RESEARCH: CONSENSUS ON NEED FOR BASIC RESEARCH INITIATIVE.

It was also agreed that the Commission should present proposals to the Competitiveness Council on governance, management and responsibility for a European initiative on basic research. This initiative, which must secure the full backing of the scientific community, will involve a new facility characterised by minimum bureaucracy and involving scientific communities and engineers, companies and universities in its strategy and overall management. It will allocate individual rewards on a competitive basis.

Delegates attending the symposium also agreed on the following points:

- Europe faces a clear challenge in improving levels of creativity and excellence regarding basic research in a context of global competition.

- A more attractive environment must be created for basic research, supported by high-quality teaching, appropriate research funding and research infrastructure and links with scientific innovation, where top researchers are recognised and can excel, thereby enhancing Europe's performance in terms of basic research. Europe should also look at the experience of other regions of the world.

- The excellence of European research must be improved through national partnership initiatives. However, national initiatives are not enough on their own. A European initiative is also required. The objectives of this European initiative should consist in promoting excellence in basic research by encouraging international competition between individual research teams. The sole selection criterion will be excellence, identified by international peer review.

- Specific funding must be provided for high-quality basic research in the next R&D Framework Programme (the seventh), whilst maintaining an appropriate balance with other research activities and priorities.

Debate on European Research Council.

During an international meeting of scientists and political leaders held on February 24 in Brussels, the Director General of DG Research at the European Commission, Achilleas Mitsos, said that the European Research Council a body that would be dedicated to basic research should be a means and not an end in itself. What shape and form such a body should take was far from decided, however, and he said he would try to focus more energy on finding ways to boost basic research.

The head of...