Framework Programme 6

Framework Programme 6
Name	Framework Programme 6
Start	2002
End	2006
Organisation	European Commission
Budget	€17.5 billion
Successor	Seventh Framework Programme

Framework Programme 6 was the European Union's integrated research funding initiative running from 2002 to 2006, administered by the European Commission and designed to support collaborative research across European Union member states, associated countries, and international partners. Launched during the European Council meetings in the early 2000s, it followed earlier initiatives like the Fourth Framework Programme and Fifth Framework Programme and preceded the Seventh Framework Programme. The programme aimed to reinforce competitiveness, foster innovation, and strengthen scientific excellence through networks involving universities such as University of Oxford, research centres like the Max Planck Society, and industry actors including Siemens and Philips.

Background and Objectives

FP6 was conceived in the political context shaped by the Lisbon Strategy, the Nice Treaty, and enlargement discussions with candidate countries such as Poland and Hungary. Objectives included promoting transnational cooperation among institutions like CNRS, Fraunhofer Society, CERN, and European Space Agency; advancing priority areas identified by bodies such as the European Research Advisory Board; and supporting frameworks referenced in the Open Method of Coordination. Explicit aims were to create thematic networks linking actors such as Imperial College London, ETH Zurich, and Università di Bologna and to enhance links with international partners including NASA, National Institutes of Health, and institutes in Japan and India.

Structure and Budget

The programme operated under budget headings negotiated in the Intergovernmental Conference and approved by the European Parliament and Council of the European Union. With an approximate budget of €17.5 billion, funds were distributed among instruments like Integrated Projects, Networks of Excellence, and Specific Targeted Research Projects involving organisations such as Siemens Research, Alcatel-Lucent, Thales Group, Oxford Brookes University, and University of Cambridge. Management structures included Directorates-General such as DG Research and evaluation panels drawing experts from European Innovation Council precursors, national agencies like CNRS, and regional authorities including Lombardy and Île-de-France.

Major Programmes and Thematic Priorities

Thematic priorities reflected consultations with stakeholders including European Technology Platform representatives and were grouped into areas such as life sciences (partnered by European Molecular Biology Laboratory), information society technologies (engaging Nokia and Ericsson), nanotechnologies with involvement from IBM research units, energy (linked to European Atomic Energy Community initiatives), and environment projects connected to European Environment Agency. Cross-cutting actions included support for Marie Curie Actions mobility fellowships, ethical assessment tied to input from bioethics committees and links to Council of Europe deliberations, and international cooperation with research centres such as CSIRO and Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry.

Implementation and Participation

Implementation relied on Calls for Proposals evaluated by panels including academics from University of Paris, industrial representatives from Fiat and Roche, and policy advisors from OECD and World Health Organization delegations. Participation spanned EU member states and associated countries like Norway, Switzerland, and Israel, and welcomed third-country partners from United States, China, and Brazil. Instruments such as Networks of Excellence aimed to integrate groups including Karolinska Institutet, Technical University of Munich, and Politecnico di Milano while Integrated Projects aggregated consortia featuring BP and EADS affiliates. Administrative execution involved grant agreements, audits by European Court of Auditors-informed processes, and coordination offices modelled on European Research Council-style management.

Outcomes and Impact

FP6 produced thousands of publications citing partners such as Max Planck Institute, CNRS, University of Cambridge, and Harvard University collaborators; patents involving firms like Philips; and spin-offs connected to institutions including Imperial Innovations and Cambridge Enterprise. The programme catalysed networks that contributed to subsequent policy instruments like the European Research Area and informed agendas at summits such as the G8 research meetings. Capacity building was notable in newer member states like Czech Republic and Slovakia through collaborations with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Evaluations by panels including experts from European Science Foundation recorded both increases in cross-border publications and greater integration of industry and academia.

Criticisms and Controversies

FP6 faced criticisms raised by stakeholders including representatives from European Ombudsman inquiries, national research councils, and NGOs such as Science for Environment Policy for bureaucratic complexity, uneven participation by SMEs like regional Basque enterprises, and administrative burdens noted by University of Lisbon consortia. Controversies included debates over the balance between excellence and cohesion espoused in Cohesion Fund discussions, alleged concentration of funds among leading institutions like University of Oxford and CNRS, and challenges in intellectual property arrangements involving corporations such as Siemens and GlaxoSmithKline. Audits and reviews by entities including the European Court of Auditors and hearings in the European Parliament led to reforms carried into successor frameworks like the Seventh Framework Programme.

Category:European Union research programmes