The future budget of the most ambitious Framework Programme (FP7) ever has yet to be decided.  However, the UK Presidency is taking steps towards a next draft of the FP7 proposal (next steps are highlighted below). With an overall budget of nearly €65 billion, the current proposal is double the annual spending of FP6.  The initiative revolves around four specific programmes: Co-operation, Ideas, People and Capacities.

The ‘People’ programme will establish a coherent set of Marie Curie Actions – which began purely as mobility fellowships but are now becoming comprehensive research career development tools – addressing researchers at all stages of their professional lives, from early-stage research training to lifelong training opportunities. The main lines of the Marie Curie Actions under the ‘People’ programme are:

• The initial training of researchers and the attraction of young people to research careers
• The life-long training and career development of experienced researchers
• Creating dynamic pathways for knowledge sharing between public research organisations and enterprises, and a greater involvement of enterprises in EU-backed career development efforts
• Fostering the international dimension in research training and strengthening international co-operation through researchers
• Measures, including awards, in support of the creation of a genuine European labour market for researchers

Next steps:

Based off the most recent Competitiveness Council debate, the UK presidency will compile the feedback on all four specific programmes.  With this information, the UK presidency is planning a partial redraft of the FP7 proposal which will serve as a basis for reaching a partial general approach to be discussed in the Competitiveness Council by its next meeting on 28-29 November 2005.