Brussels, 14/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - In a special report published on Wednesday 14 October, the European Court of Auditors presents a picture that contrasts with the efficiency and good management of the two new instruments implemented in the sixth Research Framework Programmes, the networks of excellence and integrated projects. The 6th Research Framework Programmes (2002-2006) had a total budget of €17bn and funded 167 projects in the network of excellence and accounting for total Community funding of €1.2bn (for eligible investment costs of €1.9bn). Almost 700 integrated projects were funded over the period and had a total Community financing of €6.5bn (and eligible investment costs of €10.7bn). The ECA explains that although Networks of Excellence promoted a good level of research collaboration, they often did not achieve a progressive and self- sustainable integration of the research activities between the network partners. The ECA also stated that none of the networks moved towards self-sustainable integration of the partners' research capacities after the ending of Community funding. Integrated projects failed to realize the expected leverage of additional public and private funding. The ECA said that none of the participants had succeeded in implementing viable long term research activities or partnerships, which meant that all future collaboration was dependent on continued public funding; although they succeeded in promoting collaboration in research and implementation, most participants only allocated a small proportion of their research capacity; the Networks of Excellence did not effectively manage the resources at their disposition or ensure appropriate coordination of activities involved in the projects; in the majority of cases, participation in the high level scientific networks was not put into practice. The ECA would like to know under what conditions it is justified to continue their funding beyond the period initially planned under the current 7th FRP. The ECA believes, on the contrary, that the “integrated projects” reached, in general, the objectives pursued in their research field. Thanks to a longer duration and an increased number of participants, they have mobilised a significant volume of resources. However, IPs have not succeeded in attracting additional public and private funding.
The objective of SME participation has not been fully reached. SMEs play a key role in the European economy thanks to the role they play in the enterprise sector and labour market. The 6th FRP sought to take their needs into account and set out a 15 % objective in the overall budget for thematic priorities from the 6th FRP, whilst the 5th FRP was only 10 %. The ECA pointed out that Community funding for SMEs as part of the 6th FRP had declined. According to the Commission's most generous estimate, 10% at the most of the total budget for thematic priorities in the 6th FRP were allocated to SMEs, around €1.2bn. These rates are lower than that reached in the thematic programmes in the 5th FRP (12 %, around €1.4bn). The ECA notes that for the 7th FRP, initial Commission results indicate SME particiaption will continue to decline.
Other ECA comments. The ECA considers that the instruments in the 6th CP framework audited programmes have helped promote research collaboration and implementation of reasonable quality projects. However, these instruments have operated in the absence of a clear logic of intervention. The absence of SMART objectives and performance indicators limits significantly the assessment of the contribution of specific instruments and activities to the RTD objectives, thus under- mining the basis for sound monitoring and evaluation. The ECA believes that the management ensured by the Commission above all revealed that at the beginning of implementation of the 6th FRP, there were a certain number of deficiences that had impacted on the efficiency of the action (uncertainty about the specific role of the new instruments, insufficient orientations and weaknesses in project follow-up). Compared to the 5th FRP, the 6th has not led to a noticeable rise in investment from participatns in R&D. Participation of the private sector has even declined in real terms.
Networks of Excellence mainly sought to substantially and sustainably integrate research activities of network partners and therefore directly fight against fragmentation of research activities in Europe. (L.C./transl rh)