WRITTEN QUESTION E-0961/00 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission. A favourable climate for EU inventors.
Date: 2000-03-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: common commercial policy, invention

28.12.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 374 E/193

project, the significant effect on the site would have to be established as well as the existence of specific
alternative solutions. Furthermore, information would be needed on the geographical location, delimitation
and Natura 2000 value, compensation measures already foreseen, and other details that are of importance
to investigate the case.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.
(2) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.

(2000/C 374 E/226)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0961/00

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: A favourable climate for EU inventors

(29 March 2000)

One of the most productive features of our economy is that of invention. However, inventors are not only
faced with multiple challenges relating to their own inventions: they have to confront a veritable forest of
red tape.

At a moment when the Community is endeavouring to take a major step forward to catch up on lost
ground in the technological field at planetary level, it is essential that inventors should be offered a new
climate enabling them to develop their inventions in comfort and patent them in secure and reliable
conditions, without being overwhelmed by bureaucracy.

Can the Commission state whether it believes it should promote an in-depth study to ascertain the real
situation of inventors in the Community, the nature of their concerns, their difficulties in relation to the
two poles of Munich and The Hague, and, in general, all the factors that can make the difference between
success or failure, across the range of activities in which inventors can contribute to the Community(cid:146)s
economic activity as a whole?

Answer by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(3 May 2000)

The Commission agrees with the honourable Member regarding the need to ensure that inventors in the
Community benefit from a climate conducive to the development of their activities.

Innovation has,
prosperity for society as a whole.

indeed, become a major vector of

lasting growth for businesses and of economic

With a view to defining the suitable framework for the development of inventions and innovative actions
in Europe, the Commission has consulted a number of interested circles, especially through its Green
Papers on Innovation in Europe (1) and on the Community patent and the patent system in Europe (2).
Following these consultations, it submitted ambitious action plans containing concrete measures in order
to meet the needs of industry and independent inventors.

initiatives,

Among the more important
it would make legislative
proposals for creating a Commuity patent, producing the same effects throughout the Community, which
would be simple to administer, easily accessible and reasonably priced. The Community patent was also
described by the Commission, in its January 2000 communication entitled (cid:145)Towards a European Research
Area(cid:146) (3), as a powerful lever for the development of research in Europe.

the Commission announced that

Furthermore, innovation should also be boosted thanks to other measures, such as the development of the
role of national patent offices towards encouraging innovation, improving access to patent information or
introducing the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Help Desk, which is a service designed to help those
involved in innovation and to familiarise them with intellectual property.

(1) COM(97) 736 final.
(2) COM(97) 314 final.
(3) COM(2000) 6 final.