EU wants to showcase the commitment of science to economic recovery

At the informal meeting of the Ministers of Competitiveness (Science and Industry), held between February 7 and 9 in San Sebastian, Spain, the issues on the table were placing science at the top of the European Union agenda and showcasing its role in economic recovery, as well taking the debate on the electric vehicle to EU level.

The Ministers of Science and Innovation from Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Norway attended the meeting (with other delegations represented by deputy ministers), which was chaired by the Spanish Science and Innovation Minister, Cristina Gamendia, who discussed the challenges still pending for the launch of the European Research Area and the role that science can play in achieving economic recovery and growth.

On Thursday, the Director General for Science and Innovation, Montserrat Torne, explained to journalists that the informal meeting of ministers organized by the Spanish Presidency of the EU has a 'strategic' nature, since the current situation (with the Treaty of Lisbon in effect, the EU-2020 strategy and the new European Commission), 'is a good time for science to take on a significant role on the European agenda over the coming decade. It is an opportunity for the ministers to design a new roadmap towards a knowledge-based society.