New EIT to Focus on Energy and Climatic Research

Research in renewable energy and climatic changes is to be one of the first primary focus points of a new European Institute of Technology (EIT). This was agreed by the EU Council of Ministers at its meeting on Monday 25 June 2007. Consent was thus expressed to the line advocated by Denmark and a group of other countries when EIT is expected to be established in 2008.

The European Institute of Technology is to create a network within research, education and innovation across national frontiers in Europe. This is to be accomplished, initially, by setting up two or three Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) – consisting of partnerships between universities, research organisations, companies and other stakeholders within specific areas.

EIT will deal with proposals for establishing these KICs, selecting the best and allocating part of the funds for financing the activities of the networks. The first two or three KICs are expected to be established in 2010-11, and, as reported above, the Council agreed today that one of them is to deal with renewable energy and climatic changes.

At the same time, a large majority of countries agreed to the Presidency's proposal that the overall project should be financed by 308.7 million Euros up to 2013 – but final clarification of the financing issue is still outstanding.

The German Presidency will now bring the mandate to the European Parliament, where negotiations on establishing the European Institute of Technology will continue.