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June
2006 - Issue 13
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Get
news and views from EuropaBio's biotechnology information day -
May 30th
Some 160 members and guests attended EuropaBio's Information Day
on the theme "Biotechnology
- The Invisible Revolution: looking back, looking forward".
The day also celebrated our ten year
anniversary. All presentations are now available on line as
well as interviews with all the main speakers and guests at
EuropaBio sponsored BioTV. Get the news and views direct.
EuropaBio also published the latest figures compiled by Critical
I in their comparative study of the European Biotech sector (see
Emerging Enterprise section for topline results)
The Critical I study:
http://www.europabio.org/ne_criticalI2006.htm
Presentations:
http://www.europabio.org/InfoDay/index.html
BioTV -
http://eu.biobusinesstv.com/?page=trombi
Twenty-nine
new members join EuropaBio
29 new members were voted
in by the full membership at the AGM in Brussels on May 30th.
Corporate members -
http://www.europabio.org/eu_corporate.htm
National Associations -
http://www.europabio.org/eu_NAC.htm
Associate members -
http://www.europabio.org/eu_associates.htm
BioRegions -
http://www.europabio.org/eu_bioregions.htm
EuropaBio Annual Report 2006 published
EuropaBio published its 2006
Annual report on May 30th. It highlights achievements by the
members in 2005/06 and sets out the policies worked on and which
continue to be worked on by the association. Hard copies are
available on request, contact Deirdre Hawes (d.hawes@europabio.org)
Or copies can be downloaded from the EuropaBio web site:
http://www.europabio.org/articles/PRGeneralAssemblyEuropaBio300506.doc
Midterm
review and Presidencies RoundTable on Biotechnology - June 20
EuropaBio has prepared inputs to the Mid Term Review of the
Biotechnology Strategy and sent to the Appointed Chairs of the
Members States Ministries responsible for the Mid Term Review in
their countries. EuropaBio and member will participate at the
Round Table on Biotechnology in Helsinki (June 20th)
organised by the current EU Presidency
(Austria) and the future EU Presidency (Finland). All members
are welcome but you need to register at:
http://tekes.fi/neobio/
Green Paper
on EU Maritime Policy supports blue biotechnology
Launching the Green paper on Maritime Policy, Commissioner
Responsible for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Dr Joe Borg said
in his speech to Parliament "As for Research and Technology:
Europe is one of the world?s top centres of research and
technology. The harnessing of this research is essential for the
benefit of the environment, but also for technologies of the
future such as blue biotechnology ....". A consultation process
on the Green Paper starts June 8 and will last until the end of
June 2007. Sources say that Commission President
enthusiastically supports blue biotech.
http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/
OECD publishes Biotechnology Statistics
The 2006 edition
of
OECD Biotechnology
Statistics
has just been released.
The current edition of OECD Biotechnology Statistics includes
data for 23 OECD countries and 2 observer countries, plus China
(Shanghai), and takes a major step forward in improving the
comparability of biotechnology indicators among countries.
Improvements in data collection and comparability have been
possible through the
Framework for
Biotechnology Statistics,
developed by OECD and national experts.
For further information visit the website
www.oecd.org
or contact
brigitte.vanbeuzekom@oecd.org
EU biotech industry victim of 'chronic
underfunding'
The EU's biotechnology industry is
the victim of underfunding, causing it to lag significantly
behind the US, according to the Critical I report commissioned
by EuropaBio. The report compares the EU Member States,
Switzerland and Norway to the US, and explores the situation in
individual Member States. The results show a gulf between the
biotechnology industries of the EU and US. There are roughly the
same number of companies in the EU as in the US - 2,163 to 1,991
respectively - but the EU companies are smaller, newer, receive
a fraction of the funding, and grow more slowly than their US
counterparts. A closer look at the data reveals a bigger gulf -
the US companies hire double the number of employees, spend
three times as much on research and development (R&D), and
generate double the venture capital compared to their US
cousins. US companies generate 10 times the debt finance
compared to EU biotechnology companies.
More about the study:
http://www.europabio.org/ne_criticalI2006.htm
Newswire:
http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=EN_NEWS&ACTION
=D&RCN=25740&DOC=2&CAT=NEWS&QUERY=1149253089982
Promoting innovation by tax incentives - new benchmark study by
National Associations
A group of National Associations led
by Sweden are reviewing tax incentive strategies and their
importance to biotech growth and have produced a benchmarking
study comparing the results of tax incentives in Canada, France,
Norway and the UK The main finding is that all four countries
view their incentives as being a key component to ensure future
innovation and growth, and with the passage of time, have made
their systems even more generous, although it is not yet
possible to fully judge the effect of the incentives in terms of
growth and increased R&D investment. This is partly because the
measures were implemented relatively recently (France, Norway
and the UK) and partly because the incentives cannot easily be
isolated from other effects. The project is supported by the
European Commission under the 6th Framework Program.
Report -
http://www.sik.se/yicstatus/Reports/YIC_project_Report-May311.pdf
Budget agreed for
new Competitiveness
and Innovation Programme (CIP)
The first EU Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP)
has been agreed by the Euroepan Parliament with an amount of
3.6 billion euros. The money will be
spent between 2007 and 2013 on small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) to help them invest in all forms of
innovation and growth. It will also boost energy efficiency and
renewable energy sources, environmental technologies and a
better use of information and communication technology (ICT).
The final adoption in Council will follow in the coming weeks.
For more details see
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference
=IP/06/716&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
European level support for Young Innovative Companies
EuropaBio brought together a broad
range of MEPs, officials and diplomats in Brussels on May 3 to
set out the case for EU-level support for start-up companies.
The dinner-debate provided a close-up view of the French scheme
for backing Young Innovative Companies (YICs), and won firm
agreement among the audience that a Europe-wide Building
Europe-wide support for Young Innovative Companies is an
initiative that should be pursued.
European Patent Convention - Denmark
Denmark implements the European
Patent Convention (EPC 2000) by unanimity
Contact: boh@novozymes.com
Do patents stifle research? - New study says No!
New study
into the effects of patenting on the scientific community
carried out by the American Association for the Advancement of
Science say that that ?academia has been less affected than
industry by more restrictive and formal licensing practices in
the acquisition and distribution of patented technologies
necessary for research. In fact, difficulties reported by
bioscience industry respondents in attempting to access patented
technologies outnumbered those of bioscience
academic respondents by a ratio of more than 2:1.
http://sippi.aaas.org/survey/AAAS_IP_Survey_Report.pdf
Update on FP7 ? where are we?
The final budget has now been approved by both the
Parliament and the Council of Ministers which now stands at EUR
54.5 billion for FP7 from 2007 -2013. The Parliament and Council
have now to agree on the breakdown for each of the ten
priorities - two of which are for biotechnology ? bio-economy
and healthcare. The trick now is to try to get as much of the
pot of money into our prioritiy areas. The
European Parliaments ITRE Committee has approved a breakdown set
out in the report by Jerzy Buzek (EPP-ED, Poland), who is lead
rapporteur on the issue. If all goes well this is the breakdown
that will be voted on in the Parliament's plenary session (first
reading) in June 15. Then the Council have to endorse this
breakdown. They already discussed how the budget should be
carved up during the Competitiveness Council held on 29 and 30
May in Brussels, Rumours are that the carve up is very similar
to what the Parliament will vote on in June 15th. This would
enable a definitive agreement to be reached in September. For
the breakdown see euractiv article.
http://www.euractiv.com/en/science/fp7-meps-show-support-energy-rd/article-155704
EuropaBio's lobby offensive on bio-economy priority
EuropaBio leading two technology
platforms joins a forum of other platforms to sign a joint
letter to the Austrian Presidency asking them to support a high
level budget line for the bio-economy in the next FP7. Also we
organized a debate hosted
by MEPs Purvis, Busquin and. Prodi where these Technology
Platforms held a
very stimulating breakfast discussion in the
European Parliament on the 10th May. The topic of
discussion was the transformation of Europe into a Knowledge
Based Bio-Economy and the appropriate resources needed to do
this from National ? public and private - and European
resources, specifically in FP7.
Commissioner Potocnik asks industry to spend
more on research
Interview in Science Business News ?Memo to CEO: Spend more on
R&D?.
http://bulletin.sciencebusiness.net/ebulletins/showissue.php3?page=/548/art/5627
How FP7 can favour SMEs ? Potocnik speech
Commissioner Potocnik presented some ideas in a key note speech
to Belgian SMEs saying that there will be no quota for SMEs to
participate in FP7 but there will be a simplification of rules
and procedures such as the collective financial responsibility ?
which he recognises is a great impediment for research
opportunities in the SMEs. He will introduce a guarantee fund,
which would cover the financial risks of defaulting project
participants along with the lowering of the financial burden on
SME?s in projects. The rules and conditions are not yet
finalised, more on this later. Potocnik?s speech::
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/06/322&format
=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
New technology platform for animal Healthcare launched
EuropaBio is a member of the
new Technology Platform on Animal Health which launched its
Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) to combat animal diseases in the
presence of European Commissioner for Science and Research Janez
Potočnik on May the 19th 2006.
For further information on the IFAH Press release:
http://www.ifaheurope.org/press_releases/press_release_220506.htm
Italy withdraws from ethical declaration on
embryonic stem cell research
Italy has withdrawn its signature
from an ethics document signed by the Vatican and five other
Members States opposing EU funding of embryonic stem cell
research. The announcement was made by Italian Minister for
Research and Education Fabio Mussi, who attended the
Competitiveness Council in Brussels on 30 May.
http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=&RCN=25751
Monthly breakfast meeting with Director DG
Enterprise Mrs Lalis on Pricing
Following an invitation by Mrs.
Lalis, Director for Consumer Goods in DG Enterprise, on 24/05
EuropaBio members participated in a 1.5 hour informal breakfast
meeting with Mrs Lalis and Mr Stefaan Van der Spiegel,
Administrator in the Unit on Biotechnology and competitiveness
of the pharmaceutical industry, DG Enterprise. The meeting
focused on presenting EuropaBio?s position on pricing and
reimbursement in the context of the work of the Pharmaceutical
Forum and discussing ways forward in the related working group
of the Forum. A summary report is available for EuropaBio
members only.
European Commission invites EuropaBio at DG
Research Workshop on Personalised Medicines
The Commission organised a
workshop on 29 May entitled " Personalised Medicines - a
European opportunity" on potential research relating to
pharmacogenomics within the context of FP7. Experts from the
regulatory (EMEA), academic and industry sectors were present to
share experience in the actual and potential use of
pharmacogenomics for the development and use of pharmaceuticals.
Several applications of pharmacogenomics in the field were
presented in terms of drug development strategy and
pharmacovigilance. Further to the meeting, a report on "future
Perspectives for Pharmacogenetics research in Europe" is to be
published.
European Paediatrics Regulation now approved
The Regulation on the paediatric
use of medicines was adopted by the European Parliament on 1
June and is to take effect from January 2007. According to the
Regulation (rapporteur F. Grossetéte EPP-ED, France), the
industry will be expected to present the results of a paediatric
investigation for every request for a marketing approval of a
new medicinal product. As an incentive for clinical trials on
children, the Regulation provides for a further two-year
protection for orphan medicines and a six-month extension of the
Supplementary Protection Certificate for any new paediatric
indication for a medicine that has already been authorised.
Following the concern expressed by the EP in view of the use of
certain carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic substances in certain
medicine products, the Commission has undertaken to call on the
EMEA to proceed to an evaluation of the use of such substances.
Commissioner Verheugen has appealed on the pharma industry for
effective marketing of innovative medicines, despite the small
market, and on laboratories to invest more in research. The
Council is expected to formally endorse the agreement in the
coming days. For further information, please visit:
Article:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/pharmaceuticals/paediatrics/index.htm
http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=&RCN=25753
Commission:
http://pharmacos.eudra.org/F2/Paediatrics/index.htm
Scope of the new regulation debated in
Council
EU Ministers of Health met in
Luxembourg on 1 and 2 June to discuss the proposal for a
regulation on the marketing of advanced therapy medicinal
products. In preparation for this meeting they will study the
draft progress report prepared by the "Working Party on
pharmaceuticals and medical devices", a group of experts from
within the Council. National Associations are encouraged to
contact the Member State representatives in this working party.
For a report on this meeting, contact
n.moll@europabio.org
Commission to assess relative
effectiveness of medicines
The European Commission set up a working group to examine
the relative effectiveness of medicines. The expert meeting is
the initiation of the preparatory phase of the Pharmaceutical
forum that will be held in September. Günter
Verheugen (Industry and Enterprise) and Markos Kyprianou (Health
and Consumer Protection Commissioner) along with the
Health Ministers of the Member States and their public health
representatives will discuss about new pharmaceutical Pricing
and reimbursement options. EuropaBio has already participated in
the March Working groups which considered the
effectiveness of medicines in the EU. In order to asses the
effectiveness, the Commission proposes to compare national
systems and sustainable reimbursement models. Expert
groups are to proceed with research and studies in order to hold
a recommendations round table with the Member States.
EP confirms the nomination of three MEPs to
the Pharmaceutical Forum
The conference of the leaders of
the political groups in the EP confirmed the nomination of
Francoise Grossetéte (EPP-ED, France; proposed by ENVI), Dagmar
Roth-Behrendt (PES, Germany; ENVI) and Jorgo Chatzimarkakis (ALDE,
Germany; ITRE) as representatives of the EP in the
Pharmeceutical Forum.
EuropaBio in
association with EPSO conduct survey on Plant Genomics
Our public plant science partner in the European Technology
Platform 'Plants for the Future' , the European Plant Science
Organization (EPSO) has launched a survey to find out about the
current and future transnational collaborative research
activities in Europe. This survey will be very important for
gaining more support for plant research in Europe, to formulate
Work Programmes for the first two calls in FP7, and to help the
European Research Area ? Plant Genomics (ERA-PG) national
funding agencies to identify new areas for possible
trans-national funding. Please complete the survey¨by June 23.
For further information visit: http://bioinformatics.psb.ugent.be/FPRA/
IFPRI
appoints new director for the program on biosafety systems
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is
pleased to announce the appointment of Willy De Greef as the new
director for the Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS) in the
Environment and Production Technology Division (EPTD). Mr. De
Greef assumes his duties on June 12, 2006.
http://www.ifpri.org/
EU Commission Report on Regulation 1830/2003 -
traceability and labelling of GMOs
The Commission published its report
on the implementation of Regulation 1830 on the Traceability and
Labelling of GMOs. Some food chain stakeholders had suggested
that the GMO traceability method is hurting business due to the
over-burdensome requirements imposed by the EU rules on the
Marketing of GMO?s. The Commission understands the complexity of
the obligation of all business operators involved to keep
details on GMO products but claims that it is not the EU
regulation that hampers the GMO products, but that it is
actually the market forces and consumer preferences to be the
determining factors in GM trade.
To access the Commission report on the EU regulation on GMO
site:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/file.jsp?id=9233263.
For further information please contact Simon Barber:
S.barber@europabio.org
Council
approves Freedom of Choice on coexistence
The Agriculture Ministers Council Meeting on coexistence on May
22 discussed the very different
agro-environmental and growing conditions across the EU and
agreed on the need for coexistence and flexibility in technical
rules (crop by crop basis) and for the establishment of
Community wide thresholds for the Adventitious Presence of GM
material in Non GM seeds. EuropaBio outlined that the more
European farmers see the benefits provided by crop varieties
developed using modern biotechnology, the more they are likely
to want to grow them.
For further information
http://www.europabio.org/articles/PRAGministerscoexistencedebate060522.doc
or contact Simon Barber
(s.barber@europabio.org)
EuropaBio supplies Commission with biotech plastic cups for use
during Green Week
The Green Week started Tuesday the 30th of May and EuropaBio
once again obtained agreement from the Commission that the
catering services would use EuropaBio?s biotech plastic beakers
at all coffee breaks, lunches etc served during Green Week.
EuropaBio posters explaining the bioprocess used and the
environmental benefits of biotech beakers were displayed
throughout Green Week.
Contact Alina Cornea for more information,
a.cornea@europabio.org
New
Biofuels Technology Platform launched
The European Biofuels
Technology Platform was launched June 8 and is intended to
provide and implement a common European vision and strategy for
the production of biofuels, in particular for transport
applications, and be compatible with present-day
infrastructures.
EuropaBio is a
member of BIOFRAC, the Biofuels Research Advisory Council, which
has developed the draft vision document for the Biofuels
Technology Platform.
EuropaBio press release:
http://www.europabio.org/articles/PR_BioFuelsTP_060608.doc
Commissioner Dimas worries about biomass but supports second
generation biofuels ....
Dimas Speech:
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/06/350&format
=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Benchmarking
tax incentives
See benchmark study by group of National Associations led by
Sweden (refer to Emerging Enterprise (Finance) section above)
Report -
http://www.sik.se/yicstatus/Reports/YIC_project_Report-May311.pdf
The UK adopts major step
guidelines to obtain greater capital sums for the UK Biotech
sector
BIA has
succeeded in providing the UK Biotech firms with greater
flexibility and obtain greater capital sums from share issues to
help R&D.The new guidelines published this week leaves the
liberty to Biotech firms to go beyond the 5% limit threshold in
order to access the capital easier and more effectively like in
the USA. BIA Chief Executive Aisling Burnand, said: "The
Statement of Principles is an appropriate and more flexible way
of dealing with the reality of funding requirements of UK
bioscience companies."
For Further Information contact:
nick.hudson@apmnews.com
Europe's regions called to act on
innovation
http://www.euractiv.com/en/science/commission-urges-regions-get-ready-fp7/article-155245
Speakers
Plaza - Register your profile online!
Would you
like to be considered to present at one of our upcoming
conferences? Do you want to take the opportunity to share ideas
with other colleagues involved in your sector? Do you have
expertise in specific fields and would like to share your
experience and knowledge? Then fill in our electronic form to
submit your application.
http://www.europabio.org/speakers.asp
EuropaBio Job PLAZA – Post your vacancies Free-of-Charge
The
EuropaBio Life Science Jobs in Europe database offers the possibility of
posting job vacancies in the European biotech industry. The database is
open to all European biotech companies; there is no registration or
login required.
Surf to and post at:
http://www.europabio.org/jobs.htm
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