Brussels, 09/11/2005 (Agence Europe) - German Liberal Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, MEP, is organising a meeting to promote the creation of a European institute of technology in Strasbourg. The idea, which is not new (having already been put forward by the Greens, and especially Alian Lipietz and Daniel Cohn-Bendit under the previous legislature), essentially aims to find a new assignment for the European Parliament premises in order to speed up the Parliament's definitive departure for Brussels. Opposition to the idea has been voiced by French political authorities that wish to keep the seat of the European Parliament and monthly plenary sessions in Strasbourg. The European Commission has not yet taken a formal stance. Several German and British scientists are expected to attend the meeting to stress the scientific and economic interest of setting up a European technology institute. The political nature of the initiative and the lack of a clearly defined position from the Louis Pasteur university, however, has resulted in the president of this Strasbourg university opposing the participation of Patrick Meyrueis, who will take part in cross-border cooperation projects in the Upper Rhine region, such as “Rhenaphotonics”, which groups 6 universities and companies from eastern France, northern Switzerland and south-west Germany. Patrick Meyrueis has therefore declined the invitation proferred by the German MEP.