Competitiveness Council

Date: 28.5.2009 — 29.5.2009
Venue: Brussels
Category: Council of Ministers
Theme: Competitiveness

The efforts of the Czech Presidency in the field of research will be rounded off at the meeting of the Competitiveness Council in Brussels on 28 – 29 May 2009.

The Council is expected to adopt the Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the participation by the Community in a European metrology research and development programme undertaken by several Member States. The Czech Presidency has succeeded in ensuring a smooth negotiating process and timely adoption of this proposal. Another item on the agenda is “political agreement” on the Proposal for a Council Regulation on the Community legal framework for a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), the talks on which were stalled towards the end of the French Presidency.

The priorities of the Czech Presidency in the field of research will be met thanks to the adoption of three sets of Council Conclusions, i.e. the Council Conclusions on the assessment of the impact of the framework programmes, the Council Conclusions on the regional dimension of the European Research Area (ERA) in the field of research infrastructures and the Council Conclusions on the implementation of the 2020 Vision for the ERA.

Furtermore, the European Commission will inform the Council of the ITER project and of the progress of negotiations concerning the possibility of Russia’s association to the framework programme. The ministers will be also informed about the conferences organised so far under the Czech Presidency.

In the context of the Competitiveness Council, the Space Council will hold its sixth meeting, which will address issues including the links between innovation space research, GMES and the context of the influence of space research, innovations and industry on Europe’s competitiveness.