Report from the Commission - Annual Report on research and technological development activities of the European Union in 2006 {SEC(2007)1153}
Date: 2007-09-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, EU programme, applied research, innovation, research and development, research policy, technological change

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 13.9.2007 
COM(2007)519 final 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION 

Annual Report on research and technological development activities of the European 
Union in 2006 

{SEC(2007)1153} 

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REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION 

Annual Report on research and technological development activities of the European 
Union in 2006 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

This  Annual  Report  covers  developments  and  activities  during  2006.  It  has  been  prepared 
pursuant to Article 173 of the Treaty establishing the European Community1, and Article 4 of 
the decision on the Sixth Framework Programme.2  

The report is accompanied by a Commission Staff Working Document, which provides more 
detailed reporting and statistics. The main chapters are on the activities and results achieved in 
2006 and on developments in research and technological development (RTD) activities in the 
Member States of the European Union. 

2. 

COMMUNITY RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES 

2.1. 

Political achievements 

Research, and on a broader basis, the knowledge triangle (research, education and innovation) 
constitutes  a  cornerstone  of  the  revitalised  Lisbon  Strategy.  Within  the  context  of  the  new 
momentum  for  prosperity,  sustainable  development  and  enhanced  competitiveness,  stability 
and  security,  European  Research  policy  globally  attained  its  2006  objectives  related  to  the 
launch of Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), the conclusion of FP6 and policy initiatives 
towards the European Research Area. 

The  2006  Commission’s  Legislative  and  Work  Programme  highlighted  the  need  to  unlock 
Europe’s potential through policy delivery and respect of better regulatory principles. In 2006, 
the  Integrated  Innovation/Research  Action  Plan  continued  to  be  implemented.  This  Action 
Plan, adopted in 2005, calls for a major upgrade of the conditions for research and innovation 
in  Europe,  through  initiatives  such  as  the  redeployment  of  state  aid,  improved  efficiency  of 
intellectual property protection, the mobilisation of additional funds for research, the creation 
of  innovation  poles  and  the  enhancement  of  university-industry  partnerships.  Improving  the 

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“At the beginning of each year the Commission shall send a report to the European Parliament and the 
Council. The report shall include information on research and technological development activities and 
the dissemination of results during the previous year, and the work programme for the current year.” 
Decision  No  1513/2002/EC  of  27  June  2002.  Article  4  “In  the  context  of  the  annual  report  to  be 
submitted  by  the  Commission  pursuant  to  Article  173  of  the  Treaty,  the  Commission  shall  report  in 
detail  on  progress  with  implementing  the  sixth  framework  programme,  and  in  particular  progress 
towards achieving its objectives and meeting its priorities…; information on financial aspects and the 
use of instruments shall also be included”.  

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conditions for private sector investment in R&D and innovation is essential for achieving the 
3% Barcelona objective.  

The Broad-Based Innovation Strategy for Europe concerning the translation of investments in 
knowledge into innovative products and services, which was adopted by the Commission in 
September and endorsed by the Council in November 2006, includes ten priority actions, six 
of  which  are  directly  related  to  Research.  One  of  the  priority  actions  concerns  the 
establishment of the European Institute of Technology (EIT). The EIT aims at contributing to 
the  development  of  the  Community  and  Member  States  innovation  capacity.  It  will 
complement  existing  Community  and  national  policies  and  initiatives  by  fostering  the 
integration  of  the  knowledge  triangle  across  the  EU.  The  European  Council  of  June  2006 
invited  the  Commission  to  prepare  a  formal  proposal  for  the  establishment  of  the  EIT.  The 
Commission presented its proposal on the EIT on 18 October 2006. The European Council of 
14-15 December 2006 delivered a clear mandate for thorough Council discussions on the EIT 
proposal that should be drawn to a conclusion by the end of 2007. In addition, priority actions 
include  notably  the  development  of  a  strategy  for  innovation-friendly  'lead  markets',  which 
was proposed in the report made by the expert group led by former Finnish Prime Minister, 
Esko  Aho,  "Creating  an  Innovative  Europe".  The  Aho  Group,  set  up  in  the  context  of  the 
follow  up  of  the  Hampton  Court  Summit  in  October  2005,  delivered  its  report  in  January 
2006. 

Another  priority  of  the  broad-based  innovation  strategy  concerns  the  creation  of  an  open, 
single  and  competitive  labour  market  for  researchers.  A  yearly  implementation  report 
reviewed  further  advancements  regarding  intra-European,  international  and  inter-sectoral 
mobility,  as  well  as  the  career  development  of  researchers  at  all  stages  of  their  careers, 
following the Mobility Strategy for the ERA, the Communication “One profession, multiple 
careers”,  and  the  Recommendations  on  a  European  Charter  for  Researchers  and  Code  of 
Conduct for their Recruitment. Other priority areas through which research actively supports 
the  Lisbon  process,  include  the  promotion  of  knowledge  transfer  between  public  research 
organisations and industry, for which guidelines and recommendations have been prepared, a 
new framework for State aid for research, development and innovation and more effective use 
of  tax  incentives  in  favour  of  R&D,  and  a  handbook  on  commercial  public  procurement  to 
stimulate R&D and innovation. Another major achievement in 2006 for the Lisbon Strategy 
has been the agreement of Member States to set national targets for R&D expenditure, which 
were annexed to the conclusions of the Spring European Council of March 2006. 

A  Communication  entitled  'Delivering  on  the  modernisation  agenda  for  universities: 
education,  research  and  innovation'  has  been  issued  and  a  European  strategy  on  Research 
Infrastructures developed. 

ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is a prime RTD policy initiative. 
ITER  and  'Privileges  and  Immunities'  Agreements  and  the  Arrangement  of  the  Provisional 
Application  were  signed  by  the  Parties  (EU,  USA,  China,  India,  Russia,  Japan  and  South 
Korea)  in  Paris  in  November  2006,  after  the  initialisation  of  the  process  in  May  and  the 
Council  Decision  in  September.  The  EU  and  Japan  have  further  developed  their  privileged 
partnership for ITER and Fusion in particular concerning their respective contributions to the 
complementary 'Broader Approach' activities to be conducted in Japan. A political agreement 
on the statutes of the European Joint Undertaking was also achieved in December 2006. 

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Furthermore,  the  EU  Strategic  Energy  Review,  part  of  the  integrated  energy  and  climate 
change  package  to  cut  emission  for  the  21st  century,  in  which  research  is  an  important 
element, has been adopted in early 2007. 

Other achievements within the context of international cooperation included the adoption of 
the  recommendations  of  a  Council  Decision  authorising  the  Commission  to  negotiate  S&T 
agreement  associating  Israel  and  Switzerland  to  FP7,  the  proposal  for  a  Council  Decision 
authorising the Commission to sign an S&T agreement between the EC and Korea and to sign 
and  conclude  an  agreement  for  cooperation  between  the  Euratom  Community  and  Korea  in 
the field of fusion energy research. In the area of advanced nuclear systems, the Commission 
signed the instrument of accession of the Euratom Community to the Framework Agreement 
of  the Generation-IV  International  Forum,  leading  to  formal  accession  in  May  2006.  In  the 
field  of  Intelligent  Manufacturing  Systems  the  Commission  adopted  the  proposal  for  a 
Council Decision authorising the conclusion of the renewed and modified agreement on R&D 
activities between the EC and Australia, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, Korea, Japan, and the 
USA. 

2.1.1.  Towards the Seventh Framework Programmes  

The  adoption  and  launch  of  the  EC's  Seventh  Framework  Programmes  for  RTD  and  the 
Euratom Seventh Framework Programmes for Nuclear Research and Training Activities has 
been  a  major  achievement  for  European  Research.  After  years  of  preparation  and  intense 
negotiations, the main financial and legal instruments for the Commission to contribute to the 
implementation of the European Research Area for the period 2007 to 2013 were adopted. On 
18  and  19  December  2006,  the  Council,  or  the  Council  and  the  European  Parliament,  as 
legislators, adopted the legislative acts concerning the Framework Programmes, the Specific 
Programmes  implementing  them,  as  well  as  the  rules  for  the  participation  of  undertakings, 
research  centres  and  universities  in  action  under  FP7  and  for  the  dissemination  of  research 
results.  

The  Specific  Programmes  Cooperation,  Ideas,  People,  Capacities  and  Euratom  and  the  two 
specific  programmes  to  be  implemented  by  JRC,  were  adopted  on  19  December. 
Collaborative research remains a core activity and most thematic priorities are solidly founded 
on  the  experience  gained  through  the  previous  FPs.  The  Themes  identified  reflect  the  key 
fields of knowledge and technology in which research excellence is particularly important to 
improve  Europe’s  ability  to  address  the  social,  economic,  public  health,  environmental  and 
industrial  challenges  of  the  future.  They  are  Health,  and  Food,  Agriculture  and  Fisheries, 
technologies;  Nanosciences, 
and  Communication 
Biotechnology; 
Nanotechnologies,  materials  and  new  production  technologies;  Energy;  Environment; 
Transport; Socio-Economic Sciences and the Humanities; Space; and Security. New concepts 
such  as  the  European  Research  Council  (ERC),  the  Joint  Technology  Initiatives  and  large 
infrastructure  investments  are  of  particular  interest,  together  with  the  continuous  efforts  to 
fight the 'brain drain' and favour the 'brain gain' in Europe. The research potential scheme to 
exploit  research  excellence  in  convergence  regions,  and  the  risk  sharing  finance  facility  to 
increase  the  availability  of  European  Investment  Bank  (EIB)  loans,  are  also  important  new 
elements.  

Information 

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The  establishment  of  the  ERC,  the  European  body  to  support  frontier  research,  has 
progressed.  Endowed  with  a  substantial  budget  and  independent  scientific  governance,  it 
represents a dynamic new development. The ERC will be made up of the Scientific Council 
and its Dedicated Implementation Structure. The scientific strategy is developed according to 
the  orientations  of  the  ERC  Scientific  Council.  The  first  Call  for  Proposals  for  the 
implementation of the Ideas Programme was launched and the ERC operational mechanisms 
are being put in place.  

It is expected that FP7 will play a fundamental role in stimulating prosperity and welfare in 
Europe.  Ensuring  fair  and  balanced  access  to  FP7  is  essential  for  increasing  mutual  trust  in 
working  together  towards  a  common  goal.  Simplification  has  been  recognised  as  a  critical 
success factor and all stakeholders have been invited to contribute with ideas and comments 
through  open  consultation.  The  Rules  for  Participation,  the  most  visible  simplification 
instrument, have been designed to be as efficient and user-friendly as possible. 

CORDIS services were fully migrated to the new EUROPA web site (http://cordis.europa.eu); 
and  were  revamped  to  reflect  the  launching  of  FP7  with  the  first  annual  work  programmes 
under  the  Specific  Programmes  adopted  by  the  Commission  on  21  December  2006  and  the 
first 42 Calls for Proposals published the following day. With FP7, CORDIS is now the sole 
trusted source for calls for proposals since only the references of the FP7 calls for proposals 
are now published in the Official Journal.  

2.2. 

Implementation of sixth Framework Programme 

Significant progress has been recorded in 2006, the year of the final commitments under the 
Sixth  Framework  Programme  (2002-2006),  in  all  domains  and  horizontal  themes  of  the 
revised  Work  Programmes.  Most  Calls  for  Proposals  have  been  published  as  planned  and 
evaluations of proposals led to the negotiation of the last FP6 contracts. Efforts to attract the 
best  researchers  and  the  most  innovative  companies,  organisations  and  institutions,  leading 
players  in  structuring  the  ERA,  continued;  the  most  successful  schemes  included  the  Marie 
Curie fellowships and the ERA-NET scheme. Several thousand teams from 99 INCO partner 
countries  have  been  mobilised  in  activities  across  the  entire  FP6,  including  specific 
international  cooperation  addressing  international  commitments,  such  as  the  Millennium 
Development Goals, Biodiversity and Desertification conventions. 

In the domain of Life science, Genomics and Biotechnology, major actions are continuing in 
the European & Developing Countries' Clinical Trials Partnership in the fight against AIDS, 
tuberculosis and malaria. On food quality and safety, most activities relate to the foundations 
for  the  implementation  of  the  Knowledge-Based  Bio-Economy  (KBBE).  Following  the 
Communication “Towards a European Strategy for Nanotechnology”, the implementation of 
the Action Plan towards the responsible development of nanosciences and nanotechnologies 
has advanced. The platform on European manufacturing based on high added-value research 
and  innovation  is  expected  to  speed  up  the  rate  of  industrial  transformation  in  Europe.  The 
implementation  of  the  Environmental  Technologies  Action  Plan  is  continuing  with  the 
development  of  policy  activities  notably  on  sustainable  production  and  consumption. 
Research  on  global  change  and  ecosystems,  sustainable  energy  and  transport  systems 
continued  to  make  a  significant  contribution  to  the  reinvigoration  of  the  EU  Sustainable 
Development  Strategy  and  to  a  broad  range  of  other  EU  strategies,  such  as  the  maritime 
strategy,  the  Global  Earth  Observation  System  of  Systems  and  the  Environment  and  Health 
Action Plan. 

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Substantial  progress  has  been  made  with  the  31  European  Technology  Platforms  (ETP) 
covering a broad range of areas, from steel to air transport, water, hydrogen and photovoltaic 
and from nanoelectronics to mutual learning and foresight knowledge, which are instrumental 
for  boosting  European  industrial  competitiveness  through  strategic  research  agendas.  Joint 
Technology Initiatives (JTIs) involve a dedicated legal structure for long-term public-private 
partnerships  to  ensure  that  the  EU  leads  in  key  technology  areas.  Six  JTls  (Innovative 
medicines,  Nanoelectronics,  Embedded  computing  systems,  Aeronautics  and  air  transport, 
Hydrogen  and  Fuel  Cells  and  Global  monitoring  for  environment  and  security)  are  being 
considered.  They  involve  key  industrial  partners  and  are  progressing  on  the  basis  of  a 
roadmap presented in November 2006.  

The capacity to respond to emerging challenges has been demonstrated by the emergency Call 
for Proposals in response to the avian influenza crisis and work on pandemic flu. The policy-
oriented research is being implemented successfully through direct actions performed by the 
JRC and through SSP (Scientific support to policies) projects related to a wide range of EU 
policy areas such as environment, sustainability, health, agriculture and fisheries. 

The  full  implementation  of  New  and  Emerging  Science  and  Technology  (NEST)  has 
generated  broad  recognition  of  the  quality  and  innovation  of  the  trans-disciplinary  agenda, 
including fields such as synthetic biology and measuring the impossible. 

The regional dimension of the ERA further advanced with the continuation of the pilot action 
'Regions of knowledge' and the development of a new activity on trans-national cooperation 
among regional knowledge clusters ("Regions of Knowledge – 2").  

Concerning research infrastructures, support to the development of a European approach for 
the  emergence  of  new  facilities  and  for  the  operation  and  enhancement  of  existing 
infrastructures  has  been  provided  through  several  means,  in  particular  through  support  to 
ESFRI  (European  Strategy  Forum  on  Research  Infrastructures)  strategic  activities.  It 
participated,  in  particular,  in  the  elaboration  of  the  first  European  Roadmap  for  Research 
Infrastructures needed for the next 10 to 20 years. This document, published in October 2006, 
identifies  35  infrastructure  projects.  This  Roadmap  is  the  result  of  an  intensive  two-year 
consultation and peer review process. 

In  relation  to  the  Research  Fund  for  Coal  and  Steel  (RFCS),  the  Council  Decision,  under 
preparation,  which  lays  down  the  multi-annual  technical  guidelines  for  the  research 
programme of the RFCS, will lead to the first revision of the technical guidelines. 

The  scientific,  technical,  legal  and  financial  monitoring  of  many  actions  initiated  under 
previous  Framework  Programmes,  especially  FP5,  has  continued  and  a  number  of  projects 
have been finalised. Their scientific and technical results and the socio-economic impact are 
the subject of an ongoing multi-annual evaluation programme to maximise and optimise their 
potential  in  the  innovation  and  policy-making  chain.  The  technology  implementation  plans 
are expected to help advance from knowledge to know-how and to facilitate innovation and 
capital formation.  

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3. 

DEVELOPMENTS IN MEMBER STATES AND APPLICATION OF THE OPEN METHOD OF 
COORDINATION 

3.1. 

Research and the revised Lisbon strategy 

The  re-launch  of  the  Lisbon  strategy  in  2005  has  resulted  in  renewed  commitments  by  all 
actors to actively pursue a positive economic reform agenda. 2006 has been the first year of 
implementation  of  Member  States'  National  Reform  Programmes  (NRPs).  The  national 
targets for R&D investment which have been set by Member States offer a reflection of the 
contribution  Member  States  intend  to  make  to  the  overall  Lisbon  and  Barcelona  objectives 
and  have  been  used  as  a  tool  to  focus  policy  attention  on  the  structural  reforms  needed  to 
optimise the input factors to the R&D and innovation process. 

Although  most  Member  States  have  in  2006  shown  true  commitment  to  implement  their 
NRPs and a majority of Member States have now established coherent R&D policy strategies, 
for a number of Member States further policy initiatives will be needed. The renewed impetus 
given to the Lisbon strategy offers a real opportunity for breakthrough, but to achieve this, it 
will  be  necessary  to  show  stronger  commitment  and  faster  policy  development  and 
implementation.  

Boosting private investment in R&D through increasing the leverage effect of public policy 
continues  to  be  a  major  challenge.  Addressing  issues  such  as  strengthening  centres  of 
excellence  in  research,  promoting  durable  public-private  partnerships  and  improving  the 
cooperation  and  circulation  of  knowledge  between  the  public  research  base  and  private 
enterprises continue to be crucial in this respect, as is reforming the public research base with 
a view to increasing its scientific excellence and its responsiveness to the needs of the private 
sector.  In  addition,  a  more  systemic  approach  towards  R&D  and  innovation  is  to  be 
encouraged,  ensuring  synergies  with  other  policies  in  creating  an  R&D  and  innovation 
friendly business environment. 

3.2. 

Progress towards the 3 % objective 

The volume of financial resources allocated to R&D is an indicator of the commitment of a 
country  to  the  production  and  exploitation  of  new  knowledge,  as  well  as  an  element 
determining a country's innovative performance. As is illustrated by figure 3.1, the Summary 
Innovation  Index  (SII),  a  measure  of  a  country’s  overall  innovative  performance,  correlates 
strongly with R&D intensity, indicating that R&D intensity is not merely an input measure, 
but could possibly also be one of the main determinants of innovation performance. 

In  2005,  the  EU's  R&D  intensity  amounted  to  1.84  %  GDP,  showing  no  signs  of  recovery 
after  its  stagnation  in  2001-2002.  It  should,  however,  be  noted  that  the  latest  available 
information still predates the renewed commitments made by Member States in the context of 
the re-launch of the Lisbon strategy.  

In  terms  of  R&D  intensity,  one  can  distinguish  between  three  groups  of  countries.  A  first 
group  contains  countries  with  an  R&D  intensity  above  2.4  %  GDP  (Sweden,  Finland, 
Denmark, Germany and Austria), having already made important progress towards becoming 
knowledge  based  economies.  A  second  group  is  made  up  of  countries  having  an  intensity 
close  to  the  EU  average  with  values  between  1.5  and  2.1  %  GDP  (France,  Belgium, 
Netherlands,  UK,  Luxemburg),  indicating  that  the  economies  of  these  countries  are 

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transforming, but that the pace of development should be increased. A third and larger group 
consists of countries with an R&D intensity below 1.5 % GDP (although differences within 
this  group  are  large),  exhibiting  the  fact  that  these  countries  still  need  to  catch  up  with  the 
shift towards knowledge intensification.  

Figure 3.1 : Summary Innovation Index versus R&D intensity 

0,80

0,70

0,60

0,50

0,40

0,30

0,20

0,10

5
0
0
2

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0,00

0

CH

SF

SE

DK

DE

JP

US

IS

FR

AT

LU

UK

NL

BE

EU-25

NO

CZ

IE

SI

ES

HR

EE

IT

CY

MT

LT

HU

SK

LV/PL

RO

BG

EL

PT

TR

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

4,5

R&D spending as % GDP (GERD), 2005

Source R&D intensity : DG Research - Data : EUROSTAT, OECD 

Note : R&D intensity data for IT, NL, RO, UK, HR, TR, IS, CH, US, JP are for 2004; data for AT, FI are for 
2006 

Source SII : European Innovation Scoreboard 2006 

Comparing  for  each  Member  State  the  annual  rate  of  growth  in  R&D  intensity  required  to 
meet the national target with the rate of growth experienced since 2000 (2000-2005) enables 
us to assess the ambition of the targets (see figure 3.2). Only a limited number of countries 
(Austria,  Denmark,  Ireland,  Germany,  Finland)  have  recently  experienced  rates  of  growth 
which would be sufficient to make these countries advance significantly towards their targets. 
All other countries will need to step up their efforts significantly if they are to deliver on the 
level of ambition reflected in their targets. The group of countries having recently experienced 
a negative average rate of growth will need to first reverse a declining trend, meaning that the 
targets  set  are  extremely  ambitious  and  advancing  towards  them  will  require  major  R&D 
policy reform packages, commensurate with their targets. 

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Figure 3.2: R&D intensity: average annual growth (%) 2000-2005 and average annual growth (%) 
required to meet the 2010 target 

R&D intensity - average annual growth (%), 2000-2005 and average annual growth (%) required to meet the 2010 

target

15 

)
2
(
5
0
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2
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0
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5 

0 

SE 

-5 
0 

DK 
FI 

DE 

UK 

MT 

5 

CY

EE

ES 

HU 

LT

LV

IT 

PT

RO

AT 

IE 

CZ

FR 
EU-27 (3)

NL 

BE 

LU 

EL

SI

PL 

10 

15 

20

25

30

35

40 

45

R&D intensity - average annual growth (%) 2005-2010 required to meet the 2010 target (1)

SK

Data:  Eurostat, Member States                                                                  
Notes:  (1) RO : 2004-2009; IT, NL, UK : 2004-2010; PL : 2005-2008; AT, FI : 2006-2010.

             (2) IT, NL, RO, UK : 2000-2004; AT, FI : 2000-2006; EL, SE : 2001-2005; MT : 2004-2005.
             (3) EU-27 does not include Bulgaria.

             (4) IE, PL, RO, UK : R&D intensity targets for 2010 were estimated on the basis of data provided by these countries.

3.3. 

The Open Method of Coordination (OMC) 

Key Figures 2007

Looking at recent evolutions in Member States' policy mixes for R&D, the overall view that 
emerges  is  that  Member  States  have  subscribed  to  a  number  of  similar  objectives  and 
challenges and are, explicitly or implicitly, taking guidance from discussions at the European 
level  (such  as  through  the  Open  Method  of  Coordination  or  as  a  follow-up  of  Commission 
Communications)  or  through  the  identification  and  transfer  of  good  practices  identified  in 
other Member States.  

CREST (Scientific and Technical Research Committee) adopted its final report on the second 
cycle of OMC implementation in July 2006. CREST affirmed that the application of the OMC 
can continue to play an important role in strengthening and aligning Member States' policies 
to meet the challenge of achieving the Lisbon and Barcelona objectives. In its report, CREST 
called  upon  Member  States  to  adopt  holistic  approaches  to  research  and  innovation  policy 
making, 
to  policy  governance  and 
implementation.  The  results  of  the  CREST  group  on  fiscal  measures  for  R&D  were 
subsequently used as a source of information feeding into the Commission's Communication 
on how to better make use of tax incentives for stimulating R&D activity.  

including  by  ensuring  an 

inclusive  approach 

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CREST decided to further develop the OMC work in a third cycle and subsequently engaged 
in  a  discussion  with  a  view  to  selecting  appropriate  topics.  The  selected  topics  were  those 
(policy mixes for R&D, coordinating Structural Funds and the Framework Programme, R&D 
in  services,  internationalisation  of  R&D)  where  the  interest  of  a  large  majority  of  CREST 
delegations was shown and where Member States displayed a clear will to take ownership of 
the process and to provide the leadership necessary to drive the discussions to tangible results.  

In addition to its work on specific R&D policy issues, in November 2006, CREST engaged in 
a  dedicated  mutual  learning  session  on  the  basis  of  the  National  Reform  Programmes  and 
their  2006  Progress  Reports.  In  its  report  on  this  exercise  CREST  recognised  that  the  re-
launch  of  the  Lisbon  strategy  had  brought  about  positive  effects  and  called  on  political 
decision  makers  to  sustain  their  commitment  to  the  Lisbon  reform  process.  In  the  field  of 
R&D policy, CREST concluded that Member States should engage in a continuous cycle of 
adapting  their  policies,  priorities  and  strategies  in  light  of  new  challenges,  including  by 
considering coordinated action with other Member States or at the Community level. CREST 
furthermore  acknowledged  that  much  work  still  needed  to  be  done  to  bridge  the  cultural 
divide  between  science  and  industry  and  recognised  the  need  to  make  the  academic 
environment more competitive.  

4. 

OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE 

All these achievements paved the way for 2007, the first year of implementation of FP7 and a 
year of major new developments for ERA. 

Preparatory work was initiated in the second semester of 2006 in view of launching a debate 
on new challenges and future perspectives for the European Research Area. This work led to 
the  adoption  of  the  Green  Paper  'The  European  Research  Area:  New  Perspectives' 
COM(2007)161)  on  4  April  2007,  on  which  basis  a  wide  debate  and  public  consultation is 
now  taking  place  throughout  Europe.  Building  on  the  debate  and  consultation  results,  new 
initiatives are expected to be proposed in 2008. 

5. 

SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION 

More  details  are  included  in  the  Commission  Working  Document  that  accompanies  this 
Report. For further information, the following are publicly available: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

the  Framework  Programme  and  Specific 
Annual  Monitoring  Reports  for 
Programmes,  which  provide  a  concise,  independent  summary  of  the  progress  and 
quality of the measures taken to implement the programmes. 

Five-year Assessment Reports which examine implementation and achievements of 
Community research activities over the five previous years.  

Key Figures reports published each year, providing a set of indicators to take stock of 
Europe’s position in science, technology and innovation. 

Statistics  on  Science  and  Technology  in  Europe  (Eurostat):  statistics  on  R&D 
budgets,  R&D  expenditure,  R&D  personnel  and  patents  in  the  Member  States, 
broken down by region. 

EN 

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– 

Studies and analyses published in connection with the Community RTD programmes 
and addressing issues specific to the fields of RTD which they cover. 

Most of these documents can be obtained or ordered from the Commission’s Internet sites: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

The Gateway to the European Union, EUROPA site: http://europa.eu/index_en.htm 

The  CORDIS  site  containing  comprehensive  information  on  the  RTD  Framework 
Programme: http://cordis.europa.eu 

site 

The 
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/research/index_en.html 

the  Commission’s  Directorate-General 

of 

for  Research: 

The site of the Commission’s Directorate-General for the Information Society:   
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/information_society/index_en.htm 

site 

The 
http://ec.europa.eu/ /dgs/enterprise/index_en.htm 

the  Commission’s  Directorate-General 

of 

for  Enterprise:  

The  site  of  the  Commission’s  Directorate-General  for  Energy  and  Transport: 
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/energy_transport/index_en.html 

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) site: http://www.jrc.ec.europa.eu 

The Eurostat site: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page 

EN 

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