Provided initially with a budget of 5700 million ECUs, the current Third Framework Programme (1990 - 1994) is structured around 15 specific programmes. The adoption and launch of these programmes, between early 1991 and the first months of 1992, are now fully complete : calls for proposals have been made, proposals selected, contracts negotiated while projects from programmes which were adopted first have been running for several months now. The Third Framework Programme is based on the "rolling programme" concept, which means that its implementation coincides with the last phase of the preceding second framework programme (1987 - 1991). This in turn implies that the final two years of the Third Framework Programme should normally overlap with the start of the Fourth Framework Programme. In accordance with this approach, correspondingly fewer appropriations were earmarked for the Fourth Framework Programme in 1993 and 1994. However, it is unlikely that the Fourth Framework Programme will be adopted in time,

because of the complex decision procedures agreed on in Maastricht. If corrective action is not taken, annual Community RTD expenditure will fall sharply in the next two years. The Commission has therefore proposed the adoption of supplementary financing of 1600 million ECU for the Third Framework Programme to avoid any decrease in research expenditure. All the specific programmes have not been implemented at the same pace; needs and priorities are different according to the sectors. Therefore, without upsetting the overall equilibrium, it is proposed to attribute the supplementary resources in a modulated way across the specific programmes rather than increasing them evenly in a strictly proportional manner. Having evaluated the situation in the different fields, the Commission suggests, for instance, increasing over the average level resources going to the non-nuclear energy, industrial technology and thermonuclear fusion programmes.

Focal Areas Sums in

million ECU Proportion

of total

budget (%) I.Enabling technologies

1.Information and communications

technologies

- Information technologies

- Communications technologies

- Development of telematics systems

of general interest

2.Industrial and materials technologies

- Industrial and materials

technologies

- Measurement and testing

II.Management of natural resources

3.Environment

- Environment

- Marine science and technology

4.Life sciences and technologies

- Biotechnology

- Agricultural and agro-industrial

research (incl. fisheries)

- Biomedical and health research

- Life sciences and technologies for

developing countries

5.Energy

- Non-nuclear energies

- Nuclear fission safety

- Controlled thermonuclear fusion

III.Management of intellectual resources

6.Human capital and mobility

2.221

1.352

489

380

888

748

140

518

414

104

741

164

333

133

111

814

157

199

458

518

38,9

15,6

9,1

13,0

14,3

9,1

Total 5.700 100,0