WRITTEN QUESTION P-1090/01

by Luciana Sbarbati (ELDR) to the Commission

(27 March 2001)

Subject: Contradictions in Community policy in the research sector

The Ministers for Education and Research, meeting in Uppsala to prepare for the Stockholm summit, discussed the implications for those two sectors of the ageing of the EU's population and considered a Swedish study predicting that 28 % of the European population would be over 65 years old in 2050 (compared to 14 % at present) and that enlargement would not alleviate the situation, as only Turkey was bucking the trend.

In the (environmental, socio-economic, scientific and technological) research sector, a reduction in the number of those employed, and the decline in innovation and skills, will result in slower growth. So the Swedish presidency is considering how to meet the demand for human resources in the scientific sector, how to improve young people's perceptions of science and technology and how to raise public awareness of science, and is considering the possibility of employing research workers from third countries.

The Commission, on the other hand, after deciding to reduce staff levels at the JRC by 200 (despite a Council agreement in 1998 to maintain the establishment plan) and transfer Ispra's staff and activities to Patten (in January 2001) without consulting Parliament has now announced that the majority of research staff will be pensioned off by 2008, although the universities will not be able to ensure a supply of replacements and current conditions in terms of visas, mobility and rules on work and residence necessitate structural changes.

Could the Commission explain the logic of dismissing staff in a sector which is liable to suffer from staff shortages?

Is it, furthermore, logical to anticipate a hypothetical influx of third-county nationals in view of the acknowledged restrictions imposed in terms of visas, mobility and Community rules on work and residence?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(11 May 2001)

One of the recommendations to emerge from the report by the high-level panel chaired by Viscount Davignon was to concentrate the activities of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) on its strongest areas of competence. Furthermore, in the process of reviewing its priorities, a project launched at the start of 2000, at its meeting of 26 July 2000 the Commission adopted the recommendations of the Steering Group set up to examine the matter.

In this context, the Commission has requested that the Commissioner for Research should instruct the Joint Research Centre (JRC) to carry out a feasibility study into closing the Petten site or eliminating 200 jobs by scaling down JRC activities across the board.

The feasibility study into the closure of the Petten site has been completed and its conclusions have been submitted to the Commission in the form of a communication which was adopted on 22 January 2001(1).

The conclusions of the feasibility study include recommendations to transfer the activities relating to research into reducing vehicle emissions from Petten to Ispra, and to transfer the Nuclear Safety unit from Ispra to Petten. This arises from a commitment to achieve consistency between the portfolios of activities of the various JRC sites.

Since this departmental redeployment measure was an internal matter, the Commission did not consult the other institutions on transferring personnel.

On the basis of the conclusions of the Steering Group the Commission will propose amending research staff tables as of 2002 to the budgetary authority.

A detailed audit of the other JRC activities has been carried out. The proposed concentration of activities is intended to ensure the long-term future of the JRC, within the scope of its mission to provide scientific and technical support for EU policies.

(1) C(2001)125, 22.1.2001.