Biotechnology - Implementation of Strategy + Roadmap (Extract from Results of the Competitiveness Council, 22 Sep)

Brussels, 23 rd September 2003

The Council adopted a set of conclusions on the initiative "Life sciences and biotechnology a strategy for Europe. The Council welcomed the Commission's first progress report on the implementation of the European biotechnology strategy and agreed with the broad lines of its analysis.

The Council:

• stressed the need for significant efforts to be made to move from the conceptional and planning stage to the implementation of the biotechnology strategy and of the "roadmap" in order to contribute effectively to the achievement of the EU competitiveness objectives set by the Lisbon European Council;

• underlined the need to encourage overall coherence in policy making and to envisage, at EU level, the development of appropriate means for closer co-operation among Member States together with the Commission , in implementing the biotechnology strategy, in particular, for improving conditions for access for finance for biotechnology companies.

The Commission was invited to assess the progress achieved in this area in its next report along with the results expected from the Conference on life sciences and biotechnology to be held in Rome on 21-22 November, as a source of possible further input in the process of implementing the Action Plan and the "roadmap".

DN: MEMO/03/181 Date: 23/09/2003