CORDIS FOCUS. 3 DECEMBER 2001 NUMBER 186

ISSN 1022-6559 ìased on information from CORDIS News available on the Web at http://www.cordls.lu/news Innovation is the key to competitiveness, says Liikanen EU Enterprise Commissioner Erkki Liikanen made it clear on 22 November that innovation will have to play a key role if the EU is to close the competitiveness gap with the United States, as highlighted in the 'European competitiveness report' published on the same day. Erkki Liikanen The report identifies two major causes behind and collaborative relationships and less © European Communities, 2001 the EU's lack of competitiveness in compari­ present in markets for these technologies. son with the US: a weakness in innovative per­The attractiveness of the EU for US research IN THIS ISSUE formance and a slower introduction of new must also be tackled if Europe is to catch up technologies. Competitiveness in this report with the US, claims the report, stating'the ap­Commission accepts two-thirds of is understood as a sustained rise in living stand­Parliament's FP6 amendments parent unattractiveness of Europe to US re­ards and as low a level of unemployment as The Commission will accept 248 of search appears to be particular to biotechnol­the 334 amendments to its proposals possible.