Brussels, 08/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - A petition launched by Trust Researchers and signed by over 13,500 people was handed over to Brussels Economy and Employment Minister and current President of the Competitiveness Council Benoît Cerexhe. The petition calls on European authorities to implement the administrative simplification programme for researchers throughout Europe as quickly as possible.
It is agreed that European programmes and the rules that govern participation have become so complex that they are now at odds with their original objectives. There are many different procedures, too many checks, and overly long waiting times before agreements are made and funding received.
Well aware of the problem, Cerexhe stated that simplification was vital at all decision-making levels, including the regions, which are often closest to operators. “It's about the confidence given to researchers and finding a balance between confidence and monitoring the use made of public money,” he said. “One of the paths we want to explore involves moving from the current cost-based approach to one based on results, bearing in mind that research always has it share of risk and uncertainty”.
Simplification will be one of the two priorities on the agenda for the informal Research Council to be held in Brussels on 15-16 July, and the Belgian Presidency wishes to present new conclusions containing progress on simplification to the Council on 12 October. (J.I./transl.rt)