The European Commission has unveiled its plans for FP7 which propose a duration of seven years (2007 to 2013), and a structure based on four specific programmes: Cooperation, Ideas, People and Capacities.
Proposals for FP7
"Building the ERA of knowledge for growth"
Within these four programmes, 'Cooperation' refers to collaborative transnational research activities; 'Ideas' covers basic research implemented through a European Research Council (ERC); 'People' includes Marie Curie actions and other initiatives; while 'Capacities' encompasses support to research infrastructures, regions of knowledge and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
Nine thematic areas for collaborative research are specified: health; food, agriculture and biotechnology; information and communication technologies (ICT); nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies; energy; environment (including climate change); transport (including aeronautics); socio-economic sciences and the humanities; and security and space research.
For further information, please consult the following web addresses:
http://www.cordis.lu/fp7/
http://ec.europa.eu/research/future/documents_en.cfm
Common FP7 Energy Research Information Day and Energy NCP meeting
Brussels, 19th December 2007
On the 30 November 2007, 4 calls for proposals were launched under the Energy Theme of the "Cooperation" Programme of the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development.
In order to present key features of these calls to multipliers and people interested in submitting proposals the Directorate General for Research of the European Commission organises the FP7 Energy Research Information Day on 19 December 2007 in Brussels.
Commission incorporates Parliament views in revised FP7 proposal
The European Commission has adopted an amended proposal for the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), which seeks to incorporate amendments made by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers in their first readings.
The Commission adopted its original FP7 proposal in April 2005, while the budgetary aspects to the programme were adopted in May 2006, following agreement on the EU's Financial Perspectives for 2007 to 2013. The Parliament adopted the proposals by a broad majority in June 2006, proposing some 1700 amendments.
The themes set to receive funding under the Cooperation programme remain the same, with a number of clarifications, specifying areas in which research will be funded. These range from healthy ageing and infectious diseases to soil fertility, the sustainability of fisheries, platforms for software and services and nano-composites.
On Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs), long-term public-private partnerships to boost technology in specific fields, the Commission accepts modifications on the criteria to be used for identifying potential JTIs, as well as their organisation and implementation.
The Commission also incorporates important clarifications on the European Research Council (ERC), and in particular on the term of office, the renewal and the role of the Scientific Council, the management and staffing arrangements, and the independent review of the ERC.
Ethics were a major consideration for many parliamentarians, and the revised proposal seeks to allay concerns by specifying which areas will not receive any funding under FP7. These are human cloning for reproductive purposes, research intended to modify the genetic heritage of human beings which could make such changes heritable, and research intended to create human embryos solely for the purpose of research or the purpose of stem cell procurement.
The IPR regime under FP7
The EC Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (2007-2013) (FP7) maintains many features from FP6 while introducing several modifications of key relevance for participants as regards intellectual property rights (IPR) related issues. The referred document has been written on the basis of the Commission Proposal for the Rules for Participation in FP7 (articles 39 to 52).
See also:
http://www.ipr-helpdesk.org/documentos/docsPublicacion/html_xml/8_IPR_Regimen_under_FP7[0000006321_00].html
http://www.ipr-helpdesk.org/newsletter/25/pdf/EN/N25_EN.pdf
