Prodi calls for progress on knowledge-based society in run-up to Barcelona Council
The President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, has called on EU Member States to focus their efforts on research, innovation and frontier technologies to help achieve the Lisbon Summit goal of making Europe the world's most competitive knowledge-based society. In a letter written in the run-up to the Barcelona European Council in March this year, Mr Prodi said that with the Lisbon agenda entering its third year, more must be done to boost the creation of a European Area of Knowledge by forging links between education, research and innovation. 'We must promote higher investment in research particularly by business and look at how to ensure that good ideas are turned into innovative products and services,' he said. 'The Union must also encourage its scientists and businesses to be at the cutting edge of frontier technologies by promoting life sciences and clean technologies.' President Prodi also called for action to reduce the 'delivery gap ' between political declarations and their implementation. He said the Commission will issue an Action Plan to tackle the issue, in tandem with its White Paper on European Governance, this summer.