EU POLICY

The Competitiveness Council held its first meeting under the Irish Presidency.  It sent a message to EU Heads of State and Government that a higher proportion of the EU budget should be invested in research and development.   The Council's reaction to the Commission's communication 'Europe and basic research' was non-committal.  Ministers await more detailed Commission proposals. The conclusions recognise the need to stimulate research excellence by encouraging greater competition in science-driven research and the need to improve exploitation of basic research results by supporting knowledge transfer between researchers in all sectors.

The conclusions also support voluntary coordination of resources, approaches and instruments to strengthen basic research. Ministers acknowledged the need to examine the case for specific funding for basic research in the Commission's next research funding programme, the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). 'At the same time, an appropriate balance should be maintained with other priorities, approaches and activities in research, technological development and innovation,' state the Council conclusions.  The Commission intends to propose a set of operational mechanisms by May 2004, to 'add value to existing national approaches and provide a European dimension, with the objective of reinforcing the creativity and excellence of basic research in Europe.'

According to an Irish Presidency statement the Competitiveness Council will recommend a simplifi-cation and streamlining of rules and regulations affecting European industry and business at the forthcoming European Council.

Provisional conclusions of Competitiveness Council: http://ue.eu.int/pressData/en/intm/79379 .pdf

The Council's contribution to the Spring Environment Council focus principally on the environmental dimension of the Lisbon Development Strategy (i.e. putting environmental concerns on an equal footing with economic, employment and social elements). Four Commission communications were taken into account:

° Report to the Spring European Council: Delivering Lisbon ­ Reforms for the enlarged Union (5615/04).

° 2003 environment policy review: Consolidating the environment pillar of sustainable development (15824/03).

° Towards a thematic strategy on the sustainable use of natural resources (13239/03).

° Environmental Technologies Action Plan: Stimulating Technologies for Sustainable Development (5864/04).                   Full report

Commissioners On The Move

The Council of Ministers confirmed on 11 March the appointment of Mr Stavros Dimas as European Commissioner, following the resignation of Ms Anna Diamantopoulou who was elected as an MP during Greece’s national elections. Mr Dimas will take up position for the remainder of the mandate of this Commission.  We have also learnt that Commissioner for Regional Policy, Michel Barnier of France was named on 31^st March as Foreign Minister in the newly reshuffled French Government – he will be replaced by Jacques Barrot who trained originally as a barrister.  Pedro Solbes of Spain, Commissioner for economic affairs will also leave some time soon to take up the post of Spanish Minister of Economy and Finance in the newly-elected government.

Irish Presidency: http://www.eu2004.ie

ENLARGEMENT PREPARATION

On 1 May 2004 the European Union expands to take in ten new countries: Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. 162 Observers to the European Parliament from these countries will become full MEPs in May - they will in turn face elections to the European Parliament in June.

The European Commission is due to welcome ten Commissioners (Click to access European Commission information on the 10 Commissioners-designate) from the new Member States - they will be in post for 6 months, until the appointment of a completely new set of Commissioners in the autumn. Before their appointment, however, the Commissioner-candidates must face public hearings before the European Parliament committees specialising in their allocated policy area. These hearings will take place on 13, 14 and 15 April.

Each committee will be asking questions relevant to their specific area of policy. However, some questions will be asked of all candidates. Among these are questions relating to:-

·         Functions or activities in a political party;

• Business or financial interests that might clash with their prospective duties;
• Opinions on the proposed draft Constitution;
• Attitudes to public access to information;
• Closer compliance by Member States with community legislation;
• Priorities in the 6-month term of office;

·         Whether they are interested in being a Commissioner in the new Commission to be appointed this autumn.

Below are details of the Commissioner candidates, the country they are from and the policy area they will work in:

13 April

• Sandra Kalniete (Latvia): Agriculture, Fisheries
• Peter Balazs (Hungary): Regional Policy
• Joe Borg (Malta): Development and Humanitarian Aid

14 April

• Janez Potocnik (Slovenia): Enlargement
• Pavel Telicka (Czech Republic): Health and Consumer Affairs
• Dalia Grybauskaité (Lithuania): Education, Culture
• Danuta Hübner (Poland): Trade
• Ján Figel (Slovakia): Enterprise and Information

15 April

·         Siim Kallas (Estonia): Economic and Monetary Affairs 

Background documents:

• Hearings webpage: http://www.europarl.eu.int/hearings/commission/2004_enlarg/default_en.htm
• Background information on www.europarl.eu.int

The European Commission is also making information available on its Europe web-site in the nine new official languages:  Members of the public from the acceding countries can now get basic information on the purpose of the EU, its history, its activities and its institutions in each of the nine new official languages.

They can also learn about the EU decision-making process and how to access official documents.

EU law, already featured on EUROPA in the current 11 official languages, is being translated and will be added progressively. Other general information pages will be made available in the new languages during May and June 2004.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

° CORDIS FP7 service to follow discussions on Seventh Framework Programme (FP7): The CORDIS FP7 service aims to keep users informed of important developments related to the FP7 debate - where appropriate, links are given to other related web sites. http://www.cordis.lu/fp7

° Smart construction materials project: Researchers from business and institutions are working with the European Commission's Joint Research Centre on development of smart construction materials capable of absorbing and washing away pollution. The PICADA (photocatalytic innovative coverings applications for de-pollution assessment) project is working with materials such as plaster, mortar and architectural concrete containing titanium dioxide (TiO2).  In 2002, 7,000 square metres of road in Milan, Italy, were covered with a photocatalytic cement-like material. The result was a reduction in the concentration of nitrogen oxides at street level by up to 60 per cent (Nox and aromatic compounds greatly contribute to creation of smog). Similar results have been obtained in Japan.  In future, particular attention will be paid to investigating whether these products can be used as de-polluting building materials and coatings in indoor environments, too. For further info: http://www.picada-project.com/domino/Sit ePicada/Picada.nsf?OpenDataBase

° Handbook for environmental project funding: Handbook for environmental project funding (March 2004)

° New publications to help scientists and their teams secure FP6 funding: The first – 'Participating in European Research: Guide for Applicants in FP6' – is a re-release of an 85-page guide produced internally by the communications unit of the Commission's Research DG, which is responsible for managing FP6.The second, published by an Irish consulting firm, is a 226-page handbook on 'How to Write a Competitive Proposal for Framework 6'.   The updated guide from the Commission is scheduled for release in April and will be available free of charge, while Hyperion's – which was launched in January – will cost €130. But the main difference between the guides is that, while the Commission one describes 'what' needs to be done to file a successful FP6 proposal and gives pointers on 'how' to do it, the commercial one gives ideas on 'how' it could be done but also 'why'.  The Commission’s press release also details a third handbook, 'European RTD 2004 – Guide for the construction and real estate cluster', produced by the Finnish organisation Villa Real (known to ECCE members through former RTD Task Force Chairman Olavi Tupamaeki). This guide – costing €99 – promises successful proposal writing for FP6 projects in the construction and real estate sectors. http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/research/i ndex_en.html

° 2,000 French scientists resign: On 9 March 976 laboratory directors and 1,100 specialist team leaders resigned from their management roles in protest against the government's lack of response to their plea against budget cuts, fund freezes and post reductions. The protest began in January.  A petition ‘Let’s save Research’, circulated on the Internet, was signed by 70,000 researchers. The urgency of reform was underlined in an official report into the management of the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).  The CNRS is the country’s largest scientific establishment.  It has 11,400 researchers and a total staff of 26,000.  According to the report, 2/3 of the CNRS's 2.5 billion euro budget goes on staff salaries, and there is a system of co-management with trade unions, which means there is no proper method of self-evaluation. As a result, poor or outdated research projects are allowed to continue indefinitely.  Further information: http://recherche-en-danger.apinc.org

° European Economic and Social Committee  Opinion on the Commission Communication "Europe and Basic Research" COM(2004) 9 final  Full text of Opinion in MS Word file on ESC website

° Prior information on European Commission intention to call for tenders - portfolio analysis of EC non-nuclear energy RTD projects in their overall EU context: The call’s main objectives will be:  To analyse in detail EC RTD projects funded under FP5 and FP6 by the date of signature of the contract related to this tender in the relevant fields of reference (includes fuel cells; new technologies (particular reference to hydrogen); new and advanced concepts in renewable energy technologies; capture and sequestration of CO2; socio-economic tools and strategic concepts). Details:
http://ted.publications.eu.int/static/do ccur/en/en/42470-2004.htm

° Romania training course on FP6 proposal writing: A workshop to be held on 23^rd June in Bucharest aimed at the scientific community in Romania and neighbouring countries, will demonstrate how to write professional competitive FP6 proposals http://www.cncsis.ro/English/fp62.php   or contact: Ruxandra Todoran Tel: +40 21 30 71 935    Fax: +40 21 30 71 939    E-mail: office@uefiscsu.ro

INFORMATION and COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

° Spain to build Europe's most powerful computer.  The world’s second largest computer will be at the heart of a new research centre in Catalonia, Spain's high-tech hub.  It will cost Euro 70 million over 4 years. Built in conjunction with IBM, it will use Linux software, weigh 60 tonnes, and occupy 120 square metres. Comprising 45,000 processors, it will have the capacity to process 40 trillion calculations per seconds, and will have a memory equivalent to that of 18,000 computers. Research priorities will include: Alzheimer’s disease, BSE and climate change.  The world’s fastest computer today is the Earth Simulator.  Created by NEC in Japan, it is able to recreate the planet virtually and is dedicated to climate modelling and simulating seismic activity. http://www.mcyt.es/grupos/grupo_mininfor ma.htm

° Information Document: Commission Staff Working Paper: "eEurope 2005 Mid-term Review - Background Paper" Commission document SEC(2004) 278. Full text of Document 6418/04 Addendum 01, Suite of documents 6418/04

EDUCATION, TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION:

° Education and citizenship policies: Commission adopts guidelines for future programmes after 2006:  The Commission has adopted two communications, "The new generation of education and training programmes" and "Citizenship in action".  These set out guidelines for future programmes intended to replace the current Community programmes Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, Tempus, Youth, Culture 2000 and Media Plus from 2007. These documents follow on from the communication of 10 February on the financial outlook. http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/education_culture/index_en.htm http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/newprog_en.html

° New programmes planned: It is proposed that a single and unique integrated programme for education and lifelong learning will bring together Member States, EFTA member countries and candidate countries.  It will group education and vocational training from primary schooling to adult training. In response to public consultation, which considered that current programmes were too complicated, this integrated programme will be more flexible and easier to access. It will be heavily decentralised, with 80% of funds administered by national agencies in the participating countries. 

° Cooperation between Member States, neighbour States of the Union and those already taking part in the Tempus programme will be enhanced by a new Tempus programme, “Tempus Plus”, extended to cover school, university and adult education, as well as vocational training, will relate to. Further information may be found on: http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/newprog_en.html

THE ENVIRONMENT:    

° World Water Day – 22^nd March is designated by the United National as World Water Day. World Water Day 2004 focuses on the theme: Water and Disasters. The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and the World Meteorological Organization were responsible with co-ordinating events on the day.  Ambitious water-related Millennium Development Goals were adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), in September 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Subsequently the European Union Water Initiative (EUWI) was launched to promote:

1.      Halving the proportion of people without access to clean water and basic sanitation by 2015;

2.      National integrated water resources management plans with due attention to river basin management and trans-boundary catchments - with 2005 as a landmark for reviewing progress.

A brief overview of the research component of the EUWI shows that a large number of research projects relevant to its goals are already on-going or have been completed in the 4^th and 5^th Framework Research Programmes (FP4, FP5). Overview (PDF - 419 kb)

Further water related information may be found on http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/water-initiative/index_en.html

° All remaining requirements under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol legally binding in all Member States: this resulted from a Decision of the European Parliament and the Council entering into force (Decision 280/2004/EC).  EU and individual member states’ targets related to emissions of greenhouse gases became binding in 2002. The new Decision relates to how emissions must be monitored and reported in accordance with the Protocol. With this step, all Kyoto Protocol provisions have become EU law. The Kyoto Protocol to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the only inter-national framework to combat global warming. http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/home_en.htm

° Mapping the impacts of recent natural disasters and technological accidents in Europe The European Environment Agency Environmental issue report No 35 is the first EEA publication to address the impacts of natural disasters and technological accidents across Europe. It focuses on major events 1998-2002 and brings together available information on their human and economic costs,  adding the environmental perspective. Impacts  are documented through a large number of maps, illustrations and case studies  Full text

° Commission proposal to codify a waste directive: The codification process involves consolidating an original piece of legislation with all the various amendments made to it over the years to make the text clear. The substance of the legislation is unchanged. Parliament voted on this in its March Strasbourg Plenary session (Report references are given in the Parliament section of this brief).

Environmental cases:

° Germany has been ordered to pay the cost of the proceedings for non-implementation of environmental assessment for road construction projects in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz -  (Case C-531/03) Official Journal publication of the filing; The United Kingdom  has been brought before the European Court of Justice for failing to fully protect wild habitats. In particular national legislation is inadequate with regard to water abstraction plans and projects, land use plans and, in respect of Gibraltar, the review of existing planning rights (Case C-6/04) Official Journal publication of the filing; Italy has been ordered to pay costs relating to a case of an environmentally unlawful waste tip at Campolungo (Case C-516/03) Official Journal publication of the filing; Spain was ordered to pay costs for failing to legislate on airborne pollutants from large combustion plants -  (Case C-17/04) Official Journal publication of the filing; the Kingdom of the Netherlands has been ordered to pay costs in relation to failure to legislate on port reception of ship-generated waste (Case C527/03) Official Journal publication of the filing Ireland has been ordered to pay costs (C-396/01) for failure to protect its water from nitrates from agricultural sources (breach of the 1991Council Directive 91/676/EEC ) Sweden has been ordered to pay costs for failure to transpose legislation to ensure priority is given to processing waste oils by regeneration where technical, economic and organisational constraints allow. The European Commission has sent Germany a first written warning for failing, in connection with an extension to Frankfurt Airport, to implement correctly an EU law aimed at avoiding major industrial accidents. The Hessian Government wishes to proceed with a new northwest runway at Frankfurt Airport, despite its close proximity to the Ticona chemical plant and despite a negative opinion from the German Accident Commission ("Störfallkommission").  Germany is being sent final written warnings for failure to implement correctly EU laws on nature conservation and environmental impact assessment in three other cases. 1. The natural site "Niederungen der Unteren Havel" in Brandenburg. A stretch of land might be affected by construction of a new road (B 102n): Germany did not correctly define exact site borders when planning the road. 2. Failure of four German states (Brandenburg, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen-Anhalt) to adopt state laws on the environmental assessment of plans and projects that may significantly affect EU nature conservation sites. (These Laws should have been put in place by June 1994). 3. Failure to undertake an environmental impact assessment for a large wind farm project at "Brualer Moor," in Niedersachsen. France must pay costs for failure to regulare urban waste water discharge into large rivers (Ref. Directive 91/271/CEE) – case reference C-280/02.  Spain is ordered to pay costs (Case no. C-227/01)  for failing to observe environmental evaluation requirements when planning the railway line Valencia to Tarragone  (Breach of Directive: 85/337/CEE)

ENERGY:  

° The Commission is currently awarding 16 contracts, worth nearly 100 million euro, for research projects on hydrogen and fuel cells, following the first call for proposals in this area under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). The Commission intends to reinforce this initial group of projects by launching calls for further research initiatives worth a total of 150 million euro as early as July. The Commission claims that this next round of projects will constitute the first phase of the “Quick Start” hydrogen programme, paving the way for large scale public-private partnerships for research and demonstration activities http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/energ y/nn/nn_rt_htp1_en.html

° Parliament has adopted a non-binding resolution to introduce transitional periods for the application in the new Member States of existing EU requirements on the taxation of energy products and electricity. This is to avoid a sudden and harmful jump in energy prices in those countries when the join the EU in May. (Please see report reference in Parliament section below).   

TRANSPORT:

° Commission adopts third railway package: This contains measures to revitalise the European railways. The package consists of a Communication, four legislative measures and a Working Document on an extended impact assessment for the gradual opening up of the market for international passenger services.  It is proposed that from 1 January 2010, railway undertakings which have a licence and required safety certificates should be able to operate international services in the Community. Existing services such as Thalys and Eurostar could see the arrival of competitors. (see also Annexe at end of this Brief for more detailed information).

° Parliament voted to approve Council's text on revisions to the rules on Community financing of trans-European Network projects. In order to ensure more rapid progress, this would increase the level of Community support from 10 per cent to 20 per cent for cross-border or cross-natural barrier sections of priority transport projects, for priority projects on the energy networks and for satellite positioning and navigation systems (Galileo). The whole set of rules is due for review before the start of the next financial overview in 2007.

INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING:

° Lending from EIB

-          The European Investment Bank is providing a loan of EUR 250 million in support of small and medium-sized private sector projects in Turkey for industry services and tourism.

-          A loan of Euro 12 million is being given to Serbia and Montenegro to the state-owned ‘Airports of Montenegro Ltd’ to upgrade its infrastructure and equipment and operate with improved safety and service standards.  This will include help to finance a new passenger terminal building at Podgorica airport and extend the terminal building at Tivat airport. The EIB lending in the Western Balkans in 2003 totalled EUR 372 million.  Lending in transport and energy projects for regional integration,  absorbed a total of EUR 215 million (58%).. [Table and further information] The EIB's web-site has a section dedicated to the Western Balkan Countries: http://www.eib.org/lending/balkan/en/index.htm )

-    Two loans totaling to EUR 70 million have been granted for modernisation of educational facilities and construction of new schools in the City of Oulu and the Oulu Region in the North of Finland EUR 45 million will be granted to the City of Oulu to upgrade and extend its educational facilities.

-     In 2003, the European Investment Bank, the European Union's long-term financing institution, provided a total of some EUR 1.2 billion for projects in Greece. Lending covered a wide range of sectors: transport, energy, SMEs and urban renewal and development: [Table and further information]

-     There has been a gradual increase in the annual volume of EIB activities in the Mediterranean Partner Countries from EUR 1.4 to 2 billion. [Table and further information]

° Lending from EBRD, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

The EBRD will provide over US$60 million to finance the construction of a bridge over the River Sava in Belgrade. The bridge will span the river at Ada Ciganlija.

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