Press Release: European Commission demands better use of European research, innovation and cohesion funding

If the European Union is going to promote the economic and social development of all its Member States, it is essential that the various sources of funding that can support this are used in a coherent way. In a policy paper presented on 10 September 2007, the European Commission offers guidance to national and regional authorities on how to interlink Cohesion Policy programmes with innovation and research funding under the Seventh Research Framework Programme and the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme. While proposing a number of ways in which the Commission will work to enable the various sources of funds to be used in the most effective way, the paper clearly calls upon Member States and the regions themselves to play a leading role in making the best use of the European funds at their disposal.