Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-06-13-Speech-2-026"
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"en.20060613.6.2-026"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, as shadow rapporteur for the seventh framework programme and rapporteur for the ‘People’ specific programme, it is my duty first of all to thank Mr Buzek and all the Members with whom we undertook this difficult work in the knowledge that it had to be done quickly and well, even without any prospect of agreement on the financial perspective.
I should also like to thank my colleagues in the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, and its chairman, Mr Chichester, who timetabled the work wisely and with foresight in such a way that the delay by the Council would not harm the outcome. Last but not least, I have to thank the staff and assistants who surpassed themselves in the long, tiring job of preparing the work and in researching and analysing the points that might lead – as in fact they did – to significant and honourable compromises.
Having said that, and before I address some significant points in the framework programme and particularly in the ‘People’ specific programme, I should like to focus on the philosophy of the legislative structure and on the political aspect. The philosophy was to create a European research area that was autonomous and at the same time able to attract new talent and to prevent talent born and bred in Europe from emigrating. The philosophy was also to involve industries and SMEs and to broaden the horizons for research funding and innovative technologies. The objective was achieved in terms of structure, but not at all in terms of resources.
The political aspect is linked in practice to the financial aspect, and both are linked to the much abused and hackneyed Lisbon Strategy. At Lisbon, Europe set itself the target of becoming a world leader again by 2010. A rational, pessimistic view is that this target cannot be reached, since other experienced and powerful players are operating on the world stage, with a wealth of means and resources that make our efforts fade into insignificance. In terms of financial resources, our efforts have not been and are still not equal to the task. In that respect it has to be recognised that the Member States have been short-sighted, as they have sacrificed our general interests to the interests of their own national budgets.
Nevertheless, while we may have regrets about what might have been done better or about what else could have been done, it is only fair to acknowledge the fact, with hopeful optimism, that much significant progress has been made. I refer to the creation of the European research area, the fact that implementation of the European Charter for Researchers is mandatory for the Member States, the inclusion of small and medium-sized enterprises among those that can compete for and benefit from research projects – in that respect Amendment 334 is significant; it has been signed by several groups and I recommend that it be approved – the introduction of funding for research into renewable and alternative energies, the funding of projects for the preservation of our cultural heritage, and funding through a specific programme for original ideas.
As for the ‘People’ specific programme, thanks to a shrewd synergy between the Commission’s competent directorate-general and the shadow rapporteurs, the researcher has become a recognised figure with his or her own dignity and principal attributes; research has become a genuine profession and, as such, it enjoys protection and safeguards. Researchers and women researchers, whose right to have children and a family is recognised, without it being a further hindrance to their careers, are the most important element in research. No researchers means no research, few researchers means little research, and many researchers means a great deal of research. The presence of researchers with economic protection and social assistance, who are mobile and have their own charter implemented at last by all the Member States, means a wealth of talent for Europe and consequently a leading position in the field of innovation, which is an essential step in building a knowledge-based society.
I should like to make a final remark on the additional budget that has been granted to the ‘People’ programme at the request of Mr Prodi and by the unanimous decision of the shadow rapporteurs, to whom I am grateful. That is a clear sign that the philosophy whereby people are the driving force behind research is both correct and successful."@en1
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