§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the objectives of the EUREKA project and Her Majesty's Government's financial contribution to it.
§ The Prime MinisterThe declaration of principles agreed by the 18 participating countries and the Commission of the European Communities at the conference of Ministers in Hanover on 6 November 1985, announced their intention to use EUREKA to
stimulate collaboration on civilian, high technology projects to raise the productivity and competitiveness of Europe's industries on the world market;promote the establishment of a large, homogenous, dynamic and outward-looking European economic area as essential to EUREKA's success.The financing of EUREKA projects will vary according to their nature and their participants. A number of the projects involving United Kingdom firms are likely to qualify for finance from existing United Kingdom schemes of support for which they are eligible. However, the Government consider that, since EUREKA projects are aimed at developing internationally competitive high technology products, processes and services, they should in the main rely on financing from commercial sources. We have no plans to set up a specific fund for EUREKA projects.