madam president i too would like to thank the rapporteur and the commissioner
as they both said research and innovation is important for the future of the european economy
i certainly know that there are many universities in wales for example which will take advantage of european funding
therefore i think that it is important that we all support adequate funding for research and innovation in the eu budget we should not say we support it in this meeting and vote against it in the budget meetings
on the key issues raised this afternoon of course we would all support simplification such as a common set of rules
i am aware however of some concerns about always using flat rates and lump sums so i believe we should be looking for some flexibility and discretion in those areas
i would also argue that we should focus on performance
but while performance is important research and innovation does mean we also have to accept some risk- taking as well and we cannot rule that out
finally i would also support the proposal to create better links between universities and businesses so that we can take advantage of all the research and development undertaken
