While a slice of the EU-funded FP6 research programmes is currently consecrated to food research in the 15 member states, new data suggests that participation of acceding/candidate countries in FP6 could be improved.
Out of more than 100 000 applications for participation in FP6, only 13 000 are from acceding/candidate countries - barely 12.7 per cent.
Earlier this year the Commission launched €13 million worth of "specific support actions" to stimulate, encourage and facilitate the participation in FP6 of the 13 acceding/candidate countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey.
"Since the very beginning of the Sixth framework programme, acceding and candidate countries have participated in EU research schemes on an equal footing with EU Member States," said Commissioner Busquin. "The objective is to ensure the further integration of these countries in the European Research Area,' the Commissioner added.
According to recent statistics from the Commission, there are only 1 500 organisations from acceding/candidate countries in the proposals retained for funding, which makes a success rate of 13 per cent compared to 19 per cent for member states.
Europe's drive to make strong headway in research in all areas of science - including food - has its source in the Lisbon European Council (in 2000) when it set the ambitious objective to become "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world".
In July this year Europe announced that funds topping €17,5 billion would be poured into food-related research as the first slice of a major investment in the first year of the EU 6th Research Framework Programme (FP6).
In total, 24 food quality and safety research projects and 12 specific support actions have been awarded an initial EU contribution. They are the first projects of this kind to receive FP6 funding, totalling €17.5 billion over four years (2003-2006).