The Commission published its first impact assessment of EU research and technological development programmes and actions in October 2005. The report assesses the past Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) and, where possible, the on-going FP6 in terms of their social and environmental impact. The review supports the preparation of the ex-ante impact assessment of FP7.
According to the report, it is more difficult to assess research's environmental and social impacts than the economic ones, which benefit from a standardised set of quantitative variables. The report had no prior measurement techniques and the analysis is based on evidence and examples of good practices and success stories. The report can thus be considered as the first attempt to assess the social and environmental impacts of research. The assessment and measurement methods are expected to be further developed.
One major impact measured is the impact of research on policy, economy and society. As to socio-economic research, the report states that it has generated positive contributions to "major EU policy initiatives such as the White Paper on Governance, the Social Exclusion Plan, Universities and Research, and formulation of the Commission Position Paper on Formal and Informal Work".
The report shows that work on systems of innovation has increased the knowledge of innovation concept in Europe and has had a substantial impact on policy formulation at national and, to certain extent, regional levels. Furthermore, research has provided direct policy inputs, for example, in the area of employment (minimum wage policy, employment patterns, social risk).
As to environmental impact of research, individual projects have made a major contribution to the Commission's policy formulation on climate change and contributed to many policy documents such as the communication on air transport and the environment and directive on waste management.
Regarding frontier technologies, the report notes that research into life sciences, nanotechnologies and advanced information technology may raise and has raised "a new spectrum of risks and issues of an ethical nature which, in turn, can affect fundamental human rights".
