European Commission

Environment and Research

Environment under the 7th EU Research Framework Programme (2007-2013)

The Council adopted on 18th December 2006 a decision establishing the 7th framework programme (FP7) for research and technological development for the period 2007 to 2013 and the FP7 for nuclear research activities.

FP7 is organised in four specific programmes:

  • Cooperation
  • Ideas
  • People
  • Capacities

 

For the first of the four specific programmes - Cooperation - ten themes have been identified.

One of them is Environment (including Climate change). €1980 million have been dedicated to this theme for the period 2007-2013! This is an increase of 58%.

Here are the activity areas concerned:

  • Climate change, pollution and risks
    • Pressures on environment and climate
    • Environment and health
    • Natural hazards
  • Sustainable Management of Resources
    • Conservation and sustainable management of natural and man-made resources
    • Evolution of marine environments
  • Environmental Technologies
    • Environmental technologies for the sustainable management and conservation of the natural and man-made environment
    • Technology assessment, verification and testing
  • Earth observation and assessment tools
    • Earth observation
    • Assessment tools for sustainable development

  • Horizontal activities

 

See the latest call fiche here for topics open in the latest call for proposals under the environment theme. For description of the topics and information necessary to submit a proposal under the latest environment call, click here.

Research projects funded under the FP7 environment theme:

Research projects that have been selected for funding under the FP7 environment theme so far (2007 – 2010) can be found in this catalogue.

In addition, research projects funded under the FP7-NMP-ENV-2009-2 call (a joint call by the Environment theme and the Nanomaterials theme) can be found in this catalogue.

Research of potential relevance to environment policy-making is not only funded under the environment theme but also under all the other themes belonging to the "Cooperation" specific programme, i.e.

  • Health: aspects relating to air pollution (also indoor air), noise, chemicals, endocrine disruptors, harmful substances, animal testing
  • Food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology: Pesticides, environmentally friendly food production, soil, biodiversity
  • Information and communication technologies: Environmental monitoring,
  • Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies: novel techniques and technologies for the protection of the environment, for a reduced consumption of natural resources, pollution combat techniques, health + safety aspects of nanomaterials
  • Energy: environmentally friendly energy production, supply and consumption
  • Transport (including aeronautics): sustainable use of resources, low emission means of transport, noise, air pollution
  • Socio-economic sciences and the humanities: sustainability
  • Space: environmental monitoring, biodiversity, marine, water, soil, forests,
  • Security: Adaptation to climate change

 

Environmental aspects are also covered under the "Ideas" specific programme (supporting "frontier research" solely on the basis of scientific excellence) and under the "Capacities" specific programme. The latter is divided into the following activities which can all include research of importance to environment policies:

  • Research infrastructures
  • Research for the benefit of SMEs
  • Regions of knowledge
  • Research potential
  • Science in Society
  • Specific activities of international cooperation

 

All areas of the "People" specific programme are relevant for environmental aspects.

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) is also doing environmental research in various areas and is funded as part of FP7. It continues to provide scientific support to environment policies.

ERA-nets can also include environmental aspects. The objective of the ERA-NET scheme is to develop and strengthen the coordination of national and regional research programmes through two specific actions:

  • 'ERA-NET actions' - which provide a framework for actors implementing public research programmes to coordinate their activities. This will include support for new ERA-NETs as well as for the broadening and deepening of the scope of ERA-NET actions initiated through FP6, e.g. by extending their partnership, as well as opening mutually their programmes.
  • 'ERA-NET Plus actions'- In a limited number of cases with high European added value, additional EU financial support can be provided to facilitate joint calls for proposals between national and/or regional programmes.

 

 

 

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