Resaerch RTD, 5th framework-programme EC 1998-2002: research, technological development and demonstration activities

The mid-term review of the Framework Programme provided for in Article 6 of the Decisions adopting the 5th EC and Euratom Framework Programmes was the subject of guidelines proposed by the Commission in its Communication of 4 October 2000 "Making a reality of the European Research Area: Guidelines for future EU research activities (2002-2006). This Commission staff working paper reviews progress with the 5th Framework Programme in greater detail. For this review the Commission has taken into account the conclusions of the panels which carried out five-year assessments of the Framework Programme and the specific programmes, the external monitoring reports, information collected for the annual report on EU RTD activities and its own analyses and assessments. Although the Framework Programme has reached the halfway stage in terms of the launching of research activities, the latter are still in their early stages in terms of implementation and most of them will continue beyond 2002. Reviewing them at this juncture will therefore clearly not allow a judgment to be made of the Framework Programme's impact in terms of research results and innovation, but it will, nevertheless, make it possible to assess implementation so far, in particular in the light of the Programme's new structure, its objectives and its means of implementation. This paper also assesses the quality of the projects launched so far and how they fit in with the broad lines of the Framework Programme. Lastly, it analyses how the 5th Framework Programme can help to make a reality of the European Research Area.�