The Commission of the European Community has, by means of the Directorate General for Energy, been involved in energy research aimed at improving the energy supply situation of the Community. This involvement is on two levels, firstly, the Community supports research and development aimed at improving the technologies associated with the location and production of tradi tional fuels and, secondly, the Community is actively involved in research to replace traditional energy sources with suitable alternatives. Given the parlous state of the energy supply situation in the Community, it was felt that a special effort was required to develop new technologies associated with improving the supply of traditional fuels and in develop­ ing and establishing alternative sources of energy. The ini tiati ve of the Community was begun in 1973 when the Council ap­ proved Regulation (EEC) 3056/73 setting up a series of three-year research and development programmes in the oil and gas sector. This programme was one factor in the Community's response to the supply crisis of 1973.