EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES POLICY IN THE SPHERE OF RESEARCH-AND-DEVELOPMENT

The paper analyzes the Community's policy concerning research and development and it begins with a short historical sketch and goes on up to present days. In the first part of the paper the reasons of a new technological delay of Western Europe behind the USA and Japan are appraised. The countries of the EC are shifting heavy industry increasingly aside and at the same time they are not able to keep pace with their competitors dealing in progressive industries in which they are often starting from scratch. The core of the second part of the paper lies in the concept developments of the EC's policy. The author discusses general EC's programs for research and development as well. The analysis of the specific research EC's programs is the point of the paper.