Brussels, 09/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament (EP) adopted the report by Jean-Pierre Audy (EPP, France) in plenary session on Wednesday 8 June. The report, on the mid-term review of the 7th framework programme for research and development (FPRD), calls for procedures to be simplified and for the involvement of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and women to be increased. €28.8 billion has been allocated to technological research and development for the period from 2011 to 2013.
Re-assessment of the 7th framework programme, which has a total budget of €53.7 billion for the period from 2007 to 2013, was said by the rapporteur to be essential, particularly in this time of “fragile growth” after the financial crisis and lack of public money, as he highlighted in the plenary session debate. The current framework programme is said in the report to be ineffective as a result, for example, of its “complexity of administrative management, considerable red tape, bureaucracy (and) lack of transparency”. According to Henri Weber (S&D, France), this makes it far too difficult to access FPRD funding. The complexity of procedures, it is argued, is also to blame for the many delays in the funding of approved projects. MEPs are also disappointed by the failure to achieve the target that was set of a 40% participation rate for women researchers and especially the current participation rate of 25.5% for women.
The report calls on the Commission to “explore further simplification measures” in order to reduce the time from application to grant. It also encourages the Commission to take a more flexible approach to risk in selecting projects, in order to encourage innovation and increase the overall success rate in grant applications. A cross-cutting committee should be established, the report says, to monitor and provide advice on gender equality.
Audy said that he was disappointed that his proposal for a European research programme on defence material had not been adopted. (J.K./transl.rt)