NEW YORK, March 7 - The EU's lack of progress in certain areas of life sciences may have "global repercussions," and "is already giving cause for concern, according to an EU commission report on the progress of life sciences and biotechnology initiatives released March 5.
The 22-page report details moves the European Commission has made toward a goal set in
It does acknowledge progress, in the form of the European' Parlaiment's resolution endorsing the EU commission's biotechnology strategy last November, as well as the 6th European Framework Program for Research and Technological Development, which has a budget of 17.5billion euro for 2003-2006, ibut t said that significant obstacles remain: a lack of investment in R&D, shortcomings in intellectual property protection, and slow progress in the area of GMO research.
"These shortcomings have direct consequences in a number of areas, namely in innovation, competitiveness and research in European biotechnology, and in relations with our international trading partners, including developing countries," the report states.
In the research area, the report noted that the EU invests 1.9 percent of its GDP in R&D compared to the 2.7 percent invested by the
The report also noted that "none of the biotechnology clusters in
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