§ Lord Gainfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will report on the meeting of European Research Ministers on 9th December and on the main achievements of the UK's presidency of the research council during the second part of 1992.
§ Baroness BlatchI am pleased to report that, following the meeting of Research Ministers on 9th92WA December under the chairmanship of my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, member states were able to reach agreement on a common orientation to supplement the funding of the third R&D framework programme by 900 million ecu in the years 1993 and 1994. This supplement increases the total funding guaranteed from 5.7 becu to 6.6 becu and represents an important interim measure to ensure the continuity of R&D activities under the objectives for the third framework programme, in the approach to the implementation of a successor programme, thereby avoiding a potential reduction in R&D funding over this period.
In addition, my right honourable friend chaired an in-depth discussion at the council meeting on 12th October on the evaluation of the second framework programme on the basis of a report prepared under UK chairmanship, in preparation for a first orientation debate on the fourth framework programme at the council on 9th December.
There was also an informal discussion at the December council of how to improve the management of EC research programmes on the basis of a paper presented by the UK. The commission agreed to respond to these ideas before the next Council of Research Ministers.