Brussels, 11/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - The main objective set by the Belgian Minister François-Xavier de Donnéa for the EU Research Council that he is chairing until the end of 2001 is to reach a common position on the 6th Framework Programme in the field of research.
The proposed 6th Framework Programme in the field of research (see EUROPE of 8 February, p.16, and EUROPE of 22 February, p.8) aims to provide a framework for European research between 2002 and 2006 and involves a budget of approximately EUR 17.5 billion. It is a major step towards the implementation of the European Research Area which is a Commission priority. Explaining that "time is short" and "if there were to be a chronological gap between the Fifth Framework Programme ending in December 2002 and the beginning of the Sixth Framework Programme beginning in January 2003, the whole European scientific community would suffer the consequences", Mr de Donnéa told journalists last Friday that he wanted to reach a common position by the 10 December Research Council and "to ensure continuity, the Belgian Presidency must reach a common position for the Sixth Framework Programme to be fully adopted during the first six-month period of 2002". He explained that he immediately "engaged a fruitful dialogue" with the EP's ITRE Commission and had had regular contact with Philippe Busquin, the Research Commissioner. He had also visited EU capital cities to meet Research Ministers. He had observed "strong convergent opinions" on the proposed structure and budget, but also on the main "concentration" principle advocated by the Commission. He outlined areas in which Member States and the EP diverge from the Commission's proposal which "must be taken into account and that the initial text should be adapted accordingly". The concerns include 1) the position of small structures (SMEs, small research units, etc) in large scale programmes, where extra safeguards should be provided according to Mr de Donnéa; 2) the transition between the instruments of FP5 and the new instruments of FP6 since several Member States are "keen on the support to small projects… and wonder about the new instruments, larger in scale, such as networks of excellence or integrated projects". Mr de Donnéa believes that a transition procedure will enable those already working under FP5 to "adapt progressively to the requirements of the new instruments"; 3) the introduction of decentralisation of project management to the large integrated projects (the Commission currently manages projects). Mr de Donnéa explains that, "Transparency and adequate control of this management will have to be ensured by the authorities in charge of the Member States", and that the idea of a management body independent of the projects and the Commission had been mooted; 4) for specific programmes explaining the implementation of FP6 (see EUROPE of 31 May, p.6), the Belgian Presidency stresses that several Member States and the EP consider that a single specific programme covering all the thematic priorities could pose problems. Mr de Donnéa indicated that a solution was needed that balanced out the opportunity to have a strategic overview of European research with taking more sectoral interests into account and suggested that this could be achieved by creating a horizontal programme committee covering several specific committees; 5) Mr de Donnéa explained that "several Member States as well as the European Parliament insist on several aspects of the thematic priorities, in particular: marine technologies, health and security, traditional diseases, environment and sustainability, renewable energies and surface transport" which will have to be taken into account.
On the EURATOM Framework Programme that will also be dealt with during the Belgian Presidency, Mr de Donnéa said that as far as fission was concerned, most Member States "pay special attention to nuclear safety and to the treatment and disposal of radioactive waste". As for thermonuclear fusion, and in particular the ITER experimental thermonuclear reactor, "the vast majority of Member States believe it is the energy of the future, likely to supplement the energy already supplied by renewable energies. Therefore, they would like the budget to be increased in order to further and better develop the ITER initiative. Moreover, they firmly consider the machine to be installed on a European Union site, and nowhere else, since Canada, Japan and Russia are our partners in this project".
Mr de Donnéa explained that the Presidency Conference in Brussels on 17/18 September would deal with "excellence, European mobility and international exchanges to promote the opening up of European research to the world".