JANEZ POTOCNIK: BOSNIA NEEDS TO ADOPT NEW SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 6,2007) – Bosnia needs to adopt the new scientific development strategy as soon as possible and thus place the research policy to the top level, Janez Potocnik, the EU Commissioner for Science and Research, stated in Sarajevo. He was in a two-day visit to Bosnia and is touring the capital cities of the Western Balkans.

Addressing the members of the Bosnian Academy of Arts and Sciences, Potocnik emphasized that Bosnia needs to increase the present level of investments into research and science and in that way keep up the pace with the European trends.

”Science and research are not a luxury, but a need of this country”, he said.

Potocnik is of the opinion that Bosnia should support training of the new generation of researchers and scientists who will cooperate with their colleagues from the rest of Europe and actively participate in various projects. It would also be reasonable to focus on industrial sector.

Division of scientific strategies to various levels of Bosnian authority is the main problem according to him. Bosnia needs to solve it urgently. Integration to the European research zone is one of the main objectives of Bosnia if aims to enter the EU soon,Potocnik said.

He stated that the fact that Bosnia is the only country in the Southeastern Europe which has not submitted a demand to associate to the 7th EU Frame Program is critical, for that is the chief instrument used by the EU to provide funds for the scientific and research activities.

That program will enable Bosnia to finance scientific and research activities at the European level and will initiate mobility of the Bosnian researchers into the EU countries and will also enable cooperation with the Joint Research Centre.

”Since the war ended in Bosnia, science and technology have not been made a part of the reform processes. Scientific strategy needs to be implemented as soon as possible; laws on science ned to be passed. It is important for Bosnia to move in a synchronized way”, Potocnik said.

The President of the Bosnian Academy of Arts and Sciences Bozidar Matic stated that the main responsibility for the chaotic situation in Bosnian science lies in the Dayton Agreement and the Bosnian Constitution which do not mention the word “science” at a single place. The result of that is that none of the Bosnian authorities’ representatives feels responsible.