Commission Offers Guidelines to Strengthen European Research

Scientific research, technological development and innovation are the heart of a knowledge-based economy, and in order to strengthen this sector in Europe, the European Union’s (EU) research budget needs to be doubled, according to a new plan released by the Commission of The European Communities.

Science and Technology, the Key to Europe’s Future offers guidelines suggested by research commissioner Philippe Busquin and other scientists and researchers. In March 2002, the EU set the objective of increasing the European research effort to 3 percent of the European GDP by 2010, an effort referred to as the Lisbon strategy. To provide a response to the objectives of the strategy, the Commission initiated a plan focusing on key topic in future research efforts.

The plan argues that the cost of research continues to skyrocket, in turn requiring the current budget of 10 billion Euros ($12 billion U.S.) per year to be doubled to extend through 2013. To enhance the impact of European research, the budget increase should be allocated according to three principles, centered around six objectives, the plan suggests. Principles include a balance between current and new activities, between research for the advancement of knowledge and its industrial application, and between support for human and material research capabilities.

The plan discusses the creation of European centers of excellence and the development of a European Research Council (ERC) to be open at the international level in order to attract researchers from around the world. This is essential, the authors contend, to strengthen Europe’s role on the world technology scene and in research on global issues. The current system operates by the EU setting fixed priorities and funding only projects consistent with them. Under the new concept, the ERC would instead focus on promoting creativity and allowing individual teams to come up with research suggestions.

The plan is only the beginning, however, for a long road to implementation that requires several acts of approval to be met. According to a recent article from The Scientist, the plan was designed to trigger discussions in preparation for the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), which runs from 2007 to 2013. FP7 is the EU’s main instrument for the funding of research and innovation in science, engineering and technology.

The Scientist reports that the next steps include policy debates within EU institutions and consultation with members of the research community. The Commission will present more concrete proposals in 2005, which will then be passed along to the European Parliament for input, and finally in 2006, representatives of member states will make a final decision.

Science and Technology, the Key to Europe’s Future is available at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/future/index_en.html