Brussels, 04/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 3 December, EU research ministers launched the first EU pilot project in joint research on neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's. There are estimated to be around 8.6 million people suffering from such diseases in Europe, mostly from Alzheimer's', and this is expected to rise significantly by 2020. Sweden's higher education and research minister, Tobias Krantz, said the pilot project was important because it would ensure wider cooperation among member states in research programmes undertaken at national level. In a conclusions document, the member states pledge to pool resources and work together to increase knowledge, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, focussing on Alzheimer's. An action plan will soon be adopted on the exchange of information about national research programmes, developing new early diagnosis tools and putting neurodegenerative disease research centres online in a network for clinical trials and the like. The European Commission is urged to act as a catalyst by taking measures as and when to support the initiative. Ministers identified three themes for joint research, namely farming, food safety and climate change; health, food and prevention of nutrition-related diseases; and cultural heritage, climate change and security.
The ministers pointed out that the focus in the European Research Area should be on knowledge in order to remain competitive on the world stage. On the future priorities for research and innovation in the EU under the post-2010 Lisbon Strategy, the ministers adopted a conclusions document focussing on the big challenges for research policy, the connections between academia and industry and the knowledge triangle (innovation, industry and research). The ministers urged the member states and the European Commission to work with CREST to decide on priorities for future research and research-based innovation in the EU. During the debate, the ministers confirmed that the Lisbon Strategy's aim of ensuring some 3% of gross domestic product was spent on research was still appropriate for the years to come but the finance needed to be better allocated, indicators were needed on the outcomes, and interim targets were required to demonstrate whether a country was moving towards a knowledge-based economy. EU Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potoènik said that 3% was the right target but wondered whether it would be enough in the long-run to match ambitious national targets. He suggested a more enterprising approach might be needed. He suggested that the EU should compare and contrast itself with countries like the United States (which invests 2.67% of its GDP on research), Japan (3.44%) and South Korea (3.21%), which have increased R&D investment by 4.5% in a decade.
Most member states insisted on the need to cut red tape for EU research programmes. Researchers should spend their time doing research rather than filling out forms, argued the Belgian representatives, whose comments were echoed by several colleagues. Responding to the criticism, Potoènik admitted that greater action was required in this domain because R&D required simple funding but it was also necessary for all the EU institutions (the Commission, EP, Council of Ministers and Court of Auditors) to manage to understand an issue because otherwise any attempts at simplification would be illusory. In this connection, he said that the European Commission would be publishing a report in April or May next year on simplifying red tape in the field of research. He added that this would coincide with the review of the three-year Financial Regulation which would provide further opportunities for greater flexibility in administrative procedures.
The ministers adopted a resolution on improving management of the European Research Area and a conclusions document on the future of R&D, innovation and IT and communications infrastructure. The European Commission briefed ministers on the outcome of the recent ITER board meeting in Cadarache, France, on 18 and 19 November 2009 (see EUROPE 10024). The Commission explained that a special ITER Council would be held in the spring of next year to decide on future programming. (B.C./transl.fl)