PURPOSE: adoption of the European Community’s seventh framework programme for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013).
PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.
CONTENT: This proposal relates to the EU’s Seventh Research Framework Programme 2007-2013 (FP7) which is designed to respond to the competitiveness and employment needs of the EU. The Commission proposes in particular to double the FP7 budget compared with FP6, rising to EUR 67.8 billion over the period 2007-2013. FP7 will be organised in four specific programmes.
1. Cooperation.
Objective: to gain European leadership in key areas through co-operation of industry and research institutions. Support will be given to research activities carried out in trans-national cooperation, from collaborative projects and networks to the coordination of national research programmes.
The Cooperation programme is organised into sub-programmes which will be operationally autonomous and at the same time demonstrate coherence and consistency, and allow for joint, cross-thematic approaches to research subjects of common interest. Nine themes have been identified:
- Health
- Food, agriculture and biotechnology
- Information and communication technologies
- Nanosciences and nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies
- Energy
- Environment (including climate change)
- Transport (including aeronautics)
- Socio-economic sciences and the humanities
- Security and Space
2. Ideas
Objective: To strengthen the excellence of our science base by fostering competition at European level. An autonomous European Research Council will be created to support “frontier research” carried out by research teams, either individually or in partnership, competing at European level, in all scientific and technological fields, including engineering, socio-economic sciences and the humanities.
3. People
Objective: To reinforce career prospects and mobility for our researchers Activities supporting individual researchers, referred to as “Marie Curie” actions, will be reinforced with the aim of strengthening the human potential of European research through support to training, mobility and the development of European research careers.
4. Capacities
Objective: To develop research capacities, so that the European science community has the best possible capacities at its service. Activities will be supported to enhance research and innovation capacity throughout Europe: research infrastructures; regional research driven clusters; stimulating the research potential in the EU’s “convergence” regions; clustering regional actors in research to develop “regions of knowledge”; research for and by SMEs; “science in society” issues; “horizontal” activities of international co-operation.
The details of these programmes will be set out in specific legislative proposals later in the year.
There is a strong element of continuity with the past in the proposed FP7. Projects undertaken by consortia of European partners will remain at the core of the programme, and the themes for these projects will remain more or less as now. The programme will continue to develop the concept of a European Research Area. Funds will be used to develop and increase those elements of previous programmes that worked well: Marie Curie, SME actions, collaborative projects, Networks of Excellence. The aim of continuity will be strengthened through a programme that lasts 7 years (with the possibility of a mid-term review).
For further information concerning the financial implications of this measure, please refer to the financial statement.