On Monday May 17th, the Competitiveness Council of Ministers meets to work on two important actions for the biotech industry: one is to review the progress report on the EU's life science and biotechnology strategy and the other is to decide on the community patent.

On the patent, a petition to ministers signed by more than 300 CEOs and research directors from some of Europe's most innovative industries is asking ministers to agree to 'a single patent for a single market'.  "We are calling on EU Ministers to support a Community Patent which provides a patent system that is secure, cost-effective and simple-to-obtain," says Johan Vanhemelrijck, Secretary General of EuropaBio.

On the life science strategy, here is a selection of messages to ministers from some of EuropaBio's national associations .....

"The recent revision of the Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation will result in increased uncertainty and additional bureaucracy and could reduce the competitiveness of the European bioscience sector and its ability to deliver new treatments for the many diseases that still have no cure. This flies in the face of the European Commission's Life Sciences & Biotechnology Strategy. Patients - the end-users whom the competition regime is intended to help - will be the losers." Aisling Burnand, Chief Executive, BioIndustry Association (United Kingdom)

"The EU life sciences and biotech strategy constitutes one milestone on the way to reach the Lisbon goal, which Europe is presently far from reaching.
"Implementing the biotech strategy means among others implementing the EU directives into national legislation.
"The European Commission should exert its influence on member states to implement the directives (e.g. on GMOs and patenting) quickly and consistently."
Ricardo Gent, Managing Director, DIB - Deutsche Industrievereinigung Biotechnologie (Germany)

"The need to improve the life sciences climate in Europe is a very urgent one. Economic activity in this field is growing very rapidly in large parts of the world. If Europe does not improve its climate radically and quickly, the backlog to the rest of the world will become insurmountable. Europe needs a life sciences climate that improves the global competitive position of its companies. To that end we need most of all legislation that is careful but does not unnecessarily hinder valuable developments." Rob Janssen, Managing Director, NIABA (The Netherlands)

"Europe needs to deliver on the Lisbon Agenda in Biotechnology - this means a consistent approach to regulation, prioritisation of commercialisation of research and strong support for the sector as a whole-otherwise Europe is in danger of becoming a poor third in the biotech race-behind the US and Asia." Matt Moran, Director, Irish Biotech Industry Association (Ireland)

"It is most important for ministers to remind themselves that innovation spans the whole distance from having an idea to market penetration; just having a splendid idea is not enough. Therefore ministers have to make sure that the legal framework as well as the public attitude allows for a quick and easy market access for new products and services. Not an easy job, but it is their job." Rüdiger Marquardt, Director, department of biotechnology and Association of German Biotechnology Companies, DECHEMA e.V. (Germany)

"Lots can also be done at the member state level too.  We'd like to see ministers abolish taxes for R&D personnel." Nathalie Moll, Public Affairs Manager, Assobiotec (Italy)

"We want ministers to improve Europe´s competitiveness by working towards introducing tax and social charge exemptions for young innovative companies in a way similar to the pioneering effort made by France." Per Vretblad, Business Area Manager, BioteknikForum (Sweden)

"Our recommendation is to let companies deliver their products and consumers benefit from the improvements in biotechnology. So EU member states should implement directives, fix the regulatory framework once and for all, reduce taxes and barriers, and let innovative companies grow and enter the market." Jacques Viseur, Secretary General, BBA (Belgium)

"Ministers need to improve R&D funding considerably in medicine and biotechnology and make framework research programmes more accessible to SMEs. This should be for both peer-reviewed strategic programmes and for basic research funding.  A way forward is to calculate how many new jobs can be created in a given sector, analyse the outcome of more efficient therapies both from a commercial and quality of life aspect." Hans Nyctellius, President, SwedenBio (Sweden)

"It is of utmost importance that the 6^th and 7^th framework research programme is going to be made easier for candidates. Currently there is no motivation for SMEs to enter a program, if a) the likelihood of success is less than 10%, b) the administrative burden is up to half a man year and c) the response level from the EU is simply impossible to advance a project." Domenico P. Alexakis, Executive Director, Swiss Biotech Association (Switzerland)

"We call on Ministers to end the fragmentation of Europe's stock exchanges.  With the failure of the Neuer Markt, Nasdaq Europe, an anaemic Euronext, and a London Stock Exchange strongly focussed on the UK and US markets, we need to build a powerful European stock market that will provide fund raising, investment and exit opportunities for companies, entrepreneurs and investors in innovative fields." Angelita de Francisco, Secretary General, France Biotech (France)

"I would ask Ministers to be consistent.  You can not expect to be an innovation leader if some decision makers are hindering innovation while at the same time trying to stimulate it. The best way to kill the innovation industry is to stimulate it and then hinder the market access of products issued from it. Member States should stop the internal discord; the EU should show solidarity with innovation both in words and in deeds." Johan Vanhemelrijck, Secretary General, EuropaBio

The petition is at http://195.74.199.182/patent/introduction.asp

EuropaBio has 33 corporate members and 24 national biotechnology associations representing 1200 biotech companies in Europe.