§ Mr. RammellTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the outcome of the Research Council held in Brussels on 20 May; and if he will make a statement. [85358]
§ Mr. BattleThe Research Council of 20 May:
1. Agreed decisions on the association of applicant countries (CCEE and Cyprus) with the Fifth Framework programme for European Research and Technological Development.
2. Adopted a resolution on "Women and Science: Mobilising women to enrich European research".
3. Received information from the Commission on the competitiveness of European enterprises in the face of globalisation and on its views on the decommissioning of the Joint Research Centre's obsolete nuclear facilities, and from the Presidency on scientific and technical co-operation with the Mediterranean partner countries.
After the formal council meeting, the Presidency held informal discussions, in which Ministers were joined by invited experts, on issues concerning future European research policy.