Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, prostate the commissioner-designate for research, allergist innovation and science, adressed the members of the European Parliament in a three-hour confirmation hearing on January 13.
Among others, the commissioner-designate emphasised the need encourage young people to pursue scientific careers in Europe and to “make science more sexy". Geoghegan-Quinn, who is also responsible for innovation in the EC, also promissed to simplify rules for smaller partners in FP projects.
Geoghegan-Quinn's three research priorities are completing the European Research Area, addressing society’s grand challenges, and creating an innovation research culture. She addressed the Innovation Act, the European Community patent, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and getting rid of red tape. She also emphasised that research must be deployed by the EU to deliver what people want: jobs, a cleaner, safer environment, and green technologies. “The buzzwords can only be delivered with real policy,” she said.
Innovation has been added to the commissioner’s title for the new five-year term. Commission President José Manuel Barroso has given her “overarching” responsibility for cross-cutting policy on innovation and asked her to chair a committee of commissioners whose responsibilities fall into the field of innovation, such as the digital economy, enterprise and employment. "If we want to take Europe out of the economic crisis in which it is at the moment, than we have to innovate,” she said.
The Commission has plans for a European Innovation Act, but it remains unclear which directorate-general will have ultimate responsibility. So far it has been DG Enterprise that has taken the lead, but with Geoghegan-Quinn’s title including innovation, it may well move to her domain.
Describing SMEs as “the backbone of the European economy”, Geoghegan-Quinn critisised that they were “driven mad” by the restrictions placed on them for getting involved in the 7th Framework Programme (FP7). “One size does not fit all,” she said, while acknowledging that sound financial management should never be compromised. The suggestion was that there need to be fewer rules for smaller projects to make life easier for SMEs. The commissioner-designate, who for the last decade has been a member of the European Court of Auditors, said she would publish a communication on simplification early in her term. The upcoming mid-term review of FP7 will be a key tool in evaluating what is working well, what isn’t, and what needs to be changed.
Source: ScienceIBusiness Bulletin and www.wbc-inco.net
