[pic] | COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES |

Brussels, 28.6.2006

COM(2006) 364 final

2005/0043(COD)2005/0044(CNS)

Amended proposal for a

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL

concerning the 7 th framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013)

Amended proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

concerning the 7 th framework programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for nuclear research and training activities (2007-2011)

(presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 250 (2) of the EC Treaty)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

The Commission adopted, on 6 April 2005, its proposals for Decisions concerning the seventh framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) and concerning the seventh framework programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for nuclear research and training activities (2007 to 2011)[1]. The Commission subsequently adapted the budgetary aspects of these proposals following the agreement of 17 May 2006 on the Financial Framework 2007-2013.

The proposals have been examined by the Council and the European Parliament, as well as by the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.

The Parliament adopted, with a very broad majority, its opinion on both proposals on 15 June 2006, proposing a considerable number of amendments.

The Economic and Social Committee unanimously adopted an opinion on 14 December 2005 and the Committee of the Regions adopted its opinion on 16 November 2005.

To expedite an agreement on the framework programmes, the Commission is now bringing forward revised proposals on both framework programmes, enriched with Parliament’s amendments and Council’s views. As the opinion of the Parliament and the approach taken by the Council reflect the key principles of the original Commission proposals, these revised proposals take up in spirit and content if not necessarily always with the exact wording, a large proportion the position taken by the other institutions.

The main issues raised concern the proposal for the EC framework programme. As regards the Commission’s position, the following items can be highlighted:

- As for the scope of the themes, and their scientific and technical content , the Commission accepts many of the clarifications and additions requested, where these reflect important needs, are consistent with maintaining the overall focus of each priority and their inclusion is not prevented by the reduced budget for the framework programme.

- Concerning the Joint Technology Initiatives , the Commission accepts modifications on the criteria to be used for the identification of potential Joint Technology Initiatives, as well as their nature and implementation.

- Concerning the European Research Council , important clarifications are accepted by the Commission, including on the term of office, the renewal and the role of the Scientific Council, the management and the staffing arrangements of the European Research Council, as well as the conduct of an independent review in 2010 of the European Research Council's structures and mechanisms.

- - As regards People , a series of changes include references to the links of this programme with other parts of the framework programme and other community programmes, additions that make explicit the international dimension of this part of the programme, pointers to the establishment of appropriate working conditions of researchers and indications on the co-funding mode.

- As regards Capacities , the aspects on the Coherent development of policies now form a separate part, in line with the importance of this field. Further, the criteria for the support to new research infrastructures became more detailed and the importance of regional aspects in the construction of new infrastructures was acknowledged.

In what concerns the budget, the Commission maintains the amounts proposed in its adapted proposals of 24 May, 2006.

2005/0043(COD)

Amended proposal for a

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

concerning the seventh framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) (Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 166(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission[2],

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee[3],

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions[4],

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty[5],

Whereas:

1. The Community has set itself the objective of creating the knowledge society by developing the know-how and strengthening the scientific and technological bases of the Community industry , including service industries, with a view to assuring a high level of competitiveness. To this end, the Community recognises the responsibility and independence of scientists in the definition of the broad lines of research at the frontiers of knowledge and it shall promote all the research activities deemed necessary, in particular by encouraging undertakings, including small and medium sized enterprises (“SMEs”), research centres and universities in their research and technological development activities, giving priority to those areas and projects where European funding and cooperation is of particular importance and gives an added value. Through its support for research at the frontiers of knowledge, applied research and innovation, the Community seeks to promote synergies in European research and thus provide a more stable foundation for the European Research Area. This will make a positive contribution to the social and economic progress of all Member States.

2. The central role of research was recognised by the European Council of Lisbon which highlighted knowledge and innovation as the key, setting itself a new strategic goal for the next decade: to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic development and aiming at full employment with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion.

3. The seventh Framework Programme is central to achieving the Lisbon strategic goal of Europe becoming the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world. The triangle of knowledge - education, research and innovation - is a principal tool for achieving this goal.

4. The central role of knowledge and intangible goods in the production of economic, social and cultural wealth was recognised by the Lisbon European Council. In the knowledge-based society, innovation and knowledge production, far from flowing top-down, are widely distributed throughout society and are increasingly achieved by bottom-up processes. It is an aim of the Community to mobilize and strengthen all these research and innovation capacities .

5. In line with the Lisbon strategy, the European Council of Barcelona set the target of raising European research efforts to 3% of EU GDP, two thirds of which should come from private investment.

6. To that end, many Member States, and European industry, must step up their research efforts in order to help make the promotion of research under the Seventh Framework Programme a success.

7. The overriding aim of the whole Seventh Framework Programme must be to contribute to the European Union becoming the world’s leading research area. This requires the Framework Programme to be strongly focused on promoting and investing in world-class research . It is therefore imperative that the implementation of the specific programmes is primarily based upon the principles of excellence in research. Only by creating opportunities for state-of-the-art research is it possible for the EU to become the world’s leading research area .

8. The European Parliament has repeatedly stressed the importance of research, technological development and the increased role of knowledge for economic growth and social and environmental well-being , most recently in its guidelines for future EU policy to support research of March 2005[6].

9. Taking into account the research needs of all Community policies and building upon wide-spread support from European industry, the scientific community, universities, and other interested circles, the Community should establish the scientific and technological objectives to be achieved under its seventh Framework Programme in the period 2007 to 2013.

10. Particularly relevant for industrial research are the European Technology Platforms (ETPs) and the Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs). ETPs can evolve to represent a general tool for fostering European competitiveness .

11. These objectives should build upon the achievements of the sixth Framework Programme towards the creation of the European Research Area and carry them further towards the development of a knowledge-based economy and society in Europe . Among these objectives the following are particularly important:

12. Trans-national cooperation at every scale across the EU should be supported.

13. The dynamism, creativity and excellence of European research at the frontier of knowledge should be enhanced. In view of this, financing more speculative basic research should be a clear priority of the Framework Programme.

14. The human potential in research and technology in Europe should be strengthened quantitatively and qualitatively ; better education and research training, easier access to research opportunities as well as the recognition of the researcher’s “profession”, are principal tools for achieving this goal, not least through a significant increase in the presence of women in research, encouraging researchers’ mobility and career development. To that end, Member States should be called upon to implement the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, both instruments being necessary in order to establish a genuine European labour market for researchers. In addition, the excellence of European research institutions and universities should be developed and enhanced.

15. The dialogue between science and society in Europe should be deepened in order to develop a science and research agenda that meets citizens' concerns, including by fostering critical reflection, and aimed at restoring public confidence in science.

16. Special attention should be paid to facilitating the scientific career of researchers in the most productive period of life. Early -stage and early-career researchers should become a major driving force of science in Europe.

17. The research and innovation capacities throughout Europe should be enhanced and their optimal use should be ensured.

18. Taking note of the Protocol on the Protection and Welfare of Animals to the Amsterdam Treaty, research for the development of alternative testing strategies and in particular non-animal methods in all research areas should be promoted and enhanced in order to reduce the use of animals in research and testing, with a view to ultimately replacing animal use.

19. In order to realise these objectives it is necessary to promote 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 individual researchers (“People”), and support of research capacities (“Capacities”).

20. Under “Cooperation”, support should be provided to trans-national co-operation at appropriate 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 should be supported and strengthened to address European social, economic, environmental , public health and industrial challenges , serve the public good and support developing countries. Where possible, this programme will allow flexibility for mission orientated schemes which cut across the thematic priorities. The programme should also ensure that the EU is able to maintain its leading position in sociology and humanities research into the interaction between people and new technology, and into the significance of technology for the development of society as a whole.

21. Under “Ideas”, activities should be implemented by a European Research Council (“ERC”), which should enjoy a high degree of autonomy. It is essential to develop very high-level frontier research at EU level, building on excellence in Europe and raising its profile at international level. The ERC should maintain regular contact with the European Institutions and the scientific community in order to ensure that its work is supported and its interests promoted in the public sphere.

22. Under “People”, individuals should be stimulated to enter into the researcher’s profession, European researchers should be encouraged to stay in Europe, researchers from the entire world should be attracted to Europe and Europe should be made more attractive to the best researchers. Building on the positive experiences with the “Marie Curie Actions” under previous Framework Programmes, the “People” programme should encourage more gifted individuals to enter the profession of researcher; structure the research training offer and options , extending also to the skills requirements; encourage that European researchers stay in or return to Europe; encourage intersectoral mobility; and attract researchers from all over the world to Europe. To that end, efforts should be made to improve the mutual recognition of diplomas and professional qualifications acquired on the territory of the Community and in third countries. The mobility of researchers is not only key to the career development of researchers but also to share and transfer knowledge between countries and sectors and to ensure that innovative frontier research in various disciplines benefits from dedicated and competent researchers, as well as increased financial resources.

23. Under “Capacities”, the use and development of research infrastructures should be optimised; innovative capacities of SMEs and their ability to benefit from research should be strengthened; the development of regional research-driven clusters should be supported; the research potential in the EU’s convergence and outermost regions should be unlocked; science and society should be brought closer together for the harmonious integration of science and technology in European society; and horizontal actions and measures in support of international co-operation should be undertaken.

24. The Joint Research Centre has the crucial role of providing customer-driven scientific and technological support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of EU policies. Continuous support should be given to the JRC to allow it to function as a reference centre of science and technology for the EU, independent of private and national interests .

25. The Commission has recognised on numerous occasions that the regions have an important part to play in implementing the European Research Area [7] .

26. The seventh Framework Programme complements 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 those on structural funds, agriculture, education, training, competitiveness and innovation, industry, employment and environment.

27. Innovation and SME-related activities supported under this Framework Programme should be complementary to those undertaken under the framework programme for Competitiveness and Innovation.

28. Participation in the activities of this Framework Programme should be facilitated through the publication of all relevant information, to be made available in a timely and user-friendly manner to all potential participants.

29. Given the widely supported enlarged scope of the Framework Programme actions, the leverage effect of funding in national and private investments, the need to enable the Community to meet new science and technology challenges and make full use of its researchers' potential without any form of discrimination, the vital role the Community intervention plays in making the European research system more efficient and effective, the contribution of a larger seventh Framework Programme to the effort of finding solutions to climate change and sustainability, the health of Europe's population as well as reinvigoration of the Lisbon strategy, there is a pressing need to progressively increase double the EU research budget[8].

30. Taking into account the mid-term review of the use of new instruments under the sixth Framework Programme and the Five Year Assessment of the Framework Programme, a new approach has been defined which should allow the political objectives of EU research policy to be reached more easily, more efficiently and in a more flexible way. To this end, a smaller set of simpler “funding schemes” should be used, alone or in combination, with more flexibility and freedom, to support the different actions, and stronger management autonomy should be granted to participants.

31. Since the objective of the actions to be taken in accordance with Article 163 of the Treaty in contributing towards the creation of a knowledge-based society and economy in Europe cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can therefore be better achieved at Community level , the Community may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this seventh Framework Programme does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.

32. Implementation of the seventh 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.

33. The Community has concluded a number of international agreements in the field in research and efforts should be made to strengthen international research cooperation with a view to reaping the full benefits of internationalisation of R&D, to contributing to the production of global public goods and to further integrating the Community into the world-wide research community.

34. There is already a significant body of scientific knowledge capable of drastically improving the lives of those who live in developing countries; where possible, the Framework Programme will contribute to meeting the Millennium Development Goals by 2010.

35. The seventh Framework Programme should contribute towards promoting growth, sustainable development and environmental protection.

36. Research activities supported by this Framework Programme should respect fundamental ethical principles, including those reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The opinions of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies are and will be taken into account. Research activities aimed at human cloning, heritable modifications of the human genome[9], or production of human embryos solely for stem cell procurement should not be supported under this programme. Research on human stem cells may be financed under this framework programme, depending both on the contents of the scientific proposal and the legal framework of the Member state(s) involved .

37. Under the seventh Framework Programme due regard will be paid to the role of women in science and research will be actively promoted by appropriate measures with a view to encouraging greater numbers to become involved in this domain and further enhancing their active role in research.

38. This act establishes a financial framework for the entire duration of the programme which is to be the principal point of reference for the budgetary authority, within the meaning of point 37 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17/5/2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure.

39. Appropriate measures - proportionate to the European Communities’ financial interests - 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 Regulations (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of 18 December 1995 on the protection of the European Communities financial interests[10], (EC, Euratom) 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[11] and Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)[12].

40. It is important to ensure sound financial management of the seventh framework programme and its implementation in the most effective and user-friendly manner possible, while ensuring legal certainty and the accessibility of the programme for all participants. It is necessary to ensure 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; and with the requirements of simplification and better regulation. The simplification of procedures used to execute the Seventh Framework Programme will help to ensure that flexible implementing measures are included in the rules of participation.

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Adoption Establishment of the Framework Programme

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

Article 2

Objectives and activities

41. The seventh Framework Programme shall support the activities set out in paragraphs 2 to 5. The objectives and the broad lines of those activities are set out in Annex I.

42. Cooperation: supporting the whole range of research actions carried out in trans-national cooperation in the following thematic areas:

43. Health;

44. Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology;

45. Information and Communication Technologies;

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

47. Energy;

48. Environment (including Climate Change);

49. Transport (including Aeronautics);

50. Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities;

51. Security and Space.

52. Ideas: supporting “investigator-driven” research carried out across all fields by individual national or transnational teams in competition at the European level.

53. People: strengthening, quantitatively and qualitatively, the human potential in research and technology in Europe , as well as encouraging mobility.

54. Capacities: supporting key aspects of European research and innovation capacities such as research infrastructures; regional research driven clusters; the development of a full research potential in the Community’s convergence and outermost regions; research for the benefit of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs); “Science in Society” issues; support to the coherent development of policies; horizontal activities of international cooperation.

55. The seventh Framework Programme shall also support the non-nuclear direct scientific and technical actions carried out by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) as defined in Annex I.

Article 3

The seventh Framework Programme shall be implemented through specific programmes. These programmes shall establish precise objectives and the detailed rules for implementation.

Article 4

Maximum overall amount and shares assigned to each programme

1. The maximum overall amount for Community financial participation in this seventh Framework Programme shall be EUR 50 52172726 million. That amount shall be distributed among the activities and actions referred to in paragraphs 2 to 6 of Article 2 as follows (in EUR million):

Cooperation | 32 29244432 |

Ideas | 7 46011862 |

People | 4 7277129 |

Capacities | 4 2917486 |

Non-nuclear actions of the Joint Research Centre | 1 7511817 |

2. The indicative breakdown among the thematic areas of each activity referred to in paragraph 1 is set out in Annex II.

3. The detailed rules for Community financial participation in this Framework Programme are set out in Annex III. The above amounts may be amended when the financial perspective covering the period of this Framework Programme is revised.

Article 5

Protection of the Communities’ financial interests

For the Community actions financed under this Decision, Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 and Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2185/96 shall apply to any infringement of a provision of Community law, including infringements of a contractual obligation stipulated on the basis of the programme, resulting from an act or omission by an economic operator, which has, or would have, the effect of prejudicing the general budget of the European Communities or budgets managed by them, by an unjustified item of expenditure.

Article 6

56. All the research activities carried out under the seventh Framework Programme shall be carried out in compliance with fundamental ethical principles.

57. The following fields of research shall not be financed under this Framework Programme:

58. research activity aiming at human cloning for reproductive purposes ,

59. research activity intended to modify the genetic heritage of human beings which could make such changes heritable, [13]

60. 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.

61. Research on human stem cells, both adult and embryonic, may be financed, depending both on the contents of the scientific proposal and the legal framework of the Member state(s) involved.Any application for financing research on human embryonic stem cells must include, as appropriate, details of licensing and control measures that will be taken by the competent authorities of the Member States as well as details of the ethical approval(s) that will be provided.As regards the derivation of human embryonic stem cells, Institutions, organisations and researchers must be subject to strict licensing and control in accordance with the legal framework of the Member State(s) involved.

62. A revision of the fields of research set out in paragraph 2 of this Article must take place for the second phase of this programme (2010-2013) in the light of scientific advances.

Article 7

Monitoring, assessment and review

63. The Commission shall continually and systematically monitor the implementation of the Framework Programme and its Specific Programmes and regularly report and disseminate the results of this monitoring.

64. Not later than 2010, the Commission shall carry out, with the assistance of external experts, an evidence-based interim evaluation of this Framework Programme and its specific programmes building upon the ex-post evaluation of the Sixth Framework Programme. This evaluation shall cover the quality of the research activities under way, as well as the quality of implementation and management, and progress towards the objectives set.The Commission shall communicate the conclusions thereof, accompanied by its observations and, where appropriate, proposals for the adaptation of this Framework Programme, to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.The interim evaluation will be preceded by a progress report as soon as enough data becomes available, giving initial findings on the effectiveness of the new actions initiated under the Seventh Framework Programme and of the efforts made on simplification.

65. Two years following the completion of this Framework Programme, the Commission shall carry out an external evaluation by independent experts of its rationale, implementation and achievements.The Commission shall communicate the conclusions thereof, accompanied by its observations, to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.

Done at Brussels,

For the European Parliament For the Council

The President The President

[…]

ANNEX I

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

The seventh Framework Programme will be carried out to pursue the general objectives described in Article 163 [14] of the Treaty to strengthen industrial competitiveness and meet the research needs of other Community policies and thereby in contributing towards the creation of a knowledge-based society, building on a European Research Area and complementing activities at a national and regional level . It shall strengthen promote excellence in scientific and technological research , technological development and demonstration through the following four programmes: cooperation, ideas, people and capacities.

I COOPERATION

In this part of the 7th Framework Programme, support will be provided to trans-national co-operation in different forms 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 the highest quality research must be supported and strengthened to address European social, economic, environmental and industrial challenges. The bulk of this effort will be directed towards improving industrial competitiveness, with a research agenda that reflects the needs of users throughout Europe.

The overarching aim is to contribute to sustainable development.

The nine themes determined for EU action are the following:

66. Health;

67. Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology;

68. Information and Communication Technologies;

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

70. Energy;

71. Environment (including Climate Change);

72. Transport (including Aeronautics);

73. Socio-economic Sciences and the Humanities;

74. Security and Space.

These themes are broadly defined at relatively high level, such that they can adapt to evolving needs and opportunities that may arise during the lifetime of the 7th Framework Programme. For each of them, a series of activities have been identified which indicate the broad lines envisaged for Community support. These have been identified on the basis of their contribution to EUCommunity objectives, including the transition to a knowledge society, the relevant European research potential and the added value of EUCommunity level intervention for these subjects.

Special attention will be paid to ensuring there is effective coordination between the thematic areas and to priority scientific areas which cut across themes, such as marine sciences and technologies.

PluridisciplinarityInterdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity will be encouraged by joint cross-thematic approaches to research and technology subjects relevant to more than one theme, with joint calls being an important inter-thematic form of cooperation.

In the case of subjects of industrial relevance in particular, the topics have been identified relying, among other sources, on the work of different “European Technology Platforms” set up in fields where Europe’s competitiveness, economic growth and welfare depend on important research and technological progress in the medium to long term. European Technology Platforms bring together stakeholders, under industrial leadership, to define and implement a Strategic Research Agenda. This Framework Programme will contribute to the realisation of these Strategic Research Agendas where these present true European added value. European Technology Platforms may play a role to facilitate the participation of industry in research projects relating to their specific field.

The nine themes also include research needed to underpin the formulation, implementation and assessment of EUCommunity policies, such as in the areas of health, safety, consumer protection, energy, the environment, development aid, fisheries, maritime affairs, agriculture, animal welfare, transport, education and training, employment, social affairs, cohesion, and the creation of an Area of Freedom, Security and Justicejustice and home affairs, along with pre-normative and co-normative research relevant to improving interoperability and the quality of standards and their implementation.

Under each theme, beside these activities, the possibility will be ensured to address two types of opportunities will be addressed and needs in an open and flexible way:

- Emerging needsFuture and Emerging Technologies : to support research aiming at identifying or further exploring new scientific and technological opportunities in a given field and/or in their combination with other relevant areas and disciplines through specific support for spontaneous research proposals, including by joint calls; to nurture novel ideas and radically new uses and to explore new options in research roadmaps 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; adequate coordination with the activities carried out under the Ideas programme will be guaranteed in order to avoid overlap and ensure an optimum use of funding

- 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, the new epidemics, emerging concerns in food safety or natural disaster response.

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. Dissemination will be considered an integral task under 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 with appropriate restrictions for the security theme due to the confidentiality aspects of the activities, including through the funding of networking initiatives, seminars and events, assistance by external experts and information and electronic services in particular CORDIS.

Complementarity and synergy between this programme and other Community programmes will be ensured. Actions to support innovation will be taken under the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme.

Particular attention should be paid to assure an adequate participation of SMEs [15] , in particular knowledge-intensive SME in transnational cooperation. Concrete measures, including support actions to facilitate SME participation, will be taken throughout the “Cooperation” part of the programme in the framework of each theme, which will be accompanied by quantitative and qualitative monitoring. Support will also be provided to initiatives aiming at engaging the dialogue on scientific issues and research results with a the broadest possible public beyond the research community, and in the field of scientific communication and education, including the involvement, where appropriate, of civil society organisations or networks of such organisations. Ethical principles and gender aspects will be taken into account. The integration of the gender dimension and gender equality will be addressed in all areas of research.

Raising competitiveness of European research requires that the potential lying within the whole European Research Area is fully unlocked. Therefore, projects will aim at providing scientific excellence. They will also foster a true European Research Area through the formation of broad-based consortia, and by exploring possibilities for optimal use of human and financial resources.

Across all these themes, support to trans-national cooperation will be implemented through:

- Collaborative research;

- Joint Technology Initiatives;

- Co-ordination of research programmes;

- International Co-operation.

Collaborative research

Collaborative research will constitute the bulk and the core of EU Community 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.

This will be achieved by supporting collaborative research through a range of funding schemes: Collaborative projects, Networks of Excellence, Co-ordination/support actions (see Annex III).

Joint Technology Initiatives

In a very limited number of cases, the scope of a RTD objective and the scale of the resources involved could justify setting up long term public private partnerships in the form of Joint Technology Initiatives. This new approach, based mainly on the activities developed by These initiatives, mainly resulting from the work of European Technology Platforms andwill covering one or a small number of selected aspects of research in their field. Implemented 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 may be decided on the basis of Article 171 of the Treaty, and decided individually, such Joint Undertakings must combine public and private funds, which can include loan financing from the EIB, inter alia financed through the Risk Sharing Finance Facility, where appropriate. (this may include the creation of a joint undertaking) or on the basis of the Specific Programme Decisions in accordance with Article 166 of the Treaty.

Potential Joint Technology Initiatives will be identified in an open and transparent way on the basis of an evaluation using a series of criteria including:

- Added value of European-level intervention measured in terms of excellence.

- The existence of a genuine societal need and benefit.

- Inability of existing instruments to achieve the objective.

- Scale of the impact on industrial competitiveness and growth.

- The degree and clarity of definition of the objective and deliverables 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 andor future industry funding.

- Inability of existing instruments to achieve the objective.

The nature of the Joint Technology Initiatives must be clearly defined, in particular with regard to matters concerning:

- Financial commitments;

- Duration of the commitment of the participants;

- Regulations for entering and exiting the contract;

- Intellectual property rights.

Considering the wide scope and particular complexity of the Joint Technology Initiatives, significant efforts will be made to ensure their transparent operation in line with the principle of excellence. Any allocation of Community funding by the Joint Technology Initiatives will take place on the basis of the Framework Programme principles of excellence and transparency. Particular attention will be paid to the overall coherence and coordination between Joint Technology Initiatives and national programmes and projects in the same fields, while respecting their existing implementation procedures. In their implementation, account should be taken of SMEs and of technology transfer opportunities as well as of the need to anticipate education and training needs to fulfil their objectives, and to ensuring that the participation in their projects is open to a wide range of participants throughout Europe, and in particular SMEs. In addition, the experience gained by EUREKA clusters could be relevant to Joint Technology Initiatives in related areas.

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 may cover subjects not directly linked to the nine themes in as far as they have a sufficient EUEuropean added value. The action will also be used to enhance the complementaryity and synergy between the Framework Programme and activities carried out in the framework of intergovernmental structures such as EUREKA and COST[16].

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 mutually opening mutually their programmes. Where appropriate, ERA-NETs could be applied for programme coordination between European regions and small or medium-sized Member States to enable their cooperation with large scale initiatives;

- In a limited number of cases, pProviding additional EU Community financial support to those participants that pool resources 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. In well identified cases, sSuch Article 169 initiatives will be launched in areas to be identified in close association with the Member States, including the possible cooperation with intergovernmental programmes, on the basis of a series of criteria:

- Relevance to EUCommunity objectives.

- The clear definition of the objective to be pursued and its relevance to the objectives of this Framework Programme.

- Presence of a pre-existing basis (national research programmes existing or envisaged).

- European added value.

- Critical mass, with regard to the size and the number of programmes involved, the similarity of activities they cover.

- Efficiency of Article 169 as the most appropriate means for achieving the objectives.

International co-operation

International cooperation actions must show a clearly defined European added value and under this part of the Framework Programme will be:

- The opening of all activities carried out in the thematic areas to researchers and research institutions from all third countries, with restrictions for the Security theme if and where appropriate, with a strong effort to encourage them to seize this opportunity.

- Specific co-operation actions in each thematic area dedicated to third countries in the case of mutual interest in co-operating on particular topics to be selected on the basis of their scientific and technological level and needs. Closely associated with the bilateral co-operation agreements or multilateral dialogues between the EU and these countries or groups of countries, these actions will serve as privileged tools for implementing the co-operation between the EU and these countries. Such actions are, in particularAs well as serving fields of mutual interest, such actions also include: actions aiming at reinforcing the research capacities of candidate countries as well as neighbourhood countries; and cooperative activities targeted at developing and emerging countries, focusing on their particular needs in fields such as health, agriculture, fisheries and environment, and implemented in financial conditions adapted to their capacities.

This part of the Framework Programme covers the international co-operation actions in each thematic area and across themes. They will be implemented in coordination with those under the “People” and the “Capacities” part of the Framework Programme.

THEMES

1. Health

Objective

Improving the health of European citizens and, increasing the competitiveness and boosting the innovative capacity 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 in clinical applications including scientific validation of experimental results ), the development and validation of new therapies, methods for health promotion and prevention including promotion of healthy ageing , diagnostic tools and medical technologies, as well as sustainable and efficient healthcare systems.

Rationale

The sequencing of the human genome and the recent advances in post-genomics have revolutionised research into human health and diseases. Integrating the vast amounts of data and understanding underlying biological processes and developing key technologies for health related bio-industries requires bringing together critical masses of various expertises and resources that are not available at a national level, with a view to developing knowledge and capacity for intervention.

Significant advances in translational health research, which is essential to ensure that biomedical research provides practical benefits and improves life quality, also requires multidisciplinary and pan-European approaches involving different stakeholders. Such approaches allow Europe to contribute more effectively to international efforts to combat diseases of global importance.

Clinical research on many diseases (e.g. cancer, cardiovascular diseases and infectious diseases, mental and neurological diseases, in particular those linked with ageing, such as Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases) relies on international multi-centre trials to achieve the required number of patients in a short time-frame. Epidemiological research requires a large diversity of populations and international networks to achieve significant conclusions. Developing new diagnostics and treatments for rare disorders as well as performing epidemiological research on those disorders also require multi-country approaches to increase the number of patients for each study. And performing health policy-driven research at the European level enables comparisons of the models, systems, data, and patient material held in national databases and biobanks.

A strong EU-based biomedical research will help strengthen the competitiveness of the European healthcare biotechnology, medical technology and pharmaceutical industries. EU collaboration with developing countries will allow those countries to develop research capacities. The EU also has to play an active role in creating an environment conducive to innovation in the public and pharmaceutical sectors which address public health needs, in particular to maximise the success of clinical research. Research-based SMEs are the main economic drivers of the healthcare biotechnology and medical technology industries. Although Europe now has more Biotechnology companies than US, most of them are small and less mature than their competitors. Public-private research efforts at the EU level will facilitate their development. EU research will also contribute to the development of new norms and standards to set up an appropriate legislative framework for new medical technologies (e.g. regenerative medicine). European research and innovation in the field of alternative testing strategies, in particular non-animal methods, will ensure global leadership in addressing public and stakeholder concerns about the continuing use of animals in biomedical research and could, in addition, provide a market for certain sectors of industry.

The activities that will be addressed, which include research essential to policy requirements, are set out below. Twohe strategic issues, child health, and the health of the ageing population will receive specific attention be addressed across activities. Long-term rResearch agendas such as those established by European Technology Platforms, such as the one on innovative medicines, will be supported where relevant. To complement these and respond to new policy needs, additional actions may be supported for example in the areas of health policy issues and occupational health and safety.

Ethical, legal and socio-economic issues will be taken into account within each of the following activities.

Activities

- Biotechnology, generic tools and medical technologies for human health.

- High-throughput research . To catalyse experimental progress in genome, post-genome and biomedical research by enhancing data generation, standardisation, acquisition and analysis.

- Detection, diagnosis and monitoring. With emphasis on non-invasive or minimally invasive approaches.

- Predicting suitability, safety and efficacy of therapies. To develop and validate biological markers, in vivo and in vitro methods and models, including simulation, pharmacogenomics, targeting and delivery approaches and alternatives to animal testing.

- Innovative therapeutic approaches and intervention . To research, consolidate and ensure further developments in advanced therapies and technologies with potential application in many diseases and disorders such as new therapeutic tools for regenerative medicine.

- Translating research for human health

- Integrating biological data and processes: large-scale data gathering, systems biology (including modelling of complex systems) . To generate and analyse the vast amount of data needed to understand better the complex regulatory networks of thousands of genes and gene-products controlling important biological processes in all relevant organisms and at all levels of organisation.

- Research on the brain and related diseases, human development and ageing. To explore the process of healthy ageing and the way genes and environment interact with brain activity, under normal conditions as well as in brain diseases including relevant age related illness (e.g. dementia).

- Translational research in infectious diseases. To address anti-microbial drug resistance, the global threats of HIV/AIDS, including co-infection with hepatitis C, malaria and tuberculosis as well as potentially new and re-emerging epidemics (e.g. SARS and highly pathogenic influenza).

- Translational research in major diseases: cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes/obesity; rare diseases; and other chronic diseases including rheumatoid diseases(e.g. osteoarthritis). To develop patient-oriented strategies from prevention to diagnosis with particular emphasis in and treatment including clinical research.

- Optimising the delivery of health care to European citizens

- Translating clinical research outcome into clinical practice. To understandcreate the knowledge base for clinical decision-making and how to translate outcomes of clinical research into clinical practice and especially addressing patient safety and the better use of medicines (including some aspects of pharmacovigilence and scientifically tested complementary and alternative medicines) as well as the specificities of children, women and elderly population.

- Quality, efficiency and solidarity of health care systems including transitional health care systems. To translate effective interventions into management decisions, to assess the cost, efficiency and benefits of different interventions including as regards patient safety, to define the needs and conditions for ensure an adequate supply of human resources, to analyse factors influencing equity of access to high quality health care (also by disadvantaged groups), including analyses of changes in population (e.g. ageing, mobility and migration, and the changing workplace).

- Enhanced disease prevention and better use of medicines. To develop efficient public health interventions addressing wider determinants of health (such as stress, diet, lifestyle or environmental factors and their interaction with medication). To identify successful interventions in different health care settings for improving the prescription of medicines and improving their use by patients (including pharmacovigilence aspects and interactions of medicines).

- Appropriate use of new health therapies and technologies. Long term safety and effectiveness assessmentaspects and monitoring of large scale use of new medical technologies (including devices) and advanced therapies ensuring a high level of protection and benefit for public health.

2. Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology

Objective

Building a European Knowledge Based Bio-Economy[17] by bringing together science, industry and other stakeholders, to exploit new and emerging research opportunities that address social , environmental and economic challenges: the growing demand for safer, healthier and higher quality food and for sustainable use and production of renewable bio-resources; the increasing risk of epizootic and zoonotic diseases and food related disorders; threats to the sustainability and security of agricultural , aquaculture and fisheries production including those resulting in particular from climate change; and the increasing demand for high quality food, taking into account animal welfare and rural and coastal contexts and the ways of meeting specific consumer needs .

Rationale

Innovations and advancement of knowledge in the sustainable management, production and use of biological resources (micro-organism, plants, animals), will provide the basis for new, sustainable, safer, eco-efficient and competitive products for agriculture, fisheries, feed, food, health, forest based and related industries . In line with the European strategy on life sciences and biotechnology[18], this will help increase the competitiveness of European agriculture and biotechnology, seed and food companies, in particular high tech SMEs, while improving social welfare and well-being. Research into the safety of food and feed chains, diet related diseases, food choices and the impact of food and nutrition on health will help to fight food related disorders (e.g. obesity, allergies) and infectious diseases (e.g. transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, avian-flu), while making important contributions to the implementation of existing and the formulation of future policies and regulations in the area of public, animal and plant health and consumer protection.

The diversity and mainly small size of the European industries in these areas, while being one of its strengths and an opportunity, leads to fragmented approaches to similar problems. These are better addressed by increased collaboration and sharing of expertise, for example on new methodologies, technologies, processes and standards that result from changing EUCommunity legislation.

Several European Technology Platforms contribute in setting common research priorities, in fields such as plant genomics and biotechnology, forestry and forest based industries, global animal health, farm animal breeding, food and industrial biotechnology. The research will also provide the knowledge base needed to support[19]: the Common Agricultural Policy ; agriculture and trade issues; food safety regulations; European Forest Strategy; Community animal health, disease control and welfare standards; and the Common Fisheries Policy reform aiming to provide sustainable development of fishing and aquaculture and the safety of seafood products. A flexible response to new policy needs is also foreseen, in particular with respect to new social or economic trends.

Activities

- Sustainable production and management of biological resources from land, forest, and aquatic environments : Enabling research, including 'omics' technologies, such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, systems biology, bioinformatics and converging technologies for micro-organisms, plants and animals, including exploitation and sustainable use of their biodiversity. For land based biological resources, research will focus on: soil fertility; improved crops and production systems in all their diversity, including organic farming, quality production schemes and monitoring and assessment of GMO impacts on environment and humans; plant health; sustainable, competitive and multifunctional agriculture, and forestry; integrated rural development;. A animal[20] health and welfare, breeding and production, including research into vaccines and diagnostics; plant health; sustainable and competitive fisheries and aquaculture; infectious diseases in animals, including epidemiological studies, zoonoses and their pathogenic mechanisms, and diseases linked to animal feedstuffs; other threats to the sustainability and security of food production, including climate change; safe disposal of animal waste;. For biological resources from aquatic environments, research will support sustainability and competitiveness of fisheries, provide the scientific and technical basis of fisheries management and support the sustainable development of aquaculture, including breeding and welfare. conservation, management and exploitation of living aquatic resources, dDevelopingment theof tools needed by policy makers and other actors in areas such as agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture and rural development (landscape, land management practices etc.); socio-economic and ethical contexts of production.

- “Fork to farm”: Food, health and well being : Consumer, societal, cultural, industrial and health aspects of food and feed, including behavioural and cognitive sciences; nutrition, diet related diseases and disorders, including obesity and allergies; health benefits of certain food and diets; innovative food and feed processing technologies (including packaging); improved quality and safety, both chemical and microbiological, of food, beverage and feed; integrity (and control) of the food chain; environmental impacts on and of food/feed chains; impact on and resistance of food chain to global changes; total food chain concept (including seafood); traceability.

- Life sciences and biotechnology for sustainable non-food products and processes : Improved crops and forest resources, feed-stocks, marine products and biomass (including marine resources) for energy, environment, and high added value products such as materials and chemicals, including novel farming systems, bio-processes and bio-refinery concepts; bio-catalysis, new and improved micro-organisms and enzymes; forestry and forest based products and processes; environmental bio-remediation and cleaner bio-processing, the utilisation of agro industrial wastes and by-products.

3. Information and Communication Technologies

Objective

Improve the competitiveness of European industry andTo 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 product, service and process innovation and creativity through ICT use and ensure that ICT progress is rapidly transformed into benefits for Europe’s citizens, businesses, industry and governments.

Rationale

Information and Communication Technologies are critical to Europe’s future and underpin the realisation of the Lisbon agenda. They have a catalytic impact in three key areas: productivity and innovation, modernisation of public services; and advances in science and technology. Half of the productivity gains in our economies are explained by the impact of ICT on products, services and business processes. ICT is the leading factor in boosting innovation and creativity and in mastering change in value chains across industry and service sectors. ICT is essential to meet the rise in demand for health and social care, in particular for people with special needs including the ageing population, and to modernise services in domains of public interest such as education, cultural heritage, learning, social inclusion, cohesion, security, energy, transport and the environment, and to promote accessibility and transparency of governance and policy development processes.. And ICT plays an important role in RTD management and communication and is catalytic in the advance of other fields of science and technology as it transforms the way researchers conduct their research, co-operate and innovate.

The escalating economic and societal demands, together with the continued mainstreaming of ICT and the need to push further the technology limits as well as to develop innovative high-value ICT-based products and services set a growing agenda for research. To bring technology closer to people and organisational needs means: hiding technology complexity and revealing functionality on demand; making technology functional, very simple to use, available and affordable; providing new ICT-based applications, solutions and services that are trusted, reliable, and adaptable to the users’ context and preferences. Driven by the demand of more-for-less, ICT researchers are currently involved in a global race focusing onto achieve further miniaturisation, to mastering the convergence of computing, communications and media technologies, including further interoperability between systems, and the convergence with other relevant sciences and disciplines, and to on building systems that are able to learn and evolve. From these diverse efforts a new wave of technologies is emerging. ICT research activities will also draw on and contribute to a broader range of scientific and technological disciplines including biology, chemistry and life sciences, psychology, pedagogy, cognitive and social sciences and the humanities.

ICT is one the most research intensive sectors. The ICT research effort, public and private, represents a third of the total research effort in all major economies. Although Europe already enjoys industrial and technological leadership in key ICT fields it lags in investing in ICT research behind its major competitors. Only through a renewed and more intensive pooling of the effort at European level will we be able to make the most of the opportunities that progress in ICT can offer.

The ICT research activities will be closely articulated with policy actions for ICT deployment and with regulatory measures within a comprehensive and holistic strategy. Priorities have been set following extensive consultations including input from a series of European Technology Platforms and industrial initiatives in areas such as nano-electronics, embedded systems, mobile and wireless communications, electronic media, photonics, robotics and software, services and Grids.

Activities

The role of research into Future and Emerging Technologies is particularly relevant under this theme to support research at the frontier of knowledge in core ICTs and in their combination with other relevant areas and disciplines; to nurture ideas and radically new uses and to explore new options in ICT research roadmaps, including the exploitation of quantum effects, system integration and smart systems.

- ICT Technology Pillars :

- Nano-electronics, photonics and integrated micro/nano-systems . pushing the limits of miniaturisation, integration, variety, storage and density; increasing performance and manufacturability at lower cost; facilitating incorporation of ICT in range of applications; interfaces; upstream research requiring exploration of new concepts.

- Ubiquitous and unlimited capacity communication networks : ubiquitous access over heterogeneous networks - fixed, mobile, wireless and broadcasting networks spanning from the personal area to the regional and global area - allowing the seamless delivery of ever higher volumes of data and services anywhere, anytime.

- Embedded systems, computing and control : powerful, secure and distributed, reliable and efficient computing, storage and communication systems and products that are embedded in objects and physical infrastructures and that can sense, control and adapt to their environment; interoperability of discrete and continuous systems.

- Software, Grids, security and dependability : dynamic, adaptive, dependable and trusted software and services, platforms for software and services, complex systems and new processing architectures, including their provision as a utility.

- Knowledge, cognitive and learning systems : semantic systems; capturing and exploiting knowledge embedded in web and multimedia content; bio-inspired artificial systems that perceive, understand, learn and evolve, and act autonomously; learning by convivial machines and humans based on a better understanding of human cognition.

- Simulation, visualisation, interaction and mixed realities : tools for innovative design and creativity in products, services and digital media, and for natural, language-enabled and context-rich interaction and communication.

New perspectives in ICT drawing on other science and technology disciplines, including insights from physics, biotechnologies, materials- and life-sciences, mathematics, for miniaturisation of ICT devices to sizes compatible and interacting with living organisms, to increase performance and user-friendliness of systems engineering and information processing, and for modelling and simulation of the living world.

- Integration of Technologies :

- Personal environments : personal communication and computing devices, accessories, wearables, implants; their interfaces and interconnections to services and resources.

- Home environments : communication, monitoring, control, assistance; seamless interoperability and use of all devices; interactive digital content and services.

- Robotic systems : advanced autonomous systems; cognition, control, action skills, natural interaction and cooperation; miniaturisation, humanoid technologies.

- Intelligent infrastructures : tools making infrastructures that are critical to everyday life more efficient and user-friendly, easier to adapt and maintain, more robust to usage and resistant to failures.

- Applications Research:

- ICT meeting societal challenges : New systems, novel materials, structures and technologies and services in areas of public interest improving quality, efficiency, access and inclusiveness; user friendly applications, integration of new technologies and initiatives such as ambient assisted living.

- for health , improving disease prevention and health care provisions, early diagnosis, treatment and personalisation; autonomy, safety, monitoring and mobility of patients; health information space for knowledge discovery.

- to improve inclusion and equal participation and prevent digital divides; assistive technology for elderly and for disabled people; design-for-all.

- for mobility ; intelligent ICT-based transportation systems and vehicles and intelligent service solutions for tourism enabling people and goods to move safely, ecologically, comfortably and efficiently.

- in support of the environment , risk management and sustainable development, to prevent or reduce vulnerability and to mitigate the consequences of natural disasters and industrial accidents and human activities related to economic development.

- for governments ; efficiency, openness and accountability, for a world-class public administration and links to citizens and businesses, supporting democracy, allowing access to information to all.

- ICT for content, creativity and personal development:

- new media paradigms and new forms of content, including entertainment; creation of interactive digital content; enriched user experiences; cost-effective content delivery; digital rights management; hybrid media.

- technology-enhanced learning ; adaptive and contextualised learning solutions; active learning.

- ICT-based systems to support accessibility and use over time of digital cultural and scientific resources and assets, in a multilingual and multicultural environment

- ICT supporting businesses and industry:

- new forms of dynamic networked co-operative business processes, digital eco-systems in particular for small- and medium-sized organisations; optimised, distributed work organisation and collaborative work environments such as knowledge sharing and interactive services (e.g. for tourism).

- Manufacturing including traditional industries : rapid and adaptive design, production and delivery of highly customised goods; digital and virtual production; modelling, simulation, optimisation and presentation tools; miniature and integrated ICT products;

- ICT for trust and confidence : identity management; authentication and authorization; privacy enhancing technologies; rights and asset management; protection against cyber threats.

- Future and Emerging Technologies: to support research at the frontier of knowledge in core ICTs and in their combination with other relevant areas and disciplines; to nurture novel ideas and radically new uses and to explore new options in ICT research roadmaps.

4. Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies

Objective

Improve the competitiveness of European industry and generate knowledge to ensure its transformation from a resource-intensive to a knowledge-intensive industry, by generating breakthroughstep changes in knowledge and implementing decisive knowledge for new applications at the crossroads between different technologies and disciplines. This will benefit both new, high-tech industries and higher-value, knowledge-based traditional industries, with a special focus to the appropriate dissemination of RTD results to SMEs. These activities are primarily concerned with enabling technologies which impact all industrial sectors and many other Themes under this Framework Programme.

Rationale

The increasing difficulties affecting many decline in industrial activities appears no longer to be limited to traditional sectors with a high labour intensity, but is beginning to be observed in intermediate sectors – which constitute the established strengths of European industry – and even in some high-technology sectors. A strong industrial base must be maintained by strengthening the knowledge content in existing industry as well as This trend can and must be reversed by building, in Europe, a strong knowledge-based, knowledge intensive industry, stressing the exploitation of basic research for industrial applications. This will include the modernisation of the existing SME base and the creation of new knowledge-driven SMEs, from the dissemination of knowledge and expertise through collaborative programmes.

The competitiveness of the industry of the future will largely depend on nanotechnologies and their applications. RTD in nanosciences and nanotechnologies taken up by several areas can accelerate European industry’s transformation. The EU has recognised leadership in fields such as in nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and production technologies which must be strengthened in order to secure and increase the EU position in a highly competitive global context.

Industry relevant priorities and their integration for sectoral applications can be established through activities like the European Technology Platforms in fields such as nanoelectronics, manufacturing, steel, chemistry, the transport industry, construction, industrial safety, textiles, pulp and paper forest-based industry and nano-medicine. This will help establish common research priorities and targets. In addition by responding flexibly to new policy needs that arise during the lifetime of the 7th Framework Programme to industry relevant priorities and their integration for sectoral applications, the relevant policy, regulatory and standardisation, and impact issues will be addressed, including by responding flexibly to new policy needs that arise.

Activities

- Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies

- Generating new knowledge on interface and size dependent phenomena; nano-scale control of material properties for new applications; integration of technologies at the nano-scale; self-assembling properties; nano-motors; nano-machines and nano-systems; methods and tools for characterisation and manipulation at nano dimensions; nano and high-precision technologies in chemistry for the manufacture of basic materials and components; impact on human safety, health and the environment; metrology, monitoring and sensing, nomenclature and standards; exploration of new concepts and approaches for sectoral applications, including the integration and convergence of emerging technologies. Activities will also investigate the impact of nanotechnology on society and the relevance of nanoscience and technology for the solution of societal problems.

- Materials

- Generating new knowledge on high-performance surfaces and materials for new products and processes; knowledge-based materials with tailored properties and predictable performance; more reliable design and simulation; computational modelling; higher complexity; environmental compatibility; integration of nano-molecularmicro-macro functionalitylevels in the chemical technology and materials processing industries; new nano-materials including nano-composites, bio-materials, artificial materials with electromagnetic properties not found in nature, and hybrid materials, including design and control of their processing, properties and performance. Materials with new properties are key to the future competitiveness of European industry and the basis for technical progress in many areas such as health, electronics, energy, transportation and security.

- New Production

- Creating conditions and assets for sustainable knowledge-intensive production, including construction, development and validation of new paradigms responding to emerging industrial needs and fostering the modernisation of the European industry base; development of generic production assets for adaptive, networked and knowledge-based production; development of new engineering concepts exploiting the convergence of technologies (eg, nano, bio, info, cognitive and their engineering requirements) for the next generation of high value-added products and services, and adaptation to the changing needs; engage high-throughput production technologies.

- Integration of technologies for industrial applications

- Integrating new knowledge, nano- and micro and technologies on nano, materials and production in sectoral and cross sectoral applications to address in particular the needs identified by relevant European Technology Platforms. such as: health, construction, transport, energy, chemistry, environment, textiles and clothing, pulp and paper, mechanical engineering.

5. Energy

Objective

AdaptingTransforming the current fossil-fuel based energy system into a more sustainable one , less dependent of imported fuels, based on a diverse mix portfolio of energy sources and carriers , with particular attention being paid to lower and non-CO2 emitting energy technologies, combined with enhanced energy efficiency and conservation , to address the pressing challenges of security of supply and climate change, whilst increasing the competitiveness of Europe’s energy industries.

Rationale

Energy systems are confronted with major challenges. The urgency to identify and develop adequate and timely solutions is justified by the alarming trends in global energy demand, the finite nature of conventional oil and natural gas reserves and (predicted to rise by 60% in the next 30 years), the need to curb dramatically emissions of greenhouse gases to mitigate the devastating consequences of climate change, the damaging volatility of oil prices (in particular for the transport sector which is heavily oil dependent) and geopolitical instability in supplier regions. Energy research contributes towards ensuring affordable energy costs for our citizens and industries. Research and demonstration are needed to provide the most environmentally and cost-effective technologies and measures enabling the EU to meet its targets under the Kyoto Protocol and beyond and to implement its energy policy commitments, as described in the 2000 Green Paper on the security of energy supply[21], the 2005 Green Paper on energy efficiency and the 2006 Green Paper on a European strategy for sustainable, competitive and secure energy.

Europe has developed world leadership in a number of energy generation and energy efficiency technologies. It is the pioneer in modern renewable energy technologies, such as solar energy, bio-energy and wind energy. The EU is also a global competitor in power generation and distribution technologies and has a strong research capability in the area of carbon capture and sequestration. These positions, however, are now facing under severe threat from competition (in particular from the US and Japan). Therefore, Europe must maintain and develop its leading position which requires large efforts and international collaboration.

Radically transforming the energy system into a less- or non-CO2 emitting, reliable, competitive and sustainable energy system requires new technologies with risks that are too high and the profitsbenefits too uncertain for private firms to provide all the investment needed for research, development, demonstration and deployment. Public support should therefore play a key role in mobilising private investment and European efforts and resources should be combined in a coherent and more effective manner, to compete with economies that are investing heavily and consistently in similar technologies. European technology platforms play an importanta vital role in this regard, by mobilising the necessary research effort in a coordinated manner. The activities to meet the objective are set out below. A specific activity on knowledge for energy policy making is included which may also provide support to new policy needs that emerge, for example relating to the role of European energy policy in the developments of international climate change actions, and instabilities or disruptions in energy supply and price.

Activities

- Hydrogen and fuel cells

Integrated action to provide a strong technological foundation for competitive EU fuel cell and hydrogen industries, for stationary, portable and transport applications. The Hydrogen and Fuel Cells European Technology Platform helps this activity by proposing an integrated research and deployment strategy.

- Renewable electricity generation

Technologies to increase overall conversion efficiency, cost efficiency and reliability, driving down the cost of electricity production from indigenous renewable energy sources, including biodegradable waste, and the development and the demonstration of technologies suited to different regional conditions.

- Renewable fuel production

Integrated conversion technologies and fuel production systems: to develop and drive down the unit cost of solid, liquid and gaseous (including hydrogen) fuels produced from renewable energy sources, including biomass and biodegradable waste, aiming at the cost-effective production, storage, distribution and use of carbon-neutral fuels, in particular liquid biofuels for transport.

- Renewables for heating and cooling

Research, development and demonstration of tTechnologies and devices including storage technologies to increase efficiencies and drive down the costs of active and passive heating and cooling from renewable energy sources, ensuring their use in different regional conditions.

- CO2 capture and storage technologies for zero emission power generation

Research, development and demonstration of technologies tTo drastically reduce the adverse environmental impact of fossil fuel use aiming at highly efficient and cost effective power and/ or steam generation plants with near zero emissions, based on CO2 capture and storage technologies, in particular underground storage.

- Clean coal technologies

To substantially improve plant efficiency, reliability and cost through research, development and demonstration of clean coal and other solid fuel conversion technologies producing also secondary energy carriers (including hydrogen) and liquid or gaseous fuels.

- Smart energy networks

Research, develop and demonstrate how tTo increase the efficiency, safety and, reliability and quality of the European electricity and gas systems and networks notably within the context of a more integrated European energy market e.g. by transforming the current electricity grids into an interactive (customers/operators) service network, developing energy storage options and removing and to remove obstacles to the large-scale deployment and effective integration of distributed and renewable energy sources.

- Energy efficiency and savings

Research, development and demonstration of nNew concepts, optimisation of proved concepts and technologies to improve energy efficiency and to reduce further final and primary energy consumptionsavings for buildings, taking the life cycle into account, transport, services and industry. This includes the integration of strategies and technologies for energy efficiency (including co- and polygeneration), the use of new and renewable energy technologies and energy demand management measures and devices, and the demonstration of minimum climate impact buildings.

- Knowledge for energy policy making

Development of tools, methods and models to assess the main economic and social issues related to energy technologies and to provide quantifiable targets and scenarios for medium and long term horizons (including providing scientific support for policy development).

6. Environment (including Climate Change)

Objective

Sustainable management of the environment and its resources through advancing our knowledge on the interactions between the climate, biosphere, ecosystems and human activities, and developing new technologies, tools and services, in order to address in an integrated way global environmental issues . Emphasis will be put on prediction of climate, ecological, earth and ocean systems changes; on tools and technologies for monitoring, prevention , and mitigation and adaptation of environmental pressures and risks including on health, as well as for the conservation and recovery of the natural and man-made environment.

Rationale

Environmental problems go beyond national frontiers and require a coordinated approach at a pan-European and often global level. Earth’s natural resources and the man-made environment are under intense pressures from growing population, urbanisation, continuous expansion of the agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, transport, construction and energy sectors, as well as climate variability and warming at local, regional and global scales. Europe needs to engage in a new sustainable relationship with the environment while improving environmentally friendly competitiveness and strengthening European industry. EU-wide cooperation is needed to attain critical mass given the scale, scope and high level of complexity of environmental research. It facilitates common planning, the use of connected and inter-operable databases, and the development of coherent and large scale observation and forecasting systems. Research should address the need for data management and information services and problems about data transfer, integration and mapping.

Research is needed at EU level for the implementation of international commitments such as UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its the Kyoto protocol, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants the objectives of the World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002, including the EU Water Initiative, and contributions to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Earth Observation initiative. In addition there are significant research needs arising from existing and emerging EU level policies, the implementation of the 6th Environmental Action Plan and associated thematic strategies (e.g. the EU marine strategy), the action plans, programmes and directives on Environmental Technologies and Environment and Health, and Directives such as the Water Framework and NATURA 2000.

The EU needs to strengthen its position in world markets for environmental technologies. Such technologies contribute to sustainable consumption and production, helping deliver sustainable growth providing eco-efficient solutions to environmental problems at different scales and protecting our cultural and natural heritage. Environmental requirements act as a stimulus for innovation and can provide business opportunities and higher competitiveness while at the same time ensuring a more sustainable future for next generations. European Technology Platforms on water supply and sanitation and on sustainable chemistry confirm the need for EU level action and their research agendas are taken into consideration in the activities below. Other Platforms (e.g. on Construction and on Forestry) partially deal with environmental technology issues and are taken into consideration as well. Socio-economic aspects particularly strongly influence the development and introduction of environmental technologies to the market and their subsequent application as for example in water resources management. Activities shall consider the socio-economic aspects of policies and technological developments, whenever relevant to the topic.

A series of activities are listed below[22] many of which are directly relevant to policy needs. However, additional support may be provided to new policy needs that emerge, for example relating to sustainability impact assessments of EU policies; the follow up of the post-Kyoto action on Climate Change; and new environmental policies such as in the European Soil Strategy and in maritime policy, standards and regulations.

Activities

- Climate change, pollution and risks

- Pressures on environment and climate: Functioning of climate and the earth system, including the polar regions; adaptation and mitigation measures; pollution in air, soil and water; changes in atmospheric composition and water cycle; global and regional interactions between climate and atmosphere, land surface, ice and the ocean; and impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems, including the effects of the sea level rise on coastal zones and impacts on particularly sensitive areas such as mountain regions..

- Environment and health: Interaction of environmental stressors with human health including identification of sources, biomonitoring research for environment related health, indoor air quality and links to indoor environment, urban environment, car emissions and impact and emerging risk factors; integrated risk assessment methods for toxichazardous substances including alternatives to animal testing; quantification and cost-benefit analysis of environmental health risks and indicators for prevention strategies.

- Natural hazards: Improve predictionforecasting and integrated hazards- vulnerability - and risks assessments for disasters related to geological hazards (such as earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis) and climate (such as storms, drought, and floods, forest fires, landslides, avalanches and other related extreme events) and their impacts; develop early warning systems and improve prevention, and mitigation and management strategies, also within a multirisk approach.

- Sustainable Management of Resources

- Conservation and sustainable management of natural and man-made resources and biodiversity: ecosystems; water resources management; waste management and prevention; protection and management of biodiversity, including control of invasive alien species, soil protection, seabed, lagoons and coastal areas protection, approaches against desertification and land degradation, preservation of landscape; sustainable use and management of forestsforest management; sustainable management and planning of urban environment, including post-industrialised zones; data management and information services; assessment and foresight relating to natural processes.

- EvolutionManagement of marine environments : Impacts of human activities on the marine environment and its resources; pollution and eutrophication in regional seas and coastal areas; deep sea ecosystems; assessment of marine biodiversity trends, of ecosystem processes and of ocean circulation; seabed geology. Development of strategies, concepts and tools for a sustainable use of the ocean and its resources.

- Environmental Technologies

- Environmental technologies for observation, simulation, prevention, mitigation, adaptation, remediation and restoration of the natural and man-made environment : related to water, climate, air, marine, urban and rural environment, soil, waste treatment, recycling, clean production processes and sustainable products, chemicals safety, protection of cultural heritage and of and the built environment.

- Protection, conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage including human habitat, fostering integration of cultural heritage in the urban setting.

- Technology assessment, verification and testing : Methods and tools for environmental risk and lifecycle assessment of processes, technologies and products, including alternative testing strategies and in particular non-animal methods for industrial chemicals; support for sustainable chemistry, forest-based sector technology, water supply and sanitation Platforms[23]; scientific and technological aspects of a future European environmental technologies verification and testing programme, complementing third party assessment instruments.

- Earth observation and assessment tools

- Earth and ocean observation systems and monitoring methods for the environment and sustainable development : Contribute to the development and integration of observation systems for environmental and sustainability issues in the framework of GEOSS (to which GMES is complementary); interoperability between systems and optimisation of information for understanding, modelling and predicating environmental phenomena, for assessing, exploring for and managing natural resources.

- Forecasting methods and assessment tools for sustainable development taking into account differing scales of observation : modelling links between economy/environment/society including market based instruments, externalities, thresholds and developing the knowledge base and methodologies for sustainability impact assessment on key issues such as land use and marine issues; urban development, social and economic tensions related to climate change.

7. Transport (including Aeronautics)

Objective

Based on technological and operational advances and on the European transport policy , develop integrated, safer, “greener” and “smarter” pan-European transport systems for the benefit of theall citizen s and society, respecting the environment and natural resources; and securing and further developing the competitiveness leading role attained by the European industries in the global market.

Rationale

Transport is one of Europe’s strengths - the air transport sector contributes to 2.6% of the EU GDP (with 3.1 million jobs) and the surface transport field generates 11% of the EU GDP (employing some 16 million persons). However, transport is responsible for 25% of all the EU emissions of CO2, hence the absolute need for a “greening” of the system to ensure more sustainable transport patterns and compatibility with growth rates, as developed in the White Paper on “European Transport Policy for 2010: time to decide”.[24]

The enlargement (increasing land surface by 25% and population by 20%) and economic development of the EU present new challenges for transporting people and goods efficiently, cost-effectively and in a sustainable manner. Transport also has direct relevance on other major policies such as trade, competition, environment, employment, cohesion, energy, security and the internal market. Investment in RTD in EU transport industries is a prerequisite to ensure technological competitive advantage in global markets.[25] Activities at European level will also stimulate the restructuring of the industry, including the integration of the supply chain and in particular SMEs.

The research agendas developed by European Technology platforms[26] support the need to take a new “transport systems” perspective that considers the interactions of vehicles or vessels, transport networks or infrastructures and the use of transport services, which can only be developed at European level. RTD costs in all these fields are rising substantially, and collaborative activity at EU-level is essential to enable a “critical mass” of diverse RTD providers to address the scale and multi-disciplinary challenges in a cost-effective way, as well as meeting the political, technological and socio-economic challenges on issues such as the “clean and safe vehicle” of the future, interoperability and intermodality with particular reference to waterborne and rail transport, affordability, safety, capacity, security and environmental impacts in an enlarged Union. Also, developing technologies in support of the Galileo system and its applications will be essential in implementing European policies.

As well as the strong industry relevance of the themes and activities set out below, the needs of policy makers will be addressed in an integrated way covering economic, social and environmental aspects of transport policy. In addition, support will be provided to respond to existing as well as new policy needs, for example relating to developments in maritime policy or implementation of the European Single Sky.

Activities

- Aeronautics and air transport

- The greening of air transport: reduction of emissions, including green house gases and noise disturbance, incorporating work on engines and alternative fuels, structures and new aircraft designs, airport operations and traffic management.

- Increasing time efficiency: improvement of the efficiency of operating schedules focusing on innovative air traffic management systems in line with the effective implementation of Single Sky policy which integrate air, ground and space components, including traffic flow and more aircraft autonomy.

- Ensuring customer satisfaction and safety: improvement of passenger comfort, innovative in-flight services and more efficient passenger handling; improvement of all safety aspects of air transport; wider choice of aircraft ranging from wide body to smaller size vehicles suitable for different applications.

- Improving cost efficiency: reduction of costs associated with product development, manufacturing and operating costs focusing on innovative and zero maintenance, repair and overhaul, aircraft, increased use of automation and simulation.

- Protection of aircraft and passengers: enhancement of protection measures for the traveller, crew, aircraft and air transport system such as improved data and identification methods, protecting the aircraft against attack, auto recovery and improved security design of aircraft.

- Pioneering the air transport of the future: addressing the longer term challenges of aviation with more radical, environmentally efficient, accessible and innovative combinations of technologies which would lead to significant steps forward in air transport.

- Sustainable s urface transport (rail, road and waterborne )

- The greening of surface transport : reduction of environmental and noise pollution, including green house gases through technological and socio-economic means; development of clean and efficient engines and power-trains, including hybrid technology and the use of alternative fuels for transport applications in particular hydrogen and fuel cells, taking account cost-efficiency and energy-efficiency considerations; end of life strategies for vehicles and vessels.

- Encouraging and increasing modal shift and decongesting transport corridors: development of sustainable, innovative, intermodal and interoperable regional and national transport and logistics networks, infrastructures and systems in Europe; cost internalisation; information exchange between vehicle/vessel and transport infrastructure; optimisation of infrastructure capacity; modal shift strategies to encourage energy efficient means of transport.

- Ensuring sustainable and accessible urban mobility for all citizens including the disadvantaged : innovative organisation schemes, including clean and safe vehicles and non-polluting means of transport with lower levels of pollution, new high quality public transportation modes and rationalisation of private transport, communication infrastructure, integrated town planning and transport including their relationship with growth and employment.

- Improving safety and security : as inherent to the transport system, in transport operations for drivers, passengers, crew, cyclists and pedestrians and goods, in the design and operation of vehicles, vessels, infrastructures and within the total transport system.

- Strengthening competitiveness : improvement of design processes; development of advanced power-train and vehicle and vessel technologies; innovative and cost-effective production systems and infrastructure construction; integrative architectures.

- Support to the European global satellite navigation system (Galileo) and EGNOS : precise navigation and timing services for use in a range of sectors; efficient use of satellite navigation and support to the definition of second generation technologies and applications.

8. Socio-Economic Sciences and the Humanities

Objective

Generating an in-depth, shared understanding of complex and interrelated socio-economic challenges Europe is confronted with, such as growth, employment and competitiveness, social cohesion , intercultural understanding, social, cultural and educational challenges in an enlarged EU, and sustainability, quality of life , demographic change, migration and integration, and global interdependence, in particular with the view of providing an improved knowledge base for policies in the fields concerned and the specific objective of developing the prerequisite for a modern sustainable society .

Rationale

Europe has a strong and high quality research base in socio-economic and socio-cultural sciences and the humanities fields. The diversity of approaches within the EU in the economic, social, political and cultural domains provides a highly fertile ground for research in these fields at EU-level. There is a high European added value in collaborative research addressing European socio-economic issues in