European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council decision concerning the specific programme: 'Ideas' implementing the 7th Framework Programme (2007-2013) of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (COM(2005)0441 - C6-0382/2005 - 2005/0186(CNS))
Date: 2006-11-30
Institutions: Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, European Parliament
Subjects: EU programme, EU research policy, innovation, research and development, research programme, technological change

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awareness,

and general public

including
ing stakeholders
through ‘Marie Curie’ awards, at stimulating and supporting
action at Member State level and at complementing Community
actions. In addition there will be provision for European initia-
tives to facilitate the mobility of researchers and their families,
and their integration in the host countries. All ‘Marie Curie’
initiatives must guarantee equal opportunities and eliminate
all obstacles facing disabled research workers.

P6_TA(2006)0519

Specific Programme ‘Ideas’ (Seventh RTDD Framework Programme, 2007-2013) *

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council decision concerning
the specific programme: ‘Ideas’ implementing the 7th Framework Programme (2007-2013) of the
technological development and demonstration activities
European Community for research,

(COM(2005)0441 — C6-0382/2005 — 2005/0186(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2005)0441) (1) and amended proposal

(COM(2005)0441/2) (1),

— having regard to Article 166 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament

(C6-0382/2005),

— having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the opinions of the

Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Culture and Education (A6-0369/2006),

1.

2.

3.

Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty;

Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to amend the Commission proposal sub-

4.
stantially;

5.

Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

(1) Not yet published in OJ.

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Amendment 1

Recital 4

Proposals for ‘frontier research’ should be evaluated on the
(4)
basis of the sole criterion of excellence as judged by peer review
and should put the emphasis on interdisciplinary, high risk pio-
neering projects and new groups and less experienced research-
ers as well as established teams.

Proposals for ‘frontier research’

(4)
in the sense of basic
research should be evaluated on the basis of the sole criterion
of excellence as judged by peer review and should put the
emphasis on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary high risk
pioneering projects and new groups and less experienced
researchers as well as established teams.

Amendment 2

Recital 6

(6) The European Commission should be responsible for the
implementation of this Specific Programme and should act as
the guarantor of the European Research Council's autonomy
and integrity, as well as its functional efficacy.

(6) The Commission should be responsible for the implemen-
tation of this Specific Programme, during a trial period of two
to three years at the most, and should act as the guarantor of
the European Research Council's autonomy and integrity, as
well as its functional efficacy.

Amendment 3

Recital 8

(8) To guarantee the ERC's integrity, the Commission should
ensure that this Specific Programme is implemented in accor-
dance with the objectives set.

(8) To guarantee the ERC's integrity, the Commission, together
with the European Parliament and the Council, should ensure
that this Specific Programme is implemented in accordance with
the objectives set.

Amendment 4

Recital 10

(10) The Framework Programme should complement
the
activities carried out in the Member States as well as other
Community actions that are necessary for the overall strategic
effort for the implementation of the Lisbon objectives, along-
in particular, with those on structural funds, agriculture,
side,
industry,
education, training, competitiveness and innovation,
transport
health, consumer protection, employment, energy,
and environment.

(10) The Framework Programme should complement
the
activities carried out in the Member States as well as other
Community actions that are necessary for the overall strategic
effort for the implementation of the Lisbon objectives, along-
side, in particular, those on structural funds, agriculture, educa-
tion, training, culture and the media, competitiveness and inno-
industry, health, consumer protection, employment,
vation,
energy, transport and the environment.

Amendment 5

Recital 13

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

(13) Research activities carried out within this programme
should respect fundamental ethical principles,
including those
which are reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of
the European Union, and confirm the civic and humanistic
value of
respecting ethical and cultural
diversity.

research, while

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Amendment 6

Recital 14a (new)

(14a) To simplify calls for proposals and reduce costs, the
Commission should set up a database as a prerequisite for
notifying participants in calls for proposals.

Amendment 7

Recital 17

the

independent
(17) The Commission shall arrange for
assessment of the operation of the ERC. In the light of this
assessment and taking into account the experiences of the
ERC with regards to its basic principles, the possibility should
be considered, no later than 2010, for reconstituting the ERC as
a legally independent structure, which could be based on article
171 of the Treaty.

(17) The Commission should ensure an independent assess-
ment of the operation of the ERC after a trial period of two
to three years at the most. On the basis of the results, the
ERC should be given a long-term structure to ensure that it
has maximum autonomy, while maintaining transparency.
Therefore, the possibility should be considered, no later than
2010, of reconstituting the ERC as a legally independent struc-
ture, which could be based on Article 171 of the Treaty.

Amendment 8

Article 2

In accordance with Annex II of the Framework Programme, the
amount deemed necessary for the execution of the Specific Pro-
gramme shall be EUR 7 460 million, of which less than 6 %
shall be for the Commission's administrative expenditure.

In accordance with Annex II of the Framework Programme, the
amount deemed necessary for the execution of the Specific Pro-
gramme shall be EUR 7 560 million, of which 3 % at the most
shall be for administrative expenditure and expenditure on staff
taken out of the annual budget made available for the ERC.

Amendment 9

Article 2a (new)

Article 2a

1.
The Commission shall take all necessary steps to verify
that the actions financed are carried out effectively and in
compliance with the provisions of the Regulation (EC, Eura-
tom) No 1605/2002.

2.
The overall administrative expenditure of the Specific
Programme including internal and management expenditure
for the executive agency which it is proposed to set up, should
be proportional to the activities undertaken under this pro-
gramme and is subject to the decision of the budgetary and
legislative authorities.

3.
Budget appropriations shall be used in accordance with
the principle of sound financial management, namely in accor-
dance with the principles of economy, efficiency and effective-
ness, as well as the principle of proportionality.

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Amendment 27
Article 3, paragraph 2a (new)

2a. With regard to the use of human embryonic stem cells
obtained prior to the approval of this framework programme,
institutions, bodies and researchers shall be subject to a strin-
gent system of licences and checks in accordance with the
legal framework of the Member State or States concerned.

Amendment 10
Article 4, paragraph 4

The Commission will act as the guarantor of the European
4.
Research Council's autonomy and integrity and will ensure the
proper execution of the tasks entrusted to it.

4.
Together with the European Parliament and the Council,
the Commission will act as the guarantor of
the European
Research Council's autonomy and integrity and will ensure the
proper execution of the tasks entrusted to it.

The Scientific Council and the Commission shall submit an
annual report on the work of the ERC to the European Parlia-
ment and the Council,
in particular giving details of the
extent to which the objectives have been achieved.

Amendment 11
Article 4, paragraph 4a (new)

4a.
The Commission shall ensure that the research results
are evaluated and shall report on their contribution to a
dynamic, knowledge-based society in Europe.

Amendment 12
Article 5, paragraph 1

1.
The Scientific Council shall be composed of scientists,
engineers and scholars of the highest repute, appointed by the
Commission, and acting in their personal capacity, independent
of extraneous interests.

1.
The Scientific Council shall be composed of scientists,
engineers and scholars of the highest repute, representing all
possible scientific areas and subjects and whose qualifications
include not only outstanding scientific excellence but also long
experience of science management, and acting in their personal
capacity, independent of extraneous interests.

Amendment 13
Article 5, paragraph 3, point (-a) (new)

(-a)

an overall strategy for the work of the ERC, which will

be regularly adjusted to scientific requirements;

Amendment 14
Article 5, paragraph 3, point (b)

(b)

the methods for peer review and proposal evaluation, on
the basis of which the proposals to be funded will be deter-
mined;

(b)

the methods and principles for peer review and proposal
evaluation, on the basis of which the proposals to be
funded will be determined;

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Amendment 15
Article 6, paragraph 1

1.
The Commission shall adopt the work programme for the
implementation of
in
the Specific Programme, setting out
the objectives and scientific and technological
greater detail
priorities contained in Annex I, the associated funding, and the
timetable for implementation.

1.
The Commission and the Scientific Council shall adopt
the work programme for the implementation of the Specific
the objectives and
Programme, setting out
scientific and technological priorities contained in Annex I, the
associated funding, and the timetable for implementation.

in greater detail

Amendment 16
Article 7a (new)

Article 7a

The Commission shall provide prior information to the bud-
getary authority whenever it intends to depart from the break-
down of expenditure stated in the remarks in and annex to the
general budget of the European Union.

Amendment 17
Article 8, paragraph 6

6.
The Commission shall regularly inform the committee of
the overall progress of the implementation of the specific pro-
gramme.

6.
The Commission shall regularly inform the Committee and
the committee responsible within the European Parliament of
the overall progress of the implementation of the Specific Pro-
gramme, and shall provide them with information about all
RTD actions funded under the Specific Programme.

Amendment 18
Article 8, paragraph 6a (new)

6a.
The Commission's report shall contain an assessment
of the soundness of financial management and an evaluation
of the efficiency and regularity of the budgetary and economic
management of the Specific Programme.

Amendment 19
Article 8a (new)

Article 8a

1.
After a trial period of two to three years at the most, the
ERC's work shall be assessed by independent experts. They
shall,
inter alia, assess whether the ERC's objectives have
been achieved, whether its procedures have been structured
efficiently and transparently, and whether the scientific inde-
pendence is ensured and whether the concept of scientific
excellence has been taken into account. Moreover, the assess-
ment shall address the question of what structure would be
the most appropriate for the ERC in the long term.

2.
Notwithstanding this assessment, at all events a long-
term structure shall be chosen for the ERC that ensures its
maximum autonomy of the Scientific Council while maintain-
ing transparency and accountability with regard to the Com-
mission, the European Parliament and the Council.

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Amendment 20

Annex I, Activities, paragraph 1a (new)

Multi-disciplinarity and inter-disciplinarity will be encouraged,
the first by means of common mechanisms applicable to more
than one technological or scientific theme. Inter-disciplinarity
will tackle the challenges posed by the complexity of the pro-
blems, including those in priority themes, in relation to most
of which a merely unidisciplinary approach is incapable of
obtaining relevant scientific progress and prevents the results
from being suitable for conversion into social, environmental
or economic progress.

Amendment 21

Annex I, The Scientific Council, paragraph 1

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

The Scientific Council shall consist of representatives of the
European scientific community at the highest level, whose qua-
lifications include not only outstanding scientific excellence
but also long experience of science management, representing
as many subject areas and branches of research as possible,
acting in their personal capacity,
independently of extraneous
interests.

Its members will be selected from the scientific community by
the Scientific Council, which shall ensure the diversity of the
scientists' research fields, following general criteria set by
European legislator, under the procedure laid down in Arti-
cle 251 of the Treaty and appointed by the Commission after
a hearing in the European Parliament.

The term of office of members shall be 4 years, with the pos-
sibility of re-election for 3 years. A rotating system shall be
used to elect members, so that at each election one third of the
members are newly elected.

The members of the Scientific Council shall adopt a code of
conduct to prevent conflicts of interest.

The Scientific Council will appoint a Secretary-General to
assist in the organisation of its work and ensure effective liai-
son with the Commission and the dedicated implementation
structure.

Amendment 22

Annex I, Dedicated implementation structure

The dedicated implementation structure will be responsible for
all aspects of administrative implementation and programme
execution, as provided for in the annual work programme. It
will,
implement the evaluation procedures, peer
review and selection process according to the principles estab-
lished by the Scientific Council and will ensure the financial and
scientific management of the grants.

in particular,

The Scientific Council will initially be supported by a dedi-
cated implementation structure responsible for all aspects of
administrative implementation and programme execution, as
provided for in the annual work programme. It will, in particu-
lar, implement the evaluation procedures, peer review and selec-
tion process according to the principles established by the
Scientific Council and will ensure the financial and scientific
management of the grants.

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The dedicated implementation structure will be staffed by
temporary scientific and administrative personnel, the former
selected by the Scientific Council following a transparent, pub-
lic procedure. The administrative personnel may be recruited
specifically for this purpose or seconded from the Community
institutions.

Administration shall be efficient and kept to the minimum
necessary to ensure the smooth running, stability and continu-
ity of the ERC.

Amendment 23
Annex I, Dedicated implementation structure, paragraph 1a (new)

The dedicated implementation structure will report regularly
to the Scientific Council.

Amendment 24
Annex I, ‘Role of the European Commission’, introductory part

The European Commission will act as the guarantor of the ERC's
full autonomy and integrity. Its responsibility for the implemen-
tation of the programme will relate to ensuring that the pro-
gramme is executed according to the scientific objectives stated
above and to the requirements of scientific excellence, as deter-
mined by the Scientific Council, acting independently. In par-
ticular the Commission will:

Together with the European Parliament and the Council, the
Commission will act as the guarantor of the ERC's full auton-
omy and integrity. Its responsibility for the implementation of
the programme will relate to ensuring that the programme is
executed according to the scientific objectives stated above and
to the requirements of scientific excellence, as determined by
the Scientific Council, acting independently. In particular the
Commission will:

Amendment 25
Annex I Subheading ‘Role of the European Commission’, bullet 2

— Adopt the work programme and the positions regarding
implementing methodology, as defined by the Scientific
Council.

— With the Scientific Council, adopt the work programme
and the positions regarding implementing methodology, as
defined by the Scientific Council.

Amendment 26
Annex I, Role of the European Commission, bullet 5a (new)

— Appoint the director and the managerial staff of the dedi-
in agreement with the

cated implementation structure,
Scientific Council.