(2000) 6 - EUR-Lex

the shape that these should take comes into sharper focus once more with the prospect of aEurope soon to be enlarged to 25 or 30 countries. The possibilities in this area within theTreaty should be looked at once more.In the same way, the question of “dual use research” needs to be looked at more deeply. Inareas such as aeronautics, advanced materials or information technologies andcommunications, numerous research projects can give rise to applications in both the civil andthe defence sector.In its two communications on the defence industry in 1996 and 1997, 5 the Commissionunderlined the possibility of maximising the synergy between these two sectors and the needto improve complementarity between the programmes undertaken in Europe in this field. Theprogress achieved following the European Council in Cologne towards a Common Foreignand Security Policy (CFSP) puts this matter in a new light and calls for an in-depth debate onthe subject.Essentially, the non-existence of a European research area is due to the compartmentalisationof public research systems and to the lack of coordination in the manner in which national andEuropean research policies are implemented. Much needs to be done in this area, without,however, putting unwieldy mechanisms in place. At the same time the barriers must be liftedbetween different disciplines, along with the barriers that curb the movement of knowledgeand persons between the academic and the business worlds.Even if most of the measures need to be taken by the public authorities, the measuresproposed will have an impact on the whole research system (public and private). Centres ofexcellence will produce knowledge that can be used by companies, which are also among theusers of research facilities. And improved systems of indirect support for research andinnovation also concern the private sector.5COM(96)10 and COM(97)583.9