Biotech key to EU competitiveness, Italy says
The European Commission proposed the EU strategy on biotechnology in January 2002 when it became apparent that EU industries could benefit from using new biological systems to produce food, drugs, and new therapies for diseases including those that treatment has eluded in the past. Biotechnology is also being used to make lots of other products like detergents, plastics, paper and pulp. The European Commission estimates the market to be worth EUR 2000 billion by 2010.
No industry will be left untouched by biotech, the pharmaceutical (3), agricultural and fast moving consumer goods markets are all using the technology today. ?Biotech is an important technology for the development of Europe?s major industries to engineer new products, processes and pathways,? says Feike Sijbesma. ?More Member States might follow in the tracks of the UK and others, and agree a national biotechnology strategy to boost growth and jobs. We?d like to see Ministers developing a coordination mechanism to help different ministries and countries to do this. Because biotechnology cuts across so many sectors, we believe this merits a special discussion in itself at next Spring?s European Council.?
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