Brussels, 02/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - In a press release, the German Presidency welcomed the progress made towards creating the future European Institute of Technology (EIT) during the informal meeting on competitiveness, in Würzburg on 27 April.
The compromise document on the subject of EIT presented by the German EU Council presidency received considerable support from ministers, the release states. Due to the excellent research carried out by what it has been agreed to call the innovation and knowledge communities (CCI), it will be possible to lastingly improve Europe's innovation capacity by pooling forces and strengthening the education, research and innovation triangle, the many participants at the conference stressed. According to an estimate by several member states, the EIT and consequently also the CCI, should benefit from the greatest possible autonomy during their work. In this context, they welcomed the idea of a strategic innovation agenda to ensure that Council, Parliament and Commission have a long term and moderate influence on the strategic direction to be taken by the EIT.
Member states were unanimous in acknowledging that the EIT must be composed of networks that can develop into partnerships. These networks would be formed of universities, research centres and companies as well as by other actors from the fields of education and innovation. It was also very apparent that the first knowledge and innovation communities must be formed in order to ensure rapid realisation of the EIT. It still remains the aim of the German EU Council presidency to reach a decision of principle in favour of setting up the EIT by the end of June 2007.
A large number of member states welcomed the proposal put forward by the Commission, to make research on the climate and energy one of the priorities during the first phase of EIT. Also, many ministers recommended, for the first CCI, that other categories of themes to be defined by the future EIT management board should be authorised.
During debates, it was also very obvious that the EIT cannot really achieve success unless network financing is assured in the long term. From this point of view, participants were unanimous in declaring that the economy must play a substantial part in the financing of the CCI. Also, however, member states expect the Commission to make an unambiguous profession of faith on the subject of financing. “It is now vital that the Commission should present a concrete and convincing proposal of financing as soon as possible”, said Federal Minister of Education and Research Annette Schavan. During the initial phase, a budget of €380 million is foreseen. This sum should be completed by financing from the private sector. (oj)