S'Agaró

[Xavi Drudis Ferran <xdrudis@tinet.org>]

I've heard in the radio (or thought to) that the informal meeting of 
ministers of Research and Industry has approved the Community Patent.

I don't think I've heard it well. I've checked vilaweb.com (a news site)
http://www.vilaweb.com/ep/20020202154809.html
and it says they have decided to approve it in the Barcelona summit
in March (which I think I already read in europa.eu.int after the 
last meeting, where it was discussed but not approved). It cites 
Europa Press.

I don't have time to find it out this week, but in case somebody knows
something about what's been decided, I'd like to know.  

I'm talking of an informal  meeting little anticipated in the news 
(I hadn't heard until it was happening). Almost all news only speak 
about the target set to allocate 3% of PIB (producte interior brut, 
what's the English for that, gross interior product?) to research, 
preferably by the private sector. 

It seems the polices have taken the village of S'Agaró (Baix Empordà, 
Catalonia) and some ministers of Industry and Research, along with 
comissioners have discussed investment in research, etc. It started 
yesterday (February the 1st, 2002) and ended today. 

There have been some debates and (peaceful) protests nearby (enviromentalist, 
and anti-neoliberalism, or however it is called), including protest
against biotech patents, but I'm not well informed. 

May I ask why do these meetings have to involve tourism at the expense
of local inhabitants that suffer the security measures?. Can't they 
meet always in some Parliament or something were security is already 
in place?.

-- 
Xavi Drudis Ferran
xdrudis@tinet.org