Brussels, 16/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday in Brussels, the European Commission adopted the communication entitled: "Science and Technology, the key to Europe's future - guidelines for policy to support research in the Union". Approval of the communication had been delayed several weeks. Its adoption on the eve of the European Council this Thursday and Friday also serves as a reminder to Heads of State and Government of their Lisbon commitments for a knowledge Europe to foster competitiveness and growth.
The communication takes stock of the achievements of the 6th framework programme and provides avenues for preparing the next Community programme in the context of consolidation of the European Research Area begun by Commissioner Busquin, which should be embodied in the constitutional treaty that heads of State and Government are supposed to approve by the end of the week.
The document recalls the target of 3% of Union GDP in research investment and the respective roles of the public structures and private sector to achieve this. It insists on the development of European Research Area and on adjustment of the framework programme which is today a "victim to its success". The figures of the 6th FPRD speak for themselves. To date, 28,000 research proposals have been submitted involving 150,000 institutions from 50 countries. Two hundred major networks and transnational research projects have been launched in fields such as "post genomic" methods for targeting medicine or micro-electronic nano components, as well as 55 actions for the networking of programmes, on themes such as food safety or rare diseases.. Out of the thousands of proposals received, hardly one out of five was selected given the lack of means, the document states, thus justifying the fact that funding for research must be doubled according to the request of the European Commission in the context of negotiations on financial perspectives.
For the future, the Commission mainly insists on the need to create European poles of excellence to allow the European Research Area to be structured, but also to attract foreign firms and researchers. The other avenues mainly include: - continuation of work begun in recent years with technological platforms; - support for fundamental research; - the development of research infrastructures of European interest; - coordination of national research programmes; - complementarity with structural funds; - and new intervention in the fields of space and security.
The debate on the future of research in Europe has been launched", Commissioner Philippe Busquin said before adding: "Scientific research and technological development are key to the future of Europe because they generate more than half of economic growth and determine Europe's political weight on the international scene. By backing a more innovative Europe, we are investing in the well-being of future generations. Europe together can achieve what a single Member State alone cannot".