EU Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik called on EU member states on Thursday to bolster their share of R&D spending. Only by becoming a knowledge-based society can Europe maintain its welfare model, Potocnik said at the close of a COSAC meeting at Brdo pri Kranju.
Potocnik told the participants of the Conference of European Affairs Committees and European Parliament (COSAC) that a knowledge-based society would also enable Europe to preserve its environment and remain a competitive global economy.
He pointed to two underlying issues: the EU on average allocates a much lower share of its GDP for research than the US and Japan; and member states are not increasing the amount of funds allocated for science.
The EU allocated 1.84% of its GDP for science and research in 2006 on average, he said, pointing to huge differences between Nordic states, which allocate nearly 4%, and EU newcomers with the share at a mere 0.5%.
Furthermore, China's investment into R&D has grown at a 10% rate in recent years and the country will soon allocate as much money as the EU for the field, Potocnik warned.
The commissioner believes that keeping money from private investments in the EU is of key importance. To achieve that, the EU should create an investment-friendly environment.
This can be done by changes in knowledge, tax incentives, copyright and labour mobility. "These are areas that are managed by numerous ministries, so government endeavours in each member state are key to reach the aim of allocating 3% of GDP for science," he said.
This also goes for Slovenia, which allocates 1.5% of GDP in science and research. This places it first among EU newcomers but under the EU average.
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