Brussels, 17/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament will, on Wednesday 18 February, call on the European Commission to review the 7th Research Framework Programme when the mid-term review, scheduled for 2010, is carried out, “taking account of this resolution and paying greater attention to the specific problems of fisheries and aquaculture”. By adopting, on that date, the report by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PES, Spain) on applied research relating to the common fisheries policy (CFP), the EP will say that it is “necessary”, in the policies pursued with regard to research, to “pay greater attention to the specific problems of fisheries and aquaculture in view of the sector's economic, social and political importance in the EU”.
Parliament will, according to the report, take the view that, as a result of there no being specific strands for fisheries and aquaculture in the 7th Framework Programme, there is not enough incentive for a sufficient number of research projects to be drawn up in these areas, and this will have a detrimental effect on the importance and relevance of the projects selected. The EP will call on the Commission for the funding of applied research in the area of the CFP under the 7th Framework Programme to be used as a lever “to promote synergies between research efforts in the various member states and attain the critical mass necessary to meet the great challenges of cross-thematic marine research”. It will recommend that, in the field of scientific marine research, priority be given to: - research into the state of fish stocks; - ecosystemic, commercial, economic and social aspects that determine fisheries management. The Report also says that a fisheries policy geared to sustainability must be based on a consensus on the state of the seas. It will recommend, therefore, “better cooperation between fishermen and scientists”.
The EP will stress the “worrying problem” of the deficit of young scientists in applied research in the fisheries sector, because careers are not very attractive compared to basic research in other scientific disciplines. Lastly, it will ask that scientists be able to be full members of Regional Advisory Committees. (L.C./transl.rt)