PURPOSE : Promotion of scientific and technological co-operation between the European Community and the United States.
COMMUNITY MEASURE : Council Decision 98/591/EC concerning the conclusion of the Agreement for scientific and technological co-operation between the European Community and the Government of the United States of America.
CONTENT : The Agreement is designed to permit the Community and the US to take advantage, on the basis of the principle of reciprocity, of scientific and technical progress arising from joint research programmes.
It is envisaged for 5 years and may eventually be extended depending on the evaluation of the parties concerned and the signing of a written agreement for an extension.
The sectors concerned by the joint research projects are the following :
- environment (including climate change);
- biomedicine and health (including AIDS, infectious diseases and drug abuse);
- agriculture;
- fisheries research;
- industrial research;
- non-nuclear energy;
- natural resources;
- metrology;
- information and communication technologies;
- telematics;
- biotechnology;
- marine sciences and technology;
- social sciences;
- transportation;
- science and technology policy, management, training and mobility of scientists.
If required, the list of research areas could be extended, in the context of an appropriate procedure provided for within the Joint Consultative Group.
The Agreement determines the forms of joint research activities: - co-ordinated research and joint research projects;
- joint task forces;
- joint studies;
- joint organisation of scientific seminars, conferences, symposia and workshops;
- training of scientists and technical experts;
- exchange or sharing of equipment and materials;
- visits and exchanges of scientists, engineers or other appropriate personnel;
- exchanges of scientific and technological information, as well as on practices, laws, regulations and programmes relevant to co-operation under the Agreement.
Provisions are made for dissemination and the utilisation of information arising from the joint research projects (in particular, in the Annex to the Agreement, with respect to intellectual property and proprietary information.)
The beneficiaries are the scientific community, the industrial sector and the general public, thanks to the direct and indirect effects of the co-operation. Participants from third countries can take part in the research activities. A Joint Consultative Group shall be established in the framework of the Agreement andwill be composed of official representatives of each Party.
The Agreement is financed, from the Community side, from the Eu budget for the RDT Framework Programme.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: the Agreement enters into force once the parties inform each another that their respective internal procedures have been completed.�