Luxembourg, 12/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - In Luxembourg on Tuesday, Commissioner Janez Potoènik sought to allay the concerns of the research ministers, by repeating the European Commission's commitment to respecting the independence of the European Research Council, which is due to be created as part of the seventh framework programme for research and development. Although the debate is not yet definitively closed- the president of the Council, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, stressed in conclusion that the scientific dimension absolutely must be kept separate from the accounting management within the structure to be set up- a majority appeared to be forming two-day around a two-stage formula, which was quite close to the French position: initially, the European Research Council will take the form of an executive agency, until 2010; this will allow the time required to assess its functioning and negotiate the creation of a common enterprise on the basis of article 171 of the treaty. This compromise- with the commitment of the Commission, which would be taken up in the corresponding specific programme-would serve to guarantee the independence, and also the rapid creation, of this new structure, which would have the task of paying for fundamental research at the boundaries of existing knowledge. A few countries, notably Sweden and Portugal, continue to speak out in favour of the immediate creation of a joint company.
Among the other points raised in this debate, which should, in principle, be the last before the adoption of a joint position next November on the whole of the framework programme (with the exception of its budgetary envelope), the ministers returned to the issue of SME involvement. This involvement is felt to be insufficient- Mariano Gago of Portugal even said that it had been "disastrous" in the two preceding FPRDs- a majority of ministers, notably those of Ireland, Denmark and Belgium (stressing the importance of simplification), Spain (which, like others, favours the reintroduction of minimum involvement objectives), Lithuania, Netherlands, Greece and Luxembourg. Some of the ministers from the new Member States highlighted the importance of a funding instrument for research infrastructures and referred to the cohesion criteria in this context. Belgium recognised the importance of the funding of infrastructures, if future budgetary constraints allow it, but this funding should be done instead on the basis of the criteria on of excellence, according to the Belgian minister. Whilst pleading, alongside his Belgian counterpart, in favour of the simplification of procedures, the French Minister François Goulard called for an improved mid-term assessment of the framework programme, with indicators allowing the efficiency of the action to be measured and, if needs be, revised. Five delegations- Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland and Malta- took the opportunity afforded by this meeting to relaunch the debate on the ethical principles to be respected in the context of the Community funding of research.