PAXIS Regions of Excellence support

On 31 January at the European Parliament, Dr. Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, rapporteur for the new Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) and Professor Jerzy Buzek, Rapporteur for the forthcoming 7th Framework Programme for Research (FP7), handed over a petition for research and innovation to the current President of the European Council, the Austrian Federal Chancellor, Wolfgang Schüssel.

The signatories of the petition urge the Austrian Presidency and the other 24 EU governments to review the severe budget cuts of the competitiveness and innovation chapter of the EU financial perspectives*, in order to re-align the budget with Europe's political ambitions expressed through the Lisbon agenda for higher competitiveness, growth and job creation.

The PAXIS Regions of Excellence were alarmed by the surprisingly low budget that the European Council of last December proposed for research and innovation activities in the financial perspectives of the European Union (2007-2013) and joined in with over 50 high level personalities from politics, industry and academia in signing the petition. Roger Kaliff, Member of the Committee of Regions and Chairman of the PAXIS Region Sydsam-South Sweden points out: “European innovation networks such as PAXIS are important for policy makers and innovation stakeholders. They are helping us to develop excellent support mechanisms for innovative enterprises and to learn from colleagues in other European regions. The CIP needs adequate resources to support better innovation policy and practice.”

The rapporteurs are warning that “the EU risks being a poor region by 2030 if it fails to invest more in research and innovation today”, and stress that “research and innovation are crucial for Europe's future and must receive strong and coordinated support both at EU and Member State levels, if they are to result in new ideas and better technologies, and their subsequent exploitation by European companies”.

The initiators of the petition hope to send a strong signal to EU decision-takers in time for the inter-institutional budget negotiations among European Commission, the Parliament and the Member States, in support of the initial budget proposed by the Commission.

For more information, please contact:

Katharina Krell
Secretary General, EUREC Agency E.E.I.G.
e-mail: [e-mail]
http://www.eurec.be

or

http://cordis.europa.eu.int/paxis/

*Assuming a linear and proportional budget development 2007-2013, the Commission proposal for CIP of 4.2 billions would be reduced to 1.9 billion representing 45% of this proposal and only 79% of the current budget provision for 2006. FP7 would also undergo cuts in the order of 28% of the originally proposed 72.72 billion bringing the budget down to 52.65 billions for the seven year period.

Countries

Belgium