Europe 25: a new chance?

Conclusions:

1. On enlargement benefits
   Enlargement offers the EU a major new chance for economic growth and in particular productivity growth. For the new member countries the advantages are self-evident as is clear from the many business examples of successful relocation to those countries. The new member countries will in other words contribute to Europe’s Lisbon challenge of catching up with US productivity growth. At the same time regulation in Europe will also benefit from enlargement: the new member countries providing a useful counter-balance to costly over-regulation in the EU while at the same time benefiting from EU regulation in terms of providing those countries with a secure, broader regulatory framework. All this is likely to promote the business climate across Europe with positive employment implications for the whole of the EU. The competitiveness challenge for the ‘old’ EU-15 will be more investment in research and new product innovation, faster uptake of new technologies and more efficient organisation methods and appropriate adjustment to the more competitive internal EU environment.
   
   
2. On the 3% Barcelona target
   The 3% action plan needs to be firmly established. It should become a top policy priority particularly with respect to the public funds earmarked in the budget for research and innovation.
   
   
3. On the ERC
   At the level of basic research and the needs for more funding for such research in Europe, there is no remaining threshold for the ERC to be established already by the end of this year, during the Dutch Presidency.
   
   
4. On public-private links
   The role of public research at universities for the private sector (spin offs, start ups) needs to be clearly acknowledged and where feasible, established in the national laws and be accommodated with the necessary financial incentives.