Europa moet leiding nemen bij innovatie (en) - Hoofdinhoud

In addition to energy management and the economic crisis, the agenda of the summit of heads of state and government held in Brussels on 4 February 2011 included innovation as a key item. The Hungarian Presidency is confident that the meeting’s decisions will contribute to a successful implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy, an increase in competitiveness, and to smart, sustainable and adoptive growth.

The Hungarian Presidency shares the European Commission’s basic idea about Innovation Union, whereby the stimulation of European innovation will also greatly contribute to the increase of competitiveness. The Competitiveness Council supported the idea already during the Belgian Presidency’s term in November 2010. The next step in the process is the final conclusions adopted at the European Council’s meeting on 4 February, aimed to reveal ways to actually make the most of Europe’s innovative power.

The final conclusions point out the need for the implementation of a strategic and integrated approach to boosting innovation and taking full advantage of Europe's intellectual capital, to the benefit of citizens, companies - in particular SMEs - and researchers. The European Council will monitor progress in the framework of the follow up to the Europe 2020

The Hungarian Presidency supports the decision on the need to solve funding difficulties. Member states invite the Commission “to make proposals by the end of the year, ensuring that the full range of research and innovation financing instruments work together within a common strategic framework.”

The establishment of innovative funding methods is aimed to provide research, development and innovation (R+D+I) access to as much private funding as possible. The Presidency thinks that cooperation should be tighter than to date, with the key role played by Innovation Partnerships within the Innovation Union, a flagship initiative of the Europe 2020 Strategy.

The European Council takes the view that the EU should make sure to utilise synergies between various community policies, emphasising the importance of the Single Market Act and the other flagship initiative, the Digital Agenda.

Renewing Innovation Policy

In October 2010 the Commission published its communication on launching Innovation Union, a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at promoting the EU’s competitiveness through the development of European innovation. On 25 November 2010 the Competitiveness Council adopted conclusions on the Innovation Union, in which it endorsed the Commission’s objectives and prepared a roadmap for executing the envisaged measures.

According to the package, a momentum given to innovation can solve problems such as climate change, energy and water supply, scarcity of resources, demographic changes, security and health. Research in these fields may also open new markets.

The document emphasises the institution of European Innovation Partnerships (EIP), which urges member states to cooperate in the field of R+D. The first pilot partnership will be launched on active and healthy ageing (AHA), which is aimed at increasing the number of healthy years.

EU member states intend to increase the utilisation of existing resources. With respect to the European Research Area, which was called to life by the Lisbon strategy, they aim to create an internal market for knowledge by 2014 through improving the mobility of researchers and by providing better access to R+D results. The EU also seeks to improve the conditions of corporate innovation, for instance in the field of standardisation, patents and public procurement. Restructuring the funding for R+D finance is also on the agenda: member states wish to simplify research framework programmes so that researchers can truly focus on research activity.