05/02/2010

European Union. Initial responses to the public consultation on Europe 2020 vision call for continued emphasis on knowledge and innovation

The European Commission has released a preliminary summary of the results of the public consultation on Europe 2020 strategy. There is strong public support for the themes exposed in the strategy paper calling for continued emphasis on knowledge and innovation.

The consultation received numerous contributions from key groups and partners both within and outside Europe. The research sector emphasised the need to build upon Europe’s research/knowledge infrastructure while increasing efforts to retain/attract top scientific talents. Meanwhile, regional and local authorities have expressed their interest in playing a greater role in the establishment of innovation policies. There were also calls from parliamentary groups for continued efforts to complete the single market for goods, including intellectual property rights. Overall, most stakeholders echoed the importance of research in the new strategy should also be reflected in the future European budget. The proposal to appoint a Chief Scientific Advisor also got a positive response.

The Commission will be studying the responses while preparing its proposals for discussions at the next European Council. EU 2020 is a strategy paper aimed at enabling Europe to move toward 2020, focusing on crisis recovery, a knowledge economy and a competitive sustainable economy.

Related Links:
Europe 2020 Consultation Web site

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