Welcome to the French Council Presidency of the EU (July – December 2008)
French Member State Service on CORDIS
Highlights
Valérie Pécresse,
Minister for Higher
Education and Research
Developing new forms of energy and combating climate change, addressing the ageing of our populations and its effects on public health, promoting healthy, balanced forms of food and ensuring food security, moving even further towards building an information society; all the nations of Europe and their people share the same major challenges at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
For France, excellence in the European research system will be measured, above all, by its ability to mobilise all the scientific talent on our continent to meet the expectations of the Union’s citizens and restore our nations’ faith in progress.
I hope that the French Presidency will provide the opportunity to set out a new common vision for European research: one where science serves our societies and our future.
On the basis of this joint project and following broad consultation, I am certain that we can draw up concrete proposals to improve the running of the European Research Area and further strengthen its efficiency.
This consultation, which follows on naturally from the launch of the Ljubljana Process by the Slovenian Presidency, will reach its conclusion with the drawing up of a clear and simple road map. The European Research Area's "Vision for 2020" programme will enable us to focus our strength on a small number of clearly-defined priorities and launch a real dynamic for joint research.
Yet to achieve this objective, the spirit of partnership that underpins the Ljubljana Process must be reinforced: France will therefore lend its support in particular to adopting and implementing five large Commission initiatives as well as the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan). The European Research Area, which promotes uniting national and international talents around common goals, should simplify the mobility of researchers, the protection of intellectual property and the creation of very large, Europe-wide research infrastructures.
Following straight on from the Slovenian Presidency, France invites its partners to share in a very fine ambition: returning science and researchers to their rightful place at the heart of our societies.
[Last update: 2008-12-05]