WRITTEN QUESTION E-0889/01

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(27 March 2001)

Subject: Sixth R & D framework programme

The United States is planning to double its science and technology investment within ten years and is already producing a third of the world's science compared with just 17 % in 1970. The picture is similar where industry is concerned: the world's ten biggest biotechnology companies are American.

On Wednesday, 21 February 2000 the Commission approved its proposed research policy for the period from 2002 to 2006. The budget, if taken together with the budget for the Euratom nuclear programme, amounts to a 17 % increase on the current programme. In 1999 Europe allocated 1,8 % of its GDP to research, whereas the United States achieved a figure of 2,7 %.

Does the Commission believe that the budget will be sufficient to catch up with the United States during the next four years? Leaving aside the Sixth framework programme, how effectively does the Commission think that the different national programmes can foster the transnational character of science, apart from providing further help in narrowing the gap between the European and US research budgets? How much priority does the Commission think that the applicant countries are according to research as they prepare to join the Union? To what extent will the Sixth framework programme make good the deficiencies revealed in the Socrates programme between 1995 and 1999 as far as student and teacher mobility is concerned?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(18 June 2001)

As highlighted in the European Research Area initiative(1), the framework programme represents only 5,4 % of the overall public sector effort on research and development in Europe. Comparisons between the overall research effort in Europe and the United States therefore need to take account of the much larger budgets devoted to national research programmes. They also need to take into account private sector investment in research and development, in which the gap between Europe and the United States is particularly wide. The importance of incentives to encourage private sector research, including fiscal measures, was also highlighted in the European Research Area. As far as the framework programme itself is concerned, the Commission is proposing to increase the effectiveness of its expenditure by concentrating funds on a more limited number of priorities of particular importance at European level. In addition, new instruments are proposed for implementing the programme, which are designed to have a more structuring effect on research in Europe and streamline its management.

Given the importance of national research programmes for the overall research effort in Europe, the new framework programme proposal(2) includes, for the first time, measures in this context. These include benchmarking national research policies, strengthening the coordination of research activities carried out at national level, and encouraging Member States to open these activities up to researchers from other countries. Community participation in national programmes under Article 169 (ex Article 130 L) of the EC Treaty is also proposed.

As far as the enlargement process is concerned, research is considered as a priority in candidate countries in so far as they fully participate already in the activities of the framework programme. Moreover, following the Council's Resolution of 15 June 2000(3), the Commission has jointly defined with the candidate countries measures to stimulate and enhance their participation in the European Research Area. These include information campaigns, training, partner search assistance, and association with the initiatives on benchmarking national research policies and mapping of excellence.

The Commission has proposed to more than double the resources allocated to human resources and mobility in the new framework programme proposal. Under this priority, mobility opportunities for individual researchers will be enhanced. This will be accompanied by increased transnational access to important

research facilities and infrastructures, as well as a new instrument of networks of excellence with an important component designed to better integrate research teams in Europe and strengthen mobility. Following the Council Resolution of 15 June 2000, the Member of the Commission responsible for research convened the High-Level Expert Group on Improving Mobility of Researchers with representatives from the Member States, to help prepare an analysis of obstacles to mobility with a view to the Commission presenting proposals in June 2001.

(1) COM(2000) 6 final.

(2) COM(2001) 94 final.

(3) OJ C 205, 19.7.2000.