Strasbourg's European Science Foundation a key for EU Research "Joint" Programs ?
A new role by Strasbourg-based "European Science Foundation" (ESF)'s can become key for Research funding in the EU in future, sooner than expected, revealed a Hearing on "Joint Research Programming" organized at EU Parliament by the Chairwoman of the EP Committee on Industry, Telecom, Research and Energy, German MEP Angelika Niebler.
Despite the growing importance of Innovation in Global competition, RST funding in the EU rather "decreased" during the last 6 Years, except in a few Memer Countries, such as Esthonia (No 1 among the 27 in RST funds' growth). Added to the fact that EU already used to spend comparatively less than its main competitors in RST, is new US President Obama's Economic Stimulus Plan which reserves, out of 700 Billions $ in total, more than 10 Billions $ in RST.
Europe can only meet today's challenges if it succeeds to mobilize and coordinate together its National Research Programs, since 85 % of RST Public Funding in the EU is made through National channels.
"Joint programming (by grouped EU Member States) could become at least as important as the (EU's) Framework programme", stressed EU Commissioner for Research, Jan Potocnik, who launched since the 2nd half of 2008 a call "towards Joint Programming in Research" (JPR) as a New European method of "working together to tackle common challenges more effectively", echoeing several appeals from EU Council and Parliament.
As Institutional tool, EU Treaty's Article 169 allows EU Commission to participate in Research programms jointly decided y many EU Memer States, if EU Parliament approves it. Coordination is obviously needed to establish a coherent approach with cross-border results.
But the right instruments have yet to be developed in Europe, as indicated the presence of representatives from EU Commission's, the Economic and Social Committee, and of a "High Level Group" on Joint Programming, etc. in Strasourg's EU Parliament's hearing.
In this relation, Strasbourg-based "European Science Foundation' (ESF)'s recent Strategy, after some 35 Years of Experience, to shift the focus from EU Research (closely followed in the Past, f.ex. via EU Parliament's Rapporteur Linkohr, etc), towards fostering a common overall view and Networking among EU Member States' National Research Programms, to advance RST and explore New directions at European level, fits well the new trend. But today, this is currently accentuated and accelerated by the urgent need to find efficient replies to the Economic Crisis, able to guarantee also the Future, mainly through Innovation.
Significantly, the key-Expert who introduced at EU Parliament's Hearing was a Professor of Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic (the 2009 EU Chair), who is, at the same time, a long-time member of Strasbourg's ESF...
Original features of JRP is that funding sources are always Public, between EU Member States, without being obligatory, and that it doesn't necessarily need participation of all 27 EU Member States, while remaining "open" to all those willing to join.
Identifying jointly agreed Priorities among a wide spectrum of RST areas, is obviously a key issue, as already indicated the presence, at EU Parliament's Hearing, f.ex. of an "Alzheimer JP pilot", and of the "Advisory Council for Aeronautics research in Europe" (ACARE), etc.
ESF's latest "Strategic Plan", a precious overall view on all RST projects' areas in Europe, regroups most of them inside large Bio-Science and Earth-Science poles (including International Law, Aero-Space, etc).
Indicating the currently growing importance of the latter, ESF has just chosen as its new Director of Science and Strategy Development, Dr. Marc Heppener (Dutch) from the European Space Agency (ESA).
Heppener's most urgent tasks include the preparation of ESF's New overall Strategic Plan for 2011-1015, to update the current tool which ends in one year (2010).
Experienced at the "interplay between Science and Politics" at an European/International level, ESF's new Strategy Development Director wants to stimulate "joint use of the Financial and Political clout" of ESF's 80 Member Organizations from 30 Countries, in order to "contribute strongly to the overall European research potential".
However, a current Geo-Political Problem for ESF is that, curiously, while it includes not only EU and EFTA Countries, (Norway, Switzerland, Iceland), but even Turkey, on the contrary, it doesn't yet include European Countries such as Latvia and Malta (EU Members), Serbia and Ukraine (important for several Technologies), nor Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, etc. Furthermore, opposite to earlier trends, it also doesn't include Russia.
This obviously unbalanced situation might either incite the ESF to review its structure's core, or give the focus to EU's European Research Council (ERC) and various other EU satellite bodies to activate and boost Joint Programming in the European Research Area (ERA).
Main Menu
Haupt Press Deontology/Ethics 2009 Innovation Year EU endorses EuroFora's idea Multi-Lingual FORUM Subscribers/Donors Häufig gestellte Fragen Die Elxis Lizenz Erweiterte Suche EuroFora supports Seabird newsitems In Brief European Headquarters' MAPs CoE Journalists Protection Platform
BRIEF NEWS
- 00:00 - 02.06.2021
- 00:00 - 18.10.2020
- 00:00 - 19.06.2020
- 00:00 - 18.05.2020
- 00:00 - 20.04.2020
- 00:00 - 02.02.2020
- 00:00 - 09.12.2019
- 00:00 - 27.11.2019
- 00:00 - 16.11.2019
Popular
- Yes, we could have prevented Ferguson riots says World Democracy Forum's Young American NGO to ERFRA
- Spanish People Elect CenterRIGHT Majority with 1st Party and Total of 178 MPs (6 More than the Left)
- Pflimlin's vision
- The European Athletic "Dream Team", after Barcelona 2010 Sport Championship Results
- Source Conseil d'Europe à ERFRA: Debatre Liberté d'Opposants à Loi livrant Mariage+Enfants à Homos ?
- Head of BioEthics InterGroup, MEP Peter Liese : "Embryonic stem cell research reaching its END" !?
- Spain: Jailed Turkish Terror suspect with Explosive,Drones,Chechen accomplices stirs Merah+ Burgas ?
- UN Head Ban Ki Moon at CoE World Democracy Forum : - "Listen to the People !"
Latest News
- EUOmbudsmen Conference 2022: Digital Gaps affect People's Trust threaten EF Project on EU Future ?
- French Election : Black Out on Virus, but Obligation for Fake 'Vaccines" Challenged
- Both French Presidential Candidates point at "Humanism" in crucial times...
- France : Zemmour = Outsider may become Game Changer in Presidential + Parliamentary Elections 2022
- PACE President Cox skips Turkey Worst (Occupation) case compared to Russia (DeMilitarisation) query
Statistics
Besucher: 58809390Archive
Login Form
Syndicate
Other Menu
Brixen-Bressanone/ACM/3.8.08
An appeal to make the "World more Human", by defending basic Human Values, helping those in need, and paying hommage to Nature, figured high in Pope Benedict's long-awaited speech at his "First Angelus" in the symbolic, beautiful historic small town of Brixen/Bressalone at the Alpes.
- "No Dictature, nor any destructive force can rob us of the most important goods wich are God's gift", stressed Pope Benedict, referring to elementary Human Values, in a last-minute improvisation of his draft speech, before launching also a call to "help those in need", in order to "make the World more human".
- "Jesus is the focus .. In him is Justice and Freedom", said earlier Brixen's Bishop Wilhelm Egger, after prayers including calls to "Truth, Justice and Freedom", read at a Mass of thousands in the town of Archangel Michael, known as defender of christians against the devil.
In what looks as a reference to BioEthics' dillemas of crucial impportance, raised at Strasbourg's unique in the World legally binding International Treaty on BioMedicine and Human Rights (1998, with the "hottest" issues added later through additional protocols, some of whom are imminent), he spoke also of the splendid "Nature" at this Alpen's ressort : This fits well Vatican's earlier anouncement that Pope Benedict's "prayer intentions for August" are mainly to "respect God's design for the world", and "become ever more aware of the great gift of God which Creation represents for us".
- "The most important things in our lives cannot be bought, but are only given as holy gifts : The Sun and its Light, the Air that we breath, the Water, the beauty of Earth, Love, Friendship, Life itself", Pope Benedict added, extending also to Natural Environment, another topical issue after recent Climatic upheavals at several parts of the World.
The "preparation of Pope Benedict's visit to France", which currently heads the EU, at mid-September, among exceptionaly important Council of Europe meetings on Human Rights in Paris and Strasbourg, is part of his work, together with his "book on Jesus", during brief Summer Holidays in Brixen, said his Spokesman, Federico Lombardi.
- The Pope's message is mainly religious, theological. But we are living in a concrete world, and ideas may be taken by readers as references to the actuality. However, it's better to wait to se what the Pope will say in Paris and at Lourdes, added to EuroFora Lombardi, who is also Director of Vatican's Press Office.
Brizen/Bressanone is similar to Strasbourg by succeeding to make a fertile synthesis of Germanic and Latin sources of Europe, like the two local rivers who meet at the historical center of the town, among spectacular ressorts at mountains' hights.
Headquarters for an Historic Religious Seminar, it attracted recently also a Free University's Educational studies. Well-known as a long-time preferred rest place for former cardinal Radzinger and his brother Georg, it includes areas named "St Benedeto" and "St George"...
But Pope Benedict's first speech gave also another symbolic rendez-vous :
- "Next Wednesday, August 6, we shall commemorate the 30st anniversary from the death of late Pope Paul VI", who "concluded Vatican II", and "the Transfiguration of Jesus, mystery of the divine light, which exerced a unique fascination to his soul", he said to some 12.000 applauding People, among the happy few who succeeded to have a rare place for an open-air Mass inside the Domplatz a particularly sunny day at the Alpes.
