FP7

As expected, the European Commission released on 6 April its Proposals for Decisions regarding the 7^th Framework Programme (FP7). The plural is justified by the fact that there are two decisions: one of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community (i.e. non nuclear) Research and one of the Council alone on Euratom Research. The Community part of FP7 will be synchronised with the period to which the EU general budget will apply (2007-2013). The period applicable to the EURATOM part remains 4 year long (i.e. 2007-2001) as was the case before, for the time being at least. The table below highlights the budget differences between FP6 and FP7. In order to make the comparison meaningful, the non-EURATOM entries of FP7 have been adjusted to a 4-year period, assuming that the corresponding outlays will be spread evenly.

Depending on whether you are optimistic or pessimistic, you can either rejoice at the net increase of the fission R&D budget or regret that this increase is lower than for the other thematic domains. Anyway, at this stage it is only a proposal. The overall EU budget (the so-called financial perspectives) is far from being agreed and the MEPs who disapprove of nuclear energy will not fail to try to decrease the EURATOM budget whatever it may be. As they say in English, “from the cup to the lip, there’s many a slip”.