INNOVATION STRATEGY FOR THE EU (12940/06)
Letter from the Chairman to Lord Sainsbury
of Turville, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Science
and Innovation, Department of Trade and Industry
Sub-Committee B considered this document, and
your Explanatory Memorandum, at its Meeting on 16 October 2006.
We share the Government's assessment in welcoming
this Communication as setting out calls for action in creating
a more "innovation-friendly" environment in the EU.
We also agree that the focus should be on improving and streamlining
existing governance structures rather than creating new structures.
With this focus in mind, we would be grateful if you could clarify
your views on the proposal for a European Institute of Technology
(which has been subject to scrutiny by Sub-Committee G). In your
Explanatory Memorandum, you note the prominence attached to this
proposal by the Commission and indicate that any such scheme must
"add genuine value to existing schemes". Have your views
changed from those expressed to us on 13 February of this year,
when you described the proposal as "a very simplistic idea"
and "a little naive"?
We would be grateful to you for updates as and
when legislative proposals arise, and are content to lift scrutiny
on this document.
17 October 2006
Letter from Lord Sainsbury of Turville
to the Chairman
Thank you for your letter of 17 October, in
which you confirmed your Committee had lifted scrutiny on the
above-mentioned document. The Government will be happy to provide
your Committee with updates as and when legislative proposals
arise.
You posed a specific question about the European
Institute of Technology (EIT). This topic was discussed at the
informal meeting of Heads of Government and State in Lahti on
20 October, under the innovation agenda item. This followed the
Commission's adoption on 18 October of the legislative proposal.
The Government will submit an Explanatory Memorandum
on the Commission's legislative proposal to your Committee shortly.
I welcome, however, the fact that the Commission has taken full
account of concerns expressed by the UK and other member states
during the pre-proposal consultation stage, for example in ensuring
that the focus of the EIT will be networks of existing excellent
organisations operating in the academic, research and business
spheres, with only a small administrative headquarters. However,
the proposed budget of €2.37 billion and its impact on the
rest of the Community budget is a significant concern. The Government
will now study the proposal carefully, prior to the start of negotiations
on the detail.
31 October 2006
Letter from the Chairman to Malcolm Wicks
MP, Minister of State for Science and Innovation, Department of
Trade and Industry
Thank you for your letter of 31 October, which
Sub-Committee B considered at its meeting on 27 November.
We were grateful to you for clarifying your
position on the proposal for a European Institute of Technology
(EIT) and for your assurance that you will update the Committee
as and when legislative proposals arise from the Commission's
innovation strategy.
As you will be aware, the proposal for an EIT
is currently held under scrutiny by Sub-Committee G, who will
await your Explanatory Memorandum with interest. Meanwhile, we
note that when our report into the Seventh Framework Programme
for Research was debated on the floor of the House, there appeared
to be little enthusiasm for the proposal.
30 November 2006
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