EUROPEAN RESEARCH
(a)
(21698)
12214/00
COM(00) 612
(b)
(21696)
OTNYR
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Commission Communication: Making a reality of the European
research area: guidelines for EU research activities (2000-2006).
Draft Resolution on making a reality of the Europan Research Area
and guidelines for the European Union's research activities (2002-2006)
— (unofficial text)
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| Legal base:
| — |
| |
| Document originated:
| (a) 4 October 2000
(b) —
|
| Forwarded to the Council:
| (a) 6 October 2000
(b) —
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| Deposited in Parliament:
| (a) 31 October 2000
(b) —
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| Department: |
Trade and Industry |
| Basis of consideration:
| (a) and (b) EM of 30 October 2000
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| Previous Committee Report:
| None |
| To be discussed in Council:
| 16 November 2000 |
| Committee's assessment:
| Politically important |
| Committee's decision:
| (a) Cleared
(b) Cleared, but further information requested
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Background
40.1 On 5 April 2000 and 24 May 2000, we
reported[119]
on a Commission Communication: Towards a European Research
Area. In that document, the Commission analysed the current
state of European research. It concluded that there was a lack
of a European policy on research. National and Union research
policies overlapped without forming a coherent whole. The Commission
argued that a broader approach was needed, particularly with enlargement
in mind. It compared unfavourably the research situation in Europe
with that in the USA and Japan. It referred to the concept of
a "European Research Area", advocated by the Commissioner
for Research, as a means of developing a more coherent approach
to Research and Technological Development (RTD). It also referred
to the existing financial instrument for implementing the EU's
research policy — the Fifth Framework Programme for RTD
(1998-2002). It considered that the form and content of the Sixth
Framework Programme would have to be thoroughly re-thought.
40.2 At the Lisbon European Council on 23-24
March 2000, the European Research Area project was endorsed as
a central component of the establishment of a European knowledge-based
society. The Research Council on 15 June 2000 adopted a Resolution
calling upon Member States and the Commission to take the necessary
steps to making the area a reality.
The documents
40.3 In its Communication, the Commission
says that promotion of the European Research Area project requires
reassessment of the shape and content of EU research activity.
It argues that the EU's Framework Programmes have made a significant
contribution in strengthening European research capability. It
praises the collaboration networks and forms of co-operation which
have been achieved. It concludes, however, that these framework
programmes have to a large extent been additional to fifteen separate
national programmes. It argues that the realisation of the European
Research Area requires that the next framework programme should
be more closely linked with national activities and European inter-governmental
co-operation initiatives. Their funding should be combined to
a greater extent with other public and private sector funding.
New instruments and new methods of intervention need to be conceived
and used for this purpose, specifically designed to help correct
the structural weaknesses it perceives in European research. It
proposes broad guidelines for future measures in support of EU
research, and more specifically the Sixth Research Framework Programme
for the period 2002-2006. The Communication aims to promote discussion
of the mechanisms envisaged as well as about priorities.
40.4 The Communication proposes that the
objectives for the next Framework Programme should include:
— improving the
networking and co-ordinated implementation of national programmes
through support for the mutual opening-up of programmes, and the
running of longer-term joint programmes of activities;
— greater support for innovation, "start-ups"
and small and medium-sized enterprises;
— more diversified action in support of
research infrastructures;
— large-scale targetted research projects,
conducted by consortia of companies, universities and research
centres;
— greater support for researcher mobility;
and
— support for the greater participation
in science of women and young people, and action to strengthen
the social dimension of science, in particular in matters concerning
ethics and public awareness.
40.5 Possible priority areas for the next
Programme include "post-genome" research, nanotechnology,
the research needed to develop the information society, aeronautics
and space, and research and support of European policy-making
in areas where there are great uncertainties and risks.
40.6 The Draft Council Resolution supports
the general approach set out in the Communication. It underlines
the importance of focussing on areas where Community action provides
the greatest possible European added value and supports the Commission's
intention to explore new types of intervention in order to achieve
greater efficiency, including the need for new management methods
and simplification of procedures. It accepts that there should
be a movement away from an approach focussed on individual projects
to a wider approach, where the Union is one of the major players,
closely involved with the structures and organisation for inter-governmental
scientific co-operation; and evolving towards more structured
and longer-term interventions.
The
Government view
40.7 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 30
October 2000, the Minister for Science at the Department for Trade
and Industry (Lord Sainsbury) says that:
"The UK Government broadly
welcomes the vision of the Commission Communication, of a more
efficient and better co-ordinated deployment of research efforts
within Europe, specifically in relation to the Treaty aims of
improved competitiveness and support for other Community policies.
In particular the Government welcomes the emphasis given to the
need for European research to add value to national programmes,
greater focus within the Framework Programmes, and co-operation
between national programmes. The Government also welcomes the
proposal to enhance the mobility programmes, essential for the
development of a genuine European scientific community.
"However the Communication only concerns principles
at this stage and the practical implications need to be clarified
before they can be wholeheartedly endorsed, for example in relation
to the selection criteria and operation of networks of excellence,
and the Commission's role in funding infrastructures. On the latter,
the Government supports the greater provision of access for researchers
to unique facilities, but not the Commission participation in
the construction and operation of large-scale facilities, which
should be for Member States to determine. In addition the Government
believes that the Framework Programmes must continue to support
objective-driven research of the highest quality, including longer-term
strategic research in new basic technologies, rather than curiosity-driven
research".
40.8 The Minister says that the Government
is negotiating in the Council Working Group a number of textual
amendments to the original Draft Resolution, for example, to make
clear that the Council's approval of the Commission Communication
does not prejudice the Council's decisions on future proposals
(for example, in the context of the Framework Programme). He notes
that the documents contain no financial proposals and that these
will be provided for with the formal proposals for the future
Framework Programme and its specific programmes.
Conclusion
40.9 We note the Government's general
support for the approach set out in these documents, and also
its concern that the Commission should not take on inappropriate
responsibilities or control in matters which should be for Member
States to determine. The Minister does not expand on the substance
of these concerns. However, we recognise that the Communication
at this stage is written in very broad terms and, as the Minister
says, the practical implications need to be clarified. A more
detailed examination will be possible when the formal proposals
for the Sixth Framework Programme are brought forward. At this
stage, whilst recognising the Government's concerns, we see little
point in keeping the Commission Communication (document (a)),
under scrutiny and clear it accordingly. We note that the Government
is seeking to negotiate improvements to the Draft Resolution (document
(b)). We clear the draft we have on that basis. We ask the Minister
to let us have a copy of the agreed text of the Resolution and
to tell us whether it meets the Government's concerns.
119 (21013) 5643/00; see HC 23-xiii (1999-2000), paragraph
12 and HC 23-xix (1999-2000), paragraph 4. Back
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