Brussels, Oct 2003
Euroscience has proposed an amendment to the draft European Constitution aimed at defining the EU's competence to support basic research, and calls on those in favour of the change to lobby their national governments.
The association for the promotion of science and technology is unhappy that the stated purpose of EU funded research in the draft text is limited to strengthening industry and promoting competitiveness.
Euroscience points out that in a section of the proposed constitution covering specifically the research and exploration of space, such activities are encouraged in order to 'promote scientific and technological progress.'
The association's proposal is simply to include the same reference to scientific and technological progress in the section covering EU sponsored research as a whole.
The Euroscience proposal calls on those in favour of the amendment to contact their national research minister and ask them to suggest the change to their country's Head of State. An Intergovernmental Conference is to be held in Brussels on 12 December, at which European leaders will seek to agree on a final text for the European Constitution.
For further information on the European Constitution, please visit:
http:///europa.eu.int/futurum/index_en.ht m
For further information on Euroscience, please visit:
http:///www.euroscience.org