FP7: simplification and more business orientation 

Main idea:  "The 7th Framework Programme will not be 'just another Framework Programme', ” said Science and Research Commissioner Potočnik, who presented the Commission proposal to the Parliament's ITRE committee on 6 April 2005. Indeed, in its content, organisation, implementation modes and management tools, the FP7 is designed as a key contribution to the relaunched Lisbon strategy. "FP7 is centered on innovation and knowledge for growth," said Commissioner Potočnik. "It will continue the drive towards the European research area (ERA) - thus aiming at building the internal market of knowledge," he added. 

Duration:   The 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7) will be synchronised with the duration of the EU's financial perspective and will thus cover the 7-year-period 2007-2013.

Structure:  FP7 will be organised into four specific programmes, corresponding to four major objectives of European research policy: 

1. Co-operation: refers to gaining leadership in key scientific and technology areas by supporting co-operation between universities, industry, research centres and public authorities across the EU and with the rest of the world. Trans-national cooperation will remain the main instrument for carrying out research activities.

This programme will be organised into 9 sub-programmes (see table 1. below) covering the nine different thematic research areas receiving Community support (the so called thematic priority areas). All FP6 thematic priorities will continue to be supported in the FP7. Only one new priority, 'Space and security', has been added to the previous set of themes. 

Even though the programme will be organised into operationally autonomous sub-programmes, joint, cross-thematic approaches to research subjects of common interest are allowed. 

2. Ideas: refers to the establishment of an autonomous European research council (ERC), which will support and stimulate the creativity and excellence of European research through the funding of ground-breaking research carried out by individual teams competing at European level. 

3. People: refers to the so called 'Marie Curie' actions, which strengthen training, the career prospects and mobility of European researchers. Better focus will be given on key aspects of skills and career development, increasing mobility between university and industry, and strengthening links with national systems. 

4. Capacities: refers to developing and fully exploiting the EU’s research capacities through large-scale research infrastructure, regional cooperation and innovating SMEs. 

* Joint Research Centre: In addition to the four specific programmes, the FP7 includes a specific programme for the non-nuclear activities of the Joint Research Centre (JRC). 

**Euratom Treaty: In line with the EU's responsibilities with the Euratom Treaty, the proposal for FP7 includes the traditional sector of research on nuclear safety. 

Budget:  The proposed total budget for FP7 (64.282 billion) and the Euratom Treaty research activities (2.800 billion) is 67.082 billion euros. Cooperation and Ideas will receive around 70 per cent of the funds, People and Capacities around 20 per cent and the remaining ten per cent will go to the JRC and the Euratom programme activities. 

The budget has a yearly average of around 10 billion euros, but the Commission proposal envisages starting in 2007 with around six billion euros and increasing the yearly expenditure gradually to reach 15 billion euros budget in 2013.

Table 1. The nine thematic research areas and budget breakdown of the Cooperation-programme: 

For comparison, see the budget breakdown of the FP6 here .

CORDIS has launched a new service designed to follow the developments in the procedure towards the approval, adoption and launch of the FP7. 

EuropaBio , the European Association for Bioindustries thinks that the FP7 work programmes should be defined by the Strategic research agendas of the European Technology Platforms. “Developing these long term European research agenda’s can really boost industry participation in FP7,” said EuropaBio Public Policy Director Dirk Carrez. 

Christoph Leitl, President of  EUROCHAMBERS : "According to a recent EUROCHAMBRES’ study, Europe’s R&D investment is more than 20 years behind leading economies like the US". EUROCHAMBERS says that to exploit research results better the European Research Council (ERC) should be opened to business representatives, who should become an integral part of the ERC. 

David Hammerstein,  Greens/EFA Group shadow rapporteur on the 7th framework programme on research and development: "This spending programme, while containing some positive aspects, is deeply compromised by its bias towards the promotion of forms of energy production that have no future. The proposal to increase funding for nuclear research by 230% compared to the last R&D programme, is simply ridiculous. Under these plans the mammoth project to build the ITER experimental fusion reactor will consume the majority of public funding without delivering a single kilowatt of energy to Europe's grid. Nor will it create a single 'real' – i.e. non taxpayer-assisted – job in the next 50 years." 

Claude Turmes, Greens/EFA Group energy coordinator: "This relative decline of financial support is scandalous. It also misses the opportunity of creating up to one million jobs in SMEs. It is high time for the Commission to begin properly investing in areas that will deliver both real employment and a safe and sustainable energy economy. We deeply regret that key decisions on energy research are still taken by the Commission's internal services. After publicly announcing that efficiency and renewables would be the Commission's top priority, Energy Commissioner Piebalgs appears confined to playing the role of a spectator who can only pay lip service to sustainable strategies."

UEAPME , the European association of craft, small and medium-sized enterprises, points out that under FP6, 15 per cent of the collaborative research budget was set-aside for SME participation, whereas the Commission proposal on FP7 includes no such guaranteed allocation. “The Commission has tried to make the framework programme simpler and more accessible for SMEs but, without a minimum SME budget, there is no guarantee that involvement of small business will not decrease,” said UEAPME Secretary General Hans-Werner Müller. 

UEAPME is thus calling on the European Parliament and the Council to redress this when considering the proposals for FP7. It is asking for at least six billion euros in the budget for the participation of SMEs in collaborative research projects. 

UNICE , the Union des Industries de la Communauté européenne, "urges for the proposed Joint Technology Initiatives to be adquately funded and established with workable operational and management structures". UNICE is also "of the strong opinion that a key objective of the proposed European Research Council must be to achieve synergies between 'frontier' and 'applied' research to stimulate transition of research to commercially viable products and services."