A EUROPEAN RESEARCH AREA
(21013)
5643/00
COM(00) 6
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Commission Communication: Towards a European Research Area.
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| Legal base:
| — |
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| Department: |
Trade and Industry
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| Basis of consideration:
| Minister's letter of 15 May 2000
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| Previous Committee Report:
| HC 23-xiii (1999-2000), paragraph 12 (5 April 2000)
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| To be discussed in Council:
| June 2000 |
| Committee's assessment:
| Politically important
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| Committee's decision:
| Not cleared; awaiting further information
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4.1 We raised several points with the Government
when we considered this Communication on 5 April. The Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State for Science (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)
has now replied.
The Minister's letter
4.2 In response to our question on why it
took so long for the document to be deposited, the Minister says
that the Cabinet Office has sought an explanation from the Council
Secretariat. He will copy the Secretariat's reply to us.
4.3 The Commission referred to using "the
full panoply of instruments available" to meet the objectives
set out in the European Research Area (ERA) Communication. We
asked the Minister what scope the Government believes that there
is to bring other instruments into play. He says:
"We consider that there
is much scope for innovative thinking in developing new ways to
meet the Treaty goals for science, going beyond the Framework
Programme. We therefore welcome this new approach by the Commission,
especially in [the] light of the challenges presented by an enlarged
European Union. At the Lisbon Summit, the Commission and Member
States were tasked with examining ways in which tax policies,
venture capital and European Investment Bank support might be
used to improve the environment for private research investment,
R&D partnerships and high technology start-ups. However, we
recognise this is new territory; we will need to look carefully
at all the legal and practical implications."
4.4 Reporting the outcome, as requested,
of the EU Research Ministers informal meeting in Lisbon on 6-7
March, the Minister says that a preliminary discussion was held
on this Communication. It focussed on high speed networks to connect
European research communities, development of a single Community
patent, co-ordination of research policy, how European added value
could be achieved in the Sixth Framework Programme and issues
relating to the mobility of researchers.
4.5 The Minister expects the next formal
step towards developing the ERA initiative to be a Council Resolution
for adoption at the June Research Council. This is currently being
drafted by the Portuguese Presidency and an EM will be submitted
on the draft text as soon as it becomes available.
Conclusion
4.6 The Minister has replied in only
the most general terms to our question about the "full panoply
of instruments". We shall await with interest the innovative
thinking to which he refers.
4.7 Until we have received the Council
Secretariat's explanation for the delay in depositing this document,
we shall not clear it.
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