Liikanen calls for commitment to the development of the European biotechnology industry
Erkki Liikanen, EU Commissioner for Enterprise and the Information Society, has urged Europe's biotechnology actors to engage themselves in the debate on the future of the industry. Speaking at the Danish Presidency conference on biotechnology in Copenhagen on 21 October, Mr Liikanen said that the preparatory work has been done and that a new stage in the process now lies ahead. This will involve the practical engagement of businesses in industry issues and dialogue with the community, and the commitment of Member States and EU institutions to framing new legislation. 'In today's world of free-flowing information, science cannot simply move ahead and expect society to catch up. Consensus and coalitions of interest are required,' the Commissioner said. He also sought to clarify the role of the Commission in the process by saying that it was 'not aiming to centralise the development of biotechnology in Europe', but that it wished to act as a facilitator. Mr Liikanen stated that his ultimate aim for the process is 'to develop biotechnology's potential here in Europe (and shape its development internationally) in a way that is consistent with European values and standards.' The Commissioner said that the response to January's communication on a strategy for life sciences and biotechnology in Europe had been positive, and that he was looking forward to the publication of a 'road-map' by the Council of Ministers containing practical measures, priorities, a timetable and responsibilities for implementation. The European Parliament is also working on a report likely to be adopted in November. Success, said Mr. Liikanen, depends on 'governments, finance institutions, academia, industry and civil society feel[ing] that they have a stake in the process and are prepared to commit themselves to making it happen.' As to how long the process will take, Mr Liikanen said simply that it was 'impossible to say.' The Commissioner saved his most optimistic remarks for the end of his speech, reminding delegates what was at stake: 'What will develop, if we succeed in our task, is a dynamic and vibrant European biotechnology sector, as competitive as any in the world, [...] backed by first class science and research [and] developed according to the choices we have made ourselves.'