EP Briefing 2002-11-18: Scientific Research in the Candidate Countries (own-initiative report)

Strasbourg, 13 Nov 2002

Jürgen ZIMMERLING's (EPP-ED, D) own-initiative draft resolution for the Industry Committee on the state of research in candidate countries states that the Commission must ensure that researchers in the applicant countries receive fair treatment compared to their counterparts in the current Member States when it implements the 6th Research Framework Programme.

The committee also urges the Commission and Member States to encourage links between research and industry via co-financing, flexible career planning, private research entities and the funding of research through industrial associations in the candidate countries. The Commission should help to create a favourable financial environment so that the ability of SMEs to participate in the Programme is not diminished either by the need to obtain bank guarantees or by the burden of assuming a significant share of co-financing. The committee also calls on the candidate countries to develop a research strategy of their own, either directly by way of assistance payments or indirectly by way of incentives, that would meet their requirements in the area of research. The draft resolution points out that twelve of the candidate countries were involved in the 5th Framework Programme and they, together with Turkey, would be taking part in the 6th Framework Programme. Efficient planning is needed as economic uncertainty and restrictive budgetary policies in the applicant countries has placed national research systems under enormous strain. The committee notes that low public research funding and inadequate mechanisms for attracting private-sector funding had led to an impoverishment of the human research potential in these countries, with ageing research infrastructures and low researchers' salaries aggravating the problem.

Jürgen ZIMMERLING (EPP-ED, D)
Report on the state of research in applicant countries and measures needed to ensure their full participation in the framework programme
(2002/2082/(INI))
Doc.: A5-0349/2002 [may not be available yet]

Procedure: Own-initiative report
Vote: 20.11.200

European Parliament Briefing 2002-11-18