EC Proposes Measures To Boost Research And Development

by Ulrika Lomas, for LawAndTax-News.com, Brussels

14 October 2005

According to a statement released by the European Commission on Wednesday, the EU invests about a third less in research than the US, and emerging countries like China and India are fast becoming world-class centres of research and innovation.

To address this challenge, the Commission revealed that it has tabled an integrated innovation/research action plan, which calls for a major upgrade of the conditions for research and innovation in Europe. The action plan is claimed to be a further step in the Commission’s delivery of the Lisbon Partnership for Growth and Jobs, which has so far signally failed to deliver anything other than a lot of hot air.

The action plan centres around four strands, comprising 19 different actions:

1. Research and innovation at the heart of EU policies

• Better Regulation in support of new technologies;
• Redeployment of State aid towards research and innovation;
• Improved efficiency and use of intellectual property protection;
• An attractive single market for researchers;
• The use of public procurement to foster research and innovation; and
• Better and wider use of tax incentives.

2. Research and innovation at the heart of EU funding

• Mobilisation of public and private resources for key technologies;
• European Structural Funds to drive research and innovation;
• Improved access of SMEs to finance; and
• Mobilisation of national programmes to fund EU research and innovation

3. Research and innovation at the heart of business

• Intensified university–industry partnerships;
• Innovation poles and research-driven and industrial clusters;
• Proactive business support services to stimulate research and innovation;
• Innovation management and social change;
• The potential of innovative services; and
• European industrial research and innovation monitoring system .

4. Improved research and innovation policies

• Research and innovation as a prioirity of the National Reform Programmes for growth and jobs;
• Improved policy analysis instruments;
• Support to policy learning and co-operation

Vice-President Günter Verheugen, the Commissioner responsible for enterprise and industry policy observed that:

“Innovation and research are crucial if the EU is to return to sustainable growth. This plan addresses the weaknesses the EU has in this field. But the best strategy is not worth much, if Member States do not chip in the money to realise it. Every cent which goes into innovation and research is a cent invested in jobs, growth and hence our future.”

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