COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 29 April 1992 concerning the activities to be undertaken by the Joint Research Centre (92/C 118/03)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Commission's communication submitted to the Council on 31 July 1991,

Having regard to the Commission proposals concerning specific research and development programmes to be executed by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) for the implementation of the third framework programme for Community activities in the field of research and technological development (1990 to 1994), set out in Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC (1),

Whereas by its resolution of 29 June 1988 (2) the Council defined the scope of activities to be undertaken by the JRC and indicated an estimation of the Centre's overall expenditure for the period 1988 to 1991;

Whereas the JRC's development during the abovementioned period has evolved significantly with progress being made in terms of its scientific and technological achievements, its competitiveness, its work for third parties and its manpower policies;

Whereas a significant contribution by the JRC to Community research and technological development policy involves readjustment to its fundamental and applied research activities,

1. REAFFIRMS the Community character of the JRC and its role in achieving the Community's aim of strengthening the scientific and technological basis of European industry and encouraging it to become more competitive, by dint of the scientific excellence of its work and its continuing efforts to promote overall efficiency throughout its organization;

2. CONSIDERS that the JRC is called upon to contribute to the implementation of the third framework programme in close coordination with the management committees of the relevant specific programmes, particularly in those fields in which it can offer impartial and independent expertise for the benefit of Community policies, including consumer protection policy, and where it has the necessary competence, in areas such as industrial and material technologies, measurements and testing, environment, nuclear safety, fusion, human capital and mobility. The JRC should also carry out research of a prenormative character as well as research in the fields of technological forecasting and industrial risks;

3. EMPHASIZES that, with a view to contributing to the objective of the economic and social cohesion of the Community, the JRC should also develop initiatives to reinforce and, where necessary, increase collaboration with the research centres and laboratories of all Member States, resulting in its playing a significant role in European scientific integration;

4. CONSIDERS that the JRC should further optimize the use of available staff and equipment in fields where it has the competence and should, in addition to its task of executing specific research programmes and exploratory research, seek to pursue its work of providing services:

- in conformity with EAEC Treaty obligations for the relevant Commission departments,

- in other cases for Commission departments by following a competitive approach (taking into account all real costs concerned) and on the basis of a genuine customer/contractor relationship, which should be reflected in the scientific, technical and budgetary arrangements of these departments,

- under contract for external third parties, while maintaining self-sufficiency in financial terms for this type of service;

5. RECOGNIZES that progress has been made in reducing staffing levels and increasing staff mobility; URGES the Commission to take further measures to reduce administrative and personnel costs as compared with operational costs; INVITES the Commission to come forward with concrete proposals on a more dynamic staffing policy with a view to achieving the aforementioned aim in the near future, if necessary, by proposing a significant programme for early retirements;

6. INVITES the Commission to accelerate the positive development of the JRC by proposing to Council the means for establishing a more autonomous structure even better adapted to the JRC tasks. These proposals should include in particular financial arrangements and a personnel policy consistent with an increased autonomy of the JRC as a whole;

7. URGES that, during the 1992 to 1994 period, the objectives of the JRC should be achieved within the overall estimate of expenditure set out in the Annex and that, in particular, the targets related to orders for work on a contractual basis for third parties should be realized;

8. INVITES the Commission to include all relevant information on the different areas of JRC activity in its annual report to be submitted to the European Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social Committee, thus enabling an assessment to be made of the extent to which the JRC has achieved its objectives.

(1) OJ No L 117, 8. 5. 1990, p. 28.

(2) OJ No C 197, 27. 7. 1988, p. 4.

ANNEX

ESTIMATE OF THE OVERALL EXPENDITURE OF THE JRC (1992 to 1994) in million ecus

A. Implementation of the framework programme by means of specific research programmes - EEC research programmes

- EAEC research programmes

341,55

202,95

Subtotal A

544,50 (3)

B. Contractual work - Scientific and technological support for the Commission

- Work to be financed by external private or public bodies

190,0

130,0 (4)

Subtotal B

320,0

Total

864,5 (5)

(3) An amount of ECU 5,5 million not included in the ECU 544,5 million is reserved for the centralized action of dissemination and exploitation provided for in Article 4 of Decision 90/221/Euratom, EEC.

(4) Including ECU 62 million for the high flux reactor (HFR).

(5) Up to ECU 41 million will be spent on exploratory research.