Brussels, 13/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - New guidelines, centred on innovation, have just been adopted by the European Commission for the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Development (FO7), Robert-Jan Smits, Director General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission, has announced in a letter sent to French MEP Jean-Pierre Audy (EPP). These new guidelines were adopted as part of the latest call for projects in July 2011. They will bring an increase in funding for innovation and will see a “new innovation phase in many research projects” set up, Audy said on Wednesday 13 July. SMEs will also see benefits, through “an increase in specific budgets and helpful measures”. Thanks, too, to a new project which will put in place “a risk-sharing funding mechanism”, innovative SMEs should find it easier to access bank credit. Audy was pleased to note that the European Commission had followed the guidelines promoted by the European Parliament in the 8 June report on the interim assessment of the FP7 (see EUROPE 10394). (J.K./transl.rt)