RAPPORT dwar il-proposta għal deċiżjoni tal-Kunsill dwar il-konklużjoni ta’ Ftehima li ġġedded il-Ftehima dwar il-koperazzjoni xjentifika u teknoloġika bejn il-Komunità Ewropea u l-Gvern tar-Repubblika ta’ l-Indja

12.6.2008 - (16681/2007 – C6‑0073/2008 – 2007/0207(CNS)) - *

Kumitat għall-Industrija, ir-Riċerka u l-Enerġija
Rapporteur: Christian Ehler

ABBOZZ TA' RIŻOLUZZJONI LEĠIŻLATTIVA TAL-PARLAMENT EWROPEW

dwar il-proposta għal deċiżjoni tal-Kunsill dwar il-konklużjoni ta’ Ftehima li ġġedded il-Ftehima dwar il-koperazzjoni xjentifika u teknoloġika bejn il-Komunità Ewropea u l-Gvern tar-Repubblika ta’ l-Indja

(16681/2007 – C6‑0073/2008 – 2007/0207(CNS))

(Proċedura ta' konsultazzjoni)

Il-Parlament Ewropew,

–   wara li kkunsidra l-proposta għal deċiżjoni tal-Kunsill (COM(2007)0576),

–   wara li kkunsidra l-abbozz ta’ deċiżjoni tal-Kunsill (16681/2007),

–   wara li kkunsidra l-Artikolu 170(2) u 300(2), l-ewwel subparagrafu tat-Trattat KE,

–   wara li kkunsidra l-Artikolu 300(3), l-ewwel subparagrafu tat-Trattat KE, skond liema Trattat il-Kunsill ikkonsulta l-Parlament (C6-0073/2008),

–   wara li kkunsidra l-Artikolu 51 u 83(7) tar-Regoli ta’ Proċedura tiegħu,

–   wara li kkunsidra r-rapport tal-Kumitat għall-Industrija, ir-Riċerka u l-Enerġija (A6-0254/2008),

1.  Japprova l-abbozz tad-deċiżjoni tal-Kunsill kif emendata u japprova l-konklużjoni tal-ftehima;

2.  Jagħti struzzjonijiet lill-President tiegħu sabiex jgħaddi l-pożizzjoni tiegħu lill-Kunsill u lill-Kummissjoni, u lill-gvernijiet u lill-parlamenti ta' l-Istati membri u lill-Gvern tar-Repubblika ta’ l-Indja.

Emenda  1 Proposta għal deċiżjoni Premessa 3 a (ġdida)
Test propost mill-Kunsill	Emenda
	(3a) Il-Ftehima hija element ewlieni biex jintlaħqu l-miri tas-Sħubija Strateġika bejn l-UE u l-Indja ta’ l-2004 u għal kisba ta’ miri politiċi aktar wiesgħa.
Emenda  2 Proposta għal deċiżjoni Premessa 3 b (ġdida)
Test propost mill-Kunsill	Emenda
	(3b) Ir-responsabilità għall-koordinazzjoni effiċjenti u l-iffaċilitar ta’ l-attivitajiet ta’ koperazzjoni skond il-Ftehima taqa’ f’idejn il-Kumitat ta’ Tmexxija għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija KE-Indja, u huwa mixtieq li l-kumitat jiltaqa’ annwalment biex jirrevedi l-programm ta' ħidma u li r-regoli ta’ proċedura tiegħu jkunu bbażati fuq il-prinċipji tat-trasparenza u tar-responsabilità.
Ġustifikazzjoni
L-evalwazzjoni dwar l-impatt tal-Ftehima tissuġġerixxi li l-Kumitat ta’ Tmexxija ma ltaqax spiss biżżejjed, u laqgħat iktar regolari jistgħu jtejbu l-koordinazzjoni.
Emenda  3 Proposta għal deċiżjoni Premessa 3 c (ġdida)
Test propost mill-Kunsill	Emenda
	(3c) Objettivi ta’ prijorità għall-attivitajiet ta' riċerka konġunta li se jitwettqu skond il-Ftehima għandhom jipproduċu informazzjoni li titqabbel u biex itejbu l-korp ta' dejta.
Ġustifikazzjoni
Biex ikun possibbli li jkun evalwat ir-riżultat ta' kooperazzjoni, hu essenzjali li jkun hemm disponibbli data komparabbli.
Emenda  4 Proposta għal deċiżjoni Premessa 3 d (ġdida)
Test propost mill-Kunsill	Emenda
	(3d) Fl-implimentazzjoni tal-Ftehima, għandu jsir sforz konġunt miż-żewġ partijiet biex tiżdied il-parteċipazzjoni tal-Komunità u ta’ l-Indja fil-programmi ta’ riċerka ta’ xulxin u biex jiżdied n-numru ta' skambji ta' riċerkaturi bejn il-Komunità u l-Indja u biex tittejjeb il-mobilità tar-riċerkaturi b’mod ġenerali.
Ġustifikazzjoni
L-evalwazzjoni dwar l-impatt tal-koperazzjoni xjentifika bejn l-UE u l-Indja wriet li l-parteċipazzjoni ta’ l-UE fil-programmi ta’ riċerka ta’ l-Indja hija partikolarment baxxa. Għalhekk, iż-żewġ partijiet għandhom jieħdu azzjoni b’mod konġunt biex inaqqsu l-iżbilanċ. Sejħiet konġunti għal proposti jistgħu jkunu possibilità waħda biex dan jiġi indirizzat. Problema oħra żvelata hija n-numru żgħir ta’ skambji ta’ xjenzati. Hemm potenzjal kbir biex dan jiżdied permezz tal-bini ta’ programmi bħall-Azzjonijiet Marie Curie. It-tieni parti hija mnebbħa mir-rakkomandazzjonijiet ta’ l-Evalwazzjoni ta’ l-Impatt li saret mill-espert indipendenti. Din tgħid: “Għandha tiddaħal fis-seħħ xi skema għall-mobilità tax-xjentisti; pereżempju “tieqa Indjana b’mod simili għall-mudell Erasmus Mundus.”
Emenda  5 Proposta għal deċiżjoni Premessa 3 e (ġdida)
Test propost mill-Kunsill	Emenda
	(3e) Fl-implimentazzjoni tal-Ftehima, għandha tingħata attenzjoni ta’ prijorità lil politiki ta’ l-enerġija u ta’ l-ambjent u għall-iżvilupp metħieġ ta’ teknoloġiji innovattivi ta’ enerġija. Għandhom jitwettqu sforzi u inizjattivi konġunti, perżempju bil-ħsieb li jkunu żviluppati l-qabda u l-ħażna ekonomiċi tal-karbonju u teknoloġiji li jerġgħu jiġġeddu, li huma fl-interess taż-żewġ imsieħba.
Emenda  6 Proposta għal deċiżjoni Premessa 3 f (ġdida)
Test propost mill-Kunsill	Emenda
	(3f) Fl-implimentazzjoni tal-Ftehima, għandha tingħata attenzjoni speċjali lill-prinċipju ta’ reċiproċità.
Emenda  7 Proposta għal deċiżjoni Premessa 3 g (ġdida)
Test propost mill-Kunsill	Emenda
	(3g) Huwa mixtieq li titwettaq analiżi fuq perjodu ta’ żmien medju ta’ l-implimentazzjoni tal-Ftehima.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Introduction

The legal basis chosen for this proposal for a Council Decision to renew the Agreement concluded between the EC and India for a scientific and technological cooperation between the two parties to the 2002 Agreement is dual. First, the basic article of the EC Treaty making provision for international cooperation is Article 170. Second, cooperation between the EC and third countries of international organisations is governed by the provisions of Article 300, for both opening negotiations and for concluding the agreed text.

The Commission in this instance - as it was also in the case of the 2002 Agreement - chose to propose the consultation procedure for the European Parliament, foreseen in the first subparagraph of Article 300 (3).

However, given the fact that the text of the Agreement attached to the proposal is identical to the material content of the 2002 Agreement and that both Parties have expressed an interest in renewing the Agreement as it is, the Commission is of the view to use a one-step procedure for it. That is to be interpreted that a Singe procedure and a Single Act for Signature and Conclusion.

Material content of the renewed Agreement

The underlying logic of the said proposal is the following. By enlarging and facilitating the cooperative effort in scientific and technological research in areas of common interest to both the EC and India, it is claim by the Commission proposal that it will both strengthen the cooperative activities and encourage the application of the results of such cooperation to the two Parties to the Agreement. In this case, it will result in a win-win situation. Under theses circumstances, this situation is claimed to be a win-win case for another reason. The end result is the combination of economic and social dynamics, resulting in a mutually beneficial outcome.

The same logic was used for the 2002 Agreement. Furthermore, the Impact Assessment carried out by an independent expert in October 2006 was positive. It arrived at the conclusion recommending the renewal of the 2002 Agreement for an additional period of five years.

There are four principles constituting the basis for the renewal: balanced mutual benefits; reciprocal access to all research activities; exchange of information; protection of intellectual property rights.

However, the efficiency of this common approach to a joint cooperative activity in research and technological development rest with the institutional structure. The Commission proposal is of the view that a Steering Committee on S and T, consisting of an equal number of officials of each Party, established under the 2002 Agreement, should be responsible for the management of the renewed agreement.

Yet experience with this kind of Steering Committees has shown that two principles governing the proper management, namely, Transparency and Accountability are not meticulously followed. Hence your Rapporteur proposes an Amendment to the Recitals of the proposal, which is intended to clarify this point and asks to be taken into account when establishing the Steering Committee's Own Rules of Procedure.

Equally, two other amendments, one on comparable statistics and the other on the mobility of researchers are inspired from the Impact Assessment undertaken by an independent expert.

Funding of this joint endeavour will be equally shared by the EC and India. According to the proposal's Financial Statement, the EC budget, for the period 2007 to 2011, will bear an indicative cost of intervention (operational and administrative expenditure) of 0.8425 million euros.

The dissemination and utilisation of information is an important element of this Agreement. An annex on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) is attached to the Agreement, as an integral part of it. The said annex contains all standard provisions governing ownership, allocation and exercise of rights as well as specific rules on copyright works and scientific literary works, and criteria for the "undisclosed information".

In conclusion, your rapporteur proposes the approval of this Proposal subject to his Amendments.

PROĊEDURA

Titolu	It-tiġdid tal-Ftehima dwar il-kooperazzjoni xjentifika u teknoloġika bejn il-KE u l-Indja
Referenzi	16681/2007 – C6-0073/2008 – COM(2007)0576 – 2007/0207(CNS)
Data meta ġie kkonsultat il-PE	14.11.2007
Kumitat responsabbli        Data tat-tħabbir fis-seduta plenarja	ITRE 21.2.2008
Kumitat(i) mitlub(a) jagħti/u opinjoni        Data tat-tħabbir fis-seduta plenarja	AFET 21.2.2008		BUDG 21.2.2008
Opinjoni mhux mogħtija        Data tad-deċiżjoni	AFET 27.11.2007		BUDG 14.11.2007
Rapporteur(s)        Data tal-ħatra	Christian Ehler 27.2.2008
Diskussjoni fil-kumitat	8.4.2008		21.4.2008		27.5.2008
Data ta’ l-adozzjoni	5.6.2008
Riżultat tal-vot finali	+: –: 0:	45 0 0
Membri preżenti għall-vot finali	Šarūnas Birutis, Jan Březina, Jerzy Buzek, Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, Dragoş Florin David, Den Dover, Lena Ek, Norbert Glante, Fiona Hall, Rebecca Harms, Erna Hennicot-Schoepges, Mary Honeyball, Romana Jordan Cizelj, Werner Langen, Anne Laperrouze, Eluned Morgan, Angelika Niebler, Atanas Paparizov, Aldo Patriciello, Miloslav Ransdorf, Herbert Reul, Teresa Riera Madurell, Mechtild Rothe, Paul Rübig, Britta Thomsen, Patrizia Toia, Nikolaos Vakalis, Adina-Ioana Vălean, Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Sostitut(i) preżenti għall-vot finali	Christian Ehler, Göran Färm, Juan Fraile Cantón, Robert Goebbels, Françoise Grossetête, Satu Hassi, Gunnar Hökmark, Mieczysław Edmund Janowski, Eija-Riitta Korhola, Esko Seppänen, Hannes Swoboda, Silvia-Adriana Ţicău, Lambert van Nistelrooij
Sostitut(i) (skond l-Artikolu 178 (2)) preżenti għall-vot finali	Giovanna Corda, Catherine Neris, Antolín Sánchez Presedo
Data tat-tressiq	13.6.2008