Rheumatic diseases in the EU legislature
Rheumatic diseases in the EU research policy
7th Research Framework Programme
The initial proposals on the new Framework Programme were published by the European Commission on 6 April and 21 September 2005. The European Parliament and the Council have been discussing the proposals and tabling a significant number of amendments to it. FP7 is organised in four programmes corresponding to four basic components of European research. Each of these programmes is subject of a Specific Programme (SP).
- Cooperation - collaborative research - caters for the core of EU research funding programme by including a wide range of research activities (including health research) carried out in transnational cooperation.
- The Ideas programme envisages the establishment of the European Research Council (ERC), one of the major priorities of FP7. It is dedicated to fostering European basic research by providing funding for all scientific areas, with scientific excellence being the sole criterion for funding.
- The People programme aims at strengthening quantitatively and qualitatively human resources in research and technology in Europe by putting into place a coherent set of actions.
- The Capacities programme aims at supporting research infrastructures, research for the benefit of SMEs and the research potential of European regions as well as at stimulating the realisation of the full research potential of the enlarged European Union.
The overall budget for the Seventh Framework Programme in the Financial Perspective for the period 2007 to 2013 is EUR 50,521 million in current prices. 32,413 million are dedicated to SP "Cooperation", including 6,100 million for health research.
The second reading agreement in the European Parliament on 30 November 2006, both on the Framework
decision as well as on the Specific Programmes, has cleared the way for the timely adoption of the
Programme and for the first calls for proposals published already in 2006.
Mention of Rheumatic Diseases in FP7
Both the latest position on the Research Programmes produced by the Council and by the European Parliament introduced an explicit mentioning of rheumatic diseases in the paragraph dedicated to major diseases in the health section of the Programme.
On 15 June 2006, the European Parliament voted in its first reading on the report of the EP
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy of the rapporteur
Mr Jerzy Buzek. The Members of the Parliament adopted a.o. the following amendment:
Amendment 110:
“Translational research in major diseases: cancer,
cardiovascular disease, allergic and respiratory diseases; diabetes/obesity;
rheumatic diseases; rare diseases; and other chronic diseases
(e.g., osteoarthritis).”
Similarly, on 25 September 2006 in their common position on the proposal of the European Commission, the member states adopted the following wording:
“Translational research in major diseases: cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes/obesity; rare diseases; other chronic diseases including rheumatoid diseases, arthritis and muscoskeletal diseases”
Upon lengthy negotiations with the Council, in its second reading on the Commission's proposal
on 30 November 2006, the European Parliament adopted the following wording:
Amendment 114:
“Translational research in major diseases – cancer, cardiovascular
disease, diabetes/obesity; rare diseases; other chronic diseases including
arthritis, rheumatic and musculoskeletal
diseases and respiratory diseases including those induced by allergies: to develop patient-oriented
strategies from prevention to diagnosis with particular emphasis on treatment, including clinical
research and the use of active ingredients.”
The mentioning of the sector can be regarded as a great achievement for European rheumatology. It demonstrates increasing awareness of the burden of rheumatic diseases at the European level and should result in greater Community support for cross-national research projects on rheumatic/musculoskeletal diseases over the next seven years.
RELATED INFORMATION
FP7: first calls for proposals published
Initial proposals on the 7th FP
EP Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
Member states’ common position paper