Brussels, 10/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - The Slovenian Presidency of the EU intends to obtain an agreement on the location of the seat for the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), during the Competitiveness Council on 30 May. In a letter addressed to member states, the Slovenian minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Mojca Kucler Dolinar, will ask member states to present their candidacies (if they are interested) by 25 April. The Slovenian Presidency stressed that the EIT is expected to have a significant impact on economic growth and job creation in Europe and wants to pull out all the stops to get it up and running as soon as possible, in a synergy with the European Commission. The latter will officially appoint the members of the governing board in June. In her letter, Dolinar indicated that “the goal is clear and it is now upon us to take the final steps to make this European project fully operational”. So far, Budapest (Hungary), Wroc (Poland) and Vienna have officially expressed a wish to become the centre of the EIT, with the support of their governments. (I.L.)