Debates

Wednesday, 31 May 2006 - Brussels

Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (2007-2013) (debate)

  Reino Paasilinna, on behalf of the PSE Group. – (FI) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank my colleague Mr Chatzimarkakis; tomorrow we will be voting in favour of competitiveness and innovation, and once again we will move a little closer towards the Lisbon Objective. We in our group support this proposal.

It is short-sighted, however, that, just as we ought to be rapidly increasing levels of innovation, this budget is being cut. In many crucial areas our competitiveness is waning. A doctor’s assessment of the patient would be ‘weak, but not yet hopeless’. Investing in socially sustainable competitiveness will give us a chance to create a Europe where innovations flourish in a sustainable way.

A European Institute of Technology could help us turn innovation into products. We nevertheless have to ensure that the founding of the EIT does not happen at the expense of the European Scientific Council. The Framework Programme stresses the need to support the work of small and medium-sized enterprises. It is there that a huge army of challengers – and employers – must be found.