Strasbourg, 16/02/2004 (Agence Europe) - By adopting the own initiative report of Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf (Greens/EFA, Germany), the European Parliament is requesting an increase in the Community budget for agronomic research. Explaining the reasons for introducing the report, the German MEP pointed out that the sixth research framework programme included a budget for around EUR 16 bn of which 2% goes to agriculture and rural development. The European Commission is being called on to put agriculture and rural development at the heart of its next proposal on the seventh "sustainability" framework programme and to present a communication on future orientation, structure and promotion of agronomic research in Europe. MEPs underline that bio-technical research is an essential part of the Lisbon strategy and that it can assist sustainable and high quality agriculture.. They consider that general conditions suitable for facilitating bio-technical research should exist in the Union "so that very high value research can develop successfully and produce positive knock-on effects in the Union". In this context the Commission is being called on to guarantee scientific measures of co-existence with traditional methods. The EP believes that the introduction of a specific research axis for organic farming is essential.