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Proposals for a European Union research and innovation framework programme will be discussed at the Stockholm Summit on March 23 and 24. The European Commission is proposing a budget of €17.5 billion (?11.13 billion) for the four-year programme from 2003, an increase of 17 per cent on the budget of the current research programme.

Areas targeted by research commissioner Philippe Busquin, include information society technologies, nanotechnologies and intelligent materials.