Non on E.U. Constitution

doi:10.1126/science.308.5727.1393b

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ScienceScope

PARIS--France's rejection of the European Constitution last Sunday will have little immediate impact on European science policy, experts say. The proposed constitution, which was expected to face another defeat in the Netherlands this week, contained few new science provisions. And the ambitious, 7-year Framework Programme, proposed in April (Science, 15 April, p. 342), is based on the existing E.U. treaty, points out Peter Tindemans, a spokesperson for EuroScience. But in the long run, says former French science minister Claude Allègre, the vote will hamper attempts to create a more open, competitive research landscape. He adds that a cabinet reshuffle announced in the wake of the defeat seems set to further delay the long-awaited science reform bill in France.