European Union News - Research & Innovation

Although Italian and Spanish MEPs tried to push for the European Parliament not granting its consent for a common EU patent system to be created using the enhanced cooperation procedure, the Chamber has finally given its approval. The Plenary voted in favour of the proposal which now has to be also approved by the Council. Further to it, the European Commission will put forward two proposals, one for the language regime and another for establishing the single patent.

Funding for childhood cancer research is too low and too dependent on short-term grants to maintain the improvements in survival rates seen in recent decades. This is the stark warning issued by EU-funded researchers who also highlight the steps needed to improve the way clinical trials for childhood cancer drugs are organised in Europe.

The European Commission has launched on 9 February a public consultation about the improvements to be introduced in EU research and innovation funding in order to achieve higher level of participation, increase scientific and economic impact and improve value for money. The Green Paper put forward by the Commission covers all the “innovation chain” and aims to simplify procedures and rules in order to make it easier to access EU funding. Stakeholders will have until 20 May 2011 to send their points of view to the Commission.

The Official Journal of the European Union published in 8 February 2011, the Committee selection results for the award of three grants by the European Investment Bank within the framework of the EIB-University Research Sponsorship Programme. In this occasion the three selected candidates are Universities from Luxembourg, Germany and Portugal.

Among the priority issues included in the agenda for Heads of State and Government meeting at the Council of the EU on 4 February, the debate focused on the future of innovation in the European Union. In their conclusions, EU leaders underlined that investing in education, research, technology and innovation is a key driver of growth, and that innovative ideas will help create growth and quality jobs.

Draw the best option for urban transport journeys is one of the objectives of the EU-funded group of scientists who is working within the project IN-TIME. The results of this research which are already being tested, could help to reduce congestion and reduce the effects of pollution from urban transport by providing users with information about the best multimodal transportation options.