, point (d)

(d)	steel-containing composites and sandwich structures;

(d)	fibrous and layered composites and structures;

Amendment 13

Article 9, point (e)

(e)	predictive simulation models on microstructures and mechanical properties;

(e)	predictive simulation models on microstructures , mechanical properties , etc ;

Amendment 14

Article 10, point (b)

(b)	steel grades and design of assembled structures to facilitate the easy recovery of steel scrap and its reconversion into usable steels;

(b)	design of steel structures that are easy to disassemble at the end of their service life, with a view to the recovery of steel scrap and its reconversion into usable steels;

Amendment 15

Article 13

Any undertaking, public body, research organisation or higher and secondary education establishment, or other legal entity, including natural persons, from third countries shall be entitled to participate on the basis of individual projects without receiving any financial contribution under the Research Programme, provided that such participation is in the interest of the Community.

Amendment 16

Article 20

The Coal and Steel Advisory Groups (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Advisory Groups’) shall be independent technical advisory groups.

The Coal and Steel Advisory Groups (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Advisory Groups’) shall be independent technical advisory groups comprising appropriately qualified specialists .

Amendment 17

Article 22, paragraph 3

The Commission shall ensure, within each Advisory Group, a balanced range of expertise and the broadest possible geographical representation.

The Commission shall ensure, within each Advisory Group, a balanced range of expertise and the broadest possible geographical and geo-economic representation , with special reference to the Member States which joined the European Union in 2004 and after .

Amendment 18

Article 25, paragraph 3, subparagraph 1

The Commission shall establish an information package setting out the detailed rules for participation, the methods of managing proposals and projects, application forms, rules for the submission of proposals, model grant agreements, eligible costs, the maximum financial contribution allowable, methods of payment and the annual priority objectives of the Research Programme.

The Commission shall establish an information package setting out the detailed rules for participation, the methods of managing proposals and projects, application forms (including instructions for the completion thereof) , rules for the submission of proposals, model grant agreements, eligible costs, the maximum financial contribution allowable, methods of payment and the annual priority objectives of the Research Programme.

(1) OJ L 29, 5.2.2003, p. 22.