WRITTEN QUESTION E-0148/99

by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas (PPE) to the Commission

(11 February 1999)

Subject: Brain-drain

Participation in international education and training on the one hand, and the demand from companies for qualified staff with international experience on the other, have stimulated interest in working abroad amongst young scientists. The USA is the principal destination of European emigrants, and most of them have executive and management posts. It should also be stressed that approximately 50 % of all Europeans who complete a degree in the USA remain in that country for a longer period, and even for good, with European Ph.Ds staying there much longer on average than their Korean or Japanese counterparts. It would appear that the presence of centres of excellency in the USA is a major attraction, alongside open, flexible career structures, a strong entrepreneurial culture and high standards of living and quality of life.

Given that Europe could be losing a large number of high-quality scientists, what is the Union doing to prevent this brain-drain?

Once abroad, European scientists often find it difficult to come back. There has been a suggestion that centres of excellence in research and engineering should be set up throughout Europe, as part of what would be joint undertakings involving the public and private sector, to absorb scientists coming back to Europe and encourage others to return. What is the Commission's view of this?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission

(19 April 1999)

The question of the Honourable Member takes fully into account the information contained in the article published by the Institute for prospective technological studies (IPTS) of the Commission Joint research centre(1). The Commission is concerned with the trends shown in this review and, for its part, by means of the Community research and technological development (RTD) framework programmes, offers opportunities to young scientists to exercise mobility within the Community (e.g. Marie Curie fellowships programme, collaborative research projects).

The success of this scholarship scheme proves that in principle the research infrastructure within the Community is adequate and sufficiently attractive to enhance the research training of young scientists. The trends shown by the IPTS report cannot however be fully compensated by the number of opportunities offered by the Community programme. In line with the subsidiarity principle, action should also be taken at the level of the Member States and this, particularly, in those Member States where nationals are more prone to stay in the United States after their training. As is also indicated in the IPTS report, the European private sector should play a bigger role in recuperating the emigrated talent. The Commission will continue its efforts to stimulate the process by funding, through the framework programmes, joint research ventures linking academia and industry in partnerships of excellence. In this context a Marie Curie industry host fellowship scheme has been introduced into the 5th RTD framework programme in order to stimulate the training of young scientists in an industrial and commercial environment.

With regard to the "brain drain" within the Community from the less favoured regions, the Marie Curie fellowship scheme assists researchers to return to their home region by funding their research for a supplementary year after their return. The Commission also encourages the cohesion Member States to invest in research infrastructure and to use the structural funds to that effect. In this context, the Commission would draw the Honourable Member's attention to its communication "Reinforcing cohesion and competitiveness through research, technological development and innovation"(2), which the Parliament debated on 24 February 1999 on the basis of Mr de Lassus' report (PE 225.088). With the aim of building additional scientific competence in these regions, the Commission has furthermore introduced, as part of the fifth RTD framework programme, a scheme of development host fellowships for less favoured regions.

(1) IPTS Report No 29, November, 1998.

(2) COM(98) 275 final.