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COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY AND THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN

on research and training in the field of radiation protection

THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY, hereinafter called 'the Community',

and

THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN, hereinafter called 'Sweden',

both hereinafter called the 'Contracting Parties',

Whereas the Community and Sweden concluded a framework agreement for scientific and technical cooperation which entered into force on 27 August 1987;

Whereas, by Decision of 89/416/Euratom, the Council of the European Communities, hereinafter called 'the Council', adopted a specific research and training programme in the field of radiation protection (1990 to 1991), hereinafter called 'the Community programme';

Whereas the association of Sweden with the Community programme can help to improve the efficacy of the research carried out by the Contracting Parties in the field of radiation protection and can avoid the useless duplication of efforts;

Whereas the Community and Sweden expect to obtain mutual benefit from Sweden's association with the Community programme,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Sweden is hereby associated as from 1 January 1990 with the implementation of the Community programme as set out in Annex A. The implementation of the programme and the Community's rate of financial participation are set out in Annex B.

Article 2

The financial contribution of Sweden, deriving from its association with the implementation of the Community programme, shall be established in proportion to the amount available each year in the general budget of the European Communities for appropriations covering commitments to meet financial obligations of the Commission of the European Communities, hereinafter referred to as 'the Commission', resulting from work to be carried out in the framework of shared-cost research contracts necessary to the implementation of the Community programme and from management and administrative operating expenditure for the said programme.

The proportionality factor governing Sweden's contribution shall be obtained by establishing the ratio between Sweden's gross domestic product (GDP), at market prices, and the sum of gross domestic products, at market prices, of the Member States of the Community and of Sweden. This ratio shall be calculated on the basis of the latest available statistical data of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The funds estimated as necessary to carry out the Community programme, the amount of Sweden's contribution and the timetable of the commitment estimates are set out in Annex C.

The rules governing Sweden's financial contribution are set out in Annex D.

Article 3

For Sweden, research and development bodies and persons, the terms and conditions for the submission and evaluation of proposals and the terms and conditions for the granting and conclusion of contracts under the Community programme shall be the same as those applicable to research and development bodies and persons in the Community provided that the rights of access to results shall be limited to those arising from contracts under the same programme. In particular, the general provisions applicable to research contracts within the Community shall apply subject to this Article, mutatis mutandis, to research contracts with Swedish research and development bodies and persons so far as questions relating to taxation and customs duties and the utilization of research results are concerned.

Article 4

The Commission shall be responsible for the implementation of the programme and shall be assisted in the implementation by the Management and Coordination Advisory Committee (CGC) on radiation protection, set up by Decision 84/338/Euratom, ECSC, EEC of 29 June 1984 dealing with structures and procedures for the management and coordination of Community research, development and demonstration activities (1).

The Committee shall be enlarged to include two representatives designated by Sweden who may be assisted or replaced by one Swedish expert. They shall participate solely in the work of the Committee which meets in its variable configuration to accomplish the tasks concerning the Community programme on radiation protection.

Article 5

After the end of the programme, an evaluation of the results achieved shall be conducted by the Commission, which shall report thereon to the European Parliament, the Council and Sweden.

The report referred to in paragraph 1 shall be established having regard to the objectives and criteria set out in Annex E and in accordance with Article 2 (2) of Decision 87/516/Euratom, EEC (1)

Article 6

Each Contracting Party undertakes, in accordance with their respective rules and regulations, to facilitate the movement and residence of research workers participating in Sweden and in the Community in the activities covered by this Agreement.

Article 7

The Commission and the Swedish Institute of Radiation Protection of Sweden shall ensure the implementation of this Agreement.

Article 8

This agreement shall apply, on the one hand, to the territories in which the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community is applied and under the conditions laid down in that Treaty and, on the other hand, to the territory of the Kingdom of Sweden.

Article 9

1. This Agreement is concluded for the duration of the Community programme (1990 to 1991).

Should the Community revise the Community programme, the Agreement may be denounced under mutually agreed conditions. Sweden shall be notified of the exact content of the revised programme within one week after its adoption by the Community. The Contracting Parties shall notify each other within three months after the Community decision has been adopted if a termination of the agreement is envisaged.

2. Where the Community adopts a new R&D programme in the field of radiation protection, this Agreement may be renegotiated or renewed under mutually agreed conditions.

3. Subject to paragraph 1, either Contracting Party may at any time terminate the Agreement with six months' notice. The projects and work in progress at the time of termination and/or expiry of this Agreement shall be continued until they are completed under the conditions laid down in this Agreement.

Article 10

This Agreement shall be approved by the Contracting Parties in accordance with their existing procedures.

It shall enter into force on the date on which the Contracting Parties notify each other of the completion of the procedures necessary for this purpose.

Article 11

The Annexes A, B, C, D, and E to this Agreement shall be an integral part thereof.

Article 12

This Agreement shall be drawn up in duplicate in the Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish languages, each of these texts being equally authentic.

The present Agreement was signed in Brussels on 3 August 1990.

1.2 // For the European Atomic Energy Community // For the Kingdom of Sweden // Paolo FASELLA // Magnus WERNSTEDT // Director-General for Science, Research and Development // Chargé d'affaires Swedish Delegation to the European Communities

(1) OJ No L 177, 4. 7. 1984, p. 25.

(1) OJ No L 302, 24. 10. 1987, p. 1.

ANNEX A

PROGRAMME CONTENTS AND INDICATIVE INTERNAL ALLOCATION OF FUNDS

1.2.3 // // // Indicative allocation of funds, including staff and administrative expenses (in million ecu) // // // // A. // Human exposure to radiation and radioactivity // 7,4 // 1. // Measurement of radiation dose and its interpretation // // 1.1. // Development and implementation of standards and procedures linked to the concepts of dose equivalent quantities for both external and internal exposure // // 1.2. // Radiation and instrumentation for individual and area dosimetry // // 1.3. // Derivation or organ doses and effective dose equivalent // // 1.4. // Assessment of internal exposure // // 2. // Transfer and behaviour of radionuclides in the environment // // 2.1. // Environmental behaviour of radionuclides in situations meriting particular attention for long-term behaviour or post-accident conditions // // 2.2. // Natural radioactivity in the environment and its pathways to man // // 2.3. // Influence of speciation, chemical modification, changes in physico-chemico properties and biological conversion, particularly with respect to: // // // - long-lived fission and corrosion products // // // - actinides, tritium, eg. reduction of hydrogen gas and transformation of inorganic into organically bound tritium // // // and // // // - effluent from radiopharmaceutics or nuclear medicine // // 2.4. // The behaviour of accidentally released radionuclides evaluation of the reliability of transfer parameters and experimental studies // // 2.5. // The role of retention and release of radionuclides in natural ecosystems, such as forests, moorland, swamps, marshlands, water bodies and in marginal agricultural areas // // 2.6. // Development of countermeasures to reduce the contamination in the environment and to impede its transfer to man // // B. // Consequences of radiation exposure to man: their assessment, prevention and treatment // 7,4 // 1. // Stochastic effects of radiation // // 1.1. // Interpretation of low dose and low dose rate effects with the help of microdosimetry // // 1.2. // Repair and modification of genetic damage and individual radiosensitivity // // 1.3. // Cellular, molecular and animal studies to determine the risk of stochastic somatic effects of radiation with respect to low dose, low dose rate and radiation quality // // 1.4. // Assessment of genetic risks in man // // 1.5. // Action of radionuclides on target cells in relation to radionuclide metabolism and studies on biological models for radionuclide-induced cancer, particularly of lung, bone, liver // // // // Indicative allocation of funds, including staff and administrative expenses (in million ecu) // // 2. // Non-stochastic effects of radiation // // 2.1. // Radiation syndromes and their treatment after exposure of large parts of the body // // 2.2. // Irradiation and committed exposure from incorporated radionuclides // // 2.3. // Radiation syndromes and their treatment after local exposure to skin and subcutaneous tissues // // 2.4. // Radiation damage to lens, thyroid and other tissues of relevance in radiation protection // // 3. // Radiation effects on the developing organism // // C. // Risks and mangement of radiation exposure // 6,4 // 1. // Assessment of human exposure and risks // // 1.1. // Evaluation and statistics of the different types of human exposure // // 1.2. // Exposure of natural radioactivity and evaluation of parameters influencing these risks // // 1.3. // Comparative assessment of exposure and risks // // 1.4. // Epidemiological studies in human populations // // 2. // Optimization and management of radiation protection // // 2.1. // Optimization and radiological protection // // 2.2. // Reduction of patient exposure in medical diagnostic radiology // // 2.3. // Management of radiological protection in normal and accident situations // // 2.4. // Probabilistic risk assessment and real-time models for assessing the consequences of accidental releases of radioactivity and for evaluating effectiveness and feasibility of countermeasures // // // Total // 21,2 (1)

(1) Of which approximately ECU 5 870 000 are attributed to staff and administrative expenses.

ANNEX B

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME AND THE COMMUNITY'S RATE OF FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION

The programme consists of activities carried out by means of shared-cost research contracts with competent public or private research organizations established in the Member States.

In addition to shared-cost research contracts, the programme may also be carried out by means of study contracts and coordinating actions. Particular emphasis will be placed on awards for training and mobility grants. Such contracts and grants will, where appropriate, be awarded following a selection procedure based on calls for proposals published in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

Participants in shared-cost contracts may be from public or private research organizations, including universities, established in the Community. Each contractor will be expected to make a significant contribution to projects. The contractor will be expected to bear a substantial proportion of the costs, 50 % of which will normally be borne by the Community. Alternatively, in respect of universities and similar organizations carrying out projects under the programme, the Community may bear up to 100 % of the additional expenditure involved.

Shared-cost research projects should normally be carried out by participants from more than one Member State.

The Commission shall distribute, in all Community languages, information packs to accompany the invitation to participate in order to guarantee equal opportunities for the enterprises, universities and research centres in the Member States.

The information resulting from the implementation of the shared-cost activities shall be made accessible on an equal basis to all Member States. Licences and/or other rights developed in the framework of the programme will be subject to Community rules, and take into account contractual arrangements.

ANNEX C

FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

Article 1

The amount estimated as necessary to carry out the Community programme shall be ECU 21 200 000.

Article 2

Swedens' financial contribution to the execution of the Community programme is estimated to be ECU 774 436.

Article 3

Timetable of the commitments estimated as necessary for the execution of the Community programme (commitment appropriations) and of Sweden's contribution

(in ecus)

1.2.3 // // // // Year // Commitments for // Sweden's contribution // // Management and administration, staff on contracts and shared-cost research contracts including training // Management and administration, staff on contracts and shared-cost research contracts including training // // // // 1990 // 17 000 000 // 640 399 // 1991 // 4 200 000 // 134 037 // // // // Total // 21 200 000 // 774 436 // // // ANNEX D

FINANCING RULES

Article 1

This Annex lays down the detailed rules governing Sweden's financial condition referred to in Article 2 of the Agreement.

Article 2

At the beginning of each year, or whenever the Community programme is revised so as to involve an increase in the amount estimated as necessary for its implementation, the Commission shall send to Sweden a call for funds corresponding to its contribution to the costs under the Agreement.

This contribution shall be expressed both in ecus and in the Swedish currency, the composition of the ecu being defined in Regulation (EEC) No 3180/78 (1). The value in Swedish currency of the contribution in ecus shall be determined on the date of the call for funds.

Sweden shall pay its contribution to the annual costs under the Agreement at the beginning of each year and at the latest three months after the call for funds is sent. Any delay in the payment of the contribution shall give rise to the payment of interest by Sweden at a rate equal to the highest discount rate obtaining in the Member States of the Community on the due date. The rate shall be increased by 0,25 of a percentage point for each month of delay.

The increased rate shall be applied to the entire period of delay. However, this interest shall be payable only if the contribution is paid more than three months after a call for funds has been made by the Commission.

Travel costs of Swedish representatives and experts arising from their participation in the work of the Committee referred to in Article 4 of the Agreement shall be reimbursed by the Commission in accordance with the procedures currently in force for the representatives and experts of the Member States of the Community and, in particular, in accordance with Decision No 84/338/EEC.

Article 3

The funds paid by Sweden shall be credited to the Community programme as budget receipts allocated to its appropriate heading in the statement of revenue of the general budget of the European Communities.

Article 4

The Financial Regulation in force applicable to the general budget of the European Communities shall apply to the management of the appropriations.

Article 5

At the end of each year, a statement of appropriations for the Community programme shall be prepared and transmitted to Sweden for information.

(1) OJ No L 379, 30. 12. 1978, p. 1.

ANNEX E

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES AND EVALUATION CRITERIA

The radiation protection programme (1990 to 1991) represents a part of the Community research needs in the field of radiation protection for the period 1990 to 1994, outlined in the Commission communication (COM(88) 789 final) and aims, by means of a cooperative European research effort, to provide:

- the scientific basis for the continued updating of the Basic Safety Standards for the health protection of the general public and workers against dangers of ionizing radiation and the stimulus for the continued development of radiation protection philosophy and concepts in all Member States, taking into account relative experience in Member States,

- the scientific knowledge needed to assess the carcinogenic and genetic risks to workers and the general public from exposure to low doses and low dose rates of radiation of different quality arising from natural radiation, medical diagnostic radiology and nuclear industry,

- the methods to assess risks from radiation accidents as well as the rationales and techiques for the implementation of counter measures,

- the information necessary to expand radiation protection concepts and practices in response to demands created, for example by innovative applications of radiation in medicine and industry,

- the objective scientific background to help the relevant national authorities reach rational decisions on the operation of the nuclear industry, on the development of environmental criteria for radioactivity on the management of rare emergency situations, and on the objective information to be given to the public about risks and benefits,

- the incentive and the support for cooperation between scientists and research institutions from the different Member States, and the advanced training necessary to maintain competence in the Community, including improved and comprehensive training of young scientists in the field of radiation protection,

- efficient use and documentation of the knowledge acquired under this and previous Community radiation protection programmes which could contribute to a better understanding of the scientific issues and lead to improved information to the general public of these matters.

The extent to which the programme attains the above objectives will be evaluated by independent experts in accordance with the Community plan of action relating to the evaluation of Community research and development activities.

The major evaluation criteria for the programme are:

- its scientific and technological contribution to the radiation protection policy of the Community,

- the relevance of the results of the research carried out in the programme for the continued updating of the Basic Safety Standards for the health protection of the general public and workers against dangers of ionizing radiation and for the theoretical foundation of radiation protection and its practical applications,

- the scientific originality of the work, its relevance for the assessment of risks, in particular from low dose and dose rate exposure to natural, medical and man-made sources, and its contribution to the assessment and management of risks of radiation accidents,

- the ways by which information from the programme has provided protection concepts and practices in response to demands created by new applications of radiation and has helped relevant national authorities to reach national decisions on radiation protection in normal and emergency situations,

- its role in the dissemination of knowledge,

- the extent to which the programme has contributed to cooperation among Member States' laboratories has helped the advanced training of scientists and has prompted dissemination of scientific knowledge in radiation protection,

- the efficiency of the management. In addition, the criteria set up for the 1988 to 1989 revision (1) should also be considered:

- whether a significant contribution has been made to the development of more cost-effective techniques to prevent and counter harmful effects of radiation, especially those occurring as a result of hypothetical accidents taking into account the Chernobyl situation. In particular whether:

- the reliability of long distance atmospheric transfer models has been approved,

- improved data and models on the transfer of radionuclides in the food chain have been obtained,

- the feasibility of epidemiological studies on health effects in the population has been demonstrated or rejected,

- the radiological consequences of nuclear accident scenarios have become better understood,

- the scientific basis of the underlying data for derived emergency reference levels has been developed,

- the practical countermeasures with respect to the agricultural and aquatic environment, the urban environment and preventive medication have been improved,

- better methods for monitoring and surveillance in accidental situations have been found,

- the treatment methodologies and diagnosis of exposed persons have advanced.

(1) OJ No L 16, 21. 1. 1988, p. 44.