Press Release: European Research Area: The Member States must do more, says the European Commission

Philippe Busquin, the European Research Commissioner, put forward suggestions on 16 October 2002 for promoting the European Research Area initiative. The communication entitled “Providing new momentum for the European Research Area” suggests that the mechanisms for coordinating national research policies should be strengthened and made more efficient. To this end, it proposes that common objectives should be determined and translated into specific objectives for each country and that annual national reports should be drawn up. This mechanism would be implemented by high-level representatives of the Member States. Greater use should also be made of legal measures, for example concerning the mobility of researchers.