Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

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# 92003E2179

**WRITTEN QUESTION E-2179/03 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission. EU/Korea Scientific and Technological Agreement.** 
  
*Official Journal 051 E , 26/02/2004 P. 0217 - 0218*

  

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2179/03

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(30 June 2003)

Subject: EU/Korea Scientific and Technological Agreement

When does the Commission intend to sign the EU/Korea Scientific and Technological Agreement? Would the Commission agree that it would be a positive step to have such an agreement as soon as possible?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(29 July 2003)

The possibility of an Union/Korea scientific & technological cooperation Agreement was first discussed, on request of Korea, during the meeting between the Korean science Minister, H. Park and the Member of the Commission responsible for Research in Brussels on 16 May 2003.

Korea as a major industrialised country and an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Member has notable scientific and technological capabilities in selected areas; it spends close to 3 % of its gross domestic product (GDP) on research, 3/4ths of which stemming from the private sector.

While it has developed a noteworthy and vibrant scientific cooperation with the different Member States (Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, etc.), Korea wishes to develop its scientific cooperation with the Union as such so as to more evenly balance its cooperation with its other partners such as the United States and Japan.

The Commissioner and the Korean Minister, recognising that the Union and Korea have similar scientific thematic priorities (biotechnology, nanotechnology, environment, space, information technologies and sustainable energy Korea has just decided to participate in the International Thermonuclear Experiment Reactor (ITER) project), as well as similar scientific policy challenges, agreed to examine the conditions for a scientific and technological cooperation Agreement.

The assessment of the feasibility for such an Agreement (which would offer a general framework for cooperation and facilitate Korean participation in the Union Research programmes and vice versa) is ongoing.

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