In his speech before the EU Parliament, the Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen lingered on the need to "multiply investments in research, innovation and education", so that the Lisbon Strategy "may become a reality". "We have invested a lot of money and energy in research explained Vanhanen to SIR -. But every member state must do this, if we want the EU economy to grow overall". And to those governments that keep making promises in that respect without keeping them, what would you say? "Funds allocated for innovation, for the education of young people and researchers, develop excellent and factual results goes on the Prime Minister -. According to the Lisbon Strategy, every country should invest 3% of its GDP in this direction. Over the next few years, we won’t certainly go that far, but it’s important that we keep moving on". The EU Council last June decided that in March 2007, for the 50th anniversary of the EEC Treaties, a Declaration on EU values and objectives will be signed; what are in your opinion the points that should be included in the Declaration? "After an in-depth discussion, we should write the political priorities of the EU for the next 10 to 20 years stated Vanhanen to SIR -. And then we must find out with what means and by what time we must pursue those priorities".
