Appeal against budget cuts on research and innovation

Signatories of ‘a European petition for research and innovation’ are calling for the financial perspective agreement reached by the European Council in December 2005 to be revised.

A European petition for research and innovation was handed over to the Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel on 31 January 2006. The signatories are urging the Austrian Presidency and the member states to review the December 2005 agreement on the financial perspective 2007-2013 and to accept the Commission’s initial proposal for FP7 and CIP without budget cuts. 

The Parliament’s rapporteurs for both programmes are among the signatories of the petition, which was initiated by EUREC, an agency of European renewable energy research centres. Others include representatives of regions, private companies and academia. A previous petition, launched in July 2005, was signed by more than 19,000 scientists.

On 1 February 2006, the Commission is set to present its view on the breakdown of the reduced budget as regards the heading 1A (competitiveness for growth and employment) of the financial perspective.

Read more with Euractiv

Potocnik urges quick adoption of FP7

Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik has urged the MEPs to adopt their report on FP7 to ensure the adoption of the programme by October 2006 and its kick-off in early 2007.