Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, backed the European Foundation Statute in a speech at the EFC AGA and Conference on 3 June.

At a special plenary entitled, “The European Game Plan”, President Van Rompuy called the Statute “a sensible idea” and said to the foundations gathered at the event, “I hope that you will ultimately succeed in this endeavour.” He also noted the key role that European foundations can and should play in the EU2020 Agenda, emphasising foundations’ capacity to act as a link between the citizens and governments. He cited the economic importance of foundations in Europe and the roles they are already playing in a range of fields from the environment to research to education.

The plenary, chaired by Emilio Rui Vilar of Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, examined how the Lisbon Treaty will help bring the European Union into a new era – one better equipped to serve citizens across the 27 Member States.

The session also featured a presentation by Mark Walport of the Wellcome Trust, who outlined the role foundations should play in research in the EU and underlined the particular importance of supporting the “brightest minds” in the sciences, as well as the culture surrounding the sciences, including public engagement and science history. Also critical is the translation from research to application. “It is no good discovering things unless these discoveries are applied,” said Walport.

Walport said that in light of the global challenges we face around poverty, environment and sustainability, “European foundations are needed as they’ve never been needed before.” He said the European Foundation Statute was essential to enabling foundations to play this very needed role.

Check out our Foundation Week video blog, including a clip of Herman Van Rompuy's speech and new interviews with Mark Walport and Eleanor Boddington of the Wellcome Trust, MEP Nadja Hirsch, former MEP Manuel Medina Ortega, Emilio Rui Vilar of Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, and Luc Tayart de Borms of the King Baudouin Foundation.

Read Herman Van Rompuy's speech