Corrigendum to Council Decision 2006/972/EC of 19 December 2006 concerning the specific programme: Ideas implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) ( OJ L 400, 30.12.2006 )
Date: 2007-02-22
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU programme, knowledge economy, research programme, research results, scientific research, technological change

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Corrigendum to Council Decision 2006/972/EC of 19 December 2006 concerning the specific programme: ‘Ideas’
implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological
development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

(Official Journal of the European Union L 400 of 30 December 2006)

Decision 2006/972/EC should read as follows:

COUNCIL DECISION

of 19 December 2006

concerning the specific programme: ‘Ideas’ implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the
European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to
2013)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2006/972/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu-
nity, and in particular Article 166(4) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and
Social Committee (2),

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

In accordance with Article 166(3) of the Treaty, Decision
No 1982/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Seventh
Framework Programme of the European Community for
technological development and demonstration
research,
activities, (2007 to 2013) (3) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the
Framework Programme’)
is to be implemented through
specific programmes that define detailed rules for their
implementation, fix their duration and provide for the
means deemed necessary.

The Framework Programme is structured in four types of
activities:
trans-national cooperation on policy-defined
investigator-driven research based
themes (Cooperation),
on initiatives of the research community (Ideas), support of
training and career development of researchers (People),
and support of research capacities (Capacities). Activities
should be
under
implemented by this specific programme.

indirect

regards

actions

‘Ideas’

as

(1) Opinion delivered on 30 November 2006 (not yet published in the

Official Journal).

(2) OJ C 185, 8.8.2006, p. 10.
(3) OJ L 412, 30.12.2006, p. 1.

(3)

(4)

(5)

This specific programme should follow an ‘investigator-
driven’ approach:
research’
it should support
projects carried out by researchers on subjects of their
choice. It should be implemented in a flexible and user-
friendly manner, in a spirit of openness with respect to all
the related actors, and taking account of relevant scientific
practices.

‘frontier

Proposals for ‘frontier research’ should be evaluated on the
basis of the sole criterion of excellence as judged by peer
the emphasis on inter- and
review and should put
multidisciplinary, high-risk pioneering projects and new
groups
as
established teams.

and new generation researchers as well

(ERC)

consisting of

This specific programme should be implemented according
to the principles of
scientific excellence, autonomy,
efficiency, transparency, and accountability, by means of a
European Research Council
an
independent Scientific Council composed of scientists,
engineers and scholars of the highest repute, representing
the European research community in all its breadth and
depth, supported by a lean and cost-effective dedicated
implementation structure which would be set-up as an
Executive Agency in accordance with Council Regulation
(EC) No 58/2003 of 19 December 2002 laying down the
statute for executive agencies to be entrusted with certain
tasks in the management of Community programmes (4).

(6)

The Commission should be responsible for the implemen-
tation 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.

(4) OJ L 11, 16.1.2003, p. 1.

(7)

(8)

(9)

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To guarantee the ERC's autonomy, the Commission should
ensure that positions of
the Scientific Council on the
scientific orientation and aspects of programme imple-
mentation are respected, and that the dedicated implemen-
tation structure follows strictly, efficiently and with the
necessary flexibility, the objectives and requirements of this
specific programme.

programme for all participants, in compliance with Council
Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002
on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget
of the European Communities (1) and Commission Regula-
tion (EC, Euratom) 2342/2002 (2)
laying down detailed
rules for the implementation of that Financial Regulation
and any future amendments.

To guarantee the ERC's integrity, the Commission should
ensure that this specific programme is implemented in
accordance with the objectives set.

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

(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
the Lisbon
objectives, alongside,
those on structural
in particular,
funds, agriculture, education, training, culture, competitive-
ness and innovation, industry, health, consumer protection,
employment, energy, transport and environment.

the implementation of

for

(11)

Implementation of the Framework Programme may give
rise to supplementary programmes involving the participa-
tion 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.

(12) As provided for under Article 170 of

the Treaty,

the
Community has concluded a number of
international
agreements in the field of research and efforts should be
made to strengthen international research cooperation with
a view to further integrating the Community into the
world-wide research community. Therefore, this specific
programme should be open to the participation of
countries having concluded agreements to this effect and
should also be open on the project level, and on the basis of
mutual benefit, to the participation of entities from third
countries and of international organisations for scientific
cooperation.

(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.

(14) Sound financial management of

the Framework Pro-
gramme and its implementation should be ensured in the
most effective and user-friendly manner possible, while
the
ensuring legal certainty and the accessibility of

(15) Appropriate measures — proportionate to the European
Communities' financial
interests — should be taken to
monitor both the effectiveness of the financial support
granted and the effectiveness of the utilisation of these
funds in order to prevent irregularities and fraud and the
necessary steps should be taken to recover funds lost,
wrongly paid or
incorrectly used in accordance with
Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of
18 December 1995 on the protection of the European
interests (3), Council Regulation
Communities'
(Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 of 11 November 1996
concerning on-the-spot checks and inspections carried
out by the Commission in order to protect the European
Communities' financial
interests against fraud and other
irregularities (4) and Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 1999
concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-
Fraud Office (OLAF) (5).

financial

(16) Since the measures necessary for the implementation of
this Decision are essentially management measures, they
should therefore be adopted by the advisory or manage-
ment procedure provided for in Articles 3 and 4 of Council
Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999, laying down the
procedures
implementing powers
conferred on the Commission (6). On the other hand,
research involving the use of human embryos and human
embryonic stem cells raises specific ethical
issues, as
described in Article 3 of this Decision, therefore, measures
for the financing of such projects should be adopted by the
regulatory procedure provided for in Article 5 of Decision
1999/468/EC.

the exercise of

for

(17) The implementation and management of the activity under
this specific programme will be reviewed and evaluated on
an on-going basis to assess its achievements and to adjust
and improve procedures on the basis of experience. As
regards the ERC structures and mechanisms, the mid term
review of the Seventh Framework Programme, based on an
independent
scientific
excellence, autonomy, efficiency and transparency and with
the full involvement of the Scientific Council, may show the
need for further improvements necessitating appropriate
amendments.

review against

criteria of

the

(1) OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by
Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1248/2006 (OJ L 227, 19.8.2006,
p. 3).

(3) OJ L 312, 23.12.1995, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 292, 15.11.1996, p. 2.
(5) OJ L 136, 31.5.1999, p. 1.
(6) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. Decision as amended by Decision 2006/

512/EC (OJ L 200, 22.7.2006, p. 11).

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(18) The ‘Ideas’ specific programme should have its own budget
line in the General Budget of the European Communities.

Article 2

(19) The importance of this specific programme is recognised as
being an overall priority means to attain the objectives of
excellence, management simplification and European added
value in ‘frontier research’ contributed by Community
research in addition to the efforts already undertaken at
national level.

(20)

(21)

the report by
It responds to the recommendations of
ERCEG (1) set up by the Copenhagen European Council
(November 2002),
reiterated by successive Councils
(November 2003, 11 March 2004, 25 to 26 March
2004, 26 November 2004) and endorsed by the European
Parliament (2). This specific programme is in line with the
Lisbon strategy and the European Council of Barcelona
which set the target of raising European research efforts to
3 % of EU GDP.

to,

inter alia, working conditions,

In the implementation of this specific programme adequate
attention should be paid to gender mainstreaming, as well
transparency of
as
recruitment processes, and career development as regards
the researchers recruited on projects and programmes
funded under the actions of this programme, for which the
Commission Recommendation of 11 March 2005 on the
European Charter for Researchers and on a Code of
Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (3) offers a
reference framework, while respecting their voluntary
nature,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

1. The specific programme ‘Ideas’ for Community activities in
the area of
‘frontier research’, hereinafter the ‘specific pro-
gramme’, is hereby adopted for the period from 1 January 2007
to 31 December 2013.

shall be

specific programme

2. The
‘investigator-driven’,
supporting research carried out across all fields by individual
national or transnational teams in competition at the European
level. The detailed objectives and the broad lines of
those
activities are set out in Annex I.

In accordance with Annex II of the Framework Programme, the
amount deemed necessary for the execution of the specific
programme shall be EUR 7 510 million, of which not more than
5 % shall be for the Commission's administrative expenditure (4).

Article 3

research activities carried out under

1. All
the specific
programme shall be carried out in compliance with fundamental
ethical principles.

2. The following fields of research shall not be financed under
this programme:

— research activity aiming at human cloning for reproductive

purposes,

— research activity intended to modify the genetic heritage of
human beings which could make such changes heritable (5),

— research activities intended to create human embryos solely
for the purpose of research or for the purpose of stem cell
procurement, including by means of somatic cell nuclear
transfer.

3. Research on human stem cells, both adult and embryonic,
the
may be financed, depending both on the contents of
scientific proposal and the legal framework of
the Member
State(s) involved.

Any application for financing for research on human embryonic
stem cells shall include, as appropriate, details of licensing and
control 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 shall be subject to
strict
in accordance with the legal
framework of the Member State(s) involved.

licensing and control

4. The fields of research set out in paragraph 2 shall be
reviewed for the second phase of this programme (2010 to
2013) in the light of scientific advances.

Article 4

1. The Commission shall be responsible for the implementa-
tion of the specific programme.

(1) ERCEG — European Research Council Expert Group; The ERCEG
was set up on the initiative of the Danish Minister of Science,
Technology and Innovation, during the Danish EU Presidency,
December 2003.

(2) Report on Science and Technology Guidelines for future European
Union Policy to support research, A6-0046/2005, 28.2.2005.

(3) OJ L 75, 22.3.2005, p. 67.

2. The Commission shall establish a European Research
Council (ERC), which shall be the means for implementing the
specific programme.

(4)

Including the administrative expenditure of the European Research
Council.

(5) Research relating to cancer treatment of the gonads may be financed.

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shall consist of an
3. The European Research Council
supported by a dedicated
independent Scientific Council,
implementation structure, as described in Annex I.
It shall
operate according to the principles of scientific excellence,
autonomy, efficiency, transparency and accountability.

4. The Commission shall act as the guarantor of the European
Research Council's autonomy and integrity, ensure the proper
execution of the tasks entrusted to it and provide the European
Parliament and the Council with an annual report on the ERC's
operations and realisation of the objectives set out in the specific
programme.

Article 5

1. The Scientific Council shall be composed of scientists,
engineers and scholars of the highest repute and appropriate
expertise, ensuring a diversity of research areas, acting in their
personal capacity, independent of extraneous interests.

The Commission shall appoint the members of the Scientific
Council following an independent and transparent procedure for
their identification agreed with the Scientific Council including a
consultation of the scientific community and a report to the
European Parliament and the Council (1).

Their term of office shall be limited to 4 years, renewable once
on a basis of a rotating system which will ensure the continuity
of the Scientific Council's work.

2. The Scientific Council shall act in accordance with the
mandate set out in Annex I.

3. The Scientific Council shall establish:

(a)

the overall strategy for the ERC;

(b)

(c)

(d)

the work programme for the implementation of the specific
programme, to be adopted pursuant to Article 6(1);

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

its position on any matter which from a scientific
perspective may enhance the achievements and impact of
the specific programme, and the quality of the research
carried out;

(e)

a code of conduct addressing, inter alia, the avoidance of
conflicts of interest.

4. The Scientific Council shall exclusively act in the interest of
achieving the specific programme's scientific, technological and
scholarly objectives, according to the principles set out in Article
4(3).

Article 6

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

2. The work programme shall take account of the state of
science and technology in Europe and anticipate developments. It
shall be updated as and where appropriate.

3. The work programme shall specify the criteria on which
proposals under the funding schemes shall be evaluated and
projects selected. For individual projects the sole criterion of
excellence shall be applicable. For coordination and support
actions, project-related criteria may be applicable.

4. The work programme may identify:

(a)

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

(b)

support actions for the activities of specific legal entities.

5. The Commission shall ensure that the implementation of
the specific programme is in accordance with the principles set
out in Article 4(3) as well as with the overall strategy referred to
in Article 5(3)(a) and the work programme referred to in Article
5(3)(b) and the methods and positions established by the
Scientific Council as defined under Article 5(3)(c) and 5(3)(d).
The Commission shall ensure that the dedicated implementation
structure follows strictly, efficiently and with the necessary
flexibility,
this specific
programme alone.

the objectives and requirements of

6. As regards the tasks set out in Article 5(3), the Commission
shall abstain from following the position of the Scientific Council
only when it considers that
this specific
the
programme have not been respected.
Commission may adopt measures to maintain continuity in
the
specific programme and the
achievement of its objectives, duly motivating such measures.

implementation of

the provisions of

In this

case,

the

7. The advisory procedure referred to in Article 8(2) shall apply
for the adoption of the work programme referred to in Arti-
cle 6(1).

8. The management procedure referred to in Article 8(3) shall
apply for the adoption of the work programme when there is a
difference of substance with the position of the Scientific Council
in accordance with Article 6(6).

(1)

Involvement of
is not applicable for the
process of the selection of the founding members of the Scientific
Council.

the Scientific Council

9. The regulatory procedure referred to in Article 8(4) shall
apply for the adoption of RTD actions involving the use of
human embryos and human embryonic stem cells.

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Article 7

1. The rules for participation and dissemination shall apply to
this specific programme.

2. The specific programme shall be implemented by means of
the funding schemes defined in Annex III of the Framework
Programme.

Article 8

1. The Commission shall be assisted by a Committee.

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

programme, and shall provide it with timely information about
all actions proposed or
this programme as
specified in Annex II.

funded under

6. The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

Article 9

The Commission shall arrange for the independent monitoring,
assessment and review provided for in Article 7 and Annex I
Section II (Ideas) of the Framework Programme to be conducted
concerning the activities covered by the specific programme.

Article 10

3. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and 7
of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.

This Decision shall enter into force on the third day following its
publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC
shall be set at two months.

Article 11

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

The period laid down for in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/
EC shall be set at two months.

5. The Commission shall regularly inform the Committee of
the specific
the overall progress of

the implementation of

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 19 December 2006.

For the Council

The President

J. KORKEAOJA

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ANNEX I

SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES AND BROAD LINES OF THE ACTIVITIES

Investigator-driven ‘frontier research’, within the framework of activities commonly understood as ‘basic research’, is a key
driver of wealth and social progress, as it opens new opportunities for scientific and technological advance, and is
instrumental in producing new knowledge leading to future applications and markets.

Despite many achievements and a high level of performance in a large number of fields, Europe is not making the most of
its research potential and resources, and urgently needs a strengthened capacity to generate knowledge and translate such
knowledge into economic and social value and growth.

Objectives

The objective of the specific programme ‘Ideas’ is to reinforce excellence, dynamism and creativity in European research and
improve the attractiveness of Europe for the best researchers from both European and third countries, as well as for
industrial research investment, by providing a Europe-wide competitive funding structure, in addition to and not replacing
national funding, for ‘frontier research’ executed by individual teams. Communication and dissemination of research results
is an important aspect of this programme.

For its implementation, a European Research Council (ERC), consisting of an independent Scientific Council and a lean and
cost-effective dedicated implementation structure, will be created by the Commission under this specific programme. The
ERC will operate according to the principles of scientific excellence, autonomy, efficiency, transparency and accountability,
and will support investigator-driven projects in ‘frontier research’, carried out by individual teams competing at the
European level, within and across all fields of research.

By promoting ‘frontier research’ from across the EU, the specific programme will aim to put European research in a leading
position, opening the way to creating new and often unexpected scientific and technological results and new areas for
research. It will stimulate the flow of ideas and allow Europe better to exploit its research assets and foster innovation in the
drive towards a dynamic knowledge-based society, with long-term benefits for the competitiveness of European economies
and well being.

Programme Implementation

For the implementation of this specific programme, the Commission will establish, at the start, the two key structural
components of the ERC — an independent Scientific Council and a dedicated implementation structure.

The administrative and staffing costs for the ERC relating to the Scientific Council and dedicated implementation structure
will be consistent with lean and cost-effective management; administrative expenditure will be kept to a minimum,
consistent with ensuring the resources necessary for high quality implementation, in order to maximise funding for frontier
research (1).

The Scientific Council

The tasks of the Scientific Council, as established in Article 5, will be as follows:

1.

Scientific strategy:

— establish the overall scientific strategy for the programme, in the light of scientific opportunities and European

scientific needs;

— on a permanent basis,

in accordance with the scientific strategy, ensure the establishment of the work
programme and necessary modifications, including calls for proposals and criteria and, as may be required, the
definition of specific topics or target groups (e.g. young/emerging teams).

(1) With a view to facilitating the implementation of the programme, for each meeting of the programme committee as defined in the
agenda, the Commission will reimburse, in accordance with its established guidelines, the expenses of one representative per Member
State, as well as one expert/adviser per Member State for those agenda items where a Member State requires specific expertise.

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2.

Scientific management, monitoring and quality control of programme implementation:

— as appropriate, from a scientific perspective, establish positions on implementation and management of calls for
proposals, evaluation criteria, peer review processes including the selection of experts and the methods for peer
review and proposal evaluation, on the basis of which the proposal to be funded will be determined under the
supervision of the Scientific Council; as well as any other matter affecting the achievements and impact of the
specific programme, and the quality of the research carried out;

— monitor quality of operations and evaluate programme implementation and achievements and make

recommendations for corrective or future actions.

3.

Communication and dissemination:

— assure communication with the scientific community and key stakeholders on the activities and achievements of

the programme and the deliberations of the ERC;

— regularly report to the Commission on its activities.

The Scientific Council will have full authority over decisions on the type of research to be funded and act as guarantor of the
quality of the activity from the scientific perspective.

The Scientific Council may independently select a Secretary-General who will act under its authority. The Secretary-General
will, inter alia, assist the Scientific Council in ensuring its effective liaison with the dedicated implementation structure and
with the Commission, an in monitoring the effective implementation of its strategy and positions as carried by the dedicated
implementation structure.

Administrative assistance may be provided for the Chair and vice-chairs of the Scientific Council.

Dedicated implementation structure

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

The management of the ERC will be carried out by staff recruited for that purpose, including officials from EU institutions,
and will cover only the real administrative needs in order to assure the stability and continuity necessary for an effective
administration.

Role of the Commission

The Commission will act as the guarantor of the ERC's full autonomy and integrity. It will ensure that the ERC acts in
accordance with the principles of scientific excellence, autonomy, efficiency and transparency, and that it follows precisely
the strategy and implementation methodology established by the Scientific Council. In particular the Commission will:

— ensure the establishment of a dedicated implementation structure and the delegation of tasks and responsibilities to it,

— appoint the Director and the Senior Staff of the dedicated implementation structure taking into account the views of

the Scientific Council,

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

Council,

— ensure that proposals are retained, and projects financed, solely on the basis of their ranking order resulting from the
peer review; any change in the rank order of peer review must be explicitly endorsed by the Scientific Council,

— regularly inform the programme committee on the implementation of the programme,

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— draw up, in cooperation with the Scientific Council, an annual report on the ERC's operations and realisation of the

objectives set out in the specific programme and submit it to the Council and the Parliament.

Activities

This programme will promote world class ‘frontier research’. The term ‘frontier research’ reflects a new understanding of
basic research. On one hand it denotes that basic research in science and technology is of critical importance to economic
and social welfare, and on the other that research at and beyond the frontiers of current understanding is an intrinsically
risky venture, progressing on new and most challenging research areas and is characterised by an absence of disciplinary
boundaries.

The programme will support individual projects, which may be carried out in any field of basic scientific and technological
research which falls within the scope of Community research under this Framework Programme, including engineering,
socioeconomic sciences and the humanities. As appropriate, specific research topics or target groups (e.g. new generation
researchers/emerging teams) may be taken into account, following the objectives of the programme and needs for efficient
implementation. Particular attention will be paid to emerging and fast-growing areas at the frontier of knowledge, and at the
interface between disciplines.

An ‘investigator-driven’ approach will be followed. This means that the programme will support projects carried out by
researchers on subjects of their choice within the scope of calls for proposals. Proposals will be evaluated on the sole
criterion of excellence as judged by peer review, taking account of excellence in new groups, new generation researchers, as
well as established teams, and paying particular attention to proposals which are highly pioneering and involve
correspondingly high scientific risks.

The programme will support projects carried out by individual teams which may be of national or transnational character.
An individual team consists of an individual principal investigator and, as appropriate, other individuals, members of the
team (1).

Review

The implementation and management of the activity will be reviewed and evaluated on an on-going basis to assess its
achievements and to adjust and improve procedures on the basis of experience. In the context of the interim evaluation
referred to in Article 7(2) of the Framework Programme, an independent review will also be carried out of the ERC's
structures and mechanisms, against the criteria of scientific excellence, autonomy, efficiency and transparency and with the
full involvement of the Scientific Council. This will include the process and criteria for the selection of the members of the
Scientific Council. The review will explicitly look at the advantages and disadvantages of a structure based on an Executive
Agency, and a structure based on Article 171 of the Treaty. On the basis of this review, these structures and mechanisms
should be modified as appropriate. The Commission will ensure that all the necessary preparatory work, including any
legislative proposals which it considers necessary, is undertaken and presented to the European Parliament and the Council,
as required by the Treaty, with a view to a transition to any modified structure required, as soon as possible. To this end the
Framework Programme will be adapted or supplemented in co-decision pursuant to Article 166(2) of the Treaty. The
progress report referred to in Article 7(2) of the Framework Programme, preceding the interim evaluation, will give initial
findings on the functioning of the ERC.

Ethical aspects

During the implementation of this specific programme and in the research activities arising from it, fundamental ethical
principles are to be respected. These include, inter alia, the principles reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the
EU, including the following: protection of human dignity and human life, protection of personal data and privacy, as well as
of animals and the environment in accordance with Community law and relevant international conventions, guidelines and
codes of conduct, such as the Helsinki Declaration, the Convention of the Council of Europe on Human Rights and Bio-
medicine signed in Oviedo on 4 April 1997 and its Additional Protocols, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the
Universal Declaration on the human genome and human rights adopted by UNESCO, UN Biological and Toxin Weapons
Convention (BTWC), International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the relevant World
Health Organisation (WHO) resolutions.

Account will also be taken of the Opinions of the European Group of Advisers on the Ethical Implications of Biotechnology
(1991 to 1997) and the Opinions of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (as from 1998).

(1)

In accordance with the Rules for Participation, the participation of more than one legal entity is not excluded.

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In compliance with the principle of subsidiarity and the diversity of approaches existing in Europe, participants in research
projects must conform to current legislation, regulations and ethical rules in the countries where the research will be carried
out. In any case, national provisions apply and no research forbidden in any given Member State or other country will be
supported by Community funding to be carried out in that Member State or country.

Where appropriate, those carrying out research projects must seek the approval of the relevant national or local ethics
committees prior to the start of the RTD activities. An ethical review will also be implemented systematically by the
Commission for proposals dealing with ethically sensitive issues or where ethical aspects have not been adequately
addressed. In specific cases an ethical review may take place during the implementation of a project.

No funding will be granted for research activities that are prohibited in all the Member States.

The Protocol on protection and welfare of animals annexed to the Treaty requires that the Community pays full regard to the
welfare requirements of animals in formulating and implementing Community policies including research. Council Directive
86/609/EEC of 24 November 1986 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member
States regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes (1) requires that all
experiments be designed to avoid distress and unnecessary pain and suffering to the experimental animals; use the
minimum number of animals; involve animals with the lowest degree of neurophysiological sensitivity; and cause the least
pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm. Altering the genetic heritage of animals and cloning of animals may be considered
only if the aims are ethically justified and the conditions are such that the animals' welfare is guaranteed and the principles
of biodiversity are respected.

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

(1) OJ L 358, 18.12.1986, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Directive 2003/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ

L 230, 16.9.2003, p. 32).

L 54/90

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

22.2.2007

ANNEX II

Information to be provided by the Commission in accordance with Article 8(5)

1.

Information on actions, enabling the entire lifetime of each proposal to be monitored, covering in particular:

— submitted proposals,

— evaluation results for each proposal,

— grant agreements,

— completed actions.

2.

Information on the outcome of each call and implementation of actions, covering in particular:

— results of each call,

— conclusion of grant agreements,

— implementation of actions, including payment data and outcome of actions.

3.

Information on programme implementation,
Programme and the specific programme.

including relevant

information at

the level of

the Framework

This information (in particular, on proposals, their evaluation and grant agreements) should be provided in a uniform
structured electronically-readable and treatable format accessible through an IT-based information and reporting system
which readily enables data analysis.