The EPP Group is holding a Hearing today in the European Parliament on Maria Da Graça Carvalho's Report which will redefine the rules for participation of existing and future European Science and Innovation Programmes. The Hearing on Simplifying the Implementation of Research Framework Programmes will take place in Room ASP 3E2 in the European Parliament from 15.00-18.30 hrs.
There will be three panels: in the first panel, University Professors will give their points of view. In the second panel, the Research Centres, and in the third panel, representatives of industry and SMEs. The European Commission will also express its views.
Maria Da Graça Carvalho MEP, Member of the Industry Research and Energy Committee of the European Parliament, will give the welcome speech and draw the conclusions. The panels will be chaired by MEPs Paul Rübig, Jean-Pierre Audy and Angelika Niebler. The speakers will be Richard Templer, Professor and Director on Climate in the Imperial College; Jerzy Langer, Professor and Foreign Secretary of the Academia Europaea; Pam Fredman, Rector of the University of Gothenburg and Chair of the Swedish Rectors' Conference; Xavier Inglebert, Chief Resources Officer of the National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS); Ingrid Reynaert, Manager, Academic and Governmental Relations of the Interuniversity Micro-Electronic Centre (IMEC); Christopher Hull, Secretary-General of the European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO); Petri Liuha, Managing Director of the Nokia Research Centre; Jürgen Leohold, Executive Director of Group Research, Volkswagen; Mónica Pedro, Legal & Financial Manager of YDreams, and Ingeborg Gräßle MEP. Robert-Jan Smits, Director-General of DG Research, will represent the European Commission.
The public consultation, opened by Carvalho when appointed Rapporteur in May of this year, concludes with this Hearing. The aim was to hear different stakeholders, University Professors, researchers and enterprises, in order to discuss the main rules of participation in the European Science and Innovation Programmes.
The Portuguese MEP also invited a group of Portuguese members of the management bodies of Higher Education, Vice-Rectors and University Full Professors, and representatives of enterprises in the area of Science and Innovation.
According to Carvalho, the involvement of citizens has been "very significant, which shows that scientific research is of great importance on the European scene", adding that "this involvement is also a sign that it is necessary to redefine the existing model. We have one of the greatest drivers of growth and we have to make participation and continuity easier for the work of our researchers."
Over the next months, this Report will redefine the rules of participation not only in the Research Framework Programme (€52 billion), but also in all other science and research programmes, in order to facilitate participation and increase execution rates. Currently, these rules are very complex. The Report aims to provide guidelines for participation in existing and future programmes after 2013.
Maria da Graça Carvalho MEP presented her Report in July to the 27 EU Ministers of Science. The Report will be voted by the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy at the end of September and in the plenary in October.
Commission Communication on Simplifying the Implementation of the Research Framework Programmes.
Further information on the measures adopted in the past and on the revision of the FP7.
Programme of the Hearing.