Blair urges increased EU support for research and development

Brussels, 20 Jun 2005

Following the European Council meeting in Brussels on 17 and 18 June, the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair questioned the current prioritisation of the EU's budget and called for more focus on research and development.

The fraught summit appeared to expose some fundamental differences of opinion among Member States about the future direction of EU policy, and Mr Blair said that now is the right time to debate these issues, particularly in light of the recent referendum results in France and the Netherlands on the EU constitution.

Mr Blair highlighted the fact that even under the Commission's proposed financial perspective for 2007 to 2013, which includes a doubling of EU research spending, 40 per cent of the overall budget would still go to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

'Indeed there would be seven times the amount of spending on agriculture at the end of this financial perspective - seven times the amount - that there would be on science, technology, research, development, skills and education,' said Mr Blair. 'Now that is not a sensible prioritisation of Europe's spending in the 21st century. That does not correspond to the reform that Europe needs [...].'

Referring to the Lisbon competitiveness agenda and the debate on the EU's future direction that he feels should be held now, Mr Blair added: '[R]emeber we set this objective that by 2010, I think it was, we were going to be the most competitive economy in the world? With China, with India, and never mind America and other Asian countries, we have got to start gearing up to the world in which we live today, and that is what this debate is about.'

Mr Blair took the example of biotechnology - an industry that he believes will be a major part of any country and the European Union's future economic success - and warned that the EU is not doing enough in terms of research and development in this area. 'So these are the things that I think we can discuss and debate,' he added.

The UK Premier concluded on a positive note, saying: 'I am quite sure we will reach an agreement on the financial perspectives at some point over the coming period, but it is not harmful to have this debate now. [...] I think it is easier to reach an agreement once we have had a debate about where we are trying to go.'

CORDIS News asked a spokesperson for Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik whether the Commissioner felt encouraged by Mr Blair's comments. She emphasised that the debate about a shift towards more growth and competitiveness-oriented EU spending had begun with the Commission's proposals on future EU research policy in 2004, and that this is a priority that the Commission must stand by.

Not wishing to react directly to Mr Blair's comments, she nevertheless added: 'Any discussions on the structure of the EU budget in light of the Commission's proposals - and the UK is taking a lead in this approach - should be seen as a positive. This is a debate that was initiated by the Commission in 2004, so it's nothing new, but we're happy that it's being taken up at the highest political level.'

For further information on the EU research debate, please visit:
http://www.cordis.lu/fp7/debate.htm

CORDIS RTD-NEWS / © European Communities
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