Council Resolution of 15 June 2000 on establishing a European area of research and innovation
Date: 2000-06-15
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: cooperation policy, exchange of information, research and development, research programme, technological change

19.7.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 205/1

I

(Information)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 15 June 2000

on establishing a European area of research and innovation

(2000/C 205/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

EMPHASISES the significant role played by research and devel-
opment
in generating economic growth, employment and
social cohesion,

RECALLS the objectives set out in the Commission’s communi-
cation (cid:145)Towards a European Research Area(cid:146) and the implemen-
tation measures outlined in (cid:145)First Steps Towards a European
Research Area(cid:146),

TAKING ACCOUNT OF the contributions to the debate resulting
from the Research Ministerial meeting (cid:145)European Science
beyond 2000(cid:146), held in Lisbon on 6 and 7 March 2000, with
the presence of eminent European scientists and the heads of
major European research organisations, the discussions held at
the Ministerial conference on the Knowledge and Information
Society held in Lisbon on 10 and 11 April 2000, and the
discussions at the Ministerial conference on (cid:145)Knowledge and
Innovation for
the Competitiveness of Europe(cid:146) held at
Noordwijk on 10 March 2000,

NOTING the resolution of the European Parliament of 18 May
2000, the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee of
24 May 2000, and the opinion of
the
Regions of 12 and 13 April 2000,

the Committee of

(a) Member States will cooperate, in association with the
Commission, in devising a simple means for improved
information exchange, wherever possible using existing
mechanisms,
strategic
importance at European level;

activities

research

on

of

(b) Member States will bring forward work already
underway with a view to developing mechanisms for
opening
research
programmes, including where appropriate the partici-
pation of non-national experts in evaluation panels.

progressively

national

their

THE COUNCIL INVITES the Commission to seek information
relevant national and European
and advice from all
research actors and to report
to it on this matter by
June 2001.

2. WELCOMES the initial work undertaken by the Commission
with a view to developing an open method of coordination
for benchmaking national research policies in relation to
following themes for
identifiying indicators aiming to
assess the development of European research policies in
relation to the development of research in the rest of the
world:

(a) human resources in RTD,

including attractiveness of

science and technology professions;

(b) public and private investment in RTD;

(c) scientific and technological productivity;

RECOGNISES the importance of a rapid implementation of the
Presidency Conclusions of the Lisbon European Council of 24
and 25 March 2000,

(d) impact of RTD on economic competitiveness and

employment.

TO CARRY FORWARD THESE CONCLUSIONS, THE COUNCIL:

1. ENCOURAGES the networking of national and joint research
programmes on a voluntary basis, around freely chosen
objectives,
the
concernted resources devoted to research and technological
development in the Member States. To this end:

to take greater advantage of

in order

The following areas could also be taken into consideration:
promotion of RTD culture and public understanding of
science, and overall convergence and balances in RTD
within the European Union.

CALLS on the Commission,
in collaboration with the
Member States, to complete its work by presenting a full
set of indicators and a methodology for benchmarking by
October 2000.

C 205/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

19.7.2000

3. NOTES the Commission’s intention to establish an inde-
pendent advisory body for research policy in order to
strengthen the links between the research community,
including industrial research organisations, national and
European RTD organisations, and to reinforce the effec-
tiveness of European RTD policies and keep the Council
regularly informed, in particular on the role and consti-
tution of this body.

SME and start-up sector through the exchange of best
practices on technology transfer and innovation measures
in respect of, inter alia, venture capital funds, incubators,
promotion of high-tech start-ups.

THE COUNCIL INVITES the Commission to report on this
matter by the end of 2000.

4. INVITES the Commission,

in close cooperation with the
Member States and in the context of the e-Europe action
plan, and building on the progress already achieved in the
Geant programme in creating a 2,5 gigabit/s network by
the end of 2001, to present costed initiatives for setting up
a very high-speed trans-European research network,
order
progressively
of
100 gigabits/s, with the
European
Investment Bank.

support of

attaining

speeds

the

the

of

5. INVITES the Member States and the Commission to
cooperate in order to identify and take action with a
view to removing present obstacles to the mobility of
researchers
a genuine
the
European scientific community. To this end, the Council
intention to establish a
WELCOMES the Commission’s
working group of national experts
to help
prepare an analysis and first initiatives by June 2001.

to facilitate

creation of

in order

6. INVITES the Commission to enhance the synergy and multi-
lateral cooperation offered by existing mechanisms such as
COST and Eureka; REQUESTS the Commission to examine
the management and funding of COST in order to respond
to the developing needs and activities of this organisation.

9. WELCOMES the Commission’s intention to bring forward
proposals with a view to making available a Community
patent by the end of 2001, as foreseen by the Lisbon
Summit of March 2000.

10.

INVITES Member States and the Commission:

(cid:151) to take the necessary steps towards increasing the
participation of women in science by accelerating the
implementation of the action plan (cid:145)Women in Science(cid:146),

(cid:151) to increase the attractiveness of science to young
people and encourage their participation in RTD
activities,

(cid:151) to promote closer cooperation between research insti-
tutions, schools and science centres at European level,
to reinforce the scientific culture of European citizens
and to increase the attractiveness of scientific and tech-
nological professions, by pursuing initiatives in setting
up a framework for exchanges and joint action and by
bringing the national and European (cid:145)Science Weeks(cid:146)
closer together,

7.

in close cooperation with the
INVITES the Commission,
Member States and taking into account national research
plans and policies, to present to the Council, before the
end of 2000, objectives and a methodology,
including
indicators and peer
review, with a view to mapping
excellence in all Member States by the end of 2001.

(cid:151) to involve form the outset the candidate countries, the
EEA states and the associated countries in the European
area of research and innovation, and also to take the
appropriate action to make it attractive to other
non-Member States

8. INVITES the Commission and the Member States to take the
necessary steps,
in particular working closely with the
European Investment Bank, to support the development
of a globally competitive economy based upon a thriving

11. WELCOMES the Commission’s intention to develop, in the
Guidelines document to be available in early autumn 2000,
the possible
future
research actions of the Union (including the Framework
Programmes)
to allow
Member States, the European Parliament and the Council
to debate the subject during the second half of 2000.

contribution and preparation of

to the European Research Area,

19.7.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 205/3

12. WELCOMES also the Commission’s intention to present
further contributions on other themes identified in its
Communication on the European Research Area such as:

(cid:151) the social and ethical aspects of research in Europe,

(cid:151) scientific reference for policy decisions,

(cid:151) infrastructure for research,

(cid:151) the regional dimension of research policy in Europe,

(cid:151) opening the European Research Area to the rest of the

world,

(cid:151) the mobility of researchers.

13. CONSIDERS it necessary to review regularly European
Science and Technology policies and assess progress
made towards achieving a European Research Area. To
INVITES the Commission to present, after wide
this end,
consultation,
to the Euroepan Parliament and to the
Council a regular report on the state of RTD in Europe
to be forwarded annually to the Spring European Council
as its contribution to the overall review of the progress
achieved.