EU BIONIC EAR research project looks into new ways to cure deafness
Date: 12.12.2003

Results from the EU-funded BIONIC EAR project will be presented by the European Commission at this year's annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB). The meeting opens tonight in San Francisco. read more

EU funds co-ordination of cross-border medical emergency research
Date: 11.12.2003

The Commission today announced it will support a project to co-ordinate the prevention and management of crises in medical emergency research. There are 100 million medical emergencies every year in the European Union. read more

Countering the fragmentation of European research
Date: 11.12.2003

Today in Brussels the Commission announced the first results of the new EU-funded €148 million ERA-NET scheme, aimed at networking national research programmes. read more

Rising sun for EU Research: Commissioner Busquin to visit Japan
Date: 04.12.2003

European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin will visit Japan from December 5-9 to participate in the G8 Carnegie Group conference, the meeting of G8 research ministers, to promote future scientific co-operation between Japan and the EU. read more

Boosting the participation of acceding and candidate countries in EU research
Date: 28.11.2003

Today in Brussels European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin will meet ministers and high level representatives of the 13 acceding and candidate countries. They will discuss their participation in the EU's Sixth Framework Programme for research 2002-2006 (FP6)... read more

Antibiotics: 13 million to step up EU research on antibiotic resistance
Date: 28.11.2003

Today 200 scientists meet in Rome at the EU conference on “The Role of Research in Combating Antibiotic Resistance". It was organised by the European Commission together with the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID). read more

Weakening growth in investment and increasing brain drain: two major threats to the European knowledge-based economy
Date: 25.11.2003

Today in Brussels European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin presented two new publications on Europe's position in research and innovation. read more

EU EUR 1 million Descartes Prize rewards excellence in high-tech and fundamental science
Date: 20.11.2003

Today in Rome European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin awarded the EU Descartes Prize to two pan-European research teams, who presented outstanding projects in the field of basic sciences and high technology. read more

Research : EU to finance projects worth 5 billion
Date: 17.11.2003

Over 100 000 participants from more than 50 countries responded with nearly 12 000 projects to the first calls for proposals of the €20 billion EU 6th Research Framework Programme (FP6 2002-2006). read more

EU to release EUR 11.7 million for diabetes research
Date: 13.11.2003

The European Commission has announced the launch of a five-year €11.7 million “Integrated project” to look into the treatment of obesity, one of the main causes of diabetes. read more

Fun With Science: EU Launches 10th European Science Week
Date: 12.12.2003

European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin yesterday launched “Science Week Europe” in Brussels. The initiative runs from November 3d to November 9th. read more

European Week against Cancer 2003: EU announces new EUR 100 million funding for cancer research
Date: 09.10.2003

The second week in October each year traditionally marks the European Week against Cancer. The European Commission therefore announced today that, as a result of a first call for proposals for cancer research in the Sixth Framework Programme (2002-2006)... read more

World Heart Day: Commission launches new research projects to combat cardiovascular disease
Date: 29.09.2003

September 28 marked World Heart Day. The purpose was to raise awareness on risks and to promote opportunities for preventing heart disease. read more

One Billion Euro for the success of Information and Communication Technologies in Europe
Date: 29.09.2003

The Union's priority for R&D in Information Society Technologies (IST) aims to bring technologies closer to people, ensuring that all Europe's citizens and businesses can, and actually do benefit from technological advance. read more

The first IST call in FP6 - information memo

"Creative lab" for bringing science closer to society opens on CORDIS
Date: 04.09.2003

More than 220 ideas for making European scientific endeavours and policies better known, understood and more attractive to the young and to the public at large are published today on the Web by the European Commission's research and innovation information service CORDIS... read more

EU's EUR 2.5 million initiative boosts the participation of European regions in the knowledge economy
Date: 31.07.2003

On August 1st, the European Commission will launch the “Regions of Knowledge” pilot action with a budget of €2.5 million for the first year. The initiative will support innovative projects involving regions... read more

Improving food quality and safety: EU to fund 24 new research projects and networks
Date: 25.07.2003

24 food quality and safety research projects and 12 support actions have been awarded an initial EU contribution of €166 million in the first year of the EU 6th Research Framework Programme (FP6). They are the first projects of this kind to receive FP6 funding, totalling close to €20 billion over 4 years (2003-2006). read more

Research and Innovation News from the Italian Presidency
Date: 18.07.2003

The EU research and innovation portal CORDIS launched today a new service (cordis.europa.eu/italy) that will enable users to follow the Italian Presidency's priorities and initiatives for enhancing EU innovation and competitiveness. The service also puts Italian research and innovation players in the spotlight... read more

'New instruments worked' says head of unit, following first round of transport proposal evaluations
Date: 15.07.2003

The introduction of the new instruments in the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) for research has had the desired effect of reducing the number of projects submitted for consideration, evaluation of some of the first calls for proposals under the new programme has revealed. read more

First IST call results in proposals worth 7.5 billion euro
Date: 14.07.2003

The first call for proposals under the information society technologies (IST) section of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) has generated requests for over 7.5 billion euro of EU funding, seven times the amount available for the call. read more

Commission to invest EUR 9 million into research for SARS prevention
Date: 03.07.2003

Today in Brussels, European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin announced that at least €9 million will be made available to fund new research to help tackle Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). As the gathering of data on the transmissibility and pathogenesis of the SARS virus continues....read more

EU research calls for improvements in cattle transport and handling before slaughter
Date: 17.06.2003

The European Commission-funded project CATRA (CAttle TRAnsport), presented today in Brussels, calls for improvements in cattle transportation. The study followed and monitored cattle on a series of journeys throughout Europe. Stressful transport conditions adversely affect not only animal welfare but can also impact on meat quality.... read more

View project dossier

Background Information

New Gateway to the European Research Area
Date: 30.05.2003

A new gateway for developments in the European Research Area (ERA) was launched today on CORDIS, the European Commission's research and innovation information portal (cordis.europa.eu/era/). The service represents a comprehensive online resource, featuring ongoing ERA activities and providing easy access to most of the ERA information available on the Web...read more

CORDIS presented to Parliament committee
Date: 23.05.2003

At the request of the European Parliament's Committee on industry, external trade, research and energy, the head of unit for communication and awareness in the Enterprise DG's innovation activities directorate, Kurt König, explained how CORDIS can be of use to MEPs on 22 May...read more

The first opportunity to foster partnership between science and society through EU-funded research - don't miss it!
Date: 08.05.2003

Until 2 June 2003 the European Commission's invitation for ideas on how to draw closer links between scientists, society and policy makers through EU-funded research is still open for input from individuals and organisations, including the non-government sector...read more

Commission issues 'Innovation Tomorrow', a key reflection on how to update innovation policy in the context of the Lisbon strategy
Date: 08.04.2003

The European Commission has published a study entitled "Innovation Tomorrow" which analyses how the EU's innovation policies should be up-dated so as to be more effective. Since the European Commission's 1995 Green Paper on Innovation, there has been widespread recognition that innovation policy needs to influence other policy fields so as to avoid inconsistencies...read more

EUR 13 million scheme to boost Candidate Countries' participation in EU research
Date: 04.04.2003

The Commission today launched €13 million worth of "specific support actions" to stimulate, encourage and facilitate the participation of the 13 Associated Candidate Countries in the EU's €17.5 billion 6th Research Framework Programme (FP6) (2002-2006)...read more

Science in the Candidate Countries: enthusiastic but with poor prospects, the young abandon research careers
Date: 03.04.2003

Important questions for the future of science in an enlarged Europe are raised by a Commission survey published today. More than half of all people questioned had little interest in science and technology, with young men in Cyprus and Hungary the most likely to value science, and older women in Bulgaria and Turkey the least...read more

Commission Invites Expressions of Interest for Planning the Science and Society Actions in FP6
Date: 01.04.2003

The European Commission is inviting individuals and organisations willing to take part in the "Science and Society" actions of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), to propose key topics for funding in 2004 and beyond. This call for "expressions of interest" (EoI), published on CORDIS today is open until 2 June 2003...read more

A new source of information for Emerging Technologies
Date: 27.03.2003

The European Commission has launched a service "IST Results" - to provide on-going information on results of the EU's 3.6 billion euro research program for the IT and telecommunications sector the IST Programme. The aim is to provide information on the most interesting results of the IST programme and work in progress with potential for exploitation...read more

Innobarometer 2002: innovative European business managers build on skills and dynamic markets
Date: 12.02.2003

European companies continue to invest in new products and services despite often difficult economic conditions, reports the 2002 Innobarometer poll. 3,000 EU managers were interviewed in September 2002 on their companies' innovative performance. They relate progress in innovation above all to the qualifications and professionalism of their staff and consider the opportunities provided by the EU's internal market as a decisive advantage for innovation...read more

CORDIS Fosters Europe's "New Deal" on Innovation Policy
Date: 12.02.2003

The EU's innovation information channel CORDIS reveals today the new thinking on innovation by both the Commission and the business community in the Member States. Ahead of the Spring European Council (20-21 March 2003) CORDIS is publishing the new Innovation Policy Communication, adopted by the European Commission today, and the results from the 2002 Innobarometer...read more

See also the Press Dossier on Innovation Policy

Commission supports visionary research
Date: 27.02.2003

Today the European Commission published the first call for proposals for research on "new and emerging science and technology" (NEST), under the 6th EU Research Framework Programme (2003-2006)...read more

Enlargement and Deepening of the European Research Area to be Reported on the CORDIS Greek Presidency Service
Date: 12.02.2003

The CORDIS Greek Council Presidency Research and Innovation Information Service (cordis.europa.eu/greece) will be featured at a press conference in Athens on 13 February 2003 at 11 o'clock at the Greek National Documentation Centre...read more

Commission and EU Member States benchmark national research policies
Date: 16.01.2003

The European Commission and the Greek Presidency will present the first comprehensive results of a research and development (R&D) policies' benchmarking exercise over the course of a two-day conference due to start tomorrow in Athens...read more

See also the interview with DG Research Director General A. Mitsos