Coal and steel research under the Fifth Framework Programme The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) Consultative Committee has adopted a resolution on an increased implementation of coal and steel research within the upcoming Fifth RTD Framework Programme. The main elements of the resolution underline the need to maintain an effec... The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) Consultative Committee has adopted a resolution on an increased implementation of coal and steel research within the upcoming Fifth RTD Framework Programme. The main elements of the resolution underline the need to maintain an effective research instrument in these fields, especially in the light of independent studies on the results of ECSC technical and social research, which have been very positive and have revealed a considerable measure of profitability. The resolution also recalls the overall importance of the coal and steel sectors in terms of economic benefit and employment opportunities, particularly in the light of EU enlargement. The decision taken by the Industry Council to allow the ECSC Treaty to expire in 2002, and the promise from political authorities to incorporate the interests of the coal and steel industry, particularly research interests, into EU policies is also raised in this context. The Consultative Committee feels it is now essential to accord equal rights for access to the Fifth Framework Programme, taking into consideration the experience of integrating the coal and steel sectors into the Fourth Framework Programme. Furthermore the Consultative Committee recommends that the Key Action concerning economic and efficient energy supply in Europe, in terms of improved exploration, extraction and production efficiency of energy vectors, should not be restricted to hydrocarbons, as indicated in the Council's common position adopted on 12 February 1998, but should apply to all fossil fuels.
