Brussels, 30 May 2006

31st Council Meeting - Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry and Research). Brussels, 29-30 May 2006

The Council reached an agreement on a general approach on the 7th framework programme (FP7) for research and technological development: EC (2007-2013) (9187/06), pending the European Parliament's opinion.

It also examined a draft text on the Euratom framework programme (2007-2011) with a view to reaching an agreement at a later stage (9481/06).

Following the inter-institutional agreement on the EU's budget for the 2007-13 period (1), a total of EUR 54.5 billion will be allocated for the FP7.

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The FP7 (EC) is organised in four specific programmes, corresponding to four major objectives of European research policy:
- "Cooperation": on collaborative research, with more than EUR 32 billion;
- "Ideas": which includes the establishment of a European Research Council, that would receive EUR 7.5 billion;
- "Capacities": dealing with potential research capacities of EU small and medium-sized enterprises, with approximately EUR 4.2 billion; and
- "People": for human resources, receiving around EUR 5 billion.

The Euratom programme would get an allocation of EUR 2.7 billion for five years.

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Council deliberations took place on the basis of a partial general agreement reached last November.

The new FP7 is aimed at helping to implement one of the EU's priority goals of increasing the potential for economic growth and of strengthening European competitiveness by investing in knowledge, innovation and human capital.

(1) The inter-institutional agreement reached in April between the Parliament, the Council and the Commission, increased in EUR 300 million (in 2004 prices) the FP7 budget for the whole period in relation to the consensus reached by the European Council on 16 December.

Rules for participation under the FP7

The Council reached an agreement on a general approach on a draft regulation laying down the rules for the participation of undertakings, research centres and universities in actions under FP7 (EC) and for the dissemination of research results for the period 2007-2013 (9180/06). The Parliament is still due to deliver its opinion according to the co-decision procedure.

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The rules on participation define conditions, rights and obligations of legal entities wishing to take part in FP7 and establish principles for the use and dissemination of research results.

The Council held, on 13 March, a preliminary discussion on the proposal regarding the broad principles about the conditions for participation in projects, on the evaluation, selection and award process, as well as on the rules for dissemination and use and access rights.

The corresponding rules on participation in the 7th "Euratom" framework programme will be examined at a later stage.

Modernisation of universities
The Council took note of information from the Commission on its recent communication:
"Delivering on the modernisation agenda for universities: education, research and innovation" (9166/06).

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