Brussels, 08/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, Commissioner Janez Potocnik paid tribute to the former French research minister, Hubert Curien, who died on 6 February. “If something like a scientific Europe exists today, it is in great part thanks to him”, said Commissioner Potocnik, speaking of the key role Professor Curien played in the history of European scientific cooperation. The Commissioner pointed out that the former minister was behind the creation of the European Science Foundation, that he was one of the fathers of European space policy, a president of the space agency and of CERN, and that he had been involved in the launch of the Eureka initiative. “His contribution to the definition and the implementation of EU research policy was substantial and decisive. Hubert Curien was involved in setting up the first European mobility programmes for researchers and in the launch of the Esprit programme. On various aspects, as expert and as minister of research, he contributed to shape and develop the EU research Framework Programme and to give it the form it has today. In many respects, we are still living from his ideas. Like my predecessors, I rely on his legacy in building tomorrow's EU research policy”, said Commissioner Potocnik.