OBJECTIVE: to promote scientific and technological cooperation between the European
Community and the United States within the framework of joint research projects.
SUBSTANCE: the agreement signed on 5 December 1997 in Washington is intended to enable the
European Community and the United States of America to benefit, on a mutual basis from the
scientific and technological progress made under joint research programmes. It has an initial term
of five years and can be extended, subject to assessment by the parties and the conclusion of a
written agreement of extension.
The sectors concerned by the joint research projects are:
- environment (including climate research),
- biomedicine and health (including research on AIDS, infectious diseases and drug abuse),
- agriculture,
- fisheries science,
- engineering research,
- non-nuclear energy,
- natural resources,
- metrology,
- information and communication technology,
- telematics,
- biotechnology,
- marine sciences and technology,
- social sciences,
- transportation,
- science and technology policy, management, training and mobility of scientists.
If necessary the list of research areas may be extended, within the framework of an appropriate
procedure provided for within the joint consultative group.
The agreement sets out the forms of the cooperative activities: joint research projects, joint studies,
seminars, conferences or workshops, exchanges or sharing of equipment and materials, exchanges
of scientists as part of mobility programmes, exchange of information, training, etc.
There are provisions on the dissemination and utilization of information resulting from joint research
projects (in particular in the Annex to the agreement with regard to intellectual property and
proprietary information).
The beneficiaries are the scientific community, the industrial sector and the general public, through
the direct and indirect effects of cooperation. Participants from third countries may take part in
research activities.
A joint committee is set up in the framework of the agreement and is made up of the official
representatives of the parties.
The agreement is financed, as far as the Community is concerned from the Community's RTD
Framework Programme budget (the financial statement attached to the proposal provides for an
amount of ECU 120 000 per year).
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