EC/Australia agreement: amending the agreement for scientific and technical cooperation

OBJECTIVE: to widen the field of application of the Agreement for Scientific and Technical Cooperation between the European Community and Australia. CONTENT: The Agreement for Scientific and Technical Cooperation between the European Community and Australia entered into force on 27 June 1994. Its aim was to stimulate cooperation in RTD between the European Community and Australia in terms of research projects within the Community framework programme for RTD. In the meantime, the parties have expressed a desire to amend the Agreement in order to widen its field of application. The purpose of this amending proposal is therefore to widen the application of the Agreement to cover all research areas covered by Article 130 G (a) of the Treaty (?implementation of research, technological development and demonstration programmes, by promoting cooperation with and between undertakings, research centres and universities?) and, only as far as networks between infrastructure operators and related research projects are concerned, Article 130 G(d) of the Treaty (?stimulation of the training and mobility of researchers in the Community"). The proposal specifies that for Australia, the areas of cooperation include any science or technology activities funded or performed by the Government of Australia, the Governments of the States and Territories and non-government authorities, in particular the private research and business sectors.�