2002- Communication ‘More research for Europe’

Communication in all languages :
See the Feedback from the 1st communication.

The Lisbon strategy and its objective to make Europe "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world" led to important policy initiatives. One of them aimed to refocus the European and national budgets on research and innovation, as stated by the Barcelona European Council [ - 300 Kb] in March 2002.

The 3% objective, set in Barcelona, arose from the recognition that strengthening research and innovation was essential to achieving strong and sustainable growth in Europe.

The Commission’s communication ‘ More research for Europe: towards 3% of GDP’ was adopted in September 2002. Its purpose was to launch a debate between Member States, industry and other stakeholders on the ways and means to achieve the Barcelona objective.

It identified the policy areas which needed to be mobilized to achieve such an objective and for each policy area, it highlighted the main objectives to be pursued either by intensifying already existing initiatives or by undertaking new ones.

The communication also identified framework conditions which needed to be addressed in order to achieve the research investment objectives:

• More highly qualified human resources
• Stronger public research base
• More dynamic entrepreneurial culture
• Adequate systems of intellectual property rights
• Competitive environment
• Supportive financial markets
• Macro-economic stability
• Encouraging fiscal conditions.

What's more, the communication emphasized the fact that a reform of public expenditure is required in the framework of the Growth and Stability Pact as well as in the context of State Aid rules.

By emphasizing the role of research and innovation, this communication launched a debate among stakeholders which led to recommendations and feedback taken up in the Action Plan ‘Investing in research’, adopted by the Commission in April 2003.