07/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - At the 'Today is the Future' event organised in Brussels on Wednesday 7 March by the European Commission and the German presidency of the EU, the chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, and the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, again stressed the importance of the EU's 7th Framework Programme for Research and Development which is in the process of being launched at all levels. Germany's Education and Research Mminister Annette Schavan and EU Commissioner Janez Potocnik awarded the Descartes Prize at the event (Europe will be returning to this) and also inaugurated an exhibition on European research during the 50 years following the signing of the Treaty of Rome. (oj)