Policy and funding come together for research and innovation agreement
The European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) will sign an agreement on 7 June aimed at strengthening cooperation for research and technological innovation. European Commissioner for Research, Philippe Busquin, will represent the European Commission at the signing, with the EIB's president, Philippe Maystadt also attending. While they will explain the details of the agreement, Fotis Kafatos, director-general of the European molecular biology laboratory (EMBL) will explain how the agreement will impact on research institutions. The two have been brought together as a result of their common interests in constructing a knowledge-based economy. Instruments for funding research are already used by both sides, the Commission through its Framework programmes and EIB through the Innovation 2000 initiative and the European investment fund.