Brussels, 16/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - Whereas examination of the draft 6th Research and Development Framework-Programme (RDFP) is continuing in the European Parliament and to take account of the reservations of certain MEPs and certain Member States, on Wednesday, the Commission should adopt a draft decision on the scientific programme that pools priority sectors. This proposal exclusively concerns the envelope devoted to anticipating the Union's scientific and technological requirements, envelop within which the Research Directorate had wanted to place credits in reserve so as to have a margin of flexibility to respond to new needs emerging during the programme. This margin of manoeuvre, which my seem necessary in terms of the programme's flexibility and justified notably in the light of recent crises like ESB, had led to fairly strong reactions in the other two institutions that thus felt themselves dispossessed of their possibility of control over the allocation of the credits. The Commission's initial proposal (see EUROPE of 22 February, p.8) provided for allocating 2.345 billion euro to this chapter, including 715 million for the Joint Research Centre (meanwhile, the amount allocated to the JRC has been the subject of another specific programme), 450 million for research activities of SMEs and 300 million for international co-operation. The margin of manoeuvre for anticipating the requirements whence stood at 880 million euro.
On a proposal by Commissioner Philippe Busquin, the Commission should, as it promised, clarify the situation by splitting this envelope into two. 440 million would thus remain in reserve for research activities that will be identified during the period. The other half would be distributed as follows: - 200 million for the sustainable management of natural resources in Europe; - 80 million for health and consumer protection; - 60 million to shore up the economic potential and cohesion (Lisbon Strategy); - 100 million for emerging researches.