Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin outlined six priorities for the period of the Italian presidency.
To achieve this, the Commission is planning to focus on six broad policy areas:
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The 3% objective: meeting the target of increasing research investment from the current 1.9% to 3% of its GDP per year, with two thirds financed by the private sector, as called for by the 2002 Barcelona European Council; this would mean a necessary increase of 500,000 jobs.
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Attractiveness of researchers’ careers: providing researchers with support and incentives to stop the so-called “brain drain”, i.e. researchers leaving the EU to work in other countries such as the US or Japan; the Commission will present a Communication on this issue
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International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER): progressing on the ITER nuclear fusion energy research project to build a new experimental reactor producing a high level of energy through the fusion of hydrogen nuclei at very high temperatures in order to provide the EU with another important alternative energy source to fossil fuels; agreement on the location of ITER is expected at the September Council meeting (candidates are Vandellos, Spain, and Cadarache, France).
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European Space Policy: defining and implementing a coherent set of rules for collaboration between the European Commission and the European Space Agency (ESA) to give the EU a political rule in the field of space; the Council should conclude a frameword agreement between the EU and the ESA at its November meeting and discuss a White Paper on European Space Policy, which will be drafted by the Commission in co-operation with ESA and should be published before the end of 2003.
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Bio-ethics: research involving human embryonic stem cells and human embryos: the key challenge for the Italian presidency will be to reach an agreement on a Commission proposal for establishing criteria for EU funding of research projects involving the use of human embryonic stem cells; ministers are expected to adopt a Decision at the Competitiveness Council in November 2003.
- Research infrastructures: the Italian Presidency will organise a conference in Trieste on 21 November to assess progress of European cooperation in the field of research infrastructure and stimulate further initiatives; research infrastructure is also expected to be a formal agenda item at the Competitiveness Council in November 2003.