| Author (Person) | Bower, Helen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Title | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Details | 4.10.02 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 04/10/2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The EU's 6th Framework Research Programme got the final go ahead on 30 September 2002 when EU ministers, meeting at the newly formed Competitiveness Council, agreed on the five specific programmes of the EU initiative. The decision, which means that the new programme can be launched in November 2002 before the 5th Framework Programme expires, was heralded by the Danish Presidency for offering 'continuation' in the EU's research field and praised by the dedicated European Commissioner for Research, Philippe Busquin, as an 'indispensable legislative action'. Background On 14 January 1974, the Council of Ministers adopted a resolution aimed at introducing a coherent overall strategy on research in the European Community, based primarily on the co-ordination of national policies and the identification of projects of Community interest. This provided for further provisions to be introduced by the Single European Act and the Maastricht Treaty. The goal of research policy in the European Union is described in Article 163 EEC as:
Under articles 166 to 170 of the treaty, research is to be undertaken within a multi-annual framework programme. This is to be drawn up by the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament under the co-decision procedure. The programme should lay down the major scientific and technological objectives of the Community, indicate the broad lines of the research activities under the programme and establish the maximum overall amount for all the activities envisaged and its breakdown between the various activities. Framework programmes cover a period of five years with the last year of one framework programme and the first year of the following programme overlapping. The first framework research programme began in 1984 and ran until 1987. Since then there have been another four programmes with the fifth framework programme due to end in 2002. So far, the themes of the research programmes have included:
The Sixth FP (FP6) is scheduled to become operational on 1 January 2003. The Sixth Framework Programme (2002-2006) With the fifth framework programme due to finish in 2002, the European Commission presented a proposal [COM(2001)94] for a 6th Framework Programme for Research and Technological development on 21 February 2001. The programme outlined seven thematic priorities:
and one policy priority:
More detail on the proposal can be found in European Sources Online's previous The progress of the proposal through the decision-making process can be traced using either Prelex or the European Parliament's Legislative Observatory. After fifteen months of debate in the Council and the European Parliament the programme was formally adopted on 3 June 2002, seven months ahead of the implementation date. This was the earliest adoption of a framework programme and prevented the need for the conciliation procedure. However, the Rules for Participation and specific programmes still needed to be finalised. This was achieved at the Competitiveness Council on 30th September 2002 when ministers reached a final agreement on the five specific programmes of the overall framework programme. They are:
The decision on the specific programmes had been delayed by a debate as to whether stem cell research should be included in the programme. Ultimately, ministers agreed that detailed implementation procedures and a more comprehensive legislative act need to be put in place in order to better regulate the EU funding of research involving the use of human embryonic stem cells. On that basis the agreement foresees that the European Commission will not fund research projects involving the use of human embryonic stem cells until the end of 2003 at the earliest, with the exception of stem cells already banked or isolated in culture. Meanwhile, the European Commission should publish a report in Spring 2003 on the evolution of stem cell research and organise a public seminar on the subject with Council and Parliament. The 6th Framework Programme differs from previous programmes because it will focus on the specific goal of creating a European Research Area (ERA) as the future of research in Europe. The ERA aims at scientific excellence, improved competitiveness and innovation through the promotion of increased co-operation, greater complementarity and improved co-ordination between relevant actors, at all levels. On this basis a number of aspects of the framework programmes have been altered:
The overall budget for the four-year programme has been set at €17.5 billion - an increase of 17% from the Fifth Framework Programme. This accounts for 3.9% of the Union's total budget (2001), and 6% of the Union's public (civilian) research budget. €12 billion of the overall budget will be allocated specifically to the seven thematic priorities. A number of views of EU stakeholders concerning the 6th Research Framework Programme can be found in the selection of external links that follows. The programme will officially be launched in Brussels on 11-13 November 2002 at a conference focussing on 'European Research in 2002' which will outline the objectives, priorities and participation rules to over 5000 participants. The first calls for proposals for the 6th Framework Research programme are expected to be announced at the end of 2002. Further information within European Sources Online:
Further information can be seen in these external links: EU Institutions
Miscellaneous Organisations
Further and subsequent information on the subject of this In Focus can be found by an 'Advanced Search' in European Sources Online by inserting '6th Framework Research Programme' in the keyword field. Helen Bower At a meeting of the Competitiveness Council on 30 September 2002, EU ministers agreed on the five specific programmes for the Sixth Framework Programme (2002-2006). |
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