FP6 (Framework Programme)
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| FP6 (Framework Programme) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sixth Framework Programme |
| Native name | FP6 |
| Established | 2002 |
| Ended | 2006 |
| Budget | €17.5 billion |
| Jurisdiction | European Union |
FP6 (Framework Programme)
The Sixth Framework Programme was a European Union research funding initiative launched in 2002 and running until 2006, designed to advance scientific research, technological development, and innovation across member states and associated countries. It built on previous Framework Programmes and intersected with policies associated with the Lisbon Strategy, European Research Area, OECD, World Trade Organization, and national research agencies such as the CNRS, CSIC, Max Planck Society, and CNR. The programme involved partnerships among universities, industrial firms, research organisations, and regional authorities including European Commission directorates and agencies.
Background and Objectives
FP6 was conceived in the political context of the Lisbon Summit (2000), the launch of the European Research Area initiative, and debates in the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament about competitiveness and innovation. Objectives included strengthening Europe’s capacity in relation to global competitors such as the National Science Foundation (United States), NASA, NIH, and major corporate research labs like Siemens, Philips, Thales Group, and Siemens AG. It sought to address strategic challenges highlighted by reports from the European Commission and advisory bodies like the European Science Foundation and the Academia Europaea.
Structure and Funding Instruments
FP6 organised funding via instruments modelled after earlier programmes coordinated by the European Commission and involved legal frameworks such as the Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development and rules overseen by the European Court of Auditors. Main instruments included Networks of Excellence, Integrated Projects, Specific Targeted Research Projects, Marie Curie Actions, and Support Measures. Administrative actors included the Research Executive Agency, national contact points in countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and associated states like Norway, Switzerland, and candidate countries such as Turkey and Romania. Budget allocation decisions were influenced by committees involving representatives from the European Parliament and the European Commission.
Thematic Priorities and Research Areas
FP6 set thematic priorities in response to European competitiveness agendas and international scientific trends, aligning with sectors represented by organisations such as CERN, European Space Agency, EUREKA, and standards bodies. Thematic areas included Information Society Technologies, Genomics and Biotechnology for Health, Nanotechnologies and Materials, Aeronautics and Space, Food Quality and Safety, Sustainable Development and Global Change, Citizens and Governance, and Industrial Technologies. These areas intersected with initiatives by institutions such as the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Wellcome Trust, and projects linked to International Energy Agency agendas.
Implementation and Management
Programme management relied on the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, funding committees, and project officers coordinating peer review panels with experts from organisations such as the Royal Society, Max Planck Society, Karolinska Institute, and industrial partners like IBM and Siemens. Calls for proposals were evaluated through peer review panels drawing reviewers from universities such as University of Cambridge, Université Paris-Sud, Università di Bologna, and national laboratories like Sincrotrone Trieste and Laboratoire Lineaire. Contract management engaged legal units, auditors, and grant officers, while networking events involved bodies like the European Institute of Innovation and Technology precursor forums.
Major Projects and Outcomes
FP6 funded large-scale collaborative projects and consortia involving firms, universities, and research centres; examples spanned computational initiatives, biomedical consortia, and infrastructure efforts interfacing with CERN experiments, European grid computing pilots, and pan-European clinical research networks linked to institutes such as Institut Pasteur and Karolinska Institutet. Outcomes included publications in journals tied to Nature Publishing Group and Elsevier, patents filed by corporate partners including Philips and Siemens, and the development of research infrastructures that later supported projects in FP7 and Horizon 2020. Results influenced standards work in organisations such as ISO and IEC and informed policy reports by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Criticism and Impact Evaluation
FP6 faced critique from stakeholders including academics in Oxford University, University College London, and policy analysts at Bruegel and Centre for European Policy Studies regarding administrative complexity, overheads, and concentration of funds among larger consortia led by major institutions like CNRS and Max Planck Society. Evaluations by the European Commission and the European Court of Auditors highlighted issues in project selection, monitoring, and outcomes measurement compared with benchmarks such as National Science Foundation programmes and evaluations from the European Science Foundation. Critics from national ministries and regional bodies like RFOs argued for simplified instruments and greater support for small and medium-sized enterprises represented by networks such as EUREKA.
Legacy and Succession by FP7
FP6 influenced the design of the Seventh Framework Programme, which launched in 2007; lessons from FP6 shaped FP7 instruments, budgetary scale, and priorities connecting to initiatives such as the European Research Council and the later Horizon 2020 framework. Many consortia, infrastructures, and policy approaches initiated under FP6 continued under FP7 and successor programmes, informing strategic planning in institutions like the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and regional innovation strategies adopted by member states including Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.