A new framework for research
6 Dec 2006 by Evoluted New Media
The European Parliament has approved a 54bn euro (£36bn) plan to boost science research in Europe.
The European Parliament has approved a 54bn euro (£36bn) plan to boost science research in Europe.
The go-ahead was given for the EU's research and development funding when MEPs adopted 10 reports relating to the 7th Framework Research Programme (FP7).
Janez Potocnik, commissioner for science and research at the European Commission recognised that boosting Europe’s spend on R&D was vital: “If we compare ourselves to our major competitors of today, we are lagging behind. If we compare ourselves to the major competitors of tomorrow, we are lagging behind. What we are seeing in Asia, especially China, is incredible.”
Of the different research categories, information technology gets the biggest chunk of funding, with a 9.1bn euro (£6bn) budget. However, research into climate change and energy has received a comparatively small amount of funding in the plan.
FP7 is intended to build on the achievements of its predecessor by making further progress towards the creation of a European Research Area - the equivalent of a “common market” for research. It will contribute to fulfilling the reforms laid out in the “Lisbon strategy”, which aims to make Europe the “most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world”.
Another objective in the strategy was to boost Europe’s R&D spend to 3% of GDP by 2010. However, Potocnik suggests that FP7 could not make or break the 3% barrier on its own – pointing out that when the Lisbon strategy was drawn up, it was agreed that public spending would contribute only one third of the 3% figure, with the other two-thirds coming from the private sector.
FP7 is due to be formally adopted by the EU on 5 December. The programme is due to run from 2007 to 2013.
