Supplementary memorandum by the Minister
for Europe
Thank you for the opportunity to answer your
questions about the December European Council 2007 in the evidence
session on 15 January. I am writing to follow-up on this discussion
and clarify issues relating to the timescale for establishment
of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT).
Up to three Knowledge and Innovation Communities
(KICs) will be established within a period of two years from the
appointment of the Governing Board. The establishment of additional
KICs will be allowed after the adoption of the first Strategic
Innovation Agenda (SIA) which will be drawn up by the Commission
no later than 2011. The SIA will define long-term strategic areas
for the EIT and an estimate of financial needs for a period of
seven years. The Commission are required to submit the proposal
for the first SIA before the end of 2011, and this would need
to be agreed by the European Parliament and Council under the
co-decision procedure.
The legal text also proposes that the activities
of EIT and KICs will be subject to continuous and systematic monitoring
and periodic independent evaluation, the outcomes of which will
be made public.
I would be grateful if you could pass this information
to Committee Members, in particular Lord Wade, Lord Powell and
Lord Dykes who were keen to have more detail on the EIT.
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