Brussels, 10/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Research Council on Monday evening reached a political agreement on the proposal for the 6th Framework Programme for Research and Development (FPRD). The common position will be formally adopted during one of the next Council meetings once the text has been finalised. The compromise reached by the Council confirms in its broad lines the guidelines that it had adopted in October this year and which were taken up in the draft text presented by the Belgian Presidency (see EUROPE of 8 December, p.13). Discussions on Monday are mainly focused on controversial points:
- New instruments. Although the requirements of certain States hoped to slow down the introduction of new instruments, the Council nonetheless recognised the interest of the new instruments considered as "global priority". It accepts the use of the new instruments from the launching of the 6th FPRD (2002-2006), in each theme and where it is indicated as a priority, while maintaining recourse to the specific targeted research projects and coordination actions. The Commission will propose the instruments to which preference must be given in each specific programme. An assessment by independent experts on the effectiveness of each of the three new instruments is foreseen during mid 2004.
- Thermonuclear fusion. The Council reached an agreement on the Euratom programme (with abstention from Germany). It takes the amount for fusion to EUR 750 million (France, backed mainly by Portugal and Belgium, asked for 780 million). The funding for JRC nuclear activities is down to 290 million (instead of 330 million in the Commission's initial proposal).
- Breakdown of funding. The Council carried out different arrangements without amending either the overall budget for the framework programme or that of the Euratom programme. EUROPE will come back to this.
- Ethical issues. Ireland, Italy, Germany and Austria hoped for a more rigorous framework for research. The Council came to an agreement by taking up the text of the proposal amended by the Commission.
