Kay Swinburne, on behalf of the ECR Group. – World-class research funding needs to occur within a broader EU policy framework that supports economic growth and increases our global competitiveness. All too often, companies refer to conflicting policies in the EU. Last week I visited GE Healthcare in Wales where they research and commercialise state-of-the-art stem cell lines for pharmaceutical testing. The use of in vitro cell lines will provide a valuable alternative to animal testing but needs all 27 Member States to adopt a common set of rules for their use.

I was also visited last week by the Cord Blood Association, which supports key EU research but believes that policies could be better coordinated so that a European depositary might be a reality in the future for medical research samples to rival the NIH in the US.

A single set of rules would assist our research competitiveness, and interaction between leading industrial players in Europe and our academic institutions should be the norm as we pursue a competitive agenda.

For our research and innovation to be world class it must remain competitive and withstand at all times peer review.