12.04.2008 - Bulletin No:16

Upcoming Open Workshops

Latest Updated Version (1.11) of Myer Morron’s FP7 Book available now

New Executive agencies

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)

European Research Council Executive Agency (ERC) (under preparation)

Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI)

Executive Agency for the Public Health Programme (PHEA)

Research Executive Agency (REA)

Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-T EA)

JTI Call details

 

Upcoming Open Workshops:

 

28/04/2008     1 Day SME Measures (CRAFT) Workshop in Brussels, Belgium.
29/04/2008     1 Day FP7 Financial Workshop in Brussels, Belgium.
30/04/2008     1 Day Marie Curie Financial Workshop in Brussels, Belgium.
13/05/2008     3 Day Marie Curie Financial Workshop in Brussels, Belgium. ** New**
03/06/2008     3 Day in-depth FP7 Financial Workshop in Brussels, Belgium.

 

Latest Updated Version (1.11) of Myer Morron’s FP7 Book available now:

Specific changes:

-          Clarified aspects of FP7 Form C in 6.5.1

-          SME Measures updated in 5.6

-          Clarified aspects of FP7 Form C in 6.5.1

-          Added proposal B5 note in Chapter 15

-          Section 16.5 updated to point to Appendix 8

-          Chapter 17 being added on Marie Curie – will be incrementally added in future updates

-          Added info on FP7 Research Agencies and EIT to Appendix 1

-          Appendix 8 revised with updated spread sheet

 

To download please click here.

 

New Executive agencies:

The European Commission wishes to offload non-political programs such as FP7 and CIP to newly setup Executive agencies. Project officers will be moving from the European Commission to theses new Executive agencies.

 

The task of executive agencies is to manage (literally to execute) specific activities that would normally have been carried out by specific departments within the European Commission. As they concentrate on this management role, and have no policy remit, executive agencies can be more effective and more efficient in addressing the needs of their client base (in this case the research communities).

The setup of these new agencies will create a major disturbance for all at the end of this year when the transfer is due to take place.

 

Executive agencies are new organisations established by the European Commission which will be entrusted with certain tasks relating to the management of one or more Community programmes.

 

These agencies are set up for a fixed period. Their location has to be at a seat of the European Commission (Brussels or Luxembourg).

 

Currently, there are six agencies setup. These are:

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)

European Research Council Executive Agency (ERC)

Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI)

Executive Agency for the Public Health Programme (PHEA)

Research Executive Agency (REA)

Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-T EA)

 

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA):

The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) is located in Brussels, and has been operational since 1st January 2006.

 

While the agency has its own legal identity, it reports to three Directorates-General of the European Commission: Education and Culture (EAC), Information Society and Media (INFSO) and EuropeAid Cooperation Office, which remain responsible for programming, evaluating, and issuing policies.

 

The agency is in charge of most management aspects of the programmes, including drawing up calls for proposals, selecting projects and signing project agreements, financial management, monitoring of projects (intermediate reports, final reports); communication with beneficiaries; and on the spot controls.

 

The programme strands managed by the Agency are all centralised and support technical projects, which do not imply making political decisions.

 

European Research Council Executive Agency (ERC):

The European Research Council (ERC) is the first European funding body set up to support investigator-driven frontier research.

 

Its main aim is to stimulate scientific excellence by supporting and encouraging the very best, truly creative scientists, scholars and engineers to be adventurous and take risks in their research. The scientists should go beyond established frontiers of knowledge and the boundaries of disciplines.

 

The ERC complements other funding activities in Europe such as those of the national research funding agencies, and is a flagship component of the 'Ideas Programme' of the European Union's Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7).

 

Being 'investigator-driven', or 'bottom-up', in nature, the ERC approach allows researchers to identify new opportunities and directions in any field of research, rather than being led by priorities set by politicians. This approach ensures that funds are channeled into new and promising areas of research with a greater degree of flexibility.

 

ERC grants will be awarded through open competition to projects headed by starting and established researchers, irrespective of their origins, who are working or moving to work in Europe - the sole criterion for selection is scientific excellence. The aim here is to recognise the best ideas, and retain and confer status and visibility to the best brains in Europe, while also attracting talent from abroad.

 

Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI):

The Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI) is located in Brussels and currently implements the Intelligent Energy – Energy Europe programme.

 

The Agency manages the projects and events funded under this programme and it disseminates the resulting know-how and best practices. This gives the programme a sharper focus and greater visibility.

 

From 2008, the EACI will also start managing the European Commission's SME support network and eco-innovation initiatives (which form part of the new Framework Programme for Competitiveness and Innovation 2007-13), and the Marco Polo programme.

 

The Agency reports back to three Directorates-General of the European Commission - Energy and Transport (TREN), Enterprise and Industry (ENTR), and Environment (ENV) – which remain responsible for programming and evaluation.

 

The Agency is was previously known as the Intelligent Energy Executive Agency (IEEA).

 

Executive Agency for the Public Health Programme (PHEA):

The Executive Agency for the Public Health Programme, in short, Public Health Executive Agency (PHEA) was created on  1 January 2005  for a time frame of six years (until 31 December 2010) to manage the multi-annual Public Health Programme (PHP) of the European Commission which supports actions  to improve and protect human health in the European Union (EU). Tis agency is located in Luxembourg.

 

Research Executive Agency (REA):

The Research Executive Agency, located in Brussels, was created in December 2007. Managing over €6.5 billion, it starts its work in 2008, and should become fully independent in 2009. The REA reports to the Directorates General for Research, Enterprise, Information Society & Media and Energy & Transport.

 

The parts of FP7 that the REA will manage are:

• The Marie-Curie Actions of the People Programme.
• Thee SME-specific activities of the Capacities Programme.
• A large part of the Space and the Security themes from the Cooperation Programme.
• In addition, a major role of the REA is to provide and manage the evaluation facilities across the entire framework programme (except evaluation facilities for the Ideas Programme, which is entirely managed by the
European Research Council).

Overall, the REA will manage a budget of around €1 billion each year. A brand-new, purpose-equipped evaluation facility is situated in the Covent Garden building at Place Rogier in Brussels, close to the Gare du Nord, and within easy reach of the city centre and the Commission buildings. The programme management section of the agency will be located in Brussels in premises specially selected for the purpose.

 

Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-T EA):

The Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-T EA) is located in Brussels and once fully operational, will manage the Community funds available for the promotion of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), by managing projects and events under this programme.

 

The Agency's work will be done in close collaboration with Directorate-General Energy and Transport (TREN) of the European Commission, which remains responsible for programming and evaluation.

 

The Agency was created in 2006 and for the moment is in charge of the management of TEN-T projects from the Financial Perspectives 2000 – 2006. It has a mandate until 31 December 2008. The new TEN-T Programme covers the period 2007 to 2013, and there are plans to extend the lifetime of the Agency until the end of 2015.

 

ICT JTI Call details:

·          The Nanoelectronic JTI call in 2008 will consist of Subprograms 2,3,4,7 and 8 each broken into topics and in 2009 would consist of Subprograms 1,5,6,7 and 8 each broken into topics.

·          Note: The UK is currently not a member of the Nanoelectronic JUs.

·          Hungary is now a member of ENIAC JU.

·          The Czech Republic and Norway have joined the Artemesia JU.

·          AENEAS will hold a brokerage fair 19-20 May in Paris.

·          An Electronic Submittal System will be used for the ICT JTIs. When the call is opened (before end of April) the Workprogram will be published together with a Guide for Applicants and the call text.

·          There will be 5 evaluation criteria but the final selection will be made by the Public Authorities.

·          There will be two contracts for normal participants – one with the JU and one individually with their National Funding Authorities Committee.

·          The JU payment will be a percentage of the National Funding computed using National Rules.

·          Depending on levels of National funding, SMEs could still get up to 75% funding in JTIs.