Toespraak Potocnik over wetenschap in de EU (en)

SPEECH/06/698

European Commissioner for Science and Research

How research can help integration into the EU - an invitation to the European Research Area

Institute for Seismological Research (IZIIS)

Skopje, 16 November 2006

Dear Mr President, Dear Ministers, Researchers and scientists, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a real pleasure for me to be here in Skopje this week. I have had an interesting programme, involving also a visit to your earthquake research institute this morning. I know that your city has suffered due to its earthquakes, both ancient and recent.

But I am pleased to see that the city has rebuilt itself into a modern metropolis. And in a way, that reflects what I want to talk about today: building the country up, with some possible shocks along the way, but for a better future.

Just one week ago, the Commission gave its view on your progress towards integrating into the European Union. Being here today allows me to view that progress first hand.

I am pleased to see that your country is determined to become a member of the European Union and your Prime Minister has made this a priority.

I am pleased not just because I think it will benefit you, but also because I think it will benefit Europe. The Union stands for stability. We all know how important stability in this region is for all of us.

My contribution to this goal is to encourage you to engage in more research cooperation with EU partners.

Why? Because:

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  research cooperation leads to networks of research institutes, linking you and others with the best scientists, wherever they are;
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  knowledge is transferred, improving your scientific base, just as others benefit from yours, and
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  cooperating on research delivers new products and services, which boost the economy and offer a better quality of life.

But this is not all. As you know, the EU has requirements and standards in technical areas such as environment, energy targets, food security and public health. Compliance with these is crucial for accession. Research cooperation is a way of moving towards that compliance.

The experience of being part of the European Research Area can be invaluable for the whole enlargement process. I am very aware of this, having been the head of the negotiating team for Slovenia's entry into the EU. When we joined in 2004, we had already been participating in research programmes for 10 years. This was important in helping us build our research capacity. But it was also crucial in developing our understanding of how the EU works from the inside, forging partnerships and allowing Slovenes to feel part of Europe. Because at the end of the day, it's all about people, whether we're talking about research or enlargement in general.

And to go further, research isn't just important for those wanting to join the EU. It is crucial for those already in it.

Research plays an important role in bringing about social and economic reforms. You are going through this reform process as part of your process of joining the EU. But I can tell you, the reform process doesn't end once you have joined. In the EU, all 25 Member States and the European Commission are engaged in a reform process detailed in our Growth and Jobs, or Lisbon, strategy.

This was originally designed as a major reform programme, aiming to make Europe "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge economy in the world".

Knowledge is one of Europe's key assets. We can't and won't look to cheap labour to compete in the global market place. We are committed to growing without damaging our environment.

A knowledge society can sustain our model of society - the European model. It can bring economic growth, social cohesion and environmental protection.

But how do we achieve this knowledge society in Europe?

To get there, we need to focus on what I call 'the knowledge triangle'. This involves looking at the way knowledge is:

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  produced through research;
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  spread through education; and
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  applied through innovation.

This requires effort, ideas and willingness to act at all levels: in the private and public sectors, at European, national, regional and local level. In other words, everyone here can and should contribute.

Let me deal first with the European level.

Here, the most important instrument for stimulating research is the EU's RTD Framework Programme.

You already participated in the Sixth Framework Programme where your institutes and scientists contributed to the International Cooperation Programme, better known as INCO. The latest capacity building projects under the 'INCO-Western Balkan Countries' call offered equipment upgrading and scientist training for several institutes here in Skopje.

If all goes well, the latest Seventh Framework Programme, or FP7, will be adopted by the beginning of December. FP7 will offer many more possibilities for the EU's international partners.

FP7 consists of four major programmes:

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  Cooperation
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  Ideas
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  People and
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  Capacities

I would like to tell you briefly what each does and how they could benefit you.

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  The Cooperation programme is the core of FP7. It will support research in 10 thematic areas covering areas such as health, information technologies, food safety, energy and transport. The research will be undertaken by international teams.

Cooperation has the largest budget of all of FP7's programmes. So I recommend you to identify your priority areas. Then match those with the possibilities offered under Cooperation's different themes. You have the scientific base to compete and benefit.

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  The "Ideas" programme will stimulate excellence and creativity in basic research. It will see the creation of a new European Research Council. This will fund individual teams of researchers, which can be from one or many countries. For the first time, research teams will be competing at European level for funding which will be awarded solely on the basis of a project's excellence.
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  The "People" programme will support researcher training and career development. Grants will be available to scientists wanting to return to their country or to promote public-private partnerships. The good work of the "Marie-Curie" schemes promoting researcher mobility will be continued and strengthened.

The Joint Research Centre also promotes research training, by offering the opportunity to work at its institutes for up to three years. Researchers from third countries can apply via open calls, provided they are associated to the Framework Programme.

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  Finally, the "Capacities" programme contains several horizontal actions supporting Small and Medium Size enterprises, innovation, regional cooperation and infrastructure.

In all of these programmes there is room for your researchers and industry who want to engage in more research.

There is of course a special programme for International Cooperation. This will support networks and strengthen bilateral and regional scientific initiatives. This is the programme where initiatives such as 'the Steering Platform on Research for the Western Balkan Countries' can be developed further. I am counting on your active participation in this Platform.

But I should highlight a change in the format. FP7 is designed differently. This means that international partners, like you, will have to look at the horizontal programmes for opportunities to take part. This is because we want international co-operation to be an integral part of what we do, not something to be seen in isolation.

Our major information session on FP7 next year will offer more details about these opportunities.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I said at the launch event of the Western Balkan Countries Steering Platform for Research in Vienna in June 2006 that "the doors of the European Research Area should be wide open for the Balkan Region.' I repeat that today.

I am backing up this commitment by making association to FP7 very attractive for all candidate and potential candidate countries.

In concrete terms, this means a fair and balanced financial contribution in return for full association to FP7.

What will you get in return?

Your scientists, research institutes and industry will be able to participate, on an equal footing with EU countries, in the world's largest public programme for transnational research.

It will also mean you stay well informed on FP7 developments, that you can participate in all its actions and can be a call coordinator.

The networking opportunities in the Framework Programme are among the best in Europe, giving you a competitive edge.

Research cooperation also provides a window into the EU decision-making process.

And you become part of the team which is building the European Research Area.

Of course I realise that this is a big opportunity but also a challenge. The challenge is that your Government and industry need to support your successful participation.

What are the main challenges for your country at national level?

First, research requires more national spending. Your Government made a commitment to increase national spending on research in its National Strategy Plan. This needs to be followed up.

Second, industry has to participate more in research. Under the EU Action Plan to stimulate investment in research, we identified several measures that can help encourage industry to innovate and engage in research.

Examples include introducing fiscal measures allowing tax deductions for research investment. Or stimulating innovative products and services through public procurement. Or offering grants to SMEs who cooperate with universities on research efforts.

Third, research is not just a question of funding - we have to take care of its people. This is why it is important that scientists have clear career development prospects, can work in a good environment and can move freely within and outside Europe.

I cannot touch on this subject without mentioning visas. I fully realise that the current visa requirements are totally unsatisfactory. But let us be positive. The Council adopted this week the mandates for negotiating visa facilitation and readmission agreements. Already at the end of this month negotiations will take place with your country in Brussels. In addition, for scientists, a special visa package was adopted last year and needs to be transposed by the Member states by October 2007. All this will lead to a reduction of the visa formalities. It is a first but important step towards visa liberalisation which I am fully supporting. In particular I insist at every Council with Member States that as part of the European Research Area, all scientists can move freely.

Fourth and finally, research capacity needs to be increased. To do this, I encourage you to use funding from the new Pre-Accession Instrument (IPA) which recognises that research and education are priority areas. As you know, this was not possible under the previous EU funding instruments. This requires, however, good programming and timely planning. All of you here, together with the Deputy Prime Minister of European Integration, have a role in presenting concrete and operational projects.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me finish by emphasising that across Europe, we are all now in the business of reform. And whether they are reforms to adapt economies, reforms to ensure safe borders or reforms to make workplaces safer, research plays a role.

The enlargement discussions in Brussels last week stressed that the success of accession depends on the pace of reform in each candidate country.

Reform is never easy. I know that it can involve major effort and some seismic shifts - something I know a lot more about since my visit this morning!

But these efforts work towards a greater goal, where research helps Europe adapt not just to the changes of today, but to the challenges of tomorrow.

Vi posakuvam mnogu sreka i volja vo idnina [I wish you best of luck and determination in the future]

Thank you.