18 EU research and development programmes
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| (a)
(35202)
12437/13
+ ADDs 1-2
COM(13) 505
(b)
(35204)
12355/13
+ ADDs 1-7
COM(13) 496
(c)
(35210)
12375/13
+ ADDs 1-2
COM(13) 501
(d)
(35211)
12378/13
+ ADDs 1-2
COM(13) 506
(e)
(35209)
12372/13
+ ADDs 1-2
COM(13) 497
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Draft Council Regulation on the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking
Draft Council Regulation on the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking
Draft Council Regulation on the ECSEL Joint Undertaking
Draft Council Regulation on the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking
Draft Decision on the participation of the Union in a European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research Policy undertaken jointly by several Member States
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| Legal base | (a)-(d) Articles 187 and 188 TFEU; consultation; QMV
(e) Articles 185 and 188 TFEU; co-decision; QMV
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| Documents originated | 10 July 2013
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| Documents deposited | 19 July 2013
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| Department | Business, Innovation and Skills
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| Basis of consideration | (a) EM of 1 August 2013
(b) and (e) EMs of 29 July 2013
(c) EM of 31 July 2013
(d) EM of 7 August 2013
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| Previous Committee Report | None, but see footnotes
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| Discussion in Council | No date set
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Cleared
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Background
18.1 The EU has a broad competence to act in the field of research
and technological development, and its objectives have been set
periodically in multiannual Framework Programmes, which have provided
the main funding instrument. The Seventh Framework Programme
will expire at the end of 2013, and negotiations are drawing to
a conclusion on a successor programme (Horizon 2020) which will
establish the legal framework and budget for EU expenditure in
this area for the period 2014-20, based on three priority areas
— excellence in science, industrial leadership, and societal
challenges — which are intended to complement and support
the jobs and growth objectives set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy.
18.2 EU support can take a number of different forms,
including in particular participation in collaborative R&D
programmes undertaken by several Member States (Article 185 TFEU)
or joint undertakings (Article 187 TFEU), and, elsewhere in this
Report, we draw attention to a Commission Communication[64]
which sets out the role of public-private partnerships (and other
related arrangements), and how the lessons learned from their
operation under the Seventh Framework Programme might be applied
under Horizon 2020. In that Communication, we also note that the
Commission recently put forward a number of proposals for new,
or extended, collaborative programmes or joint undertakings, and,
in our Report of 4 September, we drew attention to a number of
these, dealing with Eurostars, Active and Assisted Living, Clinical
Trials and Innovative Medicines.[65]
The proposals for the remaining programmes are discussed below.
Documents (a) to (d) — Draft Regulations
establishing Joint Undertakings
18.3 Document (a) concerns continued participation
in the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking, which was first established
in 2007 as a partnership between the Commission and the aeronautics
industry in order to enhance the competitiveness of the European
industry, and to improve its environmental performance in the
light of the EU's commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
The Commission says that the programme has been successful in
stimulating developments, and this proposal for a Clear Sky 2
Regulation seeks to build upon that success by integrating, demonstrating
and validating technologies capable of increasing aircraft fuel
efficiency, thus further reducing emissions of carbon dioxide
from the sector, in line with the aims set out in the March 2011
Transport White Paper.[66]
In order to achieve this, it is proposed that EU funding of €1.8
billion should be made available from the Horizon 2020 budget.
18.4 Document (b) would establish for the first time
a Joint Undertaking on Bio-based Industries, in order to support
research, development and innovation related to renewable biological
resources which can be used for the production of bio-based materials,
and so support the establishment of sustainable bio-based value
chains. Its founding members will be the Commission and the Bio-based
Industries Consortium, but any legal entity, directly or indirectly
supporting research and innovation in a Member State, or country
associated with the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, may apply
to become a member. The maximum EU financial contribution from
Horizon 2020 will be €1 billion, whilst the contribution
from other members of the Joint Undertaking will be at least €2.8
billion.
18.5 Document (c) concerns a proposed Joint Undertaking
on Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership (ECSEL),
and will undertake and support EU level research, development
and innovation activities in the area of micro/nano-electronics,
embedded and smart systems. It will build upon and combine the
work of two previous such Undertakings — ARTEMIS (on embedded
systems) and ENIAC (on nano-electronics) — and additionally
support work identified by the European Technology Platform on
smart system integration. In particular, it will involve Member
States as well as the private sector, and it is envisaged that
the total funding of €4.8 billion will include €1.2
billion from the EU, €2 billion from participating Member
States and €2.4 billion from private investors.
18.6 Document (d) relates to the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen
Joint Undertaking, which was established in 2008, in order to
further develop the market potential of a technology seen as offering
considerable potential for reducing carbon emissions from power
generation and transport. In order to achieve this, funding of
€470 million was allocated from the budget for the Seventh
Framework Programme, with a similar amount having been leveraged
from the private sector. The Commission considers that some form
of intervention is still needed in this area to address energy,
transport and climate change challenges, whilst also stimulating
the development of a globally competitive fuel cells and hydrogen
sector within the EU, and it is proposing that a further €700
million should be made available from the Horizon 2020 budget
Document (e) — Draft Decision providing
for a collaborative R&D programme
18.7 This draft Decision establishes EU participation
in collaborative research on a European Metrology Programme for
Innovation and Research which would build upon the success of
the system created through the current European Metrology Programme,
and increase the number of participating Member States from 22
to 27. The Commission comments that reliable, traceable measurement
is essential to almost all aspects of life, in that it underpins
trade and regulation, is vital to enabling the understanding of
scientific research, and is necessary both to demonstrate advances
in manufacturing technology and to open up new areas of innovation.
The aim of the Programme will be to provide metrology solutions
and measurement technologies which support innovation and industrial
competitiveness, and help to tackle societal challenges (such
as health, environment and energy), including supporting policy
development and innovation. The Commission envisage a total value
for the Programme of €600 million, with an EU contribution
of €300 million and a matching contribution from participating
Member States.
The Government's view
18.8 We have received Explanatory Memoranda on documents
(a)-(c) and (e) from the Minister for Universities and Science
(Mr David Willetts) and on document (d) from the Minister of State
at the Department for Energy and Climate Change (Michael Fallon).
They say that public-private partnerships in the forms of JTIs
have the potential to make an important contribution to the objectives
of Horizon 2020, whilst stressing that the Government's position
on the negotiation on the Multiannual Financial Framework for
2014-20 is that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.
18.9 Subject to that caveat, they comment:
- that the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking
has been very successful, with UK companies having benefited from
the research and demonstration in which they have been involved;
- that industrial biotechnology is an area of increasing
interest to the UK, and that the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking
is to be welcomed in that it will encourage greater cooperation
and coordination of bio-based industries across the EU and facilitate
new business models which do not currently exist;
- that previous analysis of key enabling technologies
has highlighted the importance of helping business cross the first
part of the gap between successful research and development projects
and their commercialisation, and that the merging of the previous
ARTEMIS and ENIAC programmes into the ECSEL Joint Undertaking
has the potential to mobilise the necessary resources and produce
administrative savings (although the Government will need to consider
whether public funding will benefit UK stakeholders);
- that, despite the significant technical progress
made so far, fuel cells and hydrogen energy technologies are not
yet commercial, but are set to achieve a breakthrough in the period
2015-25, and will need continuing support which the current proposal
will provide by prolonging the existing arrangements with some
modifications; and
- that metrology is a significant contributor to
innovation across a wide range of sectors, with the UK having
been second only to Germany in its level of participation to what
is regarded as a well-managed programme which has achieved a high
level of integration of national programmes.
Conclusion
18.10 These proposals provide a useful initial
indication of how these elements of the Horizon 2020 Programme
will be implemented, and the scale of the financial contribution
which the EU proposes to make. We note that all of the proposals
are supported by the Government, and, although we think it right
to draw them to the attention of the House, we are content to
clear them.
64 (35200) 12344/13: see Chapter 17 Back
65
(35196) 12336/13, (35201) 12367/13, (35205) 12369/13 and (35206)
12370/13: see HC 83-xiii (2013-14), Chapter 34 (4 September 2013). Back
66
(32639) 8333/11: see HC 428-xxvi (2010-12), chapter 3 (11 May
2011). Back
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