Brussels, 30 Sep 2002
The Council adopted the decisions establishing the five Specific Programmes for Research under the 6 th Research Framework Programme 2002-2006 (EC and Euroatom). One of the programmes ("Integrating and strengthening the European Research Area (EC)") was adopted by qualified majority with the Italian delegation voting against.
Adoption of the Specific Programmes will contribute to the timely implementation of the new Framework Programme, as requested by the European Council, so as to promote the creation of a European Research Area and to strengthen innovation in the European Union.
The five Specific Programmes cover the following themes:
- Integrating and strengthening the European Research Area (EC)
- Structuring the European Research Area (EC)
- Joint Research Centre activities (EC)
- Nuclear energy (Euratom)
- Joint Research Centre activities (Euratom)
The overall budget provided for under the Framework Programme amounts to 17 500 million euros, of which 16 0 million euros are for the EC programme and 1 230 million euros for the Euratom programme.
The Specific Programmes include programme management provisions, establish scientific and technological objectives and budgetary allocations for the different research activities to be financed under the Framework Programme.
Further elaboration on ethical issues is provided for in a draft statement for the Council minutes, namely:
- further provisions on the funding of research activities which involve the use of human embryos and human embryonic stem cells will be established before the end of 2003, on the basis of a new proposal from the Commission and in consultation with the European Parliament;
- until then, the Commission will not propose to finance such research projects, unless they involve banked or isolated human embryonic stem cells in culture;
- proposals for research projects in these areas will be submitted to a regulatory committee;
- no funding will go to research aimed at human reproductive cloning, modification of the genetic heritage of human beings or the creation of human embryos solely for the purpose of research or stem cell procurement.