Specific research programme RTD: non-nuclear energy (1994-1998)

The Commission's amended proposal took over the European Parliament's amendments concerning: the implementation schedule for the programme (the first appropriations would be allocated within twelve months of the adoption of the programme); the measures to simplify and improve the procedures and make them more transparent; the staff and administrative expenditure; the reference to the financial perspective; the need for a coherent strategy covering the entire innovation process, from scientific breakthrough to dissemination; the priority to be given to the possibilities of subsequent access to the market for the technologies concerned; coordination with the programmes supporting non-nuclear energies implemented in the Member States; cooperation with the International Energy Agency. With regard to the technical content of the programme, the Commission did not accept the amendments concerning in particular: research in the field of batteries and super-capacitors; research on viable advanced road transport systems; activities concerning advanced conversion processes resulting in the production of hydrogen from biomass; the attention to be paid to electric cars in urban areas; more extensive actions involving developing countries and countries in the East. The Commission did not accept the amendments concerning comitology, international cooperation (extension of the Commission's negotiating mandate to the countries of the Mediterranean Basin) and systematic priority for SMEs in the selection of projects. �