The Competitiveness Council will discuss on 24 September the Marimon report and the Commission's response to the recommendations laid down in the report. The Marimon report is a mid-term evaluation of the new instruments (networks of excellence and integrated projects) introduced in the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) (see EurActiv 16 September 2004 and EurActiv 7 July 2004). The Marimon report and Commission's conclusions on the issue diverge on three points:
- Free choice of instrument for participants: The Marimon report wishes to make the choice of instrument more flexible. The Commission rejects the recommendation as "it would reduce the effectiveness of support" provided by the EU to research.
- Networks of excellence and 'durable integration': Durable integration (i.e. partners continue co-operation even after the project is over) should not always be a prerequisite for participating in networks of excellence, says the Marimon report. According to the Commission, this objective is important as part of the drive towards a European Research Area.
- Two-step evaluation procedure of the proposals: The Marimon report recommends this procedure to reduce the overall costs for participants and to improve the efficiency of the evaluation. The Commission has mixed experience of the procedure and is reluctant to adopt it.
The Council conclusions call for the maintenance of new and traditional instruments in an appropriate balance in the 7th Framework Programme, depending on the outcome of the financial perspectives negotiations. They also welcome the Marimon report as part of efforts to make the Framework Programme more accessible to SME’s and start-ups. Moreover, ministers have decided to hold an in-depth debate on the essential features of FP7 at their next meeting on 25-26 November 2004.
