Commissioner Potoènik made known that since 2005, the revision year for the Strategy of Lisbon (economic competition, research, and social cohesion), "the politicians in charge of the European Union and the member States started new initiatives to give new energy to the Europe of knowledge". The budget allocation of the Seventh framework programme for the period from 2007 to 2013 was "much higher" with respect to the past. However, the "Key figures 2007" specify a few problems to be tackled on a community level. "The intensity of the research and development activities in the EU has been steady since mid nineties; in 2005, just 1.84% of the GDP was dedicated to research and development in the EU, with its 27 member States. That percentage was lower than the percentage spent, in the same sector", by developed countries and developing nations. "The EU is part of a globalized economy in which knowledge is fundamental in the competition perspective". The modest enterprise dimensions of the majority of European firms hinder R&D investments; The EU is "the biggest world producer of scientific knowledge", but the consequences on technology and economy are still modest. Finally, the research loans in the private sector are still too limited with respect to the public ones.
