RESEARCH: JANEZ POTOCNIK CHARMS MEPS.

• Position: Members of European Parliament

The European Parliament's Committee for Industry, Research and Energy was in fact full of praise for Janez Potocnik. The Slovenian, who currently shares the Enlargement brief with Gunter Verheugen, will sit on a competitiveness working group with his colleague in the future Commission. Research is one of the pillars of the Lisbon Strategy, and Mr Potocnik does not plan to stray from the current policy: to reach 3% of GDP for research spending and to create a European Research Area and a European Research Council for basic research. The priorities of the 6th Research Framework Programme (RDFP6) remain the same, with the possible introduction of nanotechnologies.

Mr Potocnik also promised to encourage more new Member States to join the FP6. For the future, he wants to simplify procedures, as promised in written responses to an EP questionnaire. Admitting there was a lot of red-tape in financing procedures, Mr Potocnik showed - with the aid of some very clear graphs - that the Commission was no worse than other players. Another priority is to give small firms greater access to research. He also wants to encourage more women, young researchers and small research teams.

The Commissioner said it was a mistake not to involve the private sector by increasing public funds for research. In his view, improving incentives for private investment is the way forward. Mr Potocnik also defended the plan for an international experimental thermonuclear fusion reactor - ITER. But according to some observers, he is far less enthusiastic than his predecessor.

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