Nature © Macmillan Publishers Ltd 1998

8[JERUSALEM] Despite objections from someindustrialists and government officials,Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahudecided this week that Israel should partici-pate in the European Union’s fifth four-yearFramework programme of research (FP5),which begins next year.

Netanyahu authorized the Israeli negoti-ating team to initial the agreement it hadreached with the EU. But the agreement stillrequires the approval of the cabinet and ofthe finance committee of the Knesset, Israel’sparliament.

The negotiating team, led by Orna Berry,chief scientist at the Ministry of Commerceand Industry, achieved what Berry said weresignificant improvements over the rulesIsrael worked under in the fourth Frame-work programme (FP4). This would putIsrael on a par with the non-EU Europeanstates that participate, such as Norway.

Berry has been a strong supporter ofIsrael’s continued participation, as a way ofstrengthening the country’s presence in theEuropean market for high-technologygoods. But she does not dispute the claimlevelled by the programme’s opponents —that Israel is getting terms that are less goodthan those enjoyed by EU member states.

The FP5 rules require, for example, thatIsrael can only participate in projects involv-ing at least two EU countries, while EU mem-bers need only find one other member stateas a partner. But she argues that Israel cannotafford to remain outside the programme.

Israel’s high-tech industries must under-stand, says Berry, that Framework is a Euro-pean programme not designed with theinterests of non-EU countries in mind. “Wepay in advance, and we have to adjust our-selves to the EU’s requirements,” she says.

Berry points out that Israel has a tradedeficit of US$10 billion with Europe, half ofthe total value of the country’s exports to theEU. She says Israel has already, through itsmembership of FP4, invested money andeffort in becoming familiar with the pro-gramme and the Brussels bureaucracy. Notjoining FP5 would mean writing off thatinvestment, she says.

Berry’s arguments are supported bymany in universities. “Israel must join[FP5],” says Zehev Tadmor, president of theTechnion — Israel Institute of Technology.“Europe is our natural partner and it wouldbe absurd if we were not in the programme.”

Technion researchers are involved in 17research projects funded under FP4, in fieldsas diverse as aeronautics, medical technol-ogy and water desalination. “True, it’s a bigbureaucracy, but we’ve got to overcomethat,” says Tadmor.

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But the programme’s critics in industryand government disagree. Officials at the sci-ence and finance ministries have been argu-ing that the money Israel will have to invest inthe programme — about $45 million annu-ally over four years — could be better spentin direct grants to local research projects.Some leading figures in the country’s high-tech industries have been overtly hostile.

Zohar Zisapel, chairman of Rad DataCommunications and of the ElectronicIndustries Association, argues that “Israelhas been accepted into the programmeunder discriminatory conditions, and as aresult has not been able fully to realize theopportunities it presented”.

Zisapel points out that, under the rulescovering the participation of non-EU statesin FP4, Israeli companies have not been ableto act as the coordinators of research pro-grammes. Such restrictions come on top ofthe inherent disadvantages Israel faces as anon-EU member of the programme.

He suggests that Israel should be givennot just a level playing field, but one tilted inits favour, arguing that European high-techcompanies “have a lot more good reasons towant to cooperate with Israeli companies”than Israeli companies have to want to co-operate with European ones.

Uri Shor, spokesman of the Ministry ofScience, says Israel should participate in theprogramme, but only on the same condi-tions enjoyed by member states. “We won’tinvest the money of Israeli taxpayers forother people’s research programmes.”

The prime minister’s science adviser,Israel Hanukoglu, says: “We pay the fullassessment but we don’t get the whole pro-gramme. We’re very interested in participat-ing, but we want equal conditions.”

However, the programme’s opponentsare unlikely to campaign against the agree-ment’s ratification by the cabinet and Knesset. Haim Watzman

Israel reaches deal to joinEU Framework programme

Job discriminationbased on geneticsset for California ban[SAN FRANCISCO] The California senate isexpected to finalize legislation this week toprohibit employers from discriminating onthe basis of genetic characteristics. The bill,which the State Assembly approved lastweek, was expected to go to the governor PeteWilson before Friday for a final signature.

The law would prevent employers fromusing any genetic information — includingtests, family histories or conjectures fromsomeone’s appearance or ethnicity — inmaking hiring, promotion or other job-related decisions.

California already has one of the coun-try’s strongest laws prohibiting insurance-related genetic discrimination. State senatorPatrick Johnston (Democrat, Sacramento/San Joaquin), who shepherded that legisla-tion four years ago, has been pursuingrestrictions on gene-related employment dis-crimination ever since.

“Job applicants should not be evaluatedbased on their genes,” Johnston told theAssembly Appropriations Committee. “Theyshould be evaluated based on their perfor-mance, their current health status, and theiractual capacity to function in a job.”

Johnston said several studies suggest thatemployers are using genetic information todeny employment to individuals. Companiesmay be attempting to avoid high health-insurance rates or a loss of productivity oncea genetic disease strikes.

The Chamber of Commerce and the Cali-fornia Manufacturers Association opposedthe legislation, but the pharmaceutical com-pany SmithKline Beecham supported it. TheBiotechnology Industry Organization hasargued against a patchwork of non-discrimi-nation laws at the state level, pointing outthat there is already some federal protection,such as the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Johnston said that state laws on geneticdiscrimination are necessary because theexisting act may not fully protect workers. Inaddition, the federal Disabilities Act coversonly companies with at least 15 employees;the new law would apply to any employer ofmore than five people. The California legisla-tion could lead the way for other states toenact strict laws against genetic discrimina-tion in employment.

At the national level, a bill sponsored byRepresentative Louise Slaughter (Democrat,New York) and Senator Olympia Snowe(Republican, Maine) is scheduled for mark-up in the US Senate Labor and HumanResources Committee this week. Legislatorsare expected to vote on the bill, which isintended to prevent discrimination by healthinsurers on the basis of genetic information,within a month. Sally Lehrman

Netanyahu: backs Framework deal despite claimsthat the rules discriminate against Israel.

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