92001E0582

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0582/01

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 March 2001)

Subject: Aid to help research scientists set up in business

There is a growing trend in America and Asia towards schemes whereby scientists and engineers working at official research establishments can opt to take either paid or unpaid leave in order to try to set up in business by themselves.

The aim of such schemes lies in creating an uninterrupted cycle in which applied research and support for innovation act as the stepping stones between basic research and the market.

Will the Commission say whether scientists and engineers working at the research establishments directly answerable to it can opt to take either paid or unpaid leave in order to try to set up small innovative undertakings? Do they stand to benefit from Community funding in embarking upon such a risky venture?

Answer givern by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(22 May 2001)

Commission decision of 7 January 1998 setting up a European technology transfer initiative (ETTI) at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) authorises the implementation

of a number of specific actions in order to promote technology transfer of the Communities' research results and access to its research facilities. These actions may be summarised in the following: a technology transfer capital fund, an extended incubator, access to large scale facilities and education and training initiatives.

Within this ETTI's last action, there is an indirect support that the JRC can provide to its researchers: an entrepreneurship training programme aimed mostly at young staff on short-term contracts. Pilot versions of this programme were run successfully in 1999 and 2000.

No specific direct Community funding is available for JRC researchers, either long term or short term contract holders, to start a company. As any other European researcher, they have access to the Community programmes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

As regards paid or unpaid leave in order to set up a company, only Commission officials according to the staff regulations can apply for unpaid leave for a period of one year, renewable twice for one year periods. In any case if officials wish to exercise a paid or unpaid external activity while they are employed by the Commission, they have to ask for authorisation of such activity.