BioMatNet Item: Commercial Success of ECLAIR Programme - Overview

Commercial Success of ECLAIR Programme
Overview - 7. Political and Legislative Environment

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FAIR-CT98-4822 Commercial Success of the ECLAIR Programme

This report on the Commercial Success of ECLAIR Programme 1999 was produced in 1999 by CPL Scientific under contract FAIR-CT98-4822. The Project Summary and Project Reports are available in separate items.

Preface
Executive Summary
Overview
1. Introduction
2. Information Collection
3. Assessment of Commercial Success
4. Sectors, Technology and Markets
5. Industrial Participation
6. Impact of Science and Technology on Commercial Development
7. Political and Legislative Environment
8. ECLAIR in the Context of European Research and Development
9. Conclusions

Overview

7. Political and Legislative Environment

The ECLAIR programme was initiated for two main reasons: to apply biotechnology to non-medical areas of activity in order to address the market for environmentally ethical, sustainable and natural products; and to assist in meeting problems arising under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) over the previous decade. During the preceding years, energy had been seen as one of the main problems facing the (then) European Community (EC), with non-food research in the agro-industrial area mainly focused on biomass (energy from crops, forestry, residues and wastes). By the time the ECLAIR programme had finished, the price of oil had stabilized at the lowest level it had been for some time; the CAP was in the process of reform; land was being taken out of production to control surpluses; the concept of the European Union had been formulated; and European legislation was developing fast in attempts to harmonize national laws to create a single market and permit free movement of goods. Concern about the environment had focused on the global scale on emissions of greenhouse gases, and locally on recycling and biodegradability. Hence, the market situation within which the results of the various projects had to be developed was different from that within which the original ECLAIR project was conceived.

In the final analysis, ECLAIR probably has not directly impacted on the CAP, rural economies, employment or application of biotechnology in agro-industry to the extent that was envisaged. On the other hand the actual budget was fairly modest. For a number of companies, and some commercial sectors, involvement in ECLAIR was significant in development. Probably of greatest importance was the way that initiation of ECLAIR led to further funding, on a much wider scale, as discussed in the next section.

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Contents

Overview