As part of the EU's ongoing quest to make itself more competitive, the bloc's leaders have suggested creating a "fifth freedom" of knowledge to be added to the four original principles of free movement of persons, capital, services and goods in the European Union.
As part of the initiative, the bloc has pledged to boost cross-border mobility of researchers, students, scientists and university teachers, as well as labour markets and work conditions for European researchers and further reforms in high education.
According to the latest figures, the EU invested 1.84 percent of GDP in research in 2006 - the same as in 2004 and 2005 - despite having an overall 3 percent target of GDP to meet by 2010.
While EU leaders re-confirmed they want to boost efforts in achieving the long established knowledge and innovation goals, economy ministers also pointed out in their working sessions that several countries need better infrastructure in the sector before they can pour in the required investments. "Just by providing more money does not necessarily mean research and its practical results for national economies will be improved," said Jan Pociatek, the finance minister of Slovakia, a country also featuring poorly in terms of R&D investment. "We see it as a key problem of several countries," he noted, adding that the European Commission has been asked to prepare an analysis on the issue.
Euobserver
2 comments:
Are these the same leaders who have stonewalled publishing of their own coming and now signed Lisbon Treaty - the single most important document in the European Union since 2004 - in a readable, consolidated form for months on end?
Or are they the MEPs who have resolutely declined to publish information on how public funds are squandered and misappropriated?
Why can't they become real, before they start pontificating new freedoms?
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