European science 'heavyweights' offer their help in the development ofthe knowledge-based economy

"Towards a Europe of Knowledge and Innovation", the EIROforum paper on
science policy

European science 'heavyweights' offer their help in the development of the
knowledge-based economy

Brussels, April 20, 2005 - Today Europe's seven major intergovernmental
research organisations, working together in the EIROforum partnership,
presented their comprehensive paper on science policy, "Towards a Europe of
Knowledge and Innovation", in the presence of the European Commissioner for
Science and Research, Mr. Janez Potocnik and the Luxembourg Minister for
Culture, Higher Education, Employment and Research, Mr. François Biltgen.
Luxembourg currently holds the presidency of the European Union.

Five years ago, at the meeting of the European Council in Lisbon, the
creation of a European Research Area (ERA) was proposed as a means to
achieve the ambitious targets necessary to develop a leading,
knowledge-based economy in Europe. The ERA intends to make a single market
for European research, bringing together scientists from all member states.
The EIROforum partners operate some of the largest research infrastructures
in the world, possess unique and long-standing expertise in the organisation
of pan-European research, bring expert knowledge to discussions about new
large facilities in Europe, provide a model for the ERA, and offer their
experience and active engagement in creating a true European Research Area.

The EIROforum paper on science policy describes their collective vision on
the future of European scientific research in order to support the Lisbon
Process by working, alongside the Commission, for the implementation of the
European Research Area. In combination with the individual success and
expertise of each of the EIROforum partners, this provides a strong boost to
European Research and thus to the Lisbon Goals of developing a
knowledge-based economy.

"As the borders of the European Union expand there is a fundamental role for
the EIROforum partnership to work with the institutions of the European
Union in the evolving environment", emphasizes Jean-Jacques Dordain, the
Director General of ESA. ESA currently chairs EIROforum.

The EIROforum partners, through their paper on science policy, support the
creation of a climate in Europe in which competitive research is undertaken
in an efficient, cost-effective and successful manner. The Paper presents
many concrete ways in which EIROforum organisations can effectively
participate in the consolidation of the ERA.

One of the main challenges for society in the years to come is to build a
sound recruitment base for jobs and careers in science and technology.
Attracting more young people is vital for the future of European research,
and the EIROforum paper on science policy offers a series of actions to
stimulate the interest of young people in science. These include improving
the visibility of European science in the media, creating a 'Partnership for
Science Education', continuing with their successful "Science on Stage"
annual festival and participating in the European Contest for Young
Scientists, organised by the European Commission.

The EIROforum paper on science policy subscribes to the European Commission
strategy to recruit and retain world-leading scientists in Europe. This
strategy should be supported by a European Research Council (ERC) acting as
an autonomous, science-driven agency endowed with sufficient funds to ensure
European research is competitive at a global level. The international
character of the seven EIROforum partners makes them ideal to function as
scientific, technological and cultural bridges between Europe and other
regions of the world.

The EIROforum partners could also join European industry in technology
platforms or large integrated projects that would enable the development of
new scientific instrumentation, an area that needs European suppliers to
secure and promote front-line research on our continent and generate
important industrial spin-offs.

EIROforum is a partnership created in 2002 between seven of Europe's major
intergovernmental research organisations. These organisations represent
excellence in European science and operate some of the largest research
infrastructures in the world, enabling European scientists to engage in
truly cutting-edge research and be competitive on a global scale. The first
European intergovernmental collaboration in science began as long as 50
years ago, when CERN was formed, while just a few years later, ESO was
created. The combined budget from the seven EIROforum Partners is comparable
to that of the current Framework Programme of the European Union. Each of
the organisations has become a world leader establishing a 'European
Research Area' within its own field of science, thereby demonstrating the
value and feasibility of pan-European collaboration in research.

"The EIROforum organisations are a symbol of the new Europe; they present
visible proof that Europe and Europeans working together can achieve more
than any individual national effort", asserts Jean-Jacques Dordain.

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For more information on the EIROforum paper on science policy, "Towards a
Europe of Knowledge and Innovation", please contact:

Claus Madsen

Tel: +49 89 32 00 62 78

Leo Hennesy

Tel: +00 32 2 743 30 86


For information on EIROforum, visit the web-site at www.eiroforum.org. For
more detailed information on the individual EIROforum organisations, please
contact the relevant press officer:

CERN
Renilde Vanden Broeck

Tel: +41 22 767 21 41

EFDA
Jennifer Hay

Tel: +44 1235 466 232

EMBL
Trista Dawson

Tel: +49 6221 387 452

ESA
Franco Bonacina

Tel. + 33 1 53 69 77 13

ESO
Henri Boffin

Tel: +49 89 3200 6276

ESRF
Montserrat Capellas

Tel: +33 476 88 26 63

ILL
Françoise Vauquois

Tel: +33 476 20 71 07


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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info