Expiry of the ECSC treaty: research programme of the coal and steel research fund, technical guidelines

PURPOSE : to lay down the multiannual technical guidelines for the research programme of the Coal and Steel Research Fund. CONTENT : according to Article 97 of the Treaty establishing the Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the ECSC Treaty expires on 23 July 2002. In consideration of the benefits obtained by the coal and steel industry from the ECSC research and technological development (RTD) programme, the European Council agreed in its Resolution on growth and employment, adopted in Amsterdam on 16 and 17 June 1997, that the revenues from the reserves outstanding upon expiration of the ECSC Treaty should be used for a research fund for sectors related to the coal and steel industries. The Commission adopted on 8 October 1997 a Communication to Council proposing that the assets of the "ECSC in liquidation" be transferred to remaining Communities and that all net revenues from the management of these assets be used to finance research of the type covered by the ECSC's present coal and steel programmes. By resolutions adopted on 20 July 1998 and 21 June 1999, the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, supported the overall approach proposed by the Commission and invited it to put forward, in good time, appropriate and more detailed proposals. This proposal for a Council Decision is intended to respond to this invitation and to meet the requirement for the multiannual technical guidelines to set out the rules for the future coal and steel RTD programme. These technical guidelines deal with: - scope and main principles of the programme, also specifying the applicable definition of "coal" and "steel"; - allowable participation and types of projects (research, pilot and demonstration projects and ancillary actions); - management of the programme and the periodic assessments; - implementation of the programme, such as calls for proposals, fair and equitable evaluation, selection, industry consultation; - the scientific-technical and socio-economic priorities for the period 2002-2007.�