'New' EU action plan to boost R&D and innovation[en] 

The EU member states have committed to invest 3% of its GDP in research by 2010. The Commission adopted its first Communication 'More research for Europe: towards 3% of GDP' in September 2002. It includes recommendations for member states, industry and other stakeholders on how to achieve this objective. 

In April 2003, the Commission put forward a second Communication 'Investing in research: an action plan for Europe' which sets out the actions required on the national and European level to create a stronger public research base and to attract more private investment in research and innovation to the EU. 

The integrated research and innovation action plan calling for a major upgrade of the conditions for research and innovation in Europe is particularly focused on improving the conditions for private sector investment in R&D and innovation. 

It tables 19 already existing and new initiatives and clearly indicates what is expected from the Commission and what is expected from the member states to make these initiatives a reality. The new actions of the plan include:

• Definition of EU guidelines to promote an optimal use of R&D tax incentives which the member states ought to implement on a voluntary basis in their national contexts.
• Definition of EU guidelines to improve research collaboration and knowledge transfer between public research and industry, which the member states will implement in their national contexts.
• Definition and implementation of a strategy promoting innovative services.
• Establishing a European industrial research and innovation monitoring system.

"The 'update upgrade' plan shows the actions to be taken in R&D in order to contribute to the Commission’s Growth and Jobs Initiative and the aim of these measures is to assure the functioning of the research internal market," said the Commissioner Potočnik.   

The proposed measures are cross-sectoral and provide the same regulatory and political framework conditions for all stakeholders - independent of sector or size of the player. Different stakeholders will then tailor these instruments according to their specific needs.