COMPETITIVENESS COUNCIL : JTIS A KEY INITIATIVE FOR INNOVATION, SAY MINISTERS.

• Position: Joint Technology Initiatives

Ministers set out their priorities for forthcoming action to improve the EU's competitiveness on 4 December, during a wide-ranging Competitiveness Council debate on innovation policy.

One initiative given particular attention was the intention, as part of the 7th Framework Programme, to set up Joint Technology Initiatives, which will be public private partnerships in particular research areas (see Europolitics 3185). Many delegations stressed the need for the Commission to move as quickly as possible in presenting proposals to launch JTIs, and noted that the...