Much has been made of the political significance of devoting a European Council to the subject of innovation and how this reflects the degree to which research and innovation are seen as a route out of the economic crisis. The Innovation Union is one of seven initiatives the Commission is launching as part of its Europe 2020 economic strategy.
When she launched the initiative on October 6, EU Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn said member state approval was the biggest remaining political hurdle for the Innovation Union. “We have to get buy-in” from EU nations’ heads of state”, Geoghegan-Quinn said, adding she was convinced member states would be persuaded, “this is the way to go.”
Recent developments in the Eurozone mean the Commissioner and her colleagues will have to wait a few more weeks before the strategy is debated by heads of state.
Geoghegan-Quinn’s spokesman, Mark English, said knocking innovation off the agenda for the December European Council was a result of, “the unprecedented circumstances”. Changing the date for discussing innovation, “has not affected delivery” of the Innovation Union, he said.
“The Competitiveness Council has given political support to the Innovation Union proposals and steps to implement it are proceeding according to plan - in particular, the pilot Innovation Partnership on active and healthy ageing will be launched in early 2011, as intended,” English said.
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