FP7 decision passed to Parliament

The Council has reached a common position on FP7, but Parliament will have the final say before the programme’s adoption by the end of 2006.

The EU-25 competitiveness ministers adopted a common position on the Commission’s FP7 proposal in a Council meeting on 25 September 2006. The position, adopted by qualified majority without discussion, follows the political agreement achieved by the Council on 24 July 2006, once the issue of embryonic stem-cell funding was discussed. At that time, the Austrian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish and Slovak delegations voted against the political agreement.

The Council’s common position will now be forwarded to the Parliament for its second reading, which is expected to take place on 29 November 2006. “The objective of both the Council and the Parliament is to get the programme through in the second reading in order to ensure a timely launch of the FP7 in January 2007,” said the Finnish presidency. “The aim is also to adopt the rules for participation in FP7 in the first reading. If they go to a second reading, the launch of FP7 will be delayed. As to the four specific programmes, currently under preparation, the Council will vote on them as soon as possible after the adoption of FP7.”

First calls for proposals for FP7 projects could be published by December 2006 for submission in March 2007, and, after an evaluation period, the first FP7 project could begin at the end of 2007 or early 2008. 

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