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Brussels seems to be developing a perverse sense of humour. Just as
1993 dawns and the European Community is at long last united in a single
market, the European Commission is to split into two the one programme which
has built real unity among Europeans. The decision, made by Commission president
Jacques Delors, is that the Framework programme – the umbrella for most
of the Commission’s research – is now to be run by two separate commissioners
(see This Week).

Insiders say that the change was made as a result of pressure from the
German industry commissioner, Martin Bangemann, who wanted to expand his
empire. Bangemann carries away computer and telecommunications research
– a good half of the Framework programme. The rest – including basic research,
biotechnology and life sciences, energy, and training – goes to Antonio
Ruberti, until recently the Italian research minister.

Although the timing of the split seems inappropriate, it may turn out
to be no bad thing. Pumping Community money into ‘pre-competitive’ research
and development has failed to revive Europe’s electronics industry. More
joint research is not necessarily what it needs most.

Now, research may find its proper place in an overall industrial policy.
Instead of asking ‘how can we use research money to help telecommunications
companies?’, the industry commissioner can ask ‘how can we help the industry
provide a competitive service to customers?’ Research will be only one part
of the answer. The drawback for researchers of course, is that the officials
who run the telecommunications and computer projects will now be answerable
to a commissioner with many other priorities. He may consider research a
sideline.

Life should be a lot easier for the programmes that go to Ruberti. Trained
as an engineer, Ruberti already has five years’ experience in managing
Italy’s science programmes. Without the troublesome electronics projects
to worry about, he can put his energy into reviving the Commission’s support
for Europe’s science base. The most important new thing he can do is to
stop thinking of the Community as just a ’13th research agency’, extraneous
to the 12 sets of national research councils, and start using the Commission’s
powers to drive closer coordination between national research programmes.
In the long run, building a ‘Europe of scientists’ will prove the best way
to help Europe’s industry restore its fortunes.