SECTION 51

1. Member States shall: a) develop an adequate scientific and technological base capable of bringing about the socio-economic changes needed to improve the quality of life of their populations, particularly rural populations; b) ensure the proper application of science and technology to the development of agriculture, transport and communications, industry, health and hygiene, energy, education and manpower and the conservation of the environment; c) reduce their dependence and promote their individual and collective technological reliance by seeking a favourable socio-economic balance between foreign and local technological contributions. 2. In the implementation of this cooperation, Member States shall: a) harmonize their national policies on scientific and technical research with a view to improving their integration at national levels of economic and social development; b) coordinate their applied research, research and development and scientific and technical services programmes; c) harmonize their national technological development plans by placing special emphasis on local technologies and their regulations governing industrial property and the transfer of foreign technologies; d) coordinate their positions on all scientific and technical questions forming the subject of international negotiations; e) carry out a permanent exchange of information and documentation and establish Community data networks and data banks; f) develop joint programmes for training scientific and technological cadres including the training and further training of skilled manpower; g) promote exchanges of researchers and specialists between Member States in order to make full use of the technical skills available in the Community;