Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

[**Avis juridique important**](../../../editorial/legal_notice.htm)

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# 92002E0320

**WRITTEN QUESTION E-0320/02 by Christopher Beazley (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Preparations for the European Council meeting in Barcelona.** 
  
*Official Journal 205 E , 29/08/2002 P. 0115 - 0116*

  

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0320/02

by Christopher Beazley (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 February 2002)

Subject: Preparations for the European Council meeting in Barcelona

The 2000 Lisbon European Council called on the Council and the Commission, together with the Member States, where appropriate, to facilitate the creation by the end of 2001 of a very high-speed transeuropean network for electronic scientific communications, with EIB support, linking research institutions and universities, as well as scientific libraries, scientific centres and, progressively, schools. Was this target met?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(16 April 2002)

The Commission, in co-operation with the Member States, welcomes the fact that the above stated goal of the 2000 European Council was reached in time, moving Europe's high-speed transeuropean network for research into a very good positioning in global terms.

The interconnection of the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) in Europe has a very high political importance as it constitutes one of the major building blocks for the Next Generation Internet and the foundation for the European Research Area (ERA).

In this context, Europe has since 1 November 2001 a fully operational trans-european network (GEANT) running at 10 gigabit per second (Gbps) and interconnecting thirty two (32) NRENs. This corresponds to an increased factor of sixteen times since 2000.

In parallel the NRENs have been upgraded and thus, globally, the access capacities of all European research institutes and universities has been significantly increased.

The Honourable Member will find in the annex which is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat useful data that shows that Europe is in a very competitive position in international terms.

For highly demanding research communities (e.g. CERN, European Molecular Biology Laboratory), complementary experimental GRIDs infrastructures are also being deployed.

Connectivity for schools is handled differently in the various Member States but in many cases is provided by the NREN.

The co-operation with the European Investment Bank (EIB) resulted in the signing of a Memorandum in June 2001 This agreement between the Community and the EIB strengthens co-operation in order to boost research and technological innovation in Europe by offering complementary, although independent, forms of financial support to researchers. In addition EIB's Innovation 2000 Initiative specifically targets the area of information and communications technology networks. In the context of the 6th Framework Programme on Research and Technological Development further opportunities are expected for the provision and financing of research infrastructures.

In conclusion, the Commission welcomes the fact that the target defined by the Council have been met within the timeframe. Further efforts to sustain and improve Europe's position will be done in the context of the 6th Framework Programme, for which the topic of GEANT and GRIDs has already received wide support both in the Parliament and in the European Council.

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