760 



Moreover, the relatively equal scientific and 

 technological competence throughout most OECD countries, with 

 leadership in specific fields scattered among several countries 

 and with no country able to dominate in all fields, means that 

 a given project or field is likely to benefit in quality or 

 rate of progress from contributions that go beyond a single 

 country's resources. In some cases, participation of more than 

 one country is required to attain a critical size necessary for 

 effective attack on the subject. Some fields, of course, by 

 their nature require international cooperation. 



To -these arguments can be added the attractiveness 

 of cooperation in the light of massive investments required in 

 fields of central, and growing, importance to OECD countries. 

 This is particularly evident in energy-related areas, but also 

 pertinent to the atmosphere, the oceans, and the deep earth, the 

 understanding of all of which v/ill be crucial to future well-being. 

 And some fields which may involve projects of relatively small 

 size, such as waste disposal or urban technologies, may in the 

 aggregate be sufficiently massive in scale as also to raise 

 possibilities for savings and more rapid progress through 

 cooperative approaches. 



On the other hand, it must be recognised that the 

 economic situation also leads to greater interest in each country 

 in improving its competitive position. At times, this objective 

 can appear to be in conflict with opportunities for cooperation. 



