COMPETITIVENESS COUNCIL : SCIENCE AT HEART OF UNION'S AGENDA.

• Position: European Research Area

Meeting in San Sebastian (Donostia), from 7 to 9 February, the EU's ministers in charge of competitiveness presented the Donostia declaration', on 8 February, calling for a responsible science policy in the context of the crisis, capable of contributing short-term solutions. The science and innovation ministers of Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Norway are participating in this meeting chaired by Spanish Minister Cristina Gamendia. The other delegations are represented mostly by deputy ministers.

PRINCIPAL CONCERN: RECOVERY

The first session focused on current challenges related to the launch of the European Research Area (ERA) and the role science can play in recovery and economic growth. Three key points were on the agenda: integration, involvement and inclusion. The first aims to give the ERA institutional influence without creating more bureaucracy but aimed on the contrary at promoting mobility, facilitating researchers' careers and guaranteeing their labour rights. The second concerns giving impetus to the social dimension of science, with a view to encouraging research to get involved in the fight against poverty. The last point concerns the goal of building a science system capable of operating EU-wide in a coordinated and effective way.

OTHER PROBLEMS

Although economic recovery is the most...