EU research budget hike now likely

At their first meeting after the recent deal with the Parliament on the European Union's financial perspective 2007-2013, which foresees a 40% increase in the EU's research budget, the region's Science and Research Ministers focused on the distribution of funds between the Seventh Framework Program's four individual sub-programs: Cooperation, Ideas, People and Capacities.

Following this meeting, the Austrian Federal Research Minister, Elisabeth Gehrer, who chaired the discussions of the informal competitiveness council, commented: "I am very confident we will get an agreement among the member states in June."

Some member states have expressed their wish to see, for example, more funds allocated to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (part of the Capacities program), at the expense of the European Research Council (part of the Ideas program). However, according to Ms Gehrer, an agreement seems to be "within reach" at the next meeting of Research Ministers, due on May 29-30.