Specific research programme: industrial technologies and materials (1994-1998)

The Commission's amended proposal includes the amendments by the European Parliament dealing with: the deadlines for implementing the programme (the first appropriations will be committed within twelve months of the adoption of the programme at most), efforts to simplify, improve and make procedures more transparent, staff and operating costs, the reference to the financial perspectives, the need to evaluate the economic and social impact and, more importantly, the consequences on employment of projects implemented within the framework of the programme and the need to evaluate the impact of any technological risks from these activities. The Commission did not incorporate the amendments on comitology, international cooperation (extending the Commission's negotiating mandate to the countries of the Mediterranean basin) or systematic priority for SMEs when selecting projects.�