23/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - End of consultation on future of research. The consultation on last February's Green Paper on future funding for research and innovation closed on Friday 20 May. The European Commission has said that it has received 2,000 responses. It also indicated that there had been almost 90,000 hits on the internet site on the Green Paper consultation. According to the balance sheet drawn up on the consultation at the end of last April, researchers and entrepreneurs throughout the EU welcomed the idea put forward by the Commission for a common strategic framework on future funding for research and innovation in the EU. The next step will involve a major conference on 10 June in Brussels. The Commission will take its inspiration from this conference, together with the results of the consultation, when putting together a proposal that is due to be submitted at the end of the year on future funding for research and innovation in the European Union. If the new system is approved by the European Parliament and the Council, it will enter into force when current ongoing programmes expire on 31 December 2013. (L.C./transl: fl)