Congress report - European Health Forum Gastein

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European Health Forum Gastein 2001
In this respect - and as authorised by the European Treaties - the new framework programme
will innovate by using its powers of intervention to encourage active participation in research
programmes jointly implemented by a limited number of Member States.
2. Structuring the European Research Area
The ERA aims to correct structural weaknesses or deficiencies which could be described as
‘transverse’. The most notable of these, already widely covered by previous programmes,
concern:
• the strengthening of bridges between research and innovation;
• the renewal of the human potential for research and mobility of researchers. There
must be an active policy to make the ERA a more attractive area for scientific and
technological research, not just to stop the traditional deficit caused by the ‘brain
drain’, but also so that it attracts the best foreign researchers.
However, there are two specifically innovative aspects of the programme which are destined
to play a particularly important role.
• Support for the development of research infrastructures. Until now the Union has
mainly tried to attract European researchers to the existing infrastructures of the
Member States. In addition to this support for the mobility of researchers, the new
framework programme initiates a policy for the coherent development of
infrastructures, in the form of integrated actions facilitating their networking and
ability to deliver scientific services at a European level.
• The attention given to questions of ‘science and society’. To achieve the necessary
deepening of the Union’s democratic foundations, better relations between ‘science’
and ‘governance’ and an improvement in the scientific and technological culture of
the average European are seen as priorities by policy-makers, researchers and the
general public.
3. Strengthening the foundations of the European Research Area
The new framework programme will also aim to strengthen one of its fundamental missions,
which is to meet scientific and technological needs which arise in the implementation of
Union policies in all fields where Community responsibilities are constantly growing - such as
agriculture, fisheries, health and consumer protection, the environment, transport and the
information society. The tasks assigned to the Joint Research Centre will come under this key
programme activity.
Another important aspect is support in improving the coordination and coherence of research
activities, at national and European level. This search for better coordination, which
embodies the very spirit of the ERA, will aim to create opportunities for the mutual opening
up of national programmes and cooperation between existing European scientific and
technological frameworks.
A third element of this action plan, the flexibility of which will be guaranteed by annual
budget management, is increased anticipation of the scientific and technological needs of
European policies and the often rapid responses these require. .
International Forum Gastein, Tauernplatz 1, A-5630 Bad Hofgastein
Tel.: +43 (6432) 7110-70, Fax: Ext. 71, e-mail: info@ehfg.org, website: www.ehfg.org