The research ministers of the European Union and from EFTA countries have reached agreement on essential points in central areas of research policy and have thus prepared the ground for Europe's future competitiveness. The focuses of the Informal Competitiveness Council in Würzburg were the establishment of a European Institute of Technology (EIT) as an innovation network, the further development of the European Research Area and a European Charter for the management of intellectual property.
"I am very pleased with the result of our discussions", said the President of the Council, Federal Research Minister Schavan, at the concluding press conference on Friday. "With this clear vote of the research ministers I will try to ensure that these important topics will be supported by the European Council meeting in June. The stage is now set for Europe's future", said Minister Schavan.
The compromise paper submitted by the German Council Presidency concerning the EIT was broadly supported by the ministers. Numerous conference participants emphasized that excellent research by the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) will pool the forces and lastingly improve Europe's innovative capacity and strengthen the knowledge triangle of education, reseach and innovation. According to some Member States, the EIT and the KICs should have the greatest possible autonomy in their work. In this context, the concept for a strategic innovation agenda was welcomed which is to ensure long-term moderate influence of the Council, the Parliament and the Commission on the strategic orientation of the EIT.
The Member States agreed that the EIT should be composed of networks which will develop into partnerships. These networks would include universities, research institutions and companies as well as other players from the fields of education and innovation. It was also stressed that the first Knowledge and Innovation Communities should be set up to promote the quick establishment of the EIT. It was jointly agreed that a basic political decision should be taken about the establishment of the EIT before the end of the German Concil Presidency in late June 2007.
A large number of Member States welcomed the Commission proposal to make climate and energy research a priority of the first phase of the EIT. Furthermore many of the ministers supported the idea that the first KICs should be allowed to adddress further topics which should be defined by the EIT Governing Board.
The debate also revealed that the EIT can only be successful if long-term funding of the networks can be ensured. Industry is expected to make a substantial contribution to funding the KICs. The Member States also expect that the Commission expresses a clear commitment to funding. "It is now important that the Commission quickly submits a convincing and concrete funding proposal", said Schavan. An amount of €308 million is planned for the initial phase. The Member States expect industry to contribute additional funding.
The Commission's Green Paper on the European Research Area was another focus of the debate in Würzburg. The ministers agreed that the proposals should not only be implemented but also developed further. They welcomed the priorities addressed in the Green Paper as a good basis for developing the European Research Area further to turn it into a true internal research market.
Further consultations on the Green Paper should focus more strongly on the aspect of modern basic research, greater involvement of industry to achieve the 3% target as well as on the working conditions for researchers.
"With the European Research Council, which we have established under the 7th EU Research Framework Programme, we already have a European instrument for funding excellent basic research", said Schavan. "But we must develop this area further in order to ensure a permanent broad basis in the field of basic research." The research ministers agreed that, as a kind of frontier research, modern basic research should become an integral part of the concept of the European Research Area. They stressed the inportance of cooperation between academic institutions and industry as a prerequisite of innovation in Europe.
Furthermore the ministers discussed the recently submitted Commission communication on improving knowledge transfer between research institutions and industry in Europe. In this context, Minister Schavan presented the German initiative for a European Charter for the management of intellectual property at European level. The ministers agreed that the Commission communication makes an important contribution towards accelerating the transfer of research results to commercial use. The minsters supported the initiative and made further suggestions for the implementation of this IP Charter.
For further information on European research policy and the German EU Council Presidency please visit: www.bmbf.de and www.eu2007.de.
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