Brussels, 03/02/2004 (Agence Europe) - While a number of governments of the European Union, and especially that of France, are doing everything they can to make savings on research, Commissioner Philippe Busquin seized the opportunity provided by his press conference on Tuesday in Brussels to recall the importance of research as a driving force for growth. The Commissioner, who presented two communications on the global monitoring system for the environment and security (GMES) and on preparation of the future European programme for research on security that the Commission has just adopted, mainly insisted on the need to "foresee a larger budget for space in the next framework programme" and a specific budget for research on security and the European Armaments Agency in the context of the next financial perspectives (see EUROPE of 30 January, p.7, on the nomination of Nick Witney, of Britain, entrusted with the task of starting up the Agency).
Philippe Busquin stressed the importance of dual research (civil-military) and the fact that Europe lags behind the United States because of the artificial dichotomy maintained between civil and military research and the chronic lack of investment in Europe. He is to present the two communications to ministers at the Competitiveness Council on 11 March in Brussels (see also EUROPE of 3 February, p.11).