On 6th April 2005 the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new EU programme for Research. The proposal provides new impetus to increase Europe's growth and competitiveness, recognising that knowledge is Europe's greatest resource. The programme places greater emphasis than in the past on research that is relevant to the needs of European industry, to help it compete internationally, and develop its role as a world leader in certain sectors. The programme will also for the first time provide support for the best in European investigator-driven research, with the creation of a European Research Council. Focus will be on excellence throughout the programme, a requirement if it is to play its role in developing Europe's global competitiveness. Another priority will be to make participation in the programme simpler and easier, through measures addressing the procedures, plus a rationalisation of instruments In spite of this new approach, there are many elements of continuity: in practice, for the majority of participants, the programme itself will not change, but participation will become simpler.

What is the Commission's proposal?

Subtitled "Building the European research area of knowledge for growth", FP7 is designed to respond to the competitiveness and employment needs of the EU. The Commission proposes in particular to double the FP7 budget compared with FP6, rising to € 73.2 Billion over the period 2007-2013. According to the Commission proposal, FP7 will be organised in four specific programmes.

• Cooperation - where support will be given to the whole range of research activities carried out in trans-national cooperation, from collaborative projects and networks to coordination of research programmes. International cooperation between the EU and third countries (including India) is an integral part of this action. Nine themes have been identified: (a) health; (b) food, agriculture and biotechnology; (c) information and communication technologies; (d) nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production processes; (e) energy; (f) environment (including climate change); (g) transport (including aeronautics) (h) socio-economic sciences and humanities and (i) security and space.

• Ideas - where an autonomous European Research Council will be created to support investigator-driven "frontier research" carried out by individual teams competing at the European level, in all scientific and technological fields, including engineering, socio-economic sciences and the humanities. Funding will be based purely on the scientific quality of the proposal.

• People - where activities supporting training and career development of researchers, referred to as "Marie Curie" actions will be reinforced with a better focus on the key aspects of skills and career development and strengthened links with national systems.

• Capacities - where key aspects of European research and innovation capacities will be supported: research infrastructures; research for the benefit of SMEs; regional research driven clusters; unlocking the full research potential in the EU "convergence" regions; "Science and Society" issues; and, last but not least, activities to stimulate international RTD cooperation between the EU and third countries.
  

Intersetingly international co-operation will no longer just be a separate part of the programme, but will be integrated into all four programmes, allowing projects to be carried out with international partners. In the same vein, the Science in Society action will have specific tasks, but the aim of anchoring science more closely in the needs and wants of European society will be considered in all parts of the programme.

Source: http://www.delind.cec.eu.int/en/stcoop/fp7_introduction.htm