Brussels, 22/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - “The Research and Development Guidelines are in need of a serious update”, said Neelie Kroes, speaking in Berlin on Friday. The Commissioner for Competition noted that “firms are naturally motivated to engage in research” activities “that can bear rapid commercial results”, and feels that “it makes sense to help these activities less and to focus more on activities that relate to pure research or 'pre-competitive' innovative activities”. Ms Kroes would also like to clarify the way the rules on State aid should be applied to universities and research centres, which “are increasingly behaving like normal market participants”. For aid to research and innovation, Mr Kroes would like to extend exemptions per category for SMEs, “to increase the scope of aid to young and innovative companies”. The Commission is soon to present its action plan to be used as the basis for a “broad consultation process”, she added. This document (EUROPE 8916, p.9) was to have been adopted in early April, but its examination by College was postponed.