Lahti Mayor calls for improved synergies between EU cohesion, research and innovation policies

COR/08/22

Brussels, 7 February 2007

Lahti Mayor calls for improved synergies between EU cohesion, research and innovation policies

The Committee of the Regions (CoR) has stressed the key role played by regions in effectively coordinating the use of the EU's cohesion, research and innovation funding instruments. A report by Jyrki MYLLYVIRTA (FI/EPP), Mayor of the City of Lahti, adopted by the EU political assembly insists on a more effective and coordinated use of EU funding instruments at regional level, to boost the research and innovation dimension of the Lisbon strategy. This echoed sentiments from Commission President José Manual Barosso, who addressed the Committee earlier in the day emphasising the need for a system of governance operating at several levels and an integrated political approach between territories and policies, as stipulated in the Lisbon Treaty.

The CoR welcomes the conclusions adopted by the Competitiveness Council on 25 June 2007 and the invitation by the Council to follow up the proposals for "more efficient support to research and innovation".The consultative body underlines the importance of regional research and innovation strategies in increasing responsibility among all interested parties. Emphasis is placed on the value of integrating the private sector, in particular SME's, and the need to strengthen the influence of regional governance in this area. Speaking earlier in the Plenary Session, Günter Verheugen, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for enterprise and industry, outlined SMEs as the backbone of the EU economy and stressed their importance in strengthening national markets.

However, Myllyvirta, a member of the Committee's centre-right European People's Party group, calls for further activities at EU level to promote synergies of EU funding for research and innovation. In his report, the Finnish Mayor suggests giving priority to applications within the FP7 and CIP that have an outstanding importance for a regional innovation strategy in addition to dedicating a substantial and growing share of the Structural Funds to research and innovation.

The CoR opinion emphasises the need for a more sophisticated EU policy mix and balance that fosters existing "poles of excellence" while still enabling new ones to emerge. Whilst recognising the FP7's focus on the excellence principle, FP7 and CIP should be considered to be given a territorial dimension, in order to promote a balanced regional development.

Myllyvirta, President of the CoR's Commission for Culture, Education and Research (EDUC), will also be participating in a conference organised by the Slovenian government, currently occupying Presidency of the EU Council. The Finnish Mayor will discuss the role and importance of regions in the development of a strategic European policy for Research Infrastructures, at the conference "Research Infrastructures and their structural dimension within the European Research Area", held in Slovenia on 5-6 March.

Visit the CoR's new-look website: www.cor.europa.eu

EU Committee of the Regions

Around two-thirds of EU legislation is implemented by local and regional authorities in Member States. The Committee of the Regions (CoR) was created in 1994 to give representatives of local government a say over the content of these laws. The CoR organises five plenary sessions a year in Brussels, where its 344 members vote on reports, known as opinions, issued in response to the proposed legislation. The European Commission, which initiates EU laws, and the Council of Ministers, which is responsible for determining the final content of the legislation (usually in tandem with the European Parliament), are obliged to consult the CoR on a wide range of policy areas including the environment, employment and transport. For more information, please contact: