Brussels, 07/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - On 11 March, in Brussels, Research Ministers will hold a first discussion on the specific programmes and rules for participation in the 6th Framework Programme for Research and Development (FPRD), while examination on this matter continues within the European Parliament's Committee on Industry. Pending the results of the second reading of the FPRD strictly speaking, and the first reading of the rules of participation, this intermediary Council meeting chaired by Spanish Minister Ana Maria Birules should simply allow certain general guidelines to be reached. Points on the agenda are:
Rules of participation: In a memo, the Spanish Presidency underlines the need to work in close cooperation with the Parliament to rapidly reach an agreement between the two institutions in the context of cooperation procedure, and to thus respect the timetable providing for adoption of the FPRD before the end of the first half of this year. It then takes stock of the state of progress of work at the level of the Council's "Research" group, and invites ministers to take a stance on the main problems identified. Ministers are above all asked to give their views on the minimum number of participants. Some delegations considered that three participants as proposed by the European Commission would be insufficient for excellence networks and integrated projects. The Presidency also wishes to know whether ministers do or do not wish to introduce more detailed assessment and selection criteria and principles for choosing projects to be supported by the FPRD. The trickiest point is directly linked to the major administrative simplification effort recommended by the Commission, which no longer wishes to intervene in the management of projects and hopes to leave this to the players themselves, grouped within a consortium. In order to protect the financial interests of the Community, it proposes that unlimited joint and several liability be applied to the members of the consortium. Although very reasonable in itself, this mechanism has come up against the reticence of almost all Member States because it could be dissuasive for small and medium-sized enterprises. This can mainly be explained by the fact that the members of a consortium should automatically be liable for the consequences that bankruptcy by any one of them would have for the consortium. Some suggested making insurance premiums paid by participants against such a situation eligible under the framework programme, but such a proposal is hard to accept as it would deflect funds from their initial objective by partially transforming the framework programme into an insurance programme. Another solution would be the creation, outside the framework of the FPRD, of an insurance fund managed by the Commission. On the subject of Euratom, the ministers are invited to give their points of view on the financing of research projects on nuclear fusion. The Commission proposed Community contributions of 17.5% (compared to 25% in the 5th FPRD) for research, and 37.5% (instead of 45%) for spending on equipment for priority projects.
Specific programmes: The Presidency will invite ministers to confirm their agreement on the number and content of five specific programmes proposed by the Commission, but the essential part of the discussion should focus on comitology rules and the type of programme committee.
European space strategy: Commissioner Philippe Busquin will present to ministers the proposed brief for negotiating a framework agreement with the European Space Agency (see EUROPE of 15 February, p.16).
Biotechnology strategy: Ministers will hear a presentation by the Commission on the strategy that it proposes to adopt in order to take advantage of the potential of life sciences (see EUROPE of 24 January, p;12). The document will also be examined at the Barcelona Summit.
Nuclear fusion: Commissioner Busquin will present to ministers the proposed revised negotiating brief with a view to concluding an international agreement for the construction of the ITER reactor. It is mainly a matter of taking into account the offer made by France to build the reactor on the Cadarache site.
Bioterrorism: This point, included on the agenda at the Commission's request, should allow Commissioner Busquin to make a first statement on the state of play of work by the group of national experts set in place at the Council's request, during the meeting of 10 December last. Given the very limited results of this exercise, mainly because of the lack of cooperation on the part of military experts, Mr Busquin may invite ministers to intervene at national level in order to allow real assessment of research problems and needs.