Andrew Duff welcomes Parliament backing for European Institute of Technology

5.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 26th Sep 2007

Today the European Parliament has backed proposals to set up a European Institute of Technology (EIT).

Andrew Duff, who has been engaged in formulating the Parliament's position, welcomed the first-reading decision. "This is good news for the European Union. The EIT will make Europe better able to compete with the USA."

MEPs proposed a pilot phase for the EIT project in which two or three "Knowledge and Innovation Communities" would be created. Andrew Duff said:

"I hope that the East of England will be ready to host the first such network of scientific excellence."

Andrew Duff has proposed Cambridge as an ideal seat of the EIT's governing body which, says the Parliament, should be "located near existing centres of European excellence and academic reputation".

The institute's overall budget of an estimated € 2.4 billion for the first six years is to be funded from a combination of private and public sources. MEPs agree with the Commission that € 308.7 million should come from the EU budget.

Knowledge and Innovation Communities should be created in R&D that "help the EU face tomorrow's challenges, such as climate change, sustainable mobility, energy efficiency", says Duff.

MEPs reject the Commission's proposal for the EIT itself to award degrees and diplomas. Instead they ask for an EIT 'mark' to be added to qualifications awarded through the higher education institutions within the KICs. "This arrangement will not interfere in the jealously guarded right of our universities to award their own degrees", adds Duff.

ENDS/...