Uppsala, 05/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Research Ministers had, on Saturday in Uppsala, a first exchange of views over the draft 6th framework programme presented to them by Commissioner Philippe Busquin. Following this informal meeting, the Swedish Minister Thomas Östros noted with satisfaction that the Ministers widely supported the priorities identified by the European Commission and the concentration of financial means on fields where the EU can bring a true added value. The Ministers also brought their support to the improvement of researchers mobility and accepted the principal of the opening of national research programmes, even if certain details must still be defined. Recalling that the framework programme corresponds to 5% of the Union research spending, Mr Östros underlined that the impact of this programme will be dependent on the degree of resource concentration. He also insisted on the need for all the Member States to increase their national investment in research, and hoped that everything be done, in close collaboration with the European Parliament, to allow for the adopting of the framework programme under the Spanish Presidency, on 1 September 2002. In view of this, he hopes that the Parliament will be able to complete its first reading in September so as to allow the Research Council to adopt a common position during its meeting next 1 October.
EUROPE believes that the favourable reaction by the Research Ministers was, however, attached to certain reservations. While welcoming the innovative nature of this programme, most of the delegations where concerned with the functioning of the three new instruments: - integrated projects; - networks of excellence; - joint programmes by several Member States (Article 169 of the Treaty). Commissioner Busquin explained to the Ministers that the nature of the framework programme would not permit to enter into these kinds of details which, either way, must still be specified. The Commission will organise in April in Brussels, a seminar with representatives from the scientific world, Member States and the private sector, to discuss these details.
With the exception of the Dutch delegation, no representative from the Member States brought into question to budget of EUR 17.5 billion proposed by the Commission. Spain even favoured a larger budget. The British delegation welcomed the very original nature of the new approach followed by the Commission. While approving the priorities and the concentration of credits, the representative for Germany felt that there was no reason, at this stage, to begin the discussions over the division of the budget. While sharing this opinion, the representative for France called for more details over the budget's management methods aimed at the Union's anticipated scientific needs, and also welcomed the credits aimed at mobility and the introduction of an specific amount for infrastructures. He also insisted on: - the need to continue the reform of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), - support to be given to the Galileo project, - the development of the European Research Area, - the creation of a Community patent. The President-Minister of the Bruxelles-Capital region (who will hold the Presidency of the Research Council in the second half of 2001), Francois-Xavier de Donnea, welcomed the Commission proposal and in particular the new target for SME participation: 15% against 10% in the present framework programme. Some delegations (representing the smallest countries or dedicating very limited means to research) showed concern with regards to the integrated projects and the concentration of credits on major projects. On the initiative of the Portuguese Minister, Jose Mariano Gago, they fear that the Community financing will be monopolised by a few major research centres and large companies. Among these countries, are also Italy and Spain, whose Secretary of State, Ramon Marimon, was nevertheless in agreement with the priorities retained by the Commission, even if he insisted that the Spanish priorities (environment, renewable energy, water treatment) be more prominent in the programme. Italy and Ireland also called for the future framework programme to allocate greater importance to research and marine technologies.
EUROPE will return, tomorrow, to the "Education" part of the informal meeting by the Ministers (see also EUROPE of 3 March pages 6 and 7).