Official Journal L 189 , 13/07/1991 p. 0001 - 0034

Text without Annexes:

COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
of 6 May 1991
concerning the harmonization within the Community of research and technological
development databases
(91/337/CEE)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,

Whereas the Commission, in close cooperation with the Member States, may take any necessary action in order to promote the coordination of national policies and programmes for research and technological developments;

Whereas the Commission considers that in order to strengthen the scientific and technological bases of European industry and make the Community more competitive internationally there has to be continuous and rapid exchange of information between Member States;

Whereas the Member States already have structures capable of meeting this need, in particular national databases for research and technological development;

Whereas Community initiatives have been taken in such related fields as the expansion of the dissemination of information on Community research and technological development, pressure for standards on information exchange via computers and telecommunications networks and the setting-up of an integrated European telecommunications network;

Whereas, however, databases set up on the basis of national requirements are not fully compatible with each other; whereas harmonization is necessary to meet Community requirements;

Whereas measures to this end must be adopted with an eye to the completion of the internal market by 1 January 1993;

Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research Committee (CREST) has been consulted,

HAS FORMULATED THIS RECOMMENDATION:

Article 1

Member States are hereby recommended to ensure that, progressively by 1 January 1993, bodies responsible for disseminating information on research and technological development activities at national level:

1) harmonize existing national databases in the field of research and technological development so as to attain the Community's objectives in this area and in particular to promote the coordination of policies and research and technological development programmes between Member States;

2) introduce into the databases referred to in point 1 information on scientific and technological research projects carried out in undertakings and research institutes in the Member States. The technical specifications for describing the projects are set out in Annex I;

3) adopt a multilingual and multidisciplinary common classification system for setting up the national databases referred to in point 1. This system must be flexible enough to allow regular adaptation to changing science and technology requirements. The classification system referred to is set out in Annex II;

4) adopt, at a later stage, a dynamic, multilingual and multidisciplinary common thesaurus (structured language).

Article 2

1) Member States shall coordinate jointly the action referred to in Article 1.

2) They shall inform the Commission of any measures taken in execution of this Recommendation.

3) The Scientific and Technical Research Committee (CREST) shall monitor the implementation of this Recommendation and it shall hold a regular exchange of views on this matter at least every two years.

Article 3

This Recommendation is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 6 May 1991.

For the Commission

Filippo M. PANDOLFI
Vice-President