By Anthony Fletcher - 25th September 2007
STRASBOURG: MEPs have backed Brussels proposals to establish a European institute of technology (EIT) despite vocal opposition from the Greens.
Rapporteur Reino Paasilinna told journalists Wednesday afternoon that the impressive majority provided the basis for negotiations.
“We need to make a breakthrough in innovation, and the EIT could be a pioneer,” he said.
“Innovation is our Achilles heel. A strong knowledge economy is not possible if we have a brain drain.”
However Green deputy David Hammerstein Mintz called the EIT a “pointless white elephant”.
He said that his group had voted against the report as “the initiative has degenerated into a farce”.
“We voted against the report because we believe no EIT would be better than an ill-conceived and under-funded EIT,” he said.
The Greens argue that the amount of the budget due to come from direct EU funds is a fraction of that deemed necessary, and that there is no clear indication as to how the EIT could generate further necessary funding.
“If the commission is serious about the EIT it should re-open negotiations on the financial perspectives and create a proper budget for it, as it is proposing for Galileo,” said Hammerstein Mintz.
Paasilinna was keen to point out however that parliament has demanded certain amendments to be made.
The Finnish deputy said that EIT's name should include "innovation", and that the institute should only be established after a pilot phase.
MEPs also want council to negotiate the EIT's funding – the major sticking point - with parliament. The budgetary authority has yet to agree on a budget line from which to take the funds.
“Funding will have to be settled before the second reading,” said Paasilinna.
MEPs also stressed that the EIT should have a two-tier structure. A governing board would select higher education institutions, research organisations, companies and other stakeholders to form partnerships called knowledge and innovation communities (KICs).
And in contrast to the commission's plans, MEPs want these KICs to be legally autonomous from the EIT.
Despite continued controversy over the proposals and wrangling over funding mechanisms, Paasilinna remains confident that the institute will get the go-ahead.
“I am convinced that the institute can begin next year,” he said.
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