WRITTEN QUESTION E-1704/01

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Selection procedures for R & D projects for 2002-2006

In his answer to Question E-0716/01(1), Commissioner Busquin stressed that R & D actions will be applied on the basis of annual decisions as regards both the special subjects chosen and the financial resources allocated, while, however, choices will be made on the basis of need, in line with the assessment made by an internal user group, supported by the opinion of an independent consultative group of high-level scientific and industrial experts, adding that the financial allocation to R & D projects on fisheries and marine sciences will depend on the quality of the proposals received.

1. Can the Commission provide more details on the form and content of the calls for R & D projects for 2002-2006 in the area of fisheries and marine sciences?

2. Can the Commission provide information on the criteria which it used for the selection of R & D projects in the area of fisheries and marine sciences for 1998-2002 and those which it intends to use for 2002-2006?

3. Can the Commission provide more details on its criteria for distribution of the available Community resources among the projects selected? Will this distribution depend exclusively on project quality?

4. Can the Commission provide detailed information on the membership and working methods of both the internal user group and the independent consultative group of high-level scientific and industrial experts?

(1) OJ C 318 E, 13.11.2001, p. 107.

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(2 August 2001)

The form and content of the calls for Research and Technological Development (RTD) projects for 2002-2006 relating to fisheries and marine science

cannot be specified at the present time. As indicated in the reply to the Honourable Member's Written Question E-716/01, such research could be located, on the one hand, within the priority areas on food safety and health risks and sustainable development and global change, and, on the other hand, within the activity anticipating the Community's scientific and technological needs.

In both cases, the details of calls to be launched will depend on the development of work programmes, which can only be carried out following the decisions of Parliament and Council on the framework programme and on the rules for the participation of undertakings, research centres and universities and the decisions of Council on the specific programmes.

Criteria for the selection of projects within the Fifth framework programme for RTD are published in the calls for proposals and the associated work programmes. An evaluation manual has also been published, providing generic information on the approach to proposal evaluation and selection. The basic criteria against which proposals are judged throughout the Fifth framework programme are their scientific and technological excellence, their European added value, their relevance to economic and societal needs and the quality of management. For the next framework programme, the Commission has proposed to use criteria related to the objectives of the programme, scientific and technological excellence, Community value added and management capacity.

With respect to the research carried out under the proposed heading anticipating the Community's scientific and technological needs, it will be important to distinguish between the allocation of resources to research topics, which could include topics for research in support of fisheries policy, and the subsequent allocation of funds within particular topics to individual projects, following calls for proposals.

As an initial step, a series of priorities will be determined, reflecting the foreseeable needs for research in support of Community policies and at the leading edge of knowledge. Subsequently, allocation of resources to research topics will be done by means of an annual procedure, briefly described in the Commission's previous answer, which will start with the publication of a call for expressions of interest to which, for example, the scientific and industrial community can respond. The criteria applying to the selection of topics will include the contribution of the proposed topics to the definition and development of policies; their potential contribution to Community competitiveness, strengthening the scientific and technological basis of Community industry, and the creation of the European Research Area; and their scientific relevance and feasibility.

As topics are selected in this way on an annual basis, they will be taken up in the work programme, and serve as the basis for future calls for research proposals. Proposals will then be selected according to clear, published criteria in line with current practice as described above.

The internal user group will consist of representatives of those Directorate Generals (DGs) of the Commission that are concerned with, or have an interest as users of research. It will be chaired by the Director General of the Research DG and will draw on the experience of the inter-service users' group established in January 2001 by the Commission for the Joint Research Centre. As regards consultation of high-level independent scientific and industrial experts, this is already provided for within some policy areas in the Commission. In addition, to help with advice on the overall balance of research topics, the Commission has recently established the European Research Advisory Board which could be called on to help with such advice.