Introduction to European Commission Funding

'Framework programmes' (FPs) have been the main financial tools through which the European Union supports research and development activities covering almost all scientific disciplines. FPs are proposed by the European Commission and adopted by Council and the European Parliament following a co-decision procedure.

FPs have been implemented since 1984 and cover a period of five years with the last year of one FP and the first year of the following FP overlapping. It has been proposed for FP7, however, to run for seven years. It became fully operational on 1 January 2007 and will expire in 2013.

It is designed to build on the achievements of its predecessor towards the creation of the European Research Area, and carry it further towards the development of the knowledge economy and society in Europe.