Brussels, 11/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - At a press conference Monday evening at the end of the Research Council, the Chairman, Francois-Xavier de Donnea and Commissioner Philippe Busquin welcomed the agreement reached on the draft. 6th Research Framework-Programme (DRFP). While acknowledging that he was being optimistic, Mr. Busquin even hoped that this common position, which still needs shaping by the legal-linguists before being formally adopted, would not come across insurmountable obstacles in the European Parliament. In that context, an agreement could be possible on second reading, the conciliation procedure could be spared and the goal of a definitive adoption by the end of the first half of 2002 would be attained.
Busquin, who spoke of a "satisfactory agreement for everyone, excellent even", stressed that the Council had approved the overall envelope of 17.5 billion euro and the amounts proposed for the two chapters - EC and Euratom - of the programme as well as adjustments made to the spread of the credits not being too far from what the European Parliament had voted on on first reading. On average, the differences are more or less50 million . As we already mentioned (see EUROPE of 11 December, p.9) one of the differences concerns the amount earmarked for thermonuclear fusion which is said to be set at 750 million euro (half way between the Commission's proposal of 700 million and the vote in the EP for 800 million). The credits necessary for this purpose are taken in part from the amounts devoted to the management of nuclear waste and the other the cuts made for the amounts earmarked the nuclear activities of the Joint Research Centre. This reduction does, however, come together with a declaration by which the Council and Commission stress that some of these activities (notably some derived medical applications of nuclear research) may be funded in the framework of the EC programme. At the same time, the Council also increased the budget for non-nuclear activities of the JRC from 725 million (amount approved by the EP) to 760 million euro.
It being the introduction of new instruments, Mr. Busquin welcomed the "pragmatism that prevailed", and, recalling that the Commission's new approach came within a "bottoms-up operation", said that the instruments would be introduced depending on the needs of researchers. The Commissioner also stressed that 200 million euro would be available in the "infrastructures" envelope for networking, in the framework of the GEANT programme, and the increase in the speed and capability of the GRID project. An additional 100 million could be taken from the "information society" heading, said the Commissioner, or a total of 300 million euro (the EP called for 360). Regarding the ethical aspects, the Council simply adopted a text referring to the relevant international conventions having observed that it was impossible to reach an agreement on a more precise research framework as Parliament had wanted. The Commission did, however, make a statement (in line with the EP's main concerns) in which it stipulates that Community funding of reproductive cloning and, in the current state of knowledge, into therapeutic cloning, was prohibited. As Mr. Busquin explained, however, funding could be granted to research into adult stem cells, as well as stem cells taken from the blood of the umbilical cord or from surplus embryos, in those Member States that allow that type of research.. Ireland, Germany, Italy and Austria also made statements on this issue. In answer to journalists, the Commissioner recalled that it had been fifteen years (since the 3rd DRFP) that the Community had funded research into stem cells, notably in view of finding new treatments for Parkinson Disease.
Here is the spread of the budget following the vote in Council:
EC framework-programme (16.270 billion euro): integrating research: 13.280 billion distributed between: (1) genome sciences: 2.2 billion, 1.150 of which for genome science and its application and 1.050 for combating major diseases; (2) information society: .6 billion; (3) nano-technologies: 1.3 billion; (4) aeronautics and space: 1.075 billion; (5) food quality and safety: 685 million; (6) durable equipment: 2.120 billion, 810 million of which for sustainable energy systems, 610 million for surface transport, and 700 million for climate change and eco-systems; (7) citizens and governance: 225 million; (8) activities covering a broader field of research: 1.320 billion, 575 million of which for anticipating EU needs, 450 for activities providing for SME participation and 300 million for international co-operation; (9) JRC non-nuclear activities: 760 million: structuring the European Area of Research: 2.655 billion distributed between: - research and innovation (300 million); - human resources (1.630 billion); infrastructures (665 million); - science and society (60 million); enhancing the bases of the European Area of Research: 330 million, 280 of which for co-ordinating activities and 50 to support the coherent development of policies.
Euratom framework programme (EUR 1.230 billion). 1) priority thematic areas: EUR 890 million, 750 of which for fusion (700 in the Commission's proposal and 800 for the EP), 90 million for managing radioactive waste (150 for Commission/EP), 50 million for radiation protection; 2) other nuclear safety activities: 50 million (no change); 3) JRC's nuclear activities: EUR 290 million (330 for Commission/EP).
At the meeting, the Commission also told the Council it intended to submit a working document at the beginning of next year analysing the costs of the ITER programme beyond the FP6 in line with a range of potential scenarios and sites, and would submit a draft amendment to the negotiating mandate introducing a proposal for one or more European sites.
The Council adopted conclusions on the European space strategy and called on the Commission to present a negotiating mandate as soon as possible to organise the incorporation of the European Space Agency (ESA) into the Community framework. The Council also approved the convening before the end of 2002 of an informal ministerial meeting with the ESA Council.
The Council adopted a resolution reaffirming the importance of mobility for researchers if the European Research Area is to become a reality, and reiterated its intention to remove the various types of barrier (cultural, social, administrative, legal and regulatory) that are still barring researcher mobility. The Council invited the Commission to grant the necessary importance to these issues in its Mobility Action Plan (to be presented to the European Council in the spring of 2002) and ensure that candidate countries are fully involved in the design and implementation of measures to promote mobility.