COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION Annual Report on research and technological development activities of the European Union in 2009
Date: 2010-11-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, EU programme, activity report, applied research, innovation, research and development, research policy, technological change

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 5.11.2010 
COM(2010) 632 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

Annual Report on research and technological development activities of the European 
Union in 2009 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

Annual Report on research and technological development activities of the European 
Union in 2009 

1. 

BACKGROUND TO THE ANNUAL REPORT ON RTD ACTIVITIES 

The  Annual  Report  on  research  and  technological  development  activities  of  the  European 
Union is prepared pursuant to Article 1901 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European 
Union.  

Although  formally  not  within  the  scope  of  this  Report,  some  information  on  research 
activities carried out under the Euratom Treaty has been included. 

2. 

THE BROADER CONTEXT IN 2009 

The Lisbon Treaty established research policy as a competence shared between the Union and 
the  Member  States.  It  provided  explicit  recognition  for  the  European  Research  Area  as  the 
tool to accomplish the Union's objectives in the research domain. A novel provision for legal 
measures to progress towards ERA is now in place.  
In his political guidelines for the new Commission2, President Barroso included his vision on 
priorities for the Union's future research policy: achieving excellence in basic research, more 
industry-driven  applied  R&D,  extending  exchange  programmes  and  a  bigger  focus  on 
spreading R&D capacities towards the regions. He called for a Europe of ambition and values 
with people at the heart of the agenda. 

Meanwhile the economic crisis continued. EU27 GDP decreased by 4.2% in 2009. European 
governments  responded  by  increasing  public  spending  through  rescue  packages  and  fiscal 
stimuli.  These  short  term  measures  were  often  balanced  with  longer  term  investments  in 
research  and  innovation,  an  approach  supported  in  the  European  Economic  Recovery  Plan 
(EERP)3.  
A survey4 on the effects of  the economic crisis on R&D investments revealed that  Member 
States with high or medium-high R&D intensities were maintaining or increasing their 2009 
R&D budgets, while some Member States with medium or low R&D intensities were obliged 
to  decrease  their  efforts.  This  entailed  a  risk  for  a  widening  of  the  'research  and  innovation 
gap' within the Union.  

Regarding private R&D investments, evidence suggests that the crisis decreased cash flow in 
nearly  all  business  sectors,  reducing  the  internal  financial  resources  available  for  R&D, 
particularly  in  high-tech  SMEs5.  The  more  difficult  access  to  external  sources  of  private 

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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.' 
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/president/pdf/press_20090903_en.pdf 
COM(2008) 800. 
Survey carried out by the Directorate-General for Research 
The  May  2009  Innobarometer  noted  that  in  response  to  the  crisis  the  segment  of  high-tech 
manufacturing firms was the most likely to have cut their innovation budget. 

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finance  accentuated  the  negative  impact.  However,  compared  to  previous  economic 
downturns, large companies appeared to maintain their level of R&D investment, even though 
they tended to focus their priorities.  

The crisis also raised awareness of the fact that research and innovation policy must connect 
more  closely  with  the  aspirations  of  society.  The  Lund  declaration,  adopted  at  the  Swedish 
Presidency  conference  'New  worlds,  new  solutions',  called  for  a  focusing  of  European 
research on the grand challenges of our time.  

3. 

ERA POLICY ACHIEVEMENTS 

3.1. 

ERA Governance 

The aim of the Ljubljana process is to tackle deficiencies and inefficiencies in the European 
research system due to fragmentation, a lack of coherence and coordination, and constraints 
on the free movement of knowledge. The process was launched in 20086 with as a first step an 
agreement  on  a  long-term  ERA  vision7.  In  parallel,  five  specific  ERA  initiatives  were 
launched.  

In 2009, progress was made at two levels:  

–  For all five specific ERA initiatives, practical implementation arrangements have been put 

in place (see sections 3.2 to 3.6); 

–  A  key  step  in  the  overall  governance  of  ERA  has  been  the  adoption  of  a  Council 

Resolution on the enhanced governance of ERA8. 

In  this  Resolution,  the  Council  acknowledged  the  need  to  develop  more  coherent  policy-
making  at  Union  and  Member  State  levels  as  well  as  to  establish  the  means  to  provide 
impetus to ERA development at the political level. The Resolution also called for a revision 
of the mandate of CREST9. 

Since 2007, two major ERA conferences have allowed exchanges of views and consultation 
with stakeholders on ERA policy development. The second ERA conference was organised in 
Brussels in October 2009.  

ERA initiative on Researchers 

3.2. 
The  European  Partnership  for  Researchers  (EPR)10  contains  four  action  lines:  open 
recruitment and portability of grants; social security and pensions; attractive employment and 
working conditions; and enhancing skills and experience.  

The Steering Group for Human Resources and Mobility (SGHRM) has been playing a leading 
role in implementing the EPR. During 2009, the SGHRM addressed most aspects of the EPR, 
resulting in a rich exchange of national experiences. Three working groups produced concrete 
outcomes  in  the  areas  of  open  recruitment  and  working  conditions,  training  and  skills, 
monitoring and indicators.  

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Council Conclusions of May 2008 (9076/08). 
http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/2020_era_vision_en.html 
OJ C 323, 31.12.2009, p. 1-4. 
CREST is an advisory body to the Council and the Commission on RTD policy. 
COM(2008) 317. 

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Eight  countries  developed  National  Action  Plans,  others  are  in  the  process  and  some  are 
integrating  the  EPR  implementation  in  existing  national  plans.  The  issue  of  social  security 
was tackled by an expert group. A feasibility study on a pan-European pension fund is also 
being finalised.  

While  work  will  continue  on  the  implementation  of  the  EPR  -  including  social  security 
coordination and supplementary pension schemes11 - new axes and focuses for action appear:  

–  attracting  and  retaining  more  young  women  and  men  in  research  and  science  via  the 

Europe 2020 flagship initiative 'Youth on the move'; 

–  fostering researchers career progression with an adequate work-life balance; 

–  in line with the Europe 2020 flagship initiative 'Agenda for new skills and jobs', applying 

the flexicurity principles to researchers as part of the exit strategy out of the crisis. 

3.3. 

ERA initiative on Joint Programming 

Joint Programming is a process to tackle the mismatch between the European or global scale 
of today's societal challenges and the national or regional nature of the instruments available 
to address them.  

An intense debate on the modalities of Joint Programming took place in the course of 2009, 
with  good  progress  achieved  by  the  end  of  the  year.  In  the  High-level  Group  on  Joint 
Programming (GPC), a dedicated configuration of CREST, Member States - supported by the 
Commission - worked on the identification and preparation of Joint Programming Initiatives, 
as  well  as  on  the  development  of  voluntary  guidelines  for  framework  conditions  for  Joint 
Programming.  

Four Joint Programming Initiatives were identified:  

–  A  pilot  Joint  Programming  Initiative  started  on  'Neurodegenerative  diseases  including 

Alzheimer's'; 

–  'Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change', 'Cultural Heritage and Global Change: a 
new  challenge  for  Europe'  and  'Health,  Food,  Prevention  of  Diet  Related  Diseases'  were 
selected as initiatives for launch in 2010. 

A limited number of new themes for Joint Programming Initiatives will likely be identified in 
2010.  Discussions  will  continue  on  the  voluntary  guidelines  for  framework  conditions.  A 
Belgian Presidency Conference will take stock of the progress on Joint Programming.  

3.4. 

ERA initiative on Research Infrastructures  

The Council adopted the regulation setting up a legal framework for the development of pan-
European  research  infrastructures  in  June  200912.  This  framework  for  a  European  Research 
Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) provides legal personality recognised in all Member States 
and some of the advantages of international organisations. The ERIC legal framework could 
cut down significantly the time necessary for setting up European research infrastructures.  

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A  Commission  Green  Paper  on  Pensions  in  mid-2010  and  a  Communication  on  New  Patterns  of 
Mobility in 2011 will address researchers' social security and pension issues. 
Council Regulation 723/2009, 25.06.2009.- OJ L 206, 8.8.2009, p. 1–8. 

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The  Commission  has  put  in  place  the  procedures  required  for  implementing  ERIC. 
Applications  with  the  proposed  Statutes  of  the  ERIC  must  be  sent  to  the  Commission.  This 
application is then assessed to verify its compliance with the requirements of the regulation. If 
the assessment is positive, the Commission adopts a decision setting-up the ERIC.  

FP7  is  supporting  the  preparatory  phase  of  the  45  research  infrastructures  identified  by  the 
European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI). Many of the projects on the 
ESFRI list are in the process of collecting commitments from Member States and finalising 
their ERIC Statutes. The first ERIC is expected to be set up in 2010. 

3.5. 

ERA initiative on International Cooperation  

Opening of the ERA to the world continues to be a core element of the Union's activities. The 
Strategic Forum for International S&T Cooperation (SFIC) was established by the Council in 
December 2008 to provide a European approach. It has so far focused its attention on sharing 
information and on developing mechanisms for joint priority-setting.  

Concrete  achievements  have  been  the  development  of  a  web-based  document  management 
tool to access national and EU information, closer cooperation between science counsellors of 
the EU and Member States' attachés in third countries, and a calendar sharing of key events to 
deepen  the  understanding  of  the  ongoing  direction  of  current  work.  Steps  towards  joint 
research activities have also been taken with the endorsement of a pilot research cooperation 
initiative with India on water-related challenges and an energy pilot action with the USA. A 
Global Initiative on Animal Health will be launched by the Commission in 2010. 

3.6. 

ERA initiative on Knowledge Transfer 

an  overview  of 

In 2008, the Commission adopted a Recommendation and a Code of Practice on knowledge 
transfer13  (KT),  which  was  subsequently  endorsed  by  a  Council  Resolution.  A  CREST 
working  group  on  KT  was  set  up  to  promote  and  monitor  its  implementation.  The  group 
collected 
in 
existing  best  practices 
implementation. Several  countries  have  adopted  or  are  preparing  national  legislation  to 
improve knowledge transfer. The working group started work on common guidelines on KT 
and  intellectual  property  management  in  international  research  cooperation  and  on  KT 
indicators. To involve stakeholders, the Commission organised KT stakeholders' forums, the 
second one of which took place in May 2009. 

and  national  progress 

In  2010,  the  working  group  will  prepare its  first  annual  report  and  organise  the  third  KT 
stakeholders'  forum  in autumn  2010.  The  Commission plans  to  launch a  pilot  knowledge 
transfer promotion scheme in the area of bio-economy.  

3.7. 

Universities: modernisation agenda  

The modernisation agenda for universities entered into a new phase in 2009 with the launch of 
Peer Learning activities (PLAs). The aim of the PLAs is to deepen mutual learning on topics 
such  as  institutional  reform,  costing  of  research  projects,  ways  to  achieve  world-class 
excellence, recruitment and career of young researchers.  

An  expert  group  on  'Diversified  funding  schemes  for  university-based  research'  reported  on 
the  difficulties  created  by  the  lack  of  consistency  among  competitive  research  funding 
schemes, in particular for what concerns the financial, accounting and reporting requirements. 

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C(2008) 1329. 

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At  the  ERA  Conference,  research  funders  and  performers  expressed  their  willingness  to 
address this issue.  

A stakeholders' platform will be launched in 2010 to develop common principles for external 
competitive research funding. A data collection network on research activities in universities 
will be developed. The development of pan-European Research Schools will also be in focus. 

4. 

THE SEVENTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME 

4.1. 

Implementation  

63 calls for proposals were concluded in 2009 for a total budget of EUR 5.3 billion. A total of 
16  057  eligible  proposals  were  submitted,  of  which  3678  passed  all  evaluation  thresholds, 
resulting in a success rate of 22.9 % on a proposal basis.  

A total of 73 485 participants took part in all eligible proposals, for a total project cost of EUR 
34.3  billion  and  a  total  requested  EU  contribution  of  EUR  26.8  billion.  Participants  in  the 
retained  proposals  totalled  17  626,  for  a  total  project  cost  of  EUR  6.9  billion  and  a  total 
requested EU contribution of EUR 5.2 billion. This leads to a success rate of 24.0 % on an 
applicant basis. 

3  034  grant  agreements  were  concluded,  with  17  144  participants  and  a  total  requested  EU 
contribution  of  EUR  5.3  billion.  33.2  %  of  all  grant  agreements  were  concluded  under  the 
Specific Programme 'Cooperation', for 63.9 % of the total requested EU contribution. 12.6 % 
was  concluded  under  the  Specific  Programme  'Ideas',  for  11.6  %  of  the  total  requested  EU 
contribution. 43.3 % under the Specific Programme 'People', for 11.9 % of the total requested 
EU  contribution.  10.5  %  under  the  Specific  Programme  'Capacities',  for  12.2  %  of  the  total 
requested EU contribution. 0.4 % under the 'Euratom' Framework Programme, for 0.4 % of 
the total requested EU contribution.  

4.2. 

The 2010 work programmes 

The  2010  work  programmes  were  adopted  on  29  July  2009.  They  included  the  following 
features:  

–  Calls for proposals in the EERP public-private partnerships (see section 4.3.1); 

–  Acceleration of the implementation of the Risk Sharing Finance Facility (RSFF); 

–  A specific call to respond to the influenza A (H1N1) crisis; 

–  A  joint  research  initiative  between  the  Commission  and  the  European  Cosmetic  Toiletry 

and Perfumery Association (COLIPA) on alternative strategies for animal testing; 

–  A  call  to  support  capacity  building  in  the  Western  Balkan  countries  under  the  Research 

Potential programme; 

–  The  'Oceans  of  tomorrow'  call  in  the  context  of  the  European  Strategy  for  Marine  and 

Maritime Research; 

–  A specific call on water and food security and better health for Africa. 

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In  addition  to  the  existing  41  bilateral  S&T  international  cooperation  agreements  (17  under 
the  EU  Treaty  and  24  under  the  Euratom  Treaty),  signed  with  21  countries,  a  further  four 
were signed, with Jordan and Japan under the EU Treaty and with India and Brazil under the 
Euratom Treaty. 

4.3. 

Related initiatives 

As  regards  Article  185  Initiatives,  Ambient  Assisted  Living  (AAL)  implemented  two  calls, 
with more than 50 projects funded and SME participation of more than 40%. Member States' 
commitments exceeded EUR 25 million per year and the EU contribution accounted for EUR 
50 million for the first two years. Under EUROSTARS, three calls were implemented, with 
260  projects  selected  for  funding  and  more  than  70%  SME  participation.  Member  States' 
foreseen  contributions  amounted  to  EUR  135  million,  with  a  EUR  45  million  EU 
contribution.  The  General  Agreement  for  the  European  Metrology  Research  Programme 
(EMRP), delegating implementation of the programme to EURAMET e.V. was signed 

The Commission adopted a proposal for a Joint Baltic Sea Research Programme (BONUS)14 
and published the second implementation report15 on the Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies 
Action Plan. 

A  monitoring  system  was  created  to  identify  the  volume  of  FP7  funded  research  with  an 
impact  on  the  objectives  of  the  renewed  EU  sustainable  development  strategy  (SDS).  The 
analysis shows that 75% of the Cooperation topics contribute positively to these objectives in 
the first four years of FP7. 

On 13 March 2009 the Commission adopted a Communication on 'A Strategy for ICT R&D 
and Innovation in Europe: Raising the Game'16 that seeks to step up the effort in ICT research 
and innovation and to maximise its impact. 

Financial  support  for  R&D  and  innovation  was  provided  to  private  companies  through  the 
RSFF. In 2009, RSFF loans concluded amounted to EUR 2.98 billion for 25 projects. In total, 
62 projects have now been approved for an amount of EUR 6.30 billion.  

In  addition  to  the  dissemination  of  research  results  through  CORDIS17,  open  access  is  an 
important  way  of  improving  access  to  and  dissemination  of  the  results  of  publicly  funded 
research18.  The  Commission  launched  an  Open  Access  Pilot  in  FP7  in  August  2008  and  in 
2009 focused on setting up a monitoring system for this pilot. 

In  terms  of  the  application  of  the  ethics  framework  of  FP7,  in  2009  the  new  ethics  review 
process has been approved. 

The new cost estimates of the ITER project significantly exceeded the original estimates. In 
order for the EU to meet its commitments, the Commission presented to the Council the status 
of the ITER project, the challenges faced and the actions to be taken. The Council confirmed 
its  support  to  the  ITER  project,  provided  that  the  boundary  conditions  elaborated  by  the 
Commission are met. These include credible cost assessment and cost containment policies, 

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COM(2009) 610. 
COM(2009) 607 
COM(2009) 116 
http://cordis.europa.eu  
COM(2007) 56 and Council document 14865/07. 

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realistic timetable and sound management of the project at all levels. It called for action to be 
taken and invited the Commission to explore funding possibilities in the context of the current 
Multiannual Financial Framework. 

Information on the direct actions of FP7 for the year 2009 can be found in the Joint Research 
Centre's annual report19. 

The  Commission  adopted  a  Communication  on  'A  European  Security  Research  and 
Innovation  Agenda'20,  following  the  key  findings  and  recommendations  of  the  European 
Security Research and Innovation Forum21. 

4.4. 

Highlights 

4.4.1.  Public-private partnerships in research 

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) at European level are an efficient way of leveraging R&D 
investments  from  industry  and  from  national  governments,  while  at  the  same  time  reducing 
fragmentation of R&D efforts.  

European Technology Platforms 
European  Technology  Platforms22  (ETP)  provide  a  framework  for  stakeholders,  led  by 
industry,  to  define  R&D  priorities,  timeframes  and  action  plans.  They  ensure  an  adequate 
focus of research funding on areas with industrial relevance, by covering the whole economic 
value chain and by mobilising national and regional public authorities.  

Developments  in  2009  included  their  continued  contribution  to  shaping  the  EU's  research 
priorities,  the  professionalisation  of  platform  operations,  shaping  framework  conditions  and 
policies  complementary  to  R&D  policies  and  exploring  tapping  into  funds  beyond  the 
Framework Programme.  
An expert group recommended23 to create ETP clusters24 to work towards solutions to societal 
challenges and to unleash the potential of the knowledge triangle by having the ETP clusters 
adopt a wider role and extend their scope to include education and the complete innovation 
process. 
At a conference in Brussels25 the evolution of the role of ETPs was discussed. There was a 
positive  response  to  the  idea  of  reinforcing  cooperation  between  ETPs  to  tackle  societal 
challenges  and  of  exploring  how  overarching  societal  challenges  can  be  broken  down  into 
more  manageable  key  areas.  There  was  a  commonly  felt  need  to  integrate  innovation  more 
systematically in the activities of ETPs. 
The European Industrial Initiatives of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan)26 are 
an  illustration  of  how  the  public  and  private  sector  have  engaged  in  developing  technology 
roadmaps and implementation plans to accelerate technology development in sectors such as 

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http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/downloads/jrc_ar_2009.pdf  
COM(2009) 691 
http://www.esrif.eu  
http://cordis.europa.eu/technology-platforms/individual_en.html 
ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/technology-platforms/docs/fa-industrialresearch-b5-full-publication-
rp_en.pdf 
A cluster of ETPs working towards the creation of European Bio-Economy for sustainable development 
has been created in 2009 (www.becoteps.org) 
http://cordis.europa.eu/technology-platforms/seminar11_en.html 
http://ec.europa.eu/energy/technology/initiatives/initiatives_en.htm  

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wind energy, solar energy, electricity grids or carbon capture and storage. 

Joint Technology Initiatives 

A  pioneering  approach  to  developing  PPPs  was  brought  about  with  the  Joint  Technology 
Initiatives (JTIs). In 2009 the five JTIs27 have continued launching calls for proposals. Further 
preparatory  work  has  enabled  IMI,  Clean  Sky  and  ARTEMIS  to  acquire  the  operational 
capacity to implement their budget in autumn 2009. JTIs have therefore started to play their 
role in shaping the Europe's research landscape. 

In November 2009, the Commission published its Communication on 'Mobilising private and 
public  investment  for  recovery  and  long-term  structural  change:  developing  Public  Private 
Partnerships'28. It recognises the importance of European PPPs in research and acknowledges 
their special character as they invest into generating new knowledge, with less predictable, but 
potentially  enormous  outputs.  In  view  of  setting-up  new  PPPs,  all  options  in  reviewing  the 
legal  framework  and  the  financial  rules  will  be  considered  to  provide  a  simple  and  cost-
efficient model, based on mutual understanding, true partnership and risk sharing. 

Lessons from the set up of the first JTIs have been drawn by a Group of representatives of the 
JTI's industrial partners (the 'JTI Sherpas' Group') and can be found in its report on 'Designing 
together  the  'ideal  house'  for  public-private  partnerships  in  European  research'29.  One 
recommendation is to recognize PPPs as special bodies in the revised Financial Regulation. 

In  October  2009,  the  Commission  published  its  Communication  on  'A  public-private 
partnership on the Future Internet'30 detailing the plans to advance Europe's competitiveness 
in Future Internet technologies and systems and to support the emergence of Future Internet-
enhanced applications of public and social relevance. The PPP will be operational in 2011.  

The EERP public-private partnerships 

–  The  EERP  called  for  the  setting  up  of  three  PPPs:  'Factories  of  the  Future',  'Energy-
efficient  Buildings'  and  'European  Green  Cars  Initiative'.  Funding  is  provided  on  equal 
terms  by  industry  and  FP7  for  a  total  amount  of  EUR  3.2  billion  over  the  period  2010-
2013.  

–  Ad-hoc Industrial Advisory Groups were set up to facilitate the dialogue with industry and 
to  develop  research  strategies,  which  will  help  to  define  the  PPPs'  calls  for  proposals 
throughout the remainder of FP7.  

–  The  first  calls  totalling  EUR  268  million  were  published  on  30  July.  Preliminary  results 

show a significantly higher industrial participation compared to regular FP7 calls.  

In  a  Joint  Statement  issued  by  the  Commission  and  the  Industry  representatives  in  March 
2009, it was noted that the PPPs are an efficient way of ensuring:  

–  a leading role for industry in defining the priorities and the implementation of the research; 

27 

28 

29 
30 

EN 

are: 

five 

JTIs 

Innovative  Medicines 

(http://imi.europa.eu),  Clean  Sky 
The 
(http://www.cleansky.eu),  ARTEMIS  (http://www.artemis-ju.eu),  ENIAC  (www.eniac.eu)  and  Fuel 
Cells & Hydrogen (FCH) (http://ec.europa.eu/research/fch/index_en.cfm). 
COM(2009)  615  final,  19.11.2009:  http://ec.europa.eu/archives/growthandjobs_2009/pdf/european-
economic-recovery-plan/ppp_en.pdf 
ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/jti/jti-sherpas-report-2010_en.pdf 
COM(2009)479 final  

Initiative 

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–  a  multi-annual  work  programme  with  a  pre-defined  budget,  ensuring  continuity  and 

allowing industry to make long-term investment plans; 

–  a cross-thematic approach going from basic and applied research to validation and large-

scale demonstration, with an increased emphasis on impact and exploitation; 

–  increased opportunities to support innovation in SMEs. 

4.4.2.  Evaluation and monitoring of the Framework Programme 
In its response to the FP6 ex post evaluation31 the Commission stressed the importance of the 
evaluation  findings  and  provided  an  initial  reaction  on  the  recommendations.  The 
Commission agreed with the majority of them, pointing out that many related initiatives were 
already underway.  
The  Progress  Report  on  the  implementation  of  FP732  provided  an  overview  and  analysis  of 
FP7  implementation,  notably  as  regards  novelties  such  as  the  European  Research  Council 
(ERC), JTIs, and the RSFF.  
Covering the year 2008, the 2nd FP7 Monitoring Report33 is based on a set of indicators of the 
implementation  and  performance  of  the  Framework  Programmes.  A  descriptive  section 
provided  an  in-depth  focus  on  issues  of  either  topical  importance  or  particular  interest.  The 
format of the monitoring report allows the accumulation of time series data on key indicators.  
A  review  of  the  ERC's  structures  and  mechanisms34  was  published  on  23  July  2009.  In  its 
response35,  the  Commission  announced  steps  to  ensure  the  ERC's  long-term  success  as  a 
world-class funding organisation supporting leading-edge frontier research. 

An interim evaluation of the Euratom FP7 started in July 2009. The panel of experts finished 
its report in February 201036. The evaluation provides valuable input into the preparation of 
the Euratom Framework Programme for 2012 and 2013. 

The launch of the website for FP evaluation37 radically improved the visibility and availability 
of reports on FP evaluations and monitoring. The website contains more than 300 reports and 
supports a powerful search facility.  

5. 

OUTLOOK FOR 2010 

The Europe 2020 Strategy highlights the key role that knowledge and innovation have to play 
as  drivers  of  growth  and  in  tackling  major  societal  challenges.  It  stresses  the  need  to 
strengthen  EU  research  performance  and  to  raise  EU  R&D  intensity  to  3%  GDP.  The 
completion  of  ERA  is  a  key  component  of  the  'Innovation  Union'  flagship  initiative.  EU 
the  Research  Framework 
funding  programmes, including 
research  and 
to  achieve Europe  2020 
instruments 
Programme,  are  also  highlighted  as  key 

innovation 

31 

32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 

http://ec.europa.eu/research/evaluations/pdf/archive/other_reports_studies_and_documents/fp6_ex-
post_evaluation_expert_group_report.pdf and COM(2009) 210 
COM(2009) 209, SEC(2009) 589 
http://ec.europa.eu/research/evaluations/index_en.cfm?pg=fp7-monitoring 
http://erc.europa.eu/pdf/final_report_230709.pdf 
COM(2009) 552 
A separate interim evaluation of the FP7 ICT Theme was concluded in June 2010. 
http://ec.europa.eu/research/evaluations/index_en.cfm?pg=home 

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objectives. The Innovation  Union  Flagship  initiative is  calling  for  a  major  streamlining  and 
simplification of these instruments in the next Multi-annual Financial Framework. 

Within the existing legal framework, FP7 will support the implementation of the Europe 2020 
strategy.  In  this  context,  the  2011  work  programmes  provided  for  a  record  EUR  6.4  billion 
funding for research and innovation, a considerable economic stimulus and an investment in a 
smarter, sustainable and more inclusive Europe. 

The  Commission  has  in  October  2010  presented  its  proposals  for  taking  forward  the 
'Innovation Union' flagship initiative. The Commission's proposals set out actions to be taken 
to:  

–  mobilise research and innovation to tackle major societal challenges; 

–  generate and attract more knowledge production, creativity and talent;  

–  enable and support businesses to access and develop valuable ideas and grow; 

–  develop large European markets for innovation;  

–  enable regions to specialise according to their strengths, in particular with  the support of 

Cohesion Policy38; 

–  accelerate internal reforms and cooperation with world partners. 

The Commission proposes a scoreboard to monitor the performance of the Union, based on 
internationally comparable indicators. ERA-related actions will be further developed in 2012. 

Work on the FP7 interim evaluation started in early 2010, with the expert panel scheduled to 
finalise  its  work  by  October  2010.  The  evaluation  will  provide  valuable  information  for 
optimising  the  implementation  of  the  final  years  of  FP7  and  will  also  be  an  input  into  the 
preparation of the next Framework Programme. 

SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION 

6. 
Annual Monitoring Reports for the Framework Programme and its Specific Programmes39; 
Five-year assessment reports40; 
Regular Science, Technology and Competitiveness Key Figures reports41; 
Statistics on science and technology in Europe (Eurostat)42; 

Studies  and  analyses  published  in  connection  with  European  Union  research  activities  and 
policies43; 
Annual Activity Reports of the research Directorates-General44; 
The practical guide to EU funding opportunities for research and innovation45 

38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/atlas2007/index_en.htm  
http://ec.europa.eu/research/evaluations/index_en.cfm?pg=fp7-monitoring  
http://ec.europa.eu/research/evaluations/index_en.cfm?pg=five-year-assessment  
http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/facts/figures/key_figures_en.htm  
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat  
http://ec.europa.eu/research/evaluations/index_en.cfm  
http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/synthesis/aar/index_en.htm  

EN 

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The CORDIS site: http://cordis.europa.eu; 

The Commission's Research website: http://ec.europa.eu/research; 

The ERA website: http://ec.europa.eu/research/era; 

The Investing in European research website: http://ec.europa.eu/invest-in-research; 

The ERAWATCH website: http://cordis.europa.eu/erawatch;  

45 

http://cordis.europa.eu/eu-funding-guide/home_en.html 

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