Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-05-17-Speech-3-308"
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"en.20000517.14.3-308"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I would like to add my thanks to those that have been expressed already. I should also like to thank Mrs Plooij-Van Gorsel for the excellent report she has drawn up within a very short time limit. I should like to thank Mr MacCormick of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market and all of you for your contributions, as well as for your contributions to the debate this evening.
The Joint Research Centre and its specialist role have been stressed, and the goal of 3% of GDP is, I believe, an ambitious but necessary goal in all Member States.
So, to be brief, I should simply like to inform Parliament of the forthcoming stages. The first stage is clear. I would first of all like to emphasise just how important it was that Parliament expressed its opinion today. This is why I wished to thank Mrs Plooij-Van Gorsel for drawing up her report so quickly, and also all the Members of Parliament for debating the matter in such detail within such a short time period. The next stage, then, is the Council of Ministers responsible for Research, which will take place on 15 June. This report will provide practical examples to support the determination that we must display. For I have clearly understood that practical action is needed.
So, regarding the practical action, let me quickly list a few points, starting with benchmarking. With national research policies, the methodology exists. I think that the Member States accept this methodology, with the establishment of a high level group of representatives. Initial results will be available by the end of the year. A map of areas of excellence in Europe is being drawn up, with the cooperation of the national specialist institutes. That is no surprise to anyone, I think. I am hopeful that this map will also be ready by the end of the year.
The mobility of researchers presupposes the mobility of workers in general. The ambition of Mrs Diamantopoulou and myself is to set up a group made up of representatives from each Member State in order to identify where the obstacles lie. Regarding Women and Science, in fact, on the initiative of Parliament, a sizeable group of five hundred women has been set up. You are familiar with the very interesting report that this group produced, which triggered policy in each of the Member States. I shall be able to give you the results of this in the near future. Finally, as regards electronic networks, Mr Liikanen and I wish to increase these to several gigabytes very soon.
That, Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, is what I wanted to tell you briefly, given the time constraints and that I do not want to detain you further. I do, however, wish to express my heartfelt thanks for the interest you have shown in this debate. I believe we have to set up a dynamic, one that must be enhanced, and I promise that I shall give you progress reports on a regular basis. I hope that, together, we shall be able to open up the European research area that I believe in so strongly.
As I have already said, I believe that this debate requires collective action and that you, as Members of Parliament, can play a decisive role in relations with the scientific community and industry. Rest assured that I and the other members of the Commission will be ready to pursue this dialogue and this debate tomorrow.
In this respect, I think that this Parliament resolution is going to provide strong democratic support for the text ratified by the Lisbon Council which, moreover, set practical goals and deadlines. We should realise the extent to which the meeting of the Heads of State and Government in Lisbon served to highlight – what I believe is very important – the key role of research policy, as we have again pointed out this evening, and to acknowledge the importance of this role in the advent of a knowledge-based economy and society. We are at a juncture which gives us hope that greater and more crucial progress may be made in this area.
In addition, I should like to stress the importance of consulting the scientific community, with its awareness of developments, but also the industrial world, which can gauge the importance of the issues at stake.
Let me now outline a few points in the resolution, not in order to reopen the debate, Mr President, given the late hour, but in order to put a few brief comments to you.
I consider that the concept of centres of excellence is one worth developing further and, in this connection, there is one essential principle, and that is that excellence is the condition
for scientific and technological progress. Such excellence does exist in Europe, in all the Member States, but at an inadequate level of critical mass, and this is a situation which could be improved. This is the significance of all these networks of centres of excellence that must be created without necessarily specifying the exact infrastructures involved. It is a matter of human resources, but it is something that must be set up in order to have the ability to raise levels in Europe. And, as Mr Harbour pointed out, this excellence may also come in a virtual form in the modern technologies and high-speed networks we wish to see set up.
As regards fundamental and applied research, I think this is a matter of balance. These two aspects are closely linked. Everyone accepts this, both the world of industry and the world of research, of course, in the same way as they accept multidisciplinarity, which is one of the results of scientific developments. In order to create the necessary dynamic, it is therefore essential to develop the concept of benchmarking. I think this is an instrument which will make it possible, at European level, to create this dynamic, and also to instigate proactive and open coordination. I think establishing a patent is a condition
as has been adequately pointed out
Mr Bolkestein, who is responsible for the internal market, is well aware of this.
Indeed, I should like to take this opportunity to thank Parliament for having, with a view to the Intergovernmental Conference, insisted on initiating a discussion on a European legal body, since this is an essential condition for bringing about this Community patent. Finally, as far as small- and medium-sized businesses are concerned, the matter of the patent is a crucial factor, quite apart from more specific elements.
The aspect of regional development has been stressed, and I attach great importance to this, as successful experiments have been conducted in some regions and these should be exhibited as an example throughout Europe. I also attach great importance to the link between research and the Structural Funds, not forgetting the role of the European Investment Bank. In connection with this, discussions have been held with the European Investment Bank and schemes are underway to ensure that the EIB has a still more dynamic role in matters related to innovation and transposition and, since this was mentioned, that includes with candidate countries."@en1
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