Brussels, 26/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - The principle objectives of the sixth framework programme for research (FPRD) were to lay the foundations for a European research area, with new instruments and funding better concentrated on a smaller number of thematic priorities. This work paid off and the seventh FPRD will continue it by seeking to consolidate the bases already laid down. There is nothing new to be expected in terms of instruments from the framework programme being actively prepared by DG Research ahead of the meeting on 6 April, during which the Commission is, in principle, set to approve the legislative package to be put to the European Parliament and Council under the codecision procedure.
If continuity is on the agenda in terms of instruments, the services of Commissioner Janez Potocnik are tackling the difficult exercise of simplification which remains indispensable. Work will in future centre on this simplification effort. EUROPE has reason to believe than the thematic priorities of the new proposal are likely to remain broadly the same as those of the sixth framework-programme, even though the funding looks set to increase. The new Commission took on the proposals made by the Prodi Commission under the financial perspectives and the intention remains to double the annual budget of the framework-programme, independently of the total duration of the FPRD, which may be seven years. On the basis of a duration equivalent to that of the current framework-programme (17.5 billion EUR for the period 2002-2006), the seventh programme should have 7 billion EUR a year available to it. This envelope will fund the new dimension of fundamental research, as outlined by the scientific world under the European Research Council (see also following article) and the new specific programme of research on security, which comes under the portfolio of the Commissioner for Industry, Günter Verheugen. In both cases, a figure in the region of a billion EUR a year was mentioned.
The rest of the envelope may allow a certain amount of arbitration between the thematic priorities and help to pay for actions to promote the synergy between education, research and innovation structures as part of the new “knowledge for growth” dimension which Commissioner Potocnik wishes to include in the new framework programme. Through this dimension, the Commissioner intends to make the 7th FPRD an efficient tool at the service of the Lisbon Strategy.