20.5.2008 Official Journal of the European Union L 130/7 I (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is not obligatory) DECISIONS COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 29 April 2008 on the adoption of the Research Programme of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel and on the multiannual technical guidelines for this programme (2008/376/EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to the Protocol, annexed to the Treaty estab- lishing the European Community, on the financial consequences of the expiry of the ECSC Treaty and on the Research Fund for Coal and Steel, Having regard to Council Decision 2003/76/EC of 1 February 2003 establishing the measures necessary for the implemen- tation of the Protocol, annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the financial consequences of the expiry of the ECSC Treaty and on the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (1), and in particular Article 4(3) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (3), Whereas: The revenue from investments of the net worth of the assets of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in liquidation and, on completion of the liquidation, the assets of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel, are being assigned to the Research Fund for Coal and Steel, which is intended exclusively to fund research projects outside the Community framework programme for research, (1) () O] L 29, 5.2.2003, p. 22. (%) Opinion of 10 April 2008 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () () 0] 0 technological development and demonstration activities in the sectors related to the coal and steel industry. The Research Fund for Coal and Steel is to be managed by the Commission in accordance with principles similar to those governing the former ECSC coal and steel technical research programmes and on the basis of multi- annual technical guidelines which should constitute an extension of those ECSC programmes, providing a high concentration of research activities and ensuring that they supplement those of the Community framework programme for research, technological development and demonstration activities. The Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013) set out in Decision No 1982/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 (°) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Seventh Framework Programme) provides an incentive to review Council Decision 2003/78/EC of 1 February 2003 laying down the multi- annual technical guidelines for the research programme of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel () in order to ensure that the Research Fund for Coal and Steel complements the Seventh Framework Programme in the sectors related to the coal and steel industry. Research and technical development constitute a very important means of supporting Community energy objectives with regard to the supply of Community coal and its competitive and environmentally friendly conversion and utilisation. Moreover, the growing inter- national dimension of the coal market and the global scale of the problems confronting it means that the L 412, 30.12.2006, p. 1. L 29, 5.2.2003, p. 28.