[pic] | COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES |

Brussels, 21.9.2005

COM(2005) 440 final

2005/0185 (CNS)

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

concerning the Specific Programme “Cooperation” implementing the Seventh Framework Programme (2007-2013) of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM (EC TREATY)

1. CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSALS

The proposals for five specific programmes follow the Commission’s proposal for a 7th Framework Programme (2007-2013) adopted on 6 April 2005[1]. A structure was presented in terms of four main specific programmes - “Cooperation”, “Ideas”, “People” and “Capacities” - each corresponding to a major objective of European research policy; a further specific programme is for the direct actions of the Joint Research Centre. The Commission will be presenting proposals for the “Rules for Participation and Dissemination” that apply to the 7th Framework Programme.

The policy context and objectives are those set out in the Communication “Building the ERA of knowledge for growth”[2]. To meet these objectives and implement in full the specific programmes will require a doubling of the budget as proposed by the Commission.

Research, technology, education and innovation are a significant way of creating jobs in a long term and sustainable manner. They are also the key to economic growth, competitiveness, health, quality of life and the environment. The research Framework Programme, alongside Community programmes in the areas of education and innovation, is aimed to progress towards the knowledge economy and society. The specific programmes of the 7th Framework Programme are designed to address, in combination with the necessary national and private efforts, major weaknesses in the level, quality and impact of European research. The dissemination and transfer of knowledge is a key added value of European research actions, and measures will be taken to increase the use of results by industry, policy makers and society.

Europe must invest more in research and a new emphasis is needed if the European Union is to progress towards the objective of investing 3% of its GDP in research by 2010. The 7th Framework Programme will contribute to this, both through direct financing but also by leveraging additional public and private investments in research.

Europe needs more researchers in order to increase and improve its research efforts. Alongside other actions, such as the European Charter for Researchers and national policy measures, the 7th Framework Programme is designed to stimulate more people to embark upon and pursue research careers, and once again attract leading research talent to Europe.

Financial support at a European level offers opportunities to increase the excellence and effectiveness of research which cannot be achieved at national level. The specific programmes of the 7th Framework Programme represent further consolidation of the European Research Area, achieving critical mass and structures in new areas of research and by new means, and further supporting the free movement of ideas, knowledge and researchers.

Throughout the implementation of the specific programmes the potential for European level actions to strengthen excellence in research will be exploited to the maximum, notably through EU wide competitions backed with rigorous and independent evaluation of proposals. This implies identifying and supporting existing excellence wherever it exists across the European Union as well as creating capacities for future research excellence.

The impact of the specific programmes will be enhanced through complementarities with other Community policies and programmes, and in particular the Structural Funds, the education programmes, and the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme.

2. PRIOR CONSULTATION

The preparation of the specific programme proposals has taken account of the views expressed by the EU Institutions, in particular the European Parliament and European Council, as well as other stakeholders including researchers and users of research. This includes the ongoing discussions and inputs in relation to the proposal for the 7th Framework Programme decisions, the extensive consultations and inputs collected during the preparation of that proposal, and further work in identifying future research priorities such as that being undertaken by European Technology Platforms.

The Specific Programme proposal draws from the in-depth impact assessment undertaken for the 7th Framework Programme proposal[3] which demonstrated the strong and specific added value of each of the specific programme proposed. In addition, the proposals take account of the outcome of the five year assessment of the Framework Programme[4].

3. LEGAL ASPECTS

The proposal for the specific programmes is based on Title XVIII of the Treaty, Articles 163 to 173, and in particular Article 166(3) concerning implementation of the Framework Programme through specific programmes.

4. BUDGETARY IMPLEMENTATION

The legislative financial statements attached to each proposed Decision set out the budgetary implications and the human and administrative resources.

The Commission intends to set up an executive agency which will be entrusted with certain tasks required to implement the “Cooperation”, “People” and “Capacities” Specific Programmes. This approach will also be taken for the implementation of the “Ideas” programme (see Section 7.2 below).

5. A COHERENT AND FLEXIBLE IMPLEMENTATION

5.1. Adapting to new needs and opportunities.

It is vital that the implementation of the specific programmes is sufficiently flexible to remain at the forefront of scientific and technological developments and respond to emerging scientific, industrial, policy or societal needs. Those actions which allow researchers themselves to identify topics will be particularly important in this respect. For other actions, this will be achieved primarily through the work programmes which will be updated on an annual basis. This will be undertaken with the assistance of the committees of Member State representatives where it is envisaged that the committees’ clear focus will be on the work programmes. Revisions may be made more rapidly in case of new priorities requiring an urgent response, in particular arising from unforeseen policy needs.

This multi-annual programming will benefit from a wide range of inputs to ensure that the activities supported maintain direct relevance to the evolving research needs of industry and EU policies. External advice will be sought, including for each of the themes within the Cooperation specific programme, with effective multi-disciplinary coverage and a balance of academic and industrial views.

For the Ideas programme, an entirely new approach will be taken whereby the preparation of an annual work programme will be entrusted to an independent scientific council as part of the establishment of an autonomous European Research Council (see Section 7.2 below).

Additional external inputs, in particular for the Cooperation programme, will be facilitated in particular from the European Technology Platforms established in various fields which should play a strong and dynamic role to ensure the industrial relevance. The research priorities identified in the Strategic Research Agendas defined by the platforms are well reflected in the specific programme proposals, and will provide an important input in the multiannual programming.

Other fora and groups may provide the Commission with timely advice on new priorities in particular areas, such as European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) and platforms established to consider strategic research agendas relevant to social or environmental policy areas.

An important new opportunity that will be provided by the Framework Programme is an innovative financing mechanism, the Risk-Sharing Finance Facility, aimed at fostering private sector expenditure in RTD by improving access to European Investment Bank (EIB) loans for large European actions which need to combine several sources of financing, including loans. These large European actions are “Joint Technology Initiatives” and large collaborative projects funded directly by the Framework Programme within the Cooperation programme, and new research infrastructure projects under the Capacities programme. Other large European collaborative projects such as Eureka ones could also be considered, in accordance to eligibility criteria. The contribution envisaged from the specific programmes to the EIB will significantly improve the access to debt finance and thereby exercising a significant leverage effect on private investments in RTD.

5.2. Cross cutting issues

Overall coherence in the implementation of the 7th Framework Programme will be ensured by the Commission, taking full account of the guaranteed autonomy and independence of the European Research Council in the Ideas programme.

The work programmes across the other specific programmes will be revised in a coordinated way to allow cross cutting issues to be fully taken into account. The committees of Member State representatives also have an important responsibility in assisting the Commission in the effective coherence and coordination of implementation across and within these specific programmes. This implies a strong level of coordination within Member States and between representatives of different committee configurations.

Where actions to be supported have a strong relevance to different parts of the Cooperation, People and Capacities specific programmes, joint calls will be used building on the experience gained in the 6th Framework Programme. This will be particularly important for research topics that cut across the themes in the Cooperation programme, and such calls will be clearly identified in the work programme.

The following issues that cut across the Cooperation, People and Capacities specific programmes are of particular importance, and particular arrangements for a coordinated approach are foreseen:

- International cooperation : all of these specific programmes are open to international cooperation, and have dedicated actions in this respect. A strategic approach will be taken across the Framework Programme to promote European research excellence and competitiveness and to address specific global or regional issues where there is a mutual interest and benefit. A coherent approach across the specific programmes in line with this strategy will be ensured and the Capacities programme will have a major role in this respect.

- Research infrastructures: the main support to research infrastructures will be implemented in the Capacities programme, and this programme will ensure a coordinated approach with relevant research activities in the other programmes, notably the Cooperation programme.

- Cross cutting policy research : Arrangements for effective coordination within the Commission services will be put in place, in particular to ensure that activities continue to meet the needs of developments in EU policies. For this purpose, the multi-annual programming may draw on the help of user groups of different Commission services associated with the policies concerned, and in this context an internal structure will be created to ensure the coordination of marine science and technologies across the relevant thematic areas.

- SME participation: the participation of SMEs will be optimised across the specific programmes. In addition to the strengthened SME specific actions in the Capacities programme: SME research interests are included throughout the Cooperation programme and topics of particular interest to SMEs will be further identified in the work programmes and calls for proposals; the activities in the People programme have a special emphasis on the involvement of SMEs; and SMEs will also be able to participate in the Ideas programme. The simplification measures envisaged and the increased flexibility in choosing the appropriate funding scheme will benefit in particular SME participation.

- Dissemination and knowledge transfer : the need to foster the uptake of research results is a strong feature across the specific programmes, with a particular emphasis on transferring knowledge between countries, across disciplines and from academia to industry, including through the mobility of researchers. The involvement of potential users in helping to define priorities (in particular through the European Technology Platforms) is important in this aspect. The complementary actions under the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme will also reinforce the use of research results by addressing the barriers to innovation and strengthening innovation capabilities.

- Science in society : this activity in the Capacities programme will also play a role to ensure that society aspects are properly taken into account in all specific programmes, and that interactions between scientists and the wider public are deepened.

6. SIMPLIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT METHODS

A significant simplification will be achieved in the implementation of the 7th Framework Programme, following the ideas presented in the Commission Working Document of 6 April 2005 and extensive dialogue with Member States and stakeholders on the basis of this document. Many of the proposed measures are to be presented in the Rules for Participation and Dissemination, notably to reduce “red tape” significantly and simplify the funding schemes and reporting requirements.

Within the specific programmes, proposed improvements include:

- Improved efficiency and consistency of implementation through the externalisation of administrative tasks to an executive agency.

- Rationalising funding schemes whereby implementation of each Specific Programme will make use of the instruments necessary to realise the objectives of the Programme.

- A clearer presentation of evaluation criteria: to be included in the Work Programmes following the principles set out in each Specific Programme.

- Clearly presented work programmes such that potential participants are well informed about the opportunities available which meet their particular needs and interests. For example, work programmes and calls will, where appropriate, highlight those topics of particular interest to SMEs or where cooperation with third countries is beneficial.

- Simplifications in other aspects, such as streamlining the approval of projects, the new funding and support schemes, and further use of databases and information tools to provide better communication.

7. CONTENT OF THE SPECIFIC PROGRAMMES

7.1. Cooperation

The Cooperation specific programme is designed to gain leadership in key scientific and technological areas by supporting cooperation between universities, industry, research centres and public authorities across the European Union as well as the rest of the world. Previous framework programmes demonstrate the impact of such actions in restructuring research in Europe and pooling and leveraging resources. The 7th Framework Programme will distribute these impacts more widely and the nine themes proposed correspond to the major fields of progress in knowledge and technology where excellent research must be strengthened to address European social, economic, public health, environmental and industrial challenges.

The programme represents strong elements of continuity with previous framework programmes building on the demonstrated added value of European support of this type. There are, in addition, important novelties in this specific programme which require specific consideration for the implementation:

- Responding to the need for ambitious pan-European public private partnerships to accelerate the development of major technologies, through the launch of Joint Technology Initiatives [5]. A first set of initiatives have been identified with clear objectives and deliverables in the areas of innovative medicines, nanoelectronics, embedded computing systems, hydrogen and fuel cells, aeronautics and air traffic management and global monitoring for environment and security. These will be the subject of separate proposals (eg, under Article 171 of the Treaty). Further Joint Technology Initiatives, such as in the areas of zero emission power generation and renewable energy, may be identified during the implementation of the 7th Framework Programme.

- A strengthened approach to the coordinating national research programmes. The successful ERA-NET scheme will be continued and implemented within the themes. Existing ERA-NETs from the 6th Framework Programme will be allowed to submit follow up proposals to deepen their cooperation or broaden the consortia to new participants, and new ERA- NETs to address new topics will be supported. The scheme will also be open to public bodies planning a research programme but which is not yet in operation. In addition, an ERA-NET PLUS scheme will be introduced to provide an incentive for joint calls for transnational research projects organised between a number of countries.

- Following the experience of the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) Article 169 initiative, a further four Article 169 initiatives have been identified with the close cooperation of Member States. Such initiatives in the fields of ambient assisted living, Baltic Sea research and metrology are listed in the Cooperation programme and an Article 169 initiative to bring together national research performing SME-related programmes is mentioned in the Capacities programme. Further initiatives may be identified during the implementation of the 7th Framework Programme.

- A more targeted approach to international cooperation within each theme and across themes is foreseen with specific cooperation actions to be identified in the work programmes in line with the strategic approach for international cooperation foreseen and through policy dialogues and networks with different regions of partner countries.

- A component on to allow a flexible response to emerging needs and unforeseen policy needs will be supported under each of the themes and the implementation will build on the experience of the Scientific Support for Policy and New and Emerging Science and Technology schemes introduced in the 6th Framework Programme, as well as the Future and Emerging Technology scheme in the ICT area.

7.2. Ideas

Europe does not perform well in terms of truly outstanding research or mastering new fast-growing areas of science. The Ideas programme will provide such a pan-European mechanism to support the truly creative scientists, engineers and scholars, whose curiosity and thirst for knowledge are most likely to make the unpredictable and spectacular discoveries that can change the course of human understanding and open up new vistas for technological progress and solving enduring social and environmental problems. Driving up the quality of basic research through European wide competitions will generate significant social and economic benefits[6].

The “Ideas” programme adopts the term “ frontier research ” which reflects a new understanding of basic research. At the forefront of creating new knowledge, “frontier research” is an intrinsically risky endeavour that involves the pursuit of fundamental advances in science, technology and engineering, without regard for established disciplinary boundaries or national borders.

The programme will follow an “investigator driven” approach, allowing researchers the scope to propose their own topics. Grants will be provided for individual teams, leaving the flexibility for a team to consist of any grouping of researchers appropriate for the conduct of the projects, from one single institution or several institutions, in one country or across national borders. In all cases, scientific excellence and not administrative requirements should drive the formation of the teams. The programme will ensure differentiation from national funding actions in basic research by its strategic objectives and European scope.

The creation of a European Research Council (ERC) for implementing the Ideas programme represents a new departure. Two key structural components of the ERC will be established - an independent Scientific Council and a dedicated implementation structure –operating according to the principles of trust, credibility and transparency, it should provide adequate financial means and work with high efficiency, and it should guarantee a high degree of autonomy and integrity, while being consistent with the requirements for accountability.

The Scientific Council will consist of representatives of the European scientific community, at the highest level, acting in their personal capacity, independently of political or any other interests. Its members will be appointed by the Commission, following an independent process for their identification.

The mandate of the Scientific Council will include:

1. Scientific strategy: Establishment of the overall scientific strategy for the programme, in the light of scientific opportunities and European scientific needs. On a permanent basis, in accordance with the scientific strategy, the establishment of the work programme and necessary modifications, including calls for proposals and criteria on the basis of which proposals are to be funded, and, as may be required, the definition of specific topics or target groups (e.g. young/emerging teams).

2. Monitoring and quality control: As appropriate, from a scientific perspective, establishment of positions on implementation and management of calls for proposals, evaluation criteria, peer review processes including the selection of experts and the methods for peer review and proposal evaluation, on the basis of which the proposal to be funded will be determined; as well as any other matter affecting the achievements and impact of the Specific Programme, and the quality of the research carried out. Monitoring quality of operations and evaluation of programme implementation and achievements and recommendations for corrective or future actions.

3. Communication and dissemination: 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 dedicated implementation structure will be responsible for programme execution, as provided for in the annual work programme. It will, in particular, implement the evaluation procedures, peer review and selection process according to the principles established by the Scientific Council and will ensure the financial and scientific management of the grants. In this regard, in the first instance, the Commission intends to establish an Executive Agency to which it will delegate the execution tasks. The implementation structure will maintain continual close liaison with the Scientific Council on all aspects of programme execution. In future and subject to an independent evaluation of the efficiency of the ERC’s structures and mechanisms, an alternative structure, for example under the provisions of Article 171 of the Treaty, may be established.

The European Commission will act as the guarantor of the ERC’s full autonomy and integrity. This means that the Commission’s responsibility for the implementation of the programme will be effected by ensuring that the ERC’s implementation structure are put into place, and that the programme is executed by the ERC in line with the objectives that have been set, following the scientific orientations and the requirements of scientific excellence, as they are determined by the Scientific Council, acting independently.

The Commission will be responsible for formally adopting the work programme for the “Ideas” programme. It will exercise this responsibility in line with the approach set out above. As a general rule, the Commission will adopt the work programme as proposed by the Scientific Council. If the Commission is unable to adopt the work programme as proposed, for example because the latter does not correspond to the objectives of the programme, or does not conform to Community legislation, the Commission will be required to state its reasons publicly. This procedure is designed to ensure that the operation of the ERC according to the principles or autonomy and integrity, are fully and transparently respected.

7.3. People

The People specific programme forms part of a broad and integrated strategy to strengthen, qualitatively and quantitatively, human resources in R&D in Europe. The programme will stimulate people to embark on and pursue research careers, encourage researchers to stay in Europe, and attract the best brains to Europe. There is a unique added value of European actions through harmonised instruments, stronger structuring effects and greater efficiency than bilateral arrangements between Member States.

The activities build on the long and successful experience of the Marie Curie actions in responding to researchers needs for training, mobility, and career development. While offering considerable continuity, a stronger focus is given to the following aspects:

- An increased structuring effect , for example through the introduction of co-funding of regional, national and international programmes in the action line “Life-long training and career development”. The “co-funding”-mode would not replace the mode where individual post-doc fellowships are applied for and awarded at European level, as is currently exclusively the practice in the 6th Framework Programme. However, the individual fellowships have reached a stage of maturity in Europe. At the same time the national offers in this area remain fragmented in terms of objectives, evaluation methods and working conditions, and are still often restricted as regards their international or European dimension. It is therefore proposed to co-fund, on the basis of open calls for proposals, a selection of those programmes corresponding to the Framework Programme objectives. Evaluation and selection will be on merit without limitations regarding the origin of the selected fellows, and applying acceptable employment and working conditions (in terms of e.g. salary, social security, mentoring, professional development).

- Participation of industry: while the bottom-up character of the Marie Curie actions will be preserved, a stronger orientation will be placed on training and career development for and in different sectors, in particular in the private sector. This will be achieved by an emphasis on the development of complementary skills and competences, crucial for a better understanding of research in enterprise and for the quality of their research. This will be enhanced by stimulating intersectoral experiences through active participation of industry, in all the actions and by putting in place the dedicated scheme for knowledge sharing in partnerships between the public and private sector, including in particular SMEs.

- The international dimension will be reinforced. Besides outgoing fellowships with a mandatory return, aimed at contributing to the life long training and career development of EU-researchers, the international co-operation through researchers from third countries is further expanded. In addition, new dimensions are introduced for collaboration with EU neighbouring and EU S&T Agreement countries. Furthermore support of “scientific diasporas” of European researchers abroad and foreign researchers within Europe will be provided.

7.4. Capacities

The Capacities specific programme will enhance research and innovation capacity throughout Europe. The programme is a combination of continuation and reinforcement of actions in previous framework programmes and in addition important novelties.

A major new element is the foreseen strategic approach to supporting the construction of new research infrastructure which will complement the continued support for optimal use of existing research infrastructure. The support for construction of new infrastructure will be implemented through a two-stage approach: preparatory phase and a construction phase. Building on the work by ESFRI (The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructure) on the development of a European roadmap for new research infrastructure, the Commission will identify priority projects to which a possible EC support could be given under the 7th Framework Programme. For those projects, the Commission will act as a facilitator, in particular in facilitating financial engineering mechanisms for the construction phase, including facilitating access to EIB loans through the Risk Sharing Finance Facility. Annex 1 presents the ESFRI “list of opportunities”, which consists of concrete examples of new, large-scale research infrastructures, which the scientific community in Europe will need in the coming decade.

The two schemes to support research for the benefit of SMEs and SME associations will be pursued with an increased budget to respond to the growing need of SMEs to outsource research.

Regions of Knowledge actions build on the successful pilot action. The aim is to enable transnational networks of regions to make full use of their research strengths, enable them to absorb new knowledge arising from research and to facilitate the emergence of “research-driven clusters” associating universities, research centres, enterprises and regional authorities.

An important new element is the action to unlocking the full Research Potential in the EU´s “convergence” and outermost regions. The realisation of the knowledge-based economy and society relies on strengthening the excellence of European research, but also on better using “untapped” high research potential which exists all over the EU. Actions will allow for the recruitment of researchers from other EU countries, the secondment of research and management staff, the organisation of evaluation facilities and the acquisition and development of research equipment. Such actions will complement the needs and opportunities for reinforcing the research capacities of existing and emerging centres of excellence in these regions which can be met by Structural Funds.

Science in Society represents a significant expansion of work in previous Framework Programme. It will foster better sciences, lead to better EU polices and a more engaged and informed public.

An important aim of the 7th Framework Programme is to build a strong and coherent international science and technology policy and activities in the Capacities programme will support this approach, in particular by helping to identify priorities for cooperation.

The coherent development of policies will put a greater emphasis on the co-ordination of national and regional research policies through a specific support scheme for trans-national policy cooperation initiatives by Member States and regions. This will reinforce the implementation of the open method of co-ordination to research policies and foster concerted or joint initiatives between groups of countries and regions in areas involving a strong trans-national dimension.

7.5. Joint Research Centre actions

While continuing to provide scientific and technical support to the EU policy making the JRC will further reinforce its customer-driven orientation and its strong networking with the scientific community. It will develop its activities in the specific context of growth, sustainable development and security.

The JRC actions will also respond to the call for ‘better regulation’ of the new Lisbon agenda. New challenges associated with the growing need to respond to the crises, emergencies and pressing political imperatives will be met by building up capacities and facilities in selected areas in view of providing adequate support in an EU context. An integrated approach to the provision of scientific and technical support to policies will also be a key feature of this specific programme.

8. BUILDING THE ERA OF KNOWLEDGE FOR GROWTH

Achieving the necessary rapid progress towards a knowledge economy and society requires a new ambition and effectiveness in European research. All actors across the European Union - national governments, research establishments, industry – have their role to play in this endeavour.

The specific programmes to implement the 7th Framework Programme are designed to maximise the leverage and impact of European level research spending within the available budget. Key features are the focus on four objectives in the corresponding specific programmes, with activities and means of implementation designed to meet these objectives; a strong element of continuity together with major new approaches; a consistent focus on supporting existing excellence and creating the capacity for tomorrows research excellence; a streamlined and simplified management to ensure a user-friendliness and cost effectiveness; and an inbuilt flexibility such that the Framework Programme can respond to new needs and opportunities.

Annex 1

ESFRI “LIST OF OPPORTUNITIES”[7]

- Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR)

- Facility for intense secondary beams of unstable isotopes (SPIRAL II)

- European deep-sea neutrino telescope (KM3NeT)

- Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) – for optical astronomy

- Pan-European Research Infrastructure for Nano -Structures (PRINS)

- European Spallation Source (ESS) – neutron source

- European XFEL – for hard X rays

- IRUVX FELs Network – from infrared to soft X rays

- ESRF upgrade – synchrotron

- High Performance Computer for Europe (HPCEUR)

- Marine vessel for coastal research – essentially Baltic Sea

- Research Icebreaker Aurora Borealis

- European Multidisciplinary Seafloor Observatory (EMSO)

- European infrastructure for research in, and protection of, biodiversity

- Advanced infrastructure for brain and whole body imaging

- Bio-informatics infrastructure for Europe

- European network of advanced clinical research centres

- European network of bio-banks and genomic resources

- High security laboratories for emerging diseases and threats to public health

- Infrastructure for functional analysis of a whole mammalian genome

- Model testing facilities for biomedical research

- European Research Observatory for the Humanities and Social Sciences (EROHS)

- European Social Survey (ESS)

“Global projects”

- ITER

- International Space Station (ISS)

- International Linear Collider (ILC)

- Square Kilometer Array (SKA) – radio telescope

- International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF)

2005/0185 (CNS)

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

concerning the Specific Programme “Cooperation” implementing the Seventh Framework Programme (2007-2013) of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 166 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission[8],

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament[9],

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee[10],

Whereas:

(1) In accordance with Article 166(3) of the Treaty, Decision No /EC of the European Parliament and the Council concerning the 7th Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities, (2007-2013) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Framework Programme’) is to be implemented through specific programmes that define detailed rules for their implementation, fix 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 (“Cooperation”), investigator-driven research based on the initiative of the research community (“Ideas”), support of training and career development of researchers (“People”), and support of research capacities (“Capacities”). Activities under “Cooperation” as regards indirect actions should be implemented by this Specific Programme.

(3) The rules for the participation of undertakings, research centres and universities and for the dissemination of research results, for the Framework Programme (hereinafter referred to as ‘the rules for participation and dissemination’) should apply to this programme.

(4) 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 objectives, alongside in particular with those on structural funds, agriculture, education, training, competitiveness and innovation, industry, health, consumer protection, employment, energy, transport and environment.

(5) Innovation and SME-related activities supported under this Framework Programme should be complementary to those undertaken under the Framework Programme for Competitiveness and Innovation.

(6) Implementation of the Framework Programme may give rise to supplementary programmes involving the participation of certain Member States only, the participation of the Community in programmes undertaken by several Member States, or the setting up of joint undertakings or other arrangements within the meaning of Articles 168, 169 and 171 of the Treaty.

(7) This Specific Programme should contribute to the grant to the European Investment Bank for the constitution of a “Risk-Sharing Finance Facility” in order to improve access to EIB loans.

(8) As provided for under Article 170 of the Treaty, the Community has concluded a number of international agreements in the field of research and efforts should be made to strengthen international research cooperation with a view to further integrating the Community into the world-wide research community. Therefore, this Specific Programme should be open to the participation of countries having concluded agreements to this effect and should be also open on the project level, and on the basis of mutual benefit, to the participation of entities from third countries and of international organisations for scientific cooperation.

(9) Research activities carried out within this programme should respect fundamental ethical principles, including those which are reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

(10) The Framework Programme should contribute towards promoting sustainable development.

(11) Sound financial management of the Framework Programme and its implementation should be ensured in the most effective and user-friendly manner possible, as well as ease of access for all participants, in compliance with Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities, Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of 23 December 2002 laying down detailed rules for implementation of the Financial Regulation and any future amendments.

(12) Appropriate measures should also be taken to prevent irregularities and fraud and the necessary steps should be taken to recover funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly used in accordance with Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities, Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of 23 December 2002 laying down detailed rules for implementation of the Financial Regulation and any future amendments, Council Regulations (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of 18 December 1995 on the protection of the European Communities financial interests[11], (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 interests against fraud and other irregularities[12] and Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)[13].

(13) The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission[14].

(14) Each thematic area should have its own budget line in the General Budget of the European Communities.

(15) In the implementation of this programme adequate attention needs to be paid to gender mainstreaming, as well as to, inter alia, the working conditions, transparency of recruitment processes, and career development as regards the researchers recruited on projects and programmes funded 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 Recruitment of Researchers[15] offers a reference framework,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The Specific Programme “Cooperation” for Community activities in the area of research and technological development, including demonstration activities, hereinafter the “Specific Programme” is hereby adopted for the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013.

Article 2

The Specific Programme shall support the activities for “Cooperation” supporting the whole range of research actions carried out in trans-national cooperation in the following thematic areas:

4. Health;

5. Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology;

6. Information and Communication Technologies;

7. Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies;

8. Energy;

9. Environment (including Climate Change);

10. Transport (including Aeronautics);

11. Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities;

12. Security and Space.

Implementation of this Specific Programme may give rise to supplementary programmes involving the participation of certain Member States only, the participation of the Community in programmes undertaken by several Member States, or the setting up of joint undertakings or other arrangements within the meaning of Articles 168, 169 and 171 of the Treaty.

The objectives and the broad lines of those activities are set out in Annex I.

Article 3

In accordance with Annex II of the Framework Programme, the amount deemed necessary for the execution of the Specific Programme shall be EUR 44 432 million, of which less than 6% shall be for the Commission’s administrative expenditure. An indicative breakdown of this amount is given in Annex II.

Article 4

1. All research activities carried out under the Specific Programme shall be carried out in compliance with fundamental ethical principles.

2. The following fields of research shall 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 heritable[16],

- 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.

3. The following research shall not be financed under this programme:

- research activities that are prohibited in all the Member States,

- research activities to be carried out in a Member State where such research is prohibited.

Article 5

1. The Specific Programme shall be implemented by means of the funding schemes established in Annex III to the Framework Programme.

2. Annex III to this Specific Programme sets out a first set of Joint Technology Initiatives that will be the subject of separate decisions, for example under Article 171 of the Treaty, and sets out the arrangements for a grant to the European Investment Bank for the establishment of a Risk Sharing Finance Facility.

3. Annex IV sets out a number of initiatives for the joint implementation of national research programmes that would be the subject of a separate decision on the basis of Article 169 of the Treaty.

4. The rules for participation and dissemination shall apply to this Specific Programme.

Article 6

1. The Commission shall draw up a work programme for the implementation of the Specific Programme, setting out in greater detail the objectives and scientific and technological priorities set out in Annex I, the funding scheme to be used for the topic on which proposals are invited, and the timetable for implementation.

2. The work programme shall take account of relevant research activities carried out by the Member States, associated countries and European and international organisations. It shall be updated where appropriate.

3. The work programme will specify the criteria on which proposals for indirect actions under the funding schemes shall be evaluated and projects selected. The criteria will be those of excellence, impact and implementation and within this framework additional requirements, weightings and thresholds may be further specified or complemented in the work programme.

4. The work programme may identify:

13. organisations that receive subscriptions in the form of a membership fee;

14. support actions for the activities of specific legal entities.

Article 7

1. The Commission shall be responsible for the implementation of the Specific Programme.

2. The procedure laid down in Article 8(2) shall apply for the adoption of:

15. the work programme referred to in Article 6(1);

16. any adjustment to the indicative breakdown of the amount as set out in Annex II.

3. The procedure laid down in Article 8(3) shall apply for the adoption of RTD actions involving the use of human embryos and human embryonic stem cells.

Article 8

1. The Commission shall be assisted by a Committee

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, the management procedure laid down in Article 4 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, in compliance withArticle 7(3) thereof.

3. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.

4. The period provided for in Articles 4(3) and 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be two months.

5. The Commission shall regularly inform the Committee of the overall progress of the implementation of the Specific Programme, and shall provide it with information about all RTD actions funded under this programme.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels,

For the Council

The President

ANNEX I

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES, BROAD LINES OF THE THEMES AND ACTIVITIES

In this Specific Programme, support will be provided to trans-national co-operation at every scale across the European Union and beyond, in a number of thematic areas corresponding to major fields of the progress of knowledge and technology, where research must be supported and strengthened to address European social, economic, public health, environmental and industrial challenges.

The overarching aim is to contribute to sustainable development within the context of promoting research at the highest level of excellence.

The nine themes determined for EU action are the following:

17. Health;

18. Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology;

19. Information and Communication Technologies;

20. Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies;

21. Energy;

22. Environment (including Climate Change);

23. Transport (including Aeronautics);

24. Socio-economic Sciences and the Humanities;

25. Security and Space.

Each theme is described in terms of the objective, the approach to implementation, and the activities including those involving large scale initiatives (as set out in Annexes III and IV), international cooperation, emerging needs and unforeseen policy needs.

The principle of sustainable development and gender equality will be duly taken into account. Furthermore, considerations of the ethical, social, legal and wider cultural aspects of the research to be undertaken and its potential applications, as well as socio-economic impacts of scientific and technological development and foresight, will where relevant form a part of the activities under this Specific Programme.

Pluridisciplinary and cross-thematic research, including joint calls

Special attention will be paid to priority scientific areas which cut across themes, such as marine sciences and technologies. Pluridisciplinarity will be encouraged by joint cross-thematic approaches to research and technology subjects relevant to more than one theme. Such cross thematic approaches will be implemented, among others, through:

- The use of joint calls between themes where a research topic is clearly relevant to the activities under each of the respective themes;

- The special emphasis within the “emerging needs” activity for cross-disciplinary research;

- The use of external advice from a broad range of disciplines and backgrounds for establishing the work programme;

- For policy relevant research, through ensuring coherence with EU polices;

Coordination between the themes in this Specific Programme and the actions under other specific programmes of the 7th Framework Programme, such as those on research infrastructures in the “Capacities” Specific Programme, will be ensured by the European Commission.

Adaptation to evolving needs and opportunities

The continued industrial relevance of the themes will be ensured by relying, among other sources, on the work of the various “European Technology Platforms”. This Specific Programme will thereby contribute to the implementation of the Strategic Research Agendas established and developed by the European Technology Platforms where these present genuine European added value. The broad research needs identified in available Strategic Research Agendas are already well reflected across the nine themes identified below. The more detailed incorporation of their technical content will be reflected subsequently when formulating the detailed work programme for specific calls for proposals.

The continued relevance of the themes to the formulation, implementation and assessment of EU policies and regulations will also be ensured. This concerns policy areas such as those of health, safety, consumer protection, energy, the environment, development aid, fisheries, maritime affairs, agriculture, animal health and welfare, transport, education and training, information society and media, employment, social affairs, cohesion, and justice and home affairs, along with pre-normative and co-normative research relevant to improving the quality of standards and their implementation. In this context, platforms that bring together stakeholders with the research community to consider strategic research agendas relevant to social. environmental or other policy areas may play a role.

Under each theme, besides the activities defined, specific actions to respond to “emerging needs” and “unforeseen policy needs” will be implemented in an open and flexible way. The implementation of these actions will ensure a simple, coherent and coordinated approach throughout the Specific Programme and the funding of cross-disciplinary research cutting across or lying outside the themes.

- Emerging needs: through specific support for research proposals aiming at identifying or further exploring, in a given field and/or at the intersection of several disciplines, new scientific and technological opportunities, in particular linked with a potential for significant breakthroughs. This will be implemented through:

- Open, “bottom up” research on topics identified by researchers themselves to develop new scientific and technological opportunities (“Adventure” actions”) or to assess new discoveries or newly-observed phenomena which could indicate risks or problems to society (“Insight” actions);

- Initiatives focused on specific, highly challenging objectives in emerging scientific and technological fields that promise major advances and a large potential impact on economic and social developments, and may involve groups of complementary projects (“Pathfinder” actions).

- Unforeseen policy needs: to respond in a flexible way to new policy needs that arise during the course of the Framework Programme, such as unforeseen developments or events requiring a quick reaction like new epidemics, emerging concerns in food safety, natural disaster responses or actions of solidarity. This will be implemented in close relationship with the relevant European Union policies. The annual work programme may be altered in the event of urgent research needs.

- Dissemination, knowledge transfer and broader engagement

In order to strengthen the diffusion and use of the output of EU research, the dissemination of knowledge and transfer of results, including to policy makers, will be supported in all thematic areas[17], including through the funding of networking/brokerage initiatives, seminars and events, assistance by external experts and electronic information services. This will be implemented in each thematic area by means of:

- Integration of dissemination and knowledge transfer actions within projects and consortia, through suitable provisions in the financing schemes and reporting requirements;

- Offering targeted assistance to projects and consortia to provide them with access to the necessary skills to optimise the use of results;

- Specific dissemination actions which take a proactive approach to disseminating results from across a range of projects, including those from previous Framework Programmes and other research programmes, and which target specific sectors or sets of stakeholders as potential users;

- Dissemination to policy makers, including standardisation bodies, to facilitate the use of policy relevant results by the appropriate bodies at international, European, national or regional levels;

- CORDIS services to foster the dissemination of knowledge and the exploitation of research results;

- Initiatives to foster dialogue and debate on scientific issues and research results with a broader public beyond the research community.

Coordination of dissemination and knowledge transfer across the Framework Programme will be ensured. Complementary actions to support innovation will be implemented by the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme. Potential synergies between education and research will be exploited and good practice identified, in particular to promote careers in research.

SME participation

The optimal participation of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) will be facilitated across the thematic areas, in particular by improved financial and administrative procedures and more flexibility in choosing the appropriate financial scheme. Furthermore, the research needs and potential of SMEs are duly taken into account in developing the content of the thematic areas of this Specific Programme and areas which are of particular interest to SMEs will be identified in the work programme. Specific actions to support research for the benefit of SMEs or SME associations are included in the “Capacities” Specific Programme, and actions to promote SME participation across the Framework Programme will be funded under the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme.

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, inter 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 animals and the environment in accordance with Community law and the latest versions of relevant international conventions, guidelines and codes of conduct, e.g. the Helsinki Declaration, the Convention of the Council of Europe on Human Rights and Biomedicine signed in Oviedo on 4 April 1997 and its Additional Protocols, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Universal Declaration on the human genome and human rights adopted by UNESCO, UN Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for 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 Biotechnology (1991-1997) and the Opinions of the 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 legislation, regulations and ethical rules in the countries where the research will be carried out. In any case, national 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 that Member State or country.

Where appropriate, those carrying out research projects must seek the approval of the relevant national or local ethics committees prior to the start of the RTD activities. An ethical review will also be implemented systematically by the Commission 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.

In accordance with Article 4(3) of this Decision no funding will be granted for research activities that are prohibited in all the Member States.

The Protocol on protection and welfare of animals annexed to the Treaty requires that the Community pays full regard to the welfare requirements of animals in formulating and implementing Community policies including research. Council Directive 86/609/EEC on the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes requires that all experiments be designed to avoid distress and unnecessary pain and suffering to the experimental animals; use the minimum 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 animals and cloning of animals may be considered only if the aims are ethically justified and the conditions are such that the animals’ welfare is guaranteed and the principles of biodiversity are respected.

During the implementation of this programme, scientific advances and national and international provisions will be regularly monitored by the Commission so as to take account of any developments.

Research on ethics related to scientific and technological developments will be carried out in the “Science in Society” part of the “Capacities” Specific Programme.

Collaborative research

Collaborative research will constitute the bulk and the core of EU research funding. The objective is to establish, in the major fields of advancement of knowledge, excellent research projects and networks able to attract researchers and investments from Europe and the entire world, strengthening the EU industrial and technological base and supporting EU policies .

This will be achieved by supporting collaborative research, which will include the active participation of industry, through the range of funding schemes: collaborative projects, networks of excellence, and co-ordination/support actions.

Joint Technology Initiatives

In a limited number of cases, the scope of a RTD objective and the scale of the resources involved justify setting up long term public private partnerships in the form of Joint Technology Initiatives. These initiatives, mainly resulting from the work of European Technology Platforms and covering one or a small number of selected aspects of research in their field, will combine private sector investment and national and European public funding, including grant funding from the Research Framework Programme and loan finance from the European Investment Bank. Joint Technology Initiatives will be decided on the basis of separate proposals (e.g. on the basis of Article 171 of the Treaty).

Joint Technology Initiatives are identified on the basis of a series of criteria including:

- Added value of European-level intervention;

- The degree and clarity of definition of the objective to be pursued;

- Strength of the financial and resource commitment from industry;

- Scale of the impact on industrial competitiveness and growth;

- Importance of the contribution to broader policy objectives;

- Capacity to attract additional national support and leverage current or future industry funding;

- Inability of existing instruments to achieve the objective.

Particular attention will be paid to the overall coherence and coordination between Joint Technology Initiatives and national programmes and projects in the same fields. The involvement of SMEs, where appropriate, will also be encouraged.

A first set of Joint Technology Initiatives are identified in Annex III and will be the subject of separate proposals (e.g. under Article 171 of the Treaty). Further Joint Technology Initiatives may be identified on the basis of the above criteria and be proposed during the implementation of the 7th Framework Programme.

Co-ordination of non-Community research programmes

The action undertaken in this field will make use of two main tools: the ERA-NET scheme and the participation of the Community in jointly implemented national research programmes (Treaty Article 169). The action will also be used to enhance the complementarity and synergy between the Framework Programme and activities carried out in the framework of intergovernmental structures such as EUREKA, EIROforum and COST. Financial support for the administration and coordination activities of COST will be provided so that COST can continue to contribute to coordination and exchanges between nationally funded research teams.

Where the actions are within the scope of one of the themes, they will be supported as an integral part of the activities under that theme. Where the actions are of a horizontal nature, they will be supported jointly across all of the relevant themes.

Where the actions are within the scope of another Specific Programme implementing the 7th Framework Programme, they will be supported under that Specific Programme.

The ERA-NET scheme will develop and strengthen the coordination of national and regional research activities by:

- Providing a framework for actors implementing public research programmes to step up the coordination of their activities. This will include support for new ERA-NETs as well as for the broadening and deepening of the scope of existing ERA-NETs, e.g. by extending their partnership, as well as opening mutually their programmes;

- Providing additional EU financial support to those participants that create a common fund for the purpose of joint calls for proposals between their respective national and regional programmes (“ERA-NET PLUS”).

The participation of the Community in national research programmes jointly implemented on the basis of Article 169 is especially relevant to European co-operation on a large scale in “variable geometry” between Member States sharing common needs and/or interests. Such Article 169 initiatives will be launched in areas identified in close association with the Member States, including the possible cooperation with intergovernmental programmes, on the basis of the criteria defined in the 7th Framework Programme decision.

A number of initiatives for the joint implementation of national research programmes are identified in the description in Annex IV and will be the subject of a separate decision on the basis of Article 169 of the Treaty. Further initiatives may be identified and proposed during the implementation of the 7th Framework Programme.

International co-operation

International cooperation actions will support an international Science and Technology policy that has two interdependent objectives:

- To support and promote European competitiveness through strategic research partnerships with third countries including highly industrialised and emerging economies in science and technology by engaging the best third country scientists to work in and with Europe.

- To address specific problems that third countries face or that have a global character, on the basis of mutual interest and mutual benefit.

The international scientific cooperation policy of the EU will stress and develop cooperation to generate, share and use knowledge through equitable research partnerships taking into account the country, regional and socio-economic context and knowledge base of partner countries. The strategic approach is to enhance EU competitiveness and global sustainable development through such partnerships between the EU and third countries at bilateral, regional and global levels based on mutual interest and benefit. To this end the EU’s role as a global player should be also promoted through multilateral international research programmes. The international cooperation actions supported will be connected to mainstream policy issues in order to support fulfilling international commitments of the EU and contribute to sharing European values, competitiveness, socio-economic progress, environmental protection and welfare under the umbrella of global sustainable development.

International cooperation will be implemented in this Specific Programme in each thematic area and across themes through:

- The opening of all activities carried out in the thematic areas to researchers and research institutions from all International Cooperation Partner countries and industrialised countries[18]. In addition there will be a particular emphasis to encourage third country participation in identified areas of mutual interest.

- Specific co-operation actions in each thematic area dedicated to third countries in the case of mutual interest in co-operating on particular topics. The identification of specific needs and priorities will be closely associated with relevant bilateral co-operation agreements and with ongoing multilateral and bi-regional dialogues between the EU and these countries or groups of countries. Priorities will be identified based on the particular needs, potential and level of economic development in the region or country. To this end, an international cooperation strategy and implementation plan will be developed with specific targeted actions within or across the themes, e.g. in health, agriculture, sanitation, water, food security, social cohesion, energy, environment, fisheries, aquaculture and natural resources, sustainable economic policy and information and communication technologies. These actions will serve as privileged tools for implementing the co-operation between the EU and these countries. Such actions are, in particular, actions aiming at reinforcing the research capacities and cooperative capacities of candidate, neighbourhood, and developing and emerging countries. The actions will be the subject of targeted calls and particular attention will be paid to facilitating access of the relevant third countries, notably developing countries, to the actions.

These activities will be implemented in coordination with international cooperation actions under the “People” and the “Capacities” specific programmes.

THEMES

1. Health

Objective

Improving the health of European citizens and increasing the competitiveness of European health-related industries and businesses, while addressing global health issues including emerging epidemics. Emphasis will be put on translational research (translation of basic discoveries into clinical applications), the development and validation of new therapies, methods for health promotion and disease prevention, diagnostic tools and technologies, as well as sustainable and efficient health care systems.

Approach

This research will advance our understanding on how to more efficiently promote good health, to prevent and treat major diseases and to deliver health care. It will help integrate the vast amount of genomics data to generate new knowledge and applications in medicine and biotechnology. It will foster translational health research, which is essential to ensure practical benefits from biomedical research. It will allow Europe to contribute more effectively to international efforts combating diseases of global importance, as illustrated by the ongoing programme on “European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership” (EDCTP) for combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (Article 169)[19]. It will reinforce health policy-driven research at the European level and especially the comparisons of the models, systems and data of national databases.

This research will help improve the competitiveness of European health care biotechnology and medical technology sectors, where SMEs are the main economic drivers, and pharmaceutical industries. In particular, it is envisaged to support a European Technology Platform[20] on innovative medicines, aiming at overcoming the research bottlenecks in the drug development process. Special attention will be given to bridging the gap between research activities and exploitation by providing support for demonstrating proof of concept and clinical validation. This research will also contribute to the development of norms and standards for new advanced therapies (e.g. regenerative medicine) needed to help EU industry face worldwide competition.

Gender aspects in research will be considered and integrated in the projects[21] whenever appropriate. Special attention will be given to communicating research outcomes and engaging in dialogue with civil society, in particular with patient groups, at the earliest possible stage, of new developments arising from biomedical and genetics research. A wide dissemination and use of the results will also be assured.

Two strategic issues, child health[22] and the health of the ageing population will be addressed across the three main blocks of activities set out below, with priorities highlighted in the work programme. Other multi-disciplinary areas will also be included. This will ensure a visible and coherent approach to these issues across the Theme, whilst avoiding duplication.

Activities

- Biotechnology, generic tools and technologies for human health

This activity aims at developing and validating the necessary tools and technologies that will make possible the production of new knowledge and its translation into practical applications in the area of health and medicine.

- High-throughput research: to develop new research tools for modern biology that will enhance significantly data generation and improve data and specimen (biobanks) standardisation, acquisition and analysis. The focus will be on new technologies for: sequencing; gene expression, genotyping and phenotyping; structural genomics; bioinformatics and systems biology; other “omics”.

- Detection, diagnosis and monitoring : to develop visualisation, imaging, detection and analytical tools and technologies for biomedical research, for prediction, diagnosis, monitoring and prognosis of diseases, and for support and guidance of therapeutic interventions. The focus will be on a multidisciplinary approach integrating areas such as: molecular and cellular biology, physiology, genetics, physics, chemistry, nanotechnologies, microsystems, devices and information technologies. Non- or minimally- invasive and quantitative methods and quality assurance aspects will be emphasised.

- Innovative therapeutic approaches and interventions: to consolidate and ensure further developments in advanced therapies and technologies with broad potential application. The focus will be on gene and cell therapy, regenerative medicine, transplantation, immunotherapy and vaccines, and other medicines. Related technologies, such as advanced targeted delivery systems, advanced implants and prosthetics, and non- or minimally-invasive technology-assisted interventions will also be addressed.

- Predicting suitability, safety and efficacy of therapies: to develop and validate the parameters, tools, methods and standards needed for bringing to the patient safe and effective new biomedicines [for conventional medicines[23], these issues will be addressed through the proposed Joint Technology Initiative on Innovative Medicines]. The focus will be on approaches such as pharmacogenomics, in silico, in vitro (including alternatives to animal testing) and in vivo methods and models.

- Translating research for human health

This activity aims at increasing knowledge of biological processes and mechanisms involved in normal health and in specific disease situations, to transpose this knowledge into clinical applications, and to ensure that clinical data guide further research.

- Integrating biological data and processes: large-scale data gathering, systems biology.

- Large scale data gathering : to use high-throughput technologies to generate data for elucidating the function of genes and gene products and their interactions in complex networks. The focus will be on: genomics; proteomics; population genetics; comparative and functional genomics.

- Systems biology : the focus will be on multidisciplinary research that will integrate a wide variety of biological data and will develop and apply system approaches to understand and model biological processes.

- Research on the brain and related diseases, human development and ageing.

- Brain and brain-related diseases: to better understand the integrated structure and dynamics of the brain, and to study brain diseases and search for new therapies. The focus will be to explore brain functions, from molecules to cognition, and to address neurological and psychiatric diseases and disorders, including regenerative and restorative therapeutic approaches.

- Human development and ageing : to better understand the process of life-long development and healthy ageing. The focus will be on the study of human and model systems, including interactions with factors such as environment, behaviour and gender.

- Translational research in major infectious diseases: to confront major threats to public health.

- Anti-microbial drug resistance: the focus will be on combining basic research on molecular mechanisms of resistance, microbial ecology and host-pathogen interactions with clinical research towards new interventions to reduce the emergence and spread of multi-drug resistant infections.

- HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis : the focus will be on developing new therapies, diagnostic tools, preventive vaccines and chemical transmission barriers such as HIV microbicides. Research efforts will confront the three diseases at global level, but will also address specific European aspects. Preclinical and early clinical research activities will be emphasised, and where relevant (e.g. for HIV/AIDS vaccines) collaboration with global initiatives is foreseen.

- Emerging epidemics : the focus will be on confronting emerging pathogens with pandemic potential including zoonoses (e.g. SARS and highly pathogenic influenza). Where appropriate, provisions will be made for rapidly initiating collaborative research aimed at expediting development of new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines for efficient prevention, treatment, and control of infectious disease emergencies.

- Translational research in other major diseases.

- Cancer : the focus will be on disease aetiology; identifying and validating drug targets and biological markers that aid in the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment; and assessing the effectiveness of prognostic, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

- Cardiovascular disease : the focus will be on diagnosis, prevention, treatment and monitoring of heart and blood vessel diseases (including vascular aspects of stroke) using broad multidisciplinary approaches.

- Diabetes and obesity: for the former, the focus will be on aetiologies of the different types of diabetes, and their related prevention and treatment. For the later, the focus will be on multidisciplinary approaches including genetics, life style and epidemiology.

- Rare diseases : the focus will be on Europe-wide studies of natural history, pathophysiology and on development of preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. This sector will include rare Mendelian phenotypes of common diseases.

- Other chronic diseases : the focus will be on non-lethal diseases with a high impact on the quality of life at old age such as functional and sensory impairment and other chronic diseases (e.g. rheumatoid diseases).

- Optimising the delivery of health care to European citizens

This activity aims at providing the necessary basis both for informed policy decisions on health systems and for more effective strategies of health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis and therapy.

- Enhanced health promotion and disease prevention: to provide evidence for the best public health measures in terms of life styles and interventions at different levels and in different contexts. Focus will be on the wider determinants of health and how they interact at both the individual and community level (e.g. diet, stress, tobacco and other substances, physical activity, cultural context, socio-economic and environmental factors). In particular, mental health will be addressed in a life-course perspective.

- Translating clinical research into clinical practice including better use of medicines, and appropriate use of behavioural and organisational interventions and health therapies and technologies. Special attention will be given to patient safety: to identify the best clinical practice; to understand decision making in clinical settings in primary and specialised care; and to foster applications of evidence-based medicine and patient empowerment. Focus will be on the benchmarking of strategies; investigating outcomes of different interventions including medicines, taking into consideration pharmacovigilance evidence, specificities of the patient (e.g. genetic susceptibility, age, gender and adherence) and cost benefits.

- Quality, solidarity and sustainability of health systems ; to provide a basis for countries to adapt their health systems in the light of experience of others, taking into account the importance of national contexts and population characteristics (ageing, mobility, migration, education, socioeconomic status and the changing world of work etc). Focus will be on organisational, financial and regulatory aspects of health systems, their implementation and their outcomes in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and equity. Special attention will be paid to investment issues and human resources.

International cooperation

International cooperation is an integral part of the Theme and is of particular importance for areas addressing global health problems, such as anti-microbial resistance, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and emerging pandemics. This may also involve priority setting in the context of international initiatives, such as the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise. Subject to the consolidation of a long-term sustainable partnership in clinical research between Europe and Developing countries, further support will be provided[24] to the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) in response to its achievements and future needs. The EDCTP programme will remain focused on advanced clinical testing for the development of new vaccines, microbicides and drugs against the three diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.

Specific cooperation actions will be implemented in the areas formulated through bi-regional dialogues in third Countries/Regions and international fora, as well as within the context of Millennium Development Goals. Such priority areas adapted to local needs and through partnerships may include: health policy research, health systems and health care service research, maternal and child health, reproductive health, control and surveillance of neglected communicable diseases and emerging unforeseen policy needs in those regions.

An annual subscription to the international Human Frontier Science Programme Organisation (HFSPO)[25] will be made jointly with the “Information and Communication Technologies” theme. This will allow EU non-G8 Member States to fully benefit from the Human Frontier Science Programme (HFSP) and provide increased visibility for European research.

Responding to emerging needs and unforeseen policy needs

Research on emerging needs will be implemented on the basis of “bottom up” and “focussed” initiatives, in coordination with other Themes and this will include a broad and inter-disciplinary research portfolio. Support for unforeseen European Union policy needs may address, for example occupational health and safety, health impact assessment, risk assessment, statistical indicators, management and communication in the public health domain, as well as obligations under international health treaties including the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control[26] and the International Health Regulations[27]. This will complement the health policy-driven research supported above.

2. Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology

Objective

Building a European Knowledge Based Bio-Economy [28] by bringing together science, industry and other stakeholders, to exploit new and emerging research opportunities that address social and economic challenges: the growing demand for safer, healthier and higher quality food, taking into account animal welfare and rural contexts; the sustainable production and use of renewable bio-resources; the increasing risk of epizootic and zoonotic diseases and food related disorders; threats to the sustainability and security of agricultural and fisheries production resulting in particular from climate change.

Approach

This theme will strengthen the knowledge base, deliver the innovations and provide policy support for building and developing a European Knowledge Based Bio-Economy (KBBE). Research will focus on the sustainable management, production and use of biological resources, in particular through life sciences and biotechnology and the convergence with other technologies, to provide new, eco-efficient and competitive products from European agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, food[29], health, forest based and related industries . Research will make important contributions to the implementation and formulation of EU policies and regulations and specifically address or support: the Common Agricultural Policy; agriculture and trade issues; food safety regulations; Community Animal Health Policy, disease control and welfare standards; environment and biodiversity; EU Forestry Strategy; and the Common Fisheries Policy aiming to provide sustainable development of fishing and aquaculture. Research will also seek to develop new and existing indicators supporting analysis, development and monitoring of these policies.

Agro-food industries, of which 90% are SMEs, will particularly benefit from many research activities, including targeted dissemination and technology transfer activities, in particular as regards the integration and uptake of advanced eco-efficient technologies, methodologies and processes and the development of standards. High-tech start-ups from the bio-, nano- and ICT are expected to provide important contributions to the areas of plant breeding, improved crops and plant protection, advanced detection and monitoring technologies for ensuring food safety and quality, and new industrial bioprocesses.

Several European Technology Platforms, covering the areas of plant genomics and biotechnology, forestry and forest based industries, global animal health, farm animal breeding, food, aquaculture and industrial biotechnology, will contribute in setting common research priorities for this theme, in identifying possible future large scale initiatives such as demonstration projects for the production of bulk chemicals from biomass (plant cell wall, biofuels, biopolymers) and help ensure broad participation and integration of all stakeholders. Actions to enhance the co-ordination of national research programmes will be pursued wherever appropriate, in close co-ordination with ERA-Net projects, Technology Platforms and other relevant actors, such as the Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR) or any future European maritime research co-ordination structure.

Consideration of the social, ethical, gender, legal, environmental, economic and wider cultural aspects and potential risks and impacts (foresight) of the scientific and technological development will form a part of the activities, where relevant.

Activities

- Sustainable production and management of biological resources from land, forest, and aquatic environments[30]

- Enabling research on the key long term drivers of sustainable production and management of biological resources (micro-organisms, plants and animals) including the exploitation of biodiversity and of novel bioactive molecules within these biological systems. Research will include 'omics' technologies, such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and converging technologies, and their integration within systems biology approaches, as well as the development of basic tools and technologies, including bioinformatics and relevant databases, and methodologies for identifying varieties within species groups.

- Increased sustainability and competitiveness, while decreasing environmental impacts, in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture through the development of new technologies, equipment, monitoring systems, novel plants and production systems, the improvement of the scientific and technical basis of fisheries management, and a better understanding of the interaction between different systems (agriculture and forestry; fisheries and aquaculture) across a whole ecosystem approach. For land based biological resources, special emphasis will be placed on low input and organic production systems, improved management of resources and novel feeds, and novel plants (crops and trees) with improved composition, resistance to stress, nutrient use efficiency, and architecture. This will be supported through research into biosafety, co-existence and traceability of novel plants systems and products. Plant health will be improved through better understanding of ecology, biology of pests, diseases and other threats and support to controlling disease outbreaks and enhancing sustainable pest management tools and techniques. For biological resources from aquatic environments, emphasis will be placed on essential biological functions, safe and environmentally friendly production systems and feeds of cultured species and on fisheries biology, dynamics of mixed fisheries, interactions between fisheries activities and the marine ecosystem and on fleet-based, regional and multi-annual management systems.

- Optimised animal production and welfare, across agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, inter alia through the exploitation of genetic knowledge, new breeding methods, improved understanding of animal physiology and behaviour and the better understanding and control of infectious animal diseases, including zoonoses. The latter will also be addressed by developing tools for monitoring, prevention and control, by underpinning and applied research on vaccines and diagnostics, studying the ecology of known or emerging infectious agents and other threats, including malicious acts, and impacts of different farming systems and climate. New knowledge for the safe disposal of animal waste and improved management of by-products will also be developed.

- Providing the tools needed by policy makers and other actors to support the implementation of relevant strategies, policies and legislation and in particular to support the building of the European Knowledge Based Bio-Economy (KBBE) and the needs of rural and coastal development. The Common Fisheries Policy will be supported through the development of adaptive approaches supportive to a whole ecosystem approach for the harvesting of marine resources. Research for all policies will include socio-economic studies, comparative investigations of different farming systems, cost-effective fisheries management systems, the rearing of non-food animals, interactions with forestry and studies to improve rural and coastal livelihoods.

- Fork to farm: Food, health and well being

- Understanding consumer behaviour as a major factor in the competitiveness of the food industry and the impact of food on the health, and well-being of the European citizen. The focus will be on consumer perception and attitudes towards food, understanding societal trends, and identifying determinants of food choice and consumer access to food.

- Understanding dietary factors and habits as a major controllable factor in the development and reduction of occurrence of diet-related diseases and disorders. This will involve the development and application of nutrigenomics and systems biology, and the study of the interactions between nutrition, physiological and psychological functions. It could lead to reformulation of processed foods, and development of novel foods, dietetic foods and foods with nutritional and health claims. The investigation of traditional, local, and seasonal foods and diets will also be important to highlight the impact of certain foods and diets on health, and to develop integrated food guidance.

- Optimising innovation in the European food industry through the integration of advanced technologies into traditional food production, key process technologies to enhance the functionality of food, the development and demonstration of high-tech, eco-efficient processing and packaging, smart control applications and more efficient management of by-products, wastes and energy. New research will also develop sustainable and novel technologies for animal feed, including safe feed processing formulations and for feed quality control.

- Assuring chemical and microbiological safety and improving quality in the European food supply. This will include understanding the links between microbial ecology and food safety; developing methods and models addressing the integrity of the food supply chains; new detection methods, and technologies and tools for risk assessment, management, and communication, and enhance the understanding of risk perception.

- Protecting both human health and the environment through a better understanding of the environmental impacts on and of food/feed chains. This will involve study of food contaminants and health outcomes, developing enhanced tools and methods for the assessment of impacts of food and feed chains on the environment. Assuring quality and the integrity of the food chain requires new models for commodity chain analysis and total food chain management concepts, including consumer aspects.

- Life sciences and biotechnology for sustainable non-food products and processes

- To strengthen the knowledge base and develop advanced technologies for terrestrial or marine biomass production for applications in energy and industry. This will include plant, animal and microbial genomics and metabolomics to improve the productivity and composition of raw materials and biomass feedstocks for optimised conversion to high added value products, while exploiting natural or enhanced terrestrial and aquatic organisms as novel sources. This will fully incorporate life cycle analysis of farming practices, transportation, and storage and market deployment of bio-products. Accordingly the application of industrial biotechnologies within the whole crop chain to realise the full potential of the bio-refinery approach, including socioeconomic, agronomic, and ecological and consumer aspects will be addressed. This will be enhanced by an increased understanding and control of plant and microbial metabolism at the cellular and sub-cellular level, in the production of high value commodities deploying bio-processes with increased yield, quality and purity of conversion products, including biocatalytic process design. Furthermore, biotechnologies for novel and improved high quality, high added value and renewable forest-based products and processes will be used or developed to increase sustainability of wood and wood production, including timber and renewable bioenergy stocks. Finally, the potential of biotechnology to detect, monitor, prevent, treat and remove pollution with an emphasis on maximising the economic value of waste and by-products through new bio-processes, alone or in combination with plant systems and/or chemical catalysts will be addressed.

International cooperation

International co-operation is a priority aspect for Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology research and will be strongly encouraged throughout the entire area. Research of specific interest for developing countries will be supported, taking into account Millennium development goals and already ongoing activities. Specific actions will be undertaken to foster co-operation with priority partner regions and countries - particularly those involved in bi-regional dialogues and bilateral S&T agreements as well as neighbourhood countries and emerging economies and developing countries.

Furthermore, multilateral co-operation will be carried out to address either challenges requiring broad international efforts, such as the dimension and complexity of systems biology in plants and micro-organisms, or to address global challenges and EU international commitments (security and safety of food and drinking water, global spread of animal diseases, equitable use of biodiversity, the restoration of world fisheries to Maximum Sustainable Yield by 2015 and the influence of/on climate change).

Responding to emerging needs and unforeseen policy needs

Research on emerging needs may address, for example, the development of new concepts and technologies, such as on crisis management systems and the integrity of the food chain.

A flexible response to unforeseen policy needs will take particular account of relevant policies for building a European Knowledge Based Bio-Economy.

3. Information and Communication Technologies

Objective

Improve the competitiveness of European industry and enable Europe to master and shape the future developments of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) so that the demands of its society and economy are met. Activities will strengthen Europe’s scientific and technology base and ensure its global leadership in ICT, help drive and stimulate innovation through ICT use and ensure that ICT progress is rapidly transformed into benefits for Europe’s citizens, businesses, industry and governments.

Introduction

Information and communication technologies (ICT) play a unique, proven role in fostering innovation, creativity and competitiveness of all industry and service sectors. They are essential for addressing key societal challenges and modernising public services and they underpin progress in all science and technology fields. Europe must therefore master and shape the future developments of ICT and ensure that ICT-based services and products are taken up and used to deliver the maximum possible benefits for citizens and businesses.

These are the targets of the Union’s Information Society policy, as highlighted in the i2010 initiative, aiming at a competitive convergent information economy in Europe, a significant rise in European investment in ICT research and innovation and a very high level of accessibility in the Information Society.

New ICT technologies will open up many new opportunities for higher-value products and services, many of which are in areas where Europe already enjoys industrial and technological leadership. Partnering at European level is the optimal approach to ICT investment. More than ever before, such efforts are needed to keep pace with soaring research costs in an era of global competition, and increasingly complex and interdependent technologies.

The ICT theme prioritises strategic research around key technology pillars, ensures end-to-end integration of technologies and provides the knowledge and the means to develop a wide range of innovative ICT applications. The activities will leverage industrial and technological advance in the ICT sector and improve the competitive edge of important ICT-intensive sectors – both through innovative high-value ICT-based products and services and from improvements of organisational processes in businesses and administrations alike. The theme will also support other policies of the European Union, by mobilising ICT to meet public and societal demands.

Activities will cover collaboration and networking actions, support to Joint Technology Initiatives – including selected aspects of research in the areas of Nanoelectronics Technologies and Embedded Computing Systems – and national programme co-ordination initiatives – including in the area of Ambient Assisted Living. The priorities of the activities will include topics relying, among other sources, on the work of European Technology Platforms. Thematic synergies will also be developed with related activities in other Specific Programmes.

The active participation of small and medium-sized enterprises and other small entities in the activities is essential given their role in promoting innovation. They play vital roles in the development and nurturing of new visions in ICT and their applications and in transforming them into business assets.

Activities

- ICT Technology Pillars :

- Nano-electronics, photonics and integrated micro/nano-systems : process, device and design technologies to improve size, density, performance, energy efficiency, manufacturing and cost-effectiveness for components, systems-on-a-chip, systems-in-a-package and integrated systems; basic photonic components for wide range of applications; high-performance/high-density data storage systems; very large area/highly integrated display solutions; sensing, actuating, vision and imaging devices; ultra low power systems, alternative energy sources/storage; heterogeneous technologies/systems integration; multi-functional integrated micro-nano-bio-info systems; large-area electronics; integration in different materials/objects; interfacing with living organisms; (self-)assembly of molecules or atoms into stable structures.

- Ubiquitous and unlimited capacity communication networks : cost-effective mobile and broadband network technologies and systems including terrestrial and satellite networks; convergence of different fixed, mobile, wireless and broadcasting networks spanning from the personal area to the regional and global area; interoperability of wired and wireless communications services and applications, management of networked resources, service reconfigurability; complex networking of ad-hoc intelligent multimedia devices, sensors and microchips.

- Embedded systems, computing and control : more powerful, secure, distributed, reliable and efficient hardware/software systems that can perceive, control and adapt to their environment while optimising the use of resources; methods and tools for system modelling, design and engineering to master complexity; open composable architectures and scale-free platforms, middleware and distributed operating systems to enable truly seamless collabora