Investing in research for European growth and competitiveness - Main contents

official title

 

Legal instrument	Council resolution
Original proposal	COM(2000)612
CELEX number i	32003G1018(01)

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Council Resolution of 22 September 2003 on investing in research for European growth and competitiveness

Official Journal C 250 , 18/10/2003 P. 0002 - 0003

Council Resolution

of 22 September 2003

on investing in research for European growth and competitiveness

(2003/C 250/02)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

RECALLING the conclusions of the Lisbon 2000, Barcelona 2002 and Brussels 2003 European Councils, which respectively;

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  set a strategic goal for the European Union to become the most competitive knowledge-based society by 2010,

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  agreed that overall spending on R & D in the Union should be increased with the aim of approaching 3 % of GDP by 2010 and that two thirds of this investment should come from the private sector,

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  urged Member States to take concrete action on the basis of the Commission's forthcoming R & D Action Plan, encouraged Member States to speed up the implementation of the European Charter for Small Enterprises and called for the momentum behind the European Research Area (ERA) to be maintained and strengthened by the application of the open method of coordination in areas such as action pursuing the 3 % of GDP objective for RTD investment or developing human resources in science and technology,

the Commission Communications "Towards a European Research Area"(1), "Making ERA a reality"(2) and "More research for Europe: Towards 3 % of GDP"(3), and the Council Resolutions and Conclusions on ERA, in particular the Conclusions of 26 November 2002 on progress made in the development of the European Research Area and on providing it with new momentum(4);

WELCOMES the Commission's Communication "Investing in research: an action plan for Europe"(5), and ENDORSES the main message of this communication which calls for a comprehensive and coherent range of actions to increase investments in research and close the gap with Europe's main competitors;

REAFFIRMS that investing in research and technological development and stimulating innovation and transfer of knowledge is essential to increasing European competitiveness and to the strategy set by the Lisbon European Council for Europe's economic, social and environmental development and that there is a particular need to stimulate and improve conditions for more private investment for research and innovation;

RECOGNISES that:

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  investment in R & D and innovation will contribute to stimulating growth and employment, taking into account the Communication of the Commission to the Council and to the European Parliament on 27 November 2002 ("Strengthening the coordination of budgetary policies")(6) and the conclusions of the European Council of 20-21 March 2003, the Commission communication of 7 July 2003 ("An initiative for growth: investing in Trans European Networks and major R & D projects")(7), the Council conclusions of 15 July 2003 on a European action for growth(8) and the ongoing discussions on these subjects,

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  scientific and technological excellence and quality of research remain basic criteria for increasing and attracting investment in R & D and innovation,

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  fundamental research, a broad and dynamic knowledge base, sufficient and high-quality human resources, research infrastructures and mechanisms for the efficient transfer of technology are crucial for the sustainable development of the knowledge based society,

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  broad policy mixes, adapted to the respective national and regional contexts, combining financial incentives and measures to improve framework conditions, are necessary to stimulate private investment in R & D, taking into account the specific needs of SMEs, in particular new innovative SMEs and spin-off firms, as well as those of larger firms,

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  a supportive policy for the further development of R & D strategies and cross-border partnerships of the European...

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