Potocnik outlines role of new platform on research in Western Balkans
The European Commission and the Austrian EU Council Presidency have jointly launched a 'steering platform' for strengthening research cooperation between the Western Balkan countries and the EU within the framework of the European Research Area (ERA). The platform is essentially based on the EU project Southeast European ERA. network (SEE-ERA.NET) which will run until 2009. A total of 17 institutions from 14 different EU, candidate and Western Balkan countries are currently cooperating within the project. The platform will intensify work already underway to increase the networking of national programmes and promote cooperation between researchers from individual countries within the EU with researchers from countries in the south-east of Europe. Attending the launch, European Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potocnik referred to the 2003 EU-Balkans Action Plan on Science and Technology (S&T), which, he noted was a big success: 'it allowed to give visibility to the Western Balkans and to stress the importance of research. This is important because indeed, let me say very clearly, research is a key tool to facilitate integration. It is a policy field that opens the doors and allows advancing in other domains.' Among the concrete results of the Action Plan were the dedicated calls organised under the International Cooperation Programme of Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) on capacities. 'Given the number of applications, these calls certainly responded to a clear need,' noted the Commissioner. 'They have allowed to finance some important capacity building in the region which otherwise would not be possible.' 'But we have to do more. And this is where the Western Balkans Steering Platform comes in,' said Mr Potocnik who went on to outline some of the functions of the platform. Since the 2003 Action Plan, 'it has become clear that many actors are willing to contribute to the overall objective of facilitating integration of the Western Balkan Countries and to support economic development in a sustainable way.' According to the Commissioner, the 'steering platform' should therefore be used as a forum to bring all ideas and means together and share information and experience. This would mean going beyond the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), said the Commissioner, to involve important stakeholders such as the Stability Pact for south-eastern Europe and COST, as well as outside financing instruments such as the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. As regards the 'steering' part of the platform, Mr Potocnik pointed to the role it could play in creating general awareness regarding research policy and its links with other policies such as the Lisbon strategy; attracting the best researchers and facilitating the movement of researchers; and upgrading the research infrastructure in laboratories and institutes. The Commissioner said that the platform also had a role to play in the candidate countries that are working on adopting the EU's 'acquis communautaire'. 'Harmonising national rules and practices with the EU laws in areas such as environment, energy, agriculture, health, to name just a few, will require intensive work and know-how,' he noted. The steering platform could be instrumental in developing policy responses in these fields. Lastly, the platform should also serve as a forum to create synergies between FP7 and the pre-accession funds (IPA). 'It is essential that the Steering Platform is used to prepare the ground in your national administrations to plan the science and technology dimension of capacity building under IPA and to indicate which research actions can contribute to the objectives of the preaccession funds,' said the Commissioner. 'This is really of crucial importance.' Mr Potocnik finished by reminding those attending the launch that the ownership of the 'steering platform' lies with the Western Balkan countries: 'This is the best way to join the European Union efforts. Do not wait for suggestions from Brussels, be active, have high ambitions and fill this platform with life.'