30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/243 
 COUNCIL DECISION 
of 19 December 2006 
concerning the specific programme: "Ideas"  
implementing the Seventh Framework Programme  
of the European Community for research,  
technological development and demons tration activities (2007 to 2013)  
 
(Text with EEA relevance) 
(2006/972/EC) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the Euro pean Community, and in pa rticular Article 166(4) 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament
1, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Eu ropean Economic and Social Committee2, 
                                                 
1 Opinion of 30 November 2006 (not yet published in the Official Journal). 
2 OJ C 185, 8.8.2006, p. 10. 
L 400/244 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 Whereas: 
(1) In accordance with Article 166(3) of the Treaty, Decision No 967/2006/EC of the 
European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 concerning the Seventh 
Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological 
development and demonstration activities, (2007-2013) 1 (hereinafter referred to as "the 
Framework Programme") is to be implemente d through specific programmes that define 
detailed rules for their implementation, fi x their duration and provide for the means 
deemed necessary. 
(2) The Framework Programme is structured in four types of activities: trans-national 
cooperation on policy-defined themes ("Cooperati on"), investigator-driven research based 
on initiatives of the research community ("Ideas"), support of training and career 
development of researchers ("People"), and s upport of research capac ities ("Capacities"). 
Activities under "Ideas" as rega rds indirect actions should be  implemented by this Specific 
Programme. 
(3) This Specific Programme should follow an  "investigator-driven" approach: it should 
support "frontier research" projects  carried out by researchers on subjects of their choice. It 
should be implemented in a flexible and user- friendly manner, in a spirit of openness with 
respect to all the related actors, and taki ng account of relevant scientific practices. 
                                                 
1 OJ L 391, 30.12.2006. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/245 
 (4) Proposals for "frontier research " should be evaluated on the basis of the sole criterion of 
excellence as judged by peer review a nd should put the emphasis on inter- and 
multidisciplinary, high risk pioneering proj ects and new groups and new generation 
researchers as well as established teams. 
(5) This Specific Programme should be implemented  according to the principles of scientific 
excellence, autonomy, efficiency, transp arency, and accountability, by means of a 
European Research Council (ERC) consisti ng of an independent Scientific Council 
composed of scientists, engineers and schol ars of the highest re pute, representing the 
European research community in all its breadth and depth, supported by a lean and 
cost-effective dedicated implementation struct ure which would be set-up as an Executive 
Agency in accordance with Council Re gulation No 58/2003 of 19 December 2002 laying 
down the statute for executive agencies to be entrusted with certain tasks in the 
management of Community programmes1. 
(6) The Commission should be responsible for th e implementation of this Specific Programme 
and should act as the guarantor of the Eu ropean Research Council's autonomy and 
integrity, as well as its functional efficacy. 
                                                 
1 OJ L 11, 16.1.2003, p. 1. 
L 400/246 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 (7) To guarantee the ERC's autonomy, the Comm ission should ensure that positions of the 
Scientific Council on the scien tific orientation and aspects of programme implementation 
are respected, and that the dedi cated implementation structure follows strictly, efficiently 
and with the necessary flexibility, the obj ectives and requirements of this Specific 
Programme. 
(8) To guarantee the ERC's integrity, the Co mmission should ensure that this Specific 
Programme is implemented in acco rdance with the objectives set. 
(9) The rules for the participati on of undertakings, research centr es and universities and for the 
dissemination of research results, for the Fram ework Programme (hereinafter referred to as 
"the rules for participati on and dissemination") should apply to this programme. 
(10) The Framework Programme should complement  the activities carried out in the Member 
States as well as other Community actions that  are necessary for the overall strategic effort 
for the implementation of the Lisbon object ives, alongside, in particular, those on 
structural funds, agriculture, education, tr aining, culture, competi tiveness and innovation, 
industry, health, consumer protection, empl oyment, energy, transport and environment. 
(11) Implementation of the Framework Progr amme may give rise to supplementary 
programmes involving the pa rticipation of certain Member St ates only, the pa rticipation of 
the Community in programmes undertaken by seve ral Member States, or the setting up of 
joint undertakings or other arrangements w ithin the meaning of Articles 168, 169 and 171 
of the Treaty. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/247 
 (12) As provided for under Article 170 of the Treaty, the Community has concluded a number 
of international agreements in the field of research a nd efforts should be made to 
strengthen international research cooperati on with a view to further integrating the 
Community into the world-wide research comm unity. Therefore, this Specific Programme 
should be open to the participation of countries  having concluded agreements to this effect 
and should also be open on the project level, and on the basis of mutu al benefit, to the 
participation of entities from third countries a nd of international organi sations for scientific 
cooperation. 
(13) Research activities carrie d out within this programme s hould respect fundamental ethical 
principles, including those which are reflected in the Charter of  Fundamental Rights of the 
European Union. 
(14) Sound financial management of the Fram ework Programme and its implementation should 
be ensured in the most effective and user-f riendly manner possible, while ensuring legal 
certainty and the accessibility of the programme for all participants, in compliance with 
Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the genera l budget of the European Communities
1 and 
Commission Regulation (E C, Euratom) 2342/20022 laying down detailed rules for the 
implementation of that Financial Regulation and any future amendments. 
                                                 
1 OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1. 
2 OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p.1. Regulation as last am ended by Commission Regulation (EC, 
Euratom) No 1261/2005 (OJ L 201, 2.8.2005, p. 3). 
L 400/248 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 (15) Appropriate measures - proportionate to th e European Communities' financial interests - 
should be taken to monitor both the effectiven ess of the financial support granted and the 
effectiveness of the utilisation of these funds  in order to prevent irregularities and fraud 
and the necessary steps should be taken to re cover funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly 
used in accordance with Council Regu lation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of 
18 December 1995 on the protection of the Eur opean Communities' financial interests1, 
Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 of 11 November 1996 concerning on-the-spot checks and inspections carried out by the Commission in order to protect the 
European Communities' financial interest s against fraud and other irregularities
2 and 
Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European  Parliament and of the Council concerning 
investigations conducted by the Eu ropean Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)3. 
(16) Since the measures necessary for the im plementation of this D ecision are essentially 
management measures, they should therefore be adopted by the advi sory or management 
procedure provided for in Articles 3 and 4 of Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 
28 June 1999, laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission
4. On the other hand, research involving the use of human 
embryos and human embryonic stem cells raises  specific ethical issu es, as described in 
Article 3 of this Decision, ther efore, measures for the financi ng of such projects should be 
adopted by the regulatory procedure provide d for in Article 5 of Decision 1999/468/EC. 
                                                 
1 OJ L 312, 23.12.1995, p. 1. 
2 OJ L 292, 15.11.1996, p. 2. 
3 OJ L 136, 31.5.1999, p. 1. 
4 OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. Decision as amended by Decision 2006/512/EC (OJ L 200, 
22.7.2006, p. 11). 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/249 
 (17) The implementation and management of th e activity under this Speci fic Programme will be 
reviewed and evaluated on an on-going basis to assess its achie vements and to adjust and 
improve procedures on the basis of experi ence. As regards the ERC structures and 
mechanisms, the mid term review of the Seventh Framework Programme, based on an 
independent review against the criteria of sc ientific excellence, au tonomy, efficiency and 
transparency and with the full involvement of  the Scientific Council, may show the need 
for further improvements necessitating appropriate amendments.  
(18) The "Ideas" Specific Programme should ha ve its own budget line in the General Budget of 
the European Communities. 
(19) The importance of this Specific Programme is recognised as being an overall priority 
means to attain the objectives of excellenc e, management simplification and European 
added value in "frontier res earch" contributed by Community research in addition to the 
efforts already undertaken  at national level. 
(20) It responds to the recommendations of the report by ERCEG1 set up by the Copenhagen 
European Council (November 2002), reiterated  by successive Councils (November 2003, 
11 March 2004,  25-26 March 2004, 26 November 2004) and endorsed by the European 
Parliament2. This Specific Programme is in line with  the Lisbon strategy and the European 
Council of Barcelona which set the target of ra ising European research efforts to 3 % of 
EU GDP. 
                                                 
1 ERCEG – European Research Council Expert Group; The ERCEG was set up on the 
initiative of the Danish Mi nister of Science, Technology and Innovation, during the Danish 
EU Presidency, December 2003.  
2 Report on Science and Technology Guidelines fo r future European Union Policy to support 
research, A6-0046/2005, 28.2.2005. 
L 400/250 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 (21) In the implementation of this Specific Pr ogramme adequate attention should be paid to 
gender mainstreaming, as well as to, inter al ia, working conditions, transparency of 
recruitment processes, and car eer development as regards the researchers recruited on 
projects and programmes funde d under the actions of this programme, for which the 
Commission Recommendation of  11 March 2005 on the European  Charter for Researchers 
and on a Code of Conduct for the Recruitm ent of Researchers offers a reference 
framework, while respecting their voluntary nature, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1 
1. The Specific Programme "Ideas" for Commun ity activities in the area of "frontier 
research", hereinafter the "S pecific Programme", is here by adopted for the period from 
1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013. 
2. The Specific Programme shall be "investigat or-driven", supporting research carried out 
across all fields by individual national or transnational teams in competition at the European level. The detailed objectives and the broad lines of those activities are set out in 
Annex I. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/251 
 Article 2 
In accordance with Annex II of the Framework Pr ogramme, the amount deemed necessary for the 
execution of the Specific Programme shall be EUR 7 510 million, of which not more than 5 % shall 
be for the Commission's administrative expenditure1. 
Article 3 
1. All research activities carried out under the Specific Programme shall be carried out in 
compliance with fundament al ethical principles. 
2. The following fields of research sha ll not be financed under this programme: 
– research activity aiming at human  cloning for reproductive purposes, 
– research activity intended to modify the genetic heritage of human beings which 
could make such changes heritable2, 
– research activities intended to create human embryos solely for the purpose of 
research or for the purpose of stem cell procurement, including by means of somatic 
cell nuclear transfer. 
                                                 
1 Including the administra tive expenditure of the European Research Council. 
2 Research relating to cancer treatme nt of the gonads may be financed. 
L 400/252 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 3. Research on human stem cells, both adult and embryonic, may be financed, depending 
both on the contents of the scientific propos al and the legal framework of the Member 
State(s) involved. 
Any application for financing for research on human embryonic stem cells shall include, as 
appropriate, details of licensing and control meas ures that will be taken by the competent 
authorities of the Member States as well as de tails of the ethical approval(s) that will be 
provided. 
As regards the derivation of human embryonic stem cells, institutions, organisations and 
researchers shall be subject to  strict licensing and control in  accordance with the legal 
framework of the Member State(s) involved. 
4. The fields of research set out in paragraph 2 shall be reviewed for th e second phase of this 
programme (2010-2013) in the light  of scientific advances. 
Article 4 
1. The Commission shall be responsible for th e implementation of the Specific Programme. 
2. The Commission  shall establish a European Research  Council (ERC), which shall be the 
means for implementing the Specific Programme. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/253 
 3. The European Research Council shall consis t of an independent Scientific Council, 
supported by a dedicated implementation struct ure, as described in Annex I. It shall 
operate according to the principles of scie ntific excellence, autonomy, efficiency, 
transparency and accountability. 
4. The Commission shall act as the guarantor of  the European Research Council's autonomy 
and integrity, ensure the proper execution of  the tasks entrusted to  it and provide the 
European Parliament and the Council with an annual report on the ERC's operations and 
realisation of the objectives set out in the Specific Programme. 
Article 5 
1. The Scientific Council shall be composed of  scientists, engineers and scholars of the 
highest repute and appropriate expertise, ensuring a diversity of resear ch areas, acting in 
their personal capacity, independe nt of extraneous interests.  
The Commission shall appoint the members of the Scientific Council following an 
independent and transparent procedure for their identification agreed with the Scientific Council including a consultation of  the scientific community a nd a report to the European 
Parliament and the Council
1. 
Their term of office shall be limited to 4 y ears, renewable once on a basis of a rotating 
system which will ensure the continu ity of the Scientific Council's work. 
                                                 
1 Involvement of the Scientific Council is not appl icable for the process of  the selection of the 
founding members of the Scientific Council.  
L 400/254 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 2. The Scientific Council shall act in accordance with the ma ndate set out in Annex I. 
3. The Scientific Counc il shall establish: 
(a) the overall strategy for the ERC; (b) the work programme for the implemen tation of the Specific Programme, to be 
adopted pursuant to Article 6(1); 
(c) the methods and procedures for peer re view and proposal eval uation on the basis of 
which the proposals to be funded will be determined; 
(d) its position on any matter which from a scientific perspective may enhance the 
achievements and impact of the Specific Pr ogramme, and the quality of the research 
carried out; 
(e) a code of conduct addressing, inter alia, the avoidance of conf licts of interest. 
4. The Scientific Council shall exclusively act in the interest of ach ieving the Specific 
Programme's scientific, technological and schol arly objectives, according to the principles 
set out in Article 4(3). 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/255 
 Article 6 
1. The Commission shall adopt the work progra mme for the implementation of the Specific 
Programme, setting out in great er detail the objectives and scientific and technological 
priorities contained in Annex I, the associated funding, and the timetable for 
implementation. 
2. The work programme shall take  account of the state of scie nce and technology in Europe 
and anticipate developments. It sha ll be updated as and where appropriate. 
3. The work programme shall specify the cr iteria on which proposals under the funding 
schemes shall be evaluated and projects select ed. For individual proj ects the sole criterion 
of excellence shall be app licable. For coordination and support actions, project-related 
criteria may be applicable. 
4. The work programme may identify: 
(a) organisations that receive subscriptions in the form of a membership fee; (b) support actions for the activiti es of specific legal entities. 
L 400/256 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 5. The Commission shall ensure that the impl ementation of the Specific Programme is in 
accordance with the principles set out in Articl e 4(3) as well as with the overall strategy 
referred to in Article 5(3)(a) and the work programme referred to in Article 5(3)(b) and the 
methods and positions established by the Scientific Council as defined under Article 5(3)(c) and 5(3)(d ). The Commission shall ensure that the dedicated 
implementation structure follows strictly, effici ently and with the necessary flexibility, the 
objectives and requirements of th is Specific Programme alone. 
6. As regards the tasks set out in Article 5( 3), the Commission shall abstain from following 
the position of the Scientific Council only when it considers that the provisions of this 
Specific Programme have not been respecte d. In this case, the Commission may adopt 
measures to maintain continuity in the im plementation of the specific programme and the 
achievement of its objectives, duly motivating such measures. 
7. The advisory procedure referred to in Article 8(2) shall apply for the adoption of the work 
programme referred to in Article 6(1). 
8. The management procedure referred to in Ar ticle 8(3) shall apply for the adoption of the 
work programme when there is a difference of substance with the position of the Scientific 
Council in accordance with Article 6(6). 
9. The regulatory procedure referred to in Artic le 8(4) shall apply for the adoption of RTD 
actions involving the use of human em bryos and human embryonic stem cells. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/257 
 Article 7 
1. The Rules for Participation and disseminati on shall apply to this Specific Programme. 
2. The Specific Programme shall be implemen ted by means of the funding schemes defined 
in Annex III of the Framework Programme. 
Article 8 
1. The Commission shall be assisted by a Committee. 
2. Where reference is made to this paragra ph, Articles 3 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall 
apply. 
3. Where reference is made to this paragra ph, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall 
apply. 
The period laid down in Article  4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC sh all be set at two months. 
4. Where reference is made to this paragra ph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall 
apply. 
The period laid down for in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at two 
months. 
5. The Commission shall regularly inform th e Committee of the overall progress of the 
implementation of the Specific Programme,  and shall provide it with timely information 
about all actions proposed or funded under th is programme as specified in Annex II. 
6. The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure. 
L 400/258 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 Article 9 
The Commission shall arrange for the independent monitoring, assessment and review provided for 
in Article 7 and Annex I Sec tion II ("Ideas") of the Framework Programme to be conducted 
concerning the activities cove red by the Specific Programme. 
Article 10 
This Decision shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal 
of the European Union. 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States. Done at Brussels, 19 December 2006. 
 For the Council 
 The President 
 K. KORKEAOJA 
 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/259 
 ANNEX I  
SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES AND BRO AD LINES OF THE ACTIVITIES 
Investigator-driven "frontier res earch", within the framework of  activities commonly understood as 
"basic research", is a key driver of wealth a nd social progress, as it opens new opportunities for 
scientific and technologi cal advance, and is instrumental in producing new knowledge leading to 
future applications and markets. 
Despite many achievements and a high level of perfor mance in a large number of fields, Europe is 
not making the most of its research potential a nd resources, and urgent ly needs a strengthened 
capacity to generate knowledge and translate su ch knowledge into economic and social value and 
growth. 
Objectives 
The objective of the Specific Programme "Ideas " is to reinforce ex cellence, dynamism and 
creativity in European research and improve the attractiveness of Europe for the best researchers 
from both European and third countries, as well as for industrial research investment, by providing 
a Europe-wide competitive funding structure, in addition to and not repl acing national funding, for 
"frontier research" executed by individual teams. Communication a nd dissemination of research 
results is an important as pect of this programme. 
L 400/260 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 For its implementation, a European Research Council (ERC), consisting of an independent 
Scientific Council and a lean and cost-effective  dedicated implementation structure, will be created 
by the Commission under this Specific Programme. The ERC will operate according to the principles of scientific excellence, autonomy, ef ficiency, transparency and accountability, and will 
support  investigator-driven projects in "frontier research", carried ou t by individual teams 
competing at the European level, with in and across all fields of research. 
By promoting "frontier research" from across the EU, the Specific Programme will aim to put 
European research in a leading position, opening  the way to creating new and often unexpected 
scientific and technol ogical results and new areas for researc h. It will stimulate the flow of ideas 
and allow Europe better to explo it its research assets and foster  innovation in the drive towards a 
dynamic knowledge-based society, w ith long-term benefits for the competitiveness of European 
economies and well being. 
Programme Implementation  
For the implementation of this Specific Programme , the Commission will establish, at the start, the 
two key structural components of the ERC – an independent Scientific Council and a dedicated 
implementation structure.  
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/261 
 The administrative and staffing costs for the ERC relating to the Scientif ic Council and dedicated 
implementation structure will be consistent with lean and cost-effective management; 
administrative expenditure will be kept to a mi nimum, consistent with ensuring the resources 
necessary for high quality implementation, in or der to maximise funding for frontier research1. 
The Scientific Council 
The tasks of the Scientific Council, as established in Article 5, will be as follows: 
1. Scientific strategy 
• Establish the overall scientific strategy for the programme, in the light of scientific 
opportunities and European scientific needs. 
• On a permanent basis, in accordance w ith the scientific strategy, ensure the 
establishment of the work programme and necessary modifications, including calls for 
proposals and criteria and, as may be required, the definition of specifi c topics or target 
groups (e.g. young/emerging teams). 
                                                 
1 With a view to facilitating the implementa tion of the programme, fo r each meeting of the 
programme committee as defined in the ag enda, the Commission will reimburse, in 
accordance with its established guidelines, the expenses of one representative per Member 
State, as well as one expert/adviser per Me mber State for those agenda items where a 
Member State requires specific expertise. 
L 400/262 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 2. Scientific management, monitoring and qua lity control of progr amme implementation 
• As appropriate, from a scientific perspectiv e, establish positions on implementation and 
management of calls for proposals, evaluation criteria, peer review processes including 
the selection of experts and the methods fo r peer review and pr oposal evaluation, on the 
basis of which the proposal to be funded will be determined under the supervision of the 
Scientific Council; as well as any other matte r affecting the achievements and impact of 
the Specific Programme, and the quality of the research carried out. 
• Monitor quality of operations and evaluate programme implementation and 
achievements and make recommendations for corrective or future actions. 
3. Communication and dissemination 
• Assure communication with the scientific  community and key stakeholders on the 
activities and achievements of  the programme and the deliberations of the ERC. 
• Regularly report to the Commission on its activities. 
The Scientific Council will have full authority over decisions on the type of research to be funded 
and act as guarantor of the quality of the activity from the scientific perspective. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/263 
 The Scientific Council may independently select  a Secretary-General who will act under its 
authority. The Secretary-General will inter alia assi st the Scientific Council in ensuring its effective 
liaison with the dedicated implementation structur e and with the Commission, an in monitoring the 
effective implementation of its strategy and posi tions as carried by the dedicated implementation 
structure. 
Administrative assistance may be  provided for the Chair and vice-ch airs of the Scie ntific Council. 
Dedicated implementation structure 
The dedicated implementation structure will be responsible for all aspects of administrative 
implementation and programme execution, as provided for in the annual work programme. It will, in particular, implement the evaluation procedures, peer review and selecti on process according to 
the principles established by the Scientific Counc il and will ensure the financial and scientific 
management of the grants. The dedicated implemen tation structure will keep  the Scientific Council 
informed of its activities. 
The management of the ERC will be carried out  by staff recruited for that purpose, including 
officials from EU institutions, and will cover only the real administrative needs in order to assure 
the stability and continuity necessa ry for an effective administration. 
L 400/264 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 Role of the Commission 
The Commission will act as the guarantor of the ERC's full autonomy and in tegrity. It will ensure 
that the ERC acts in accordance with the principles  of scientific excellence, autonomy, efficiency 
and transparency, and that it follows preci sely the strategy and implementation methodology 
established by the Scientific Council. In particular the Commission will: 
• Ensure the establishment of a dedicated implemen tation structure and the delegation of tasks and 
responsibilities to it. 
• Appoint the Director and the Seni or Staff of the dedicated imple mentation structure taking into 
account the views of th e Scientific Council.  
• Adopt the work programme and the positions regarding implementing methodology, as defined 
by the Scientific Council. 
• Ensure that proposals are retained, and projects  financed, solely on the basis of their ranking 
order resulting from the peer review; any change  in the rank order of peer review must be 
explicitly endorsed by th e Scientific Council. 
• Regularly inform the programme committee on the implementation of the programme. 
• Draw up, in cooperation with the Scientific Council, an annual report on the ERC's operations 
and realisation of the objectives  set out in the Specific Progr amme and submit it to the Council 
and the Parliament. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/265 
 Activities 
This programme will promote world class "frontier research". The term "frontier research" reflects a 
new understanding of basic research. On one hand it denotes that basic res earch in science and 
technology is of critical importance to economic and social welfare, and on the other that research 
at and beyond the frontiers of curre nt understanding is an intrinsica lly risky venture, progressing on 
new and most challenging research  areas and is characterised by  an absence of disciplinary 
boundaries. 
The programme will support individual projects, whic h may be carried out in any field of basic 
scientific and technologi cal research which falls within the sc ope of Community research under this 
Framework Programme, including engineering, socio-economic sciences and the humanities. As 
appropriate, specific research to pics or target groups (e.g. ne w generation researchers/emerging 
teams) may be taken into account, following th e objectives of the programme and needs for 
efficient implementation. Particular attention will be  paid to emerging and fast-growing areas at the 
frontier of knowledge, and at th e interface between disciplines. 
An "investigator-driven" approach will be follo wed. This means that the programme will support 
projects carried out by re searchers on subjects of their ch oice within the scope of calls for 
proposals. Proposals will be evaluated on the sole criterion of excellence as  judged by peer review, 
taking account of excellence in new groups, new ge neration researchers, as well as established 
teams, and paying particular attention to proposals which ar e highly pioneering and involve 
correspondingly high sc ientific risks. 
L 400/266 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 The programme will support projects carried out by individual teams which may be of national or 
transnational character. An individu al team consists of an individua l principal investigator and, as 
appropriate, other individuals, members of the team1. 
Review 
The implementation and management of the activity will be reviewed and ev aluated on an on-going 
basis to assess its achievements and to adjust and improve procedures on the basis of experience. In 
the context of the interim evaluation referred to in Article 7(2) of the Framework Programme, an 
independent review will also be  carried out of the ERC's structures and mechanisms, against the 
criteria of scientific excellence, autonomy, efficiency and transparency and with the full 
involvement of the Scientific Council. This will in clude the process and criteria for the selection of 
the members of the Scientific Council. The revi ew will explicitly look at the advantages and 
disadvantages of a structure based on an Executiv e Agency, and a structur e based on Article 171 of 
the Treaty. On the basis of this review, these st ructures and mechanisms should be modified as 
appropriate. The Commission will ensure that all the necessary preparatory work, including any 
legislative proposals which it considers necessary, is undertaken and presented to the European 
Parliament and the Council, as required by the Treat y, with a view to a tran sition to any modified 
structure required, as soon as possible. To this  end the Framework Programme will be adapted or 
supplemented in codecision pursuant to Article 166(2)  of the Treaty. The progr ess report referred to 
in Article 7(2) of the Framework Programme, pr eceding the interim eval uation, will give initial 
findings on the functioning of the ERC. 
                                                 
1 In accordance with the Rules for Participation, the participation of more than one legal 
entity is not excluded. 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/267 
 Ethical aspects 
During the implementation of this Specific Programme and in the research activities arising from it, 
fundamental ethical principles are to be respected. These include, in ter alia, the principles reflected 
in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU , including the following:  protection of human 
dignity and human life, protection of personal data and privacy, as well as of animals and the 
environment in accordance with Community law and relevant international conventions, guidelines 
and codes of conduct, such as the Helsinki Declar ation, the Convention of the Council of Europe on 
Human Rights and Bio-medicine signed in Ovie do on 4 April 1997 and its Additional Protocols, the 
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Un iversal Declaration on the human genome and 
human rights adopted by UNESCO, UN Biologi cal and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), 
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources fo r Food and Agriculture, and the relevant World 
Health Organisation (WHO) resolutions. 
Account will also be taken of the Opinions of  the European Group of Advisers on the Ethical 
Implications of Bio-technology ( 1991-1997) and the Opinions of th e European Group on Ethics in 
Science and New Technologies (as from 1998). 
In compliance with the principle of  subsidiarity and the diversity of  approaches existing in Europe, 
participants in research projects must conform to current legisl ation, regulations and ethical rules in 
the countries where the research will be carried  out. In any case, nationa l provisions apply and no 
research forbidden in any given Member State or other country will be supported by Community 
funding to be carried out in th at Member State or country. 
L 400/268 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.12.2006 
 Where appropriate, those carrying out research proj ects must seek the approval of the relevant 
national or local ethics committees prior to the star t of the RTD activities. An ethical review will 
also be implemented systematically by the Co mmission for proposals dealing with ethically 
sensitive issues or where ethical aspects have not been adequately addressed. In specific cases an 
ethical review may take place during  the implementation of a project. 
No funding will be granted for research activities that are prohibited in all the Member States. 
The Protocol on protection and welfare of anim als annexed to the Trea ty requires that the 
Community pays full regard to the welfare requirements of animals in formulating and 
implementing Community policies including re search. Council Directive 86/609/EEC of 
24 November 1986 on the approximation of laws, regul ations and administrative provisions of the 
Member States regarding the protection of animal s used for experimental and other scientific 
purposes1 requires that all experiment s be designed to avoid distre ss and unnecessary pain and 
suffering to the experimental animals; use the mi nimum number of animals; involve animals with 
the lowest degree of neurophysiological sensitivity ; and cause the least pain, suffering, distress or 
lasting harm. Altering the genetic heritage of an imals and cloning of animals may be considered 
only if the aims are ethically justified and the co nditions are such that the animals' welfare is 
guaranteed and the principles of  bio-diversity are respected. 
During the implementation of this programme, scie ntific advances and na tional and international 
provisions will be regularly monitored by the Commission so as to take account of any 
developments. 
 
                                                 
1 OJ L 358, 18.12.1986, p. 1. Directive as amended by Directive 2003/65/EC of the European 
Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 230, 16.9.2003, p. 32). 
30.12.2006 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 400/269 
 ANNEX II  
Information to be provided by the Commi ssion in accordance with Article 8(6) 
1. Information on actions, enabling the entire lifetime of each proposal to be monitored, 
covering in particular: 
– submitted proposals, 
– evaluation results for each proposal,  
– grant agreements, 
– completed actions. 
2. Information on the outcome of each call a nd implementation of actions, covering in 
particular: 
– results of each call, 
– conclusion of grant agreements,  
– implementation of actions, including pa yment data and outcome of actions. 
3. Information on programme implementation, incl uding relevant information at the level of 
the Framework Programme and the Specific Programme. 
This information (in particular , on proposals, their evaluation and grant agreements) should be 
provided in a uniform structured electronically-readable and treata ble format accessible through an 
IT-based information and reporting system  which readily enables data analysis.