FP7 Specific Programme 'Cooperation'- Research Theme: 'Environment (including climate change)'

Programme or Service Acronym: FP7-ENVIRONMENT

Description Acronym: FP7-ENVIRONMENT

Programme Type: 7th FWP (Seventh Framework Programme)

Short Title: Research Theme: 'Environment'

Subject Index Codes: Policies; Coordination, Cooperation; Scientific Research

Objectives: In this theme determined for the Community action, the overarching aim is to:

- support research activities carried out in different forms of trans-national cooperation across the European Union and beyond, and to address environment issues(including climate change);
- advance knowledge on the interactions between the climate, the biosphere, ecosystems and human activities and to develop new technologies, tools and services that will ensure a more sustainable management of the environment and its resources.

Subdivisions of Programme: The following information was based on the official information available at the time of writing. Priorities and activities may change.
For the very latest information please consult the work programmes available with the appropriate call at:
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm


The main research activities of the 'Environment' Theme in the 'Cooperation' Specific Programme take due account of the dynamics of FP6 running activities to address and those areas which require urgent action.

- Climate change, pollution and risks

Climate change and natural hazards are of growing public concern and important political priorities of the European Union. Integrated research addressing the functioning of climate and the earth system is needed to determine the causes of changes in the past, to predict future evolution of climate change, ozone depletion and other environmental stress factors and to support the implementation of international commitments. This will provide the basis for the development of effective adaptation and mitigation strategies and measures to minimise climate change impacts.

The focus will be placed on analysing pressures on the environment and climate from natural and anthropogenic emissions, and improving current understanding of the complex climate system. Ocean acidification, possible changes of the thermohaline circulation deserve particular attention. Advanced climate change models from global to sub-regional scales permit the assessment of possible environmental changes, ecological and socio-economic impacts and critical thresholds. Observation, analysis and modelling should be used to assess climate induced changes to atmospheric composition, greenhouse gases and the water cycle, on soil, and the cryosphere. Impacts on ecosystems, feed-back mechanisms and abrupt changes as well as the occurrence of extreme events are also of prime interest.

Multidisciplinary research on interactions of environmental risk factors and human health is needed to support the 'Environment and Health Action Plan' and the integration of public health concerns and disease characterisation related to emerging environmental risks. Research will focus on multiple exposures via different routes, identification of pollution sources, pathways and possible preventive actions. Important is also the detection of new or emerging environmental stressors, their potential health effects, quantification and cost-benefit analysis of environmental health risks and indicators for prevention strategies.

In addition, research will contribute to environmental activities such as the European civil protection and research programmes related to crisis management for natural disasters. A robust and comprehensive framework using a multidisciplinary and integrated approach is being considered for this purpose, that enables, for individual hazards and for multi-hazards, the integration of the risk reduction chain.

- Sustainable management of resources

Research will improve the knowledge bases and develop advanced models and tools needed for the sustainable management of resources, conservation of biodiversity as well as for sustaining ecosystems services and creating consumption patterns that will reduce the environmental impact of resource use. This will enable the prediction of ecosystems dynamics and their restoration, the mitigation of degradation and loss of important compositional, structural and functional elements.

Soil research will take into account the recommendation from the stakeholder consultation on the 'Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection'. Research will also address sustainable management of forests and the urban environment, including planning and waste management. Further research is required to improve our understanding of human activities' impacts on the ocean and the seas, on the resources of the marine environment, including the pollution and eutrophication of regional seas and coastal areas. Research activities in aquatic environments, deep sea ecosystems and seabed will be carried out in order to observe, monitor and predict their behaviour, enhance current understanding of marine environments and facilitate the achievement by 2021 of a marine environment status consistent with the 'Strategy for the Marina Environment'.

- Environmental technologies

Environmental technologies for the 'Environment' Theme are those needed to reduce the environmental impact of human activities, to protect the environment, to manage resources efficiently. The strategic importance of environmental technologies has been highlighted in the Environmental Technology Action Plan launched by the Commission in 2004.

Priority in research will be given to innovative system solutions, which integrate front-end with end-of-pipe components within a coherent organisational (and institutional) framework, having the objective to decouple growth from resource depletion. Within the technological research activities, due consideration will be given to appropriate sustainability and 'Life Cycle' assessments, eco-innovation and eco-efficiency indicators, market potential and exploitation barrier studies.

- Earth observation and assessment tools

Earth observation, which has gained international importance through the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) initiative, intends to make the existing observing/monitoring systems more convergent at global level, as described in the Group on Earth Observation (GEO) 10 year implementation plan.

The nature of environmental research is such that Earth Observation data and activities are needed in most of the topics of the 'Environment' Theme and many of the environment topic supported through FP7 could be relevant to the Group on Earth Observation (GEO), Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) initiatives. Interoperability between observation systems, information management and data sharing, as well as optimisation of information for understanding, modelling and predicting environment phenomena will be addressed. A strong emphasis is put on the need to integrate the European Earth Observation related research activities into the global picture.

Programme Relationship(s)
Framework programme(s):	FP7
Umbrella programme(s):	FP7-COOPERATION
Previous programme(s):	FP6-SUSTDEV

Implementation:

The work programme is structured according to the four main activities of the 'Environment' Theme and will be implemented through:

- Collaborative projects;
- Networks of Excellence;
- Research for the benefit of specific groups.

Specific emphasis has been given to horizontal issues such as international cooperation, emerging needs and policy relevant research, dissemination actions and SME targeted topics. The Theme includes SME relevant research topics within the 'Environmental Technologies' activity that aim to attract industrial participants. The participation of International Cooperation Partner Countries (ICPC) is encouraged across all activities through Specific International Cooperation Actions (SICA). Importantly, attention will be given to communicating and disseminating research results to policy and regulatory authorities, as well as a wider public.

In addition to direct financial support to RTD actions' participants, the Community will improve their access to private sector finance by contributing to the 'Risk Sharing Finance Facility' (RSFF), which has been established by the European Investment Bank (EIB).

A network of 'National Contact Points' is instrumental for providing access to FP7 calls, and to lower the entry barrier for newcomers and raise the average quality of submitted proposals.

Remarks: Please visit the CORDIS site to check the latest calls for proposals and the official work programme under the FP7 'SIS' research theme http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm

URL: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/cooperation/environment_en.html

General Information:

Activities under the research theme 'Environment (including climate change)' will primarily address global environmental issues in an integrated way. Emphasis will be placed on the prediction of climate variability, as well as ecological, earth and ocean systems changes, and the development of tools and technologies for monitoring, preventing and mitigating environmental pressures and risks. Health risks and the conservation and recovery of the natural and man-made environment will be particularly important topics for research under this theme.

Natural resources and the man-made environment are under the intense pressures of a rapidly growing population and uncontrolled urbanisation. The continuous expansion of the agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries activities, as well as the increasing demands of transport, construction and energy sectors have resulted in degradation of the natural environment. On local, regional and global scales there is clear evidence of warming and changes in climate variability. A new sustainable relationship with the environment is needed while improving competitiveness and strengthening European industry.

EU-wide cooperation in this context is intended to deliver a critical mass, given the scale, scope and high level of complexity of environmental research. The aim is to facilitate common planning, the use of connected and inter-operable databases, and the development of coherent and large scale observation and forecasting systems. Research should address the needs for data management and information services and problems related to data transfer, integration and mapping.

Further research at EU level is also required to identify the best ways to implement the EU's international obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, the United Nations convention on biodiversity and on combating desertification, the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and to attain the objectives set forth in the World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002.

Additionally, existing and emerging EU level policies, the implementation of the 6th Environmental Action Plan and associated thematic strategies (e.g. the EU marine strategy), the action plans, programmes and directives on Environmental Technologies and Environment and Health, and Directives such as the Water Framework and NATURA 2000 require significant research efforts.

The European research capacities will be mobilised to contribute towards strengthening Europe's position in world market for environmental technologies. These technologies promote sustainable consumption and production, and help deliver sustainable growth by means of eco-efficient solutions to environmental problems of different scales, importantly, by protecting our cultural and natural heritage.

Environmental requirements act as a stimulus for innovation and can provide business opportunities and higher competitiveness, furthermore, they help ensure a more sustainable future for generations to come. Eropean research resources will be geared to support this process. The socio-economic aspects of policies and technological developments will also be considered in research activities supported under this theme, whenever they are relevant to the topic.


Please visit the CORDIS site to check the latest calls for proposals and the official work programme under the FP7 'Environment' research theme http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm


Please visit the CORDIS site (http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/find-doc_en.html) to download the following legal documents:
- DECISION No 1982/2006/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013).
- COUNCIL DECISION of 19 December 2006 concerning the Specific Programme 'Cooperation' implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013).

Number of Projects: 426 projects described in the CORDIS Projects database

Start Date: 2007-01-01

End Date: 2013-12-31

Duration: 84 months

Programme Status: Execution

Programme Funding: 1890

Contract Types: Networks of Excellence; Collaborative project (generic); Support actions; Large-scale integrating project; Small or medium-scale focused research project; Collaborative Project targeted to a special group (such as SMEs); Collaborative project for specific cooperation actions dedicated to international cooperation partner countries (SICA); Coordination (or networking) actions; Support actions; Research for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs); Coordination (or networking) actions; Large-scale integrating project for specific cooperation actions dedicated to international cooperation partner countries(SICA); Small/medium-scale focused research project for specific cooperation actions dedicated to international cooperation partner countries(SICA)

Commission Service: Research DG

Contact Persons

Name: KRISSAKOVA, Ingrid (Mrs) Commission Service: Slovak Organisation for Research and Development Activities (SOVVA) E-mail: Contact

Name: LEHTIMÄKI, Jaana (Ms.) Commission Service: Academy of Finland Telephone: +358-9-77488373 Fax: +358-9-77488395 E-mail: Contact

Name: FANGSTROM, Britta (Mrs) Commission Service: VINNOVA Telephone: +46-84-733136 E-mail: Contact

Name: ANTOSIEWICZ, Danuta Maria (Dr) Commission Service: The Institute of Fundamental Technological Research PAS Telephone: +48-22-828-7483 Fax: +48-22-828-5370 E-mail: Contact

Name: LEBORGNE, Camille (Ms.) Commission Service: BEA (Brussels Enterprise Agency) Telephone: +32-2-8000063 Fax: +32-2-4220043 E-mail: Contact

Name: DE BRABANDERE, Anne (Ms.) Commission Service: Agentschap voor Innovatie door Wetenschap en Technologie (IWT) Telephone: +32-2-4324237 Fax: +32-2-4324399 E-mail: Contact

Name: BEYELER, Judith (Ms) Commission Service: UWE (Union Wallonne des Entreprises) Telephone: +32-10-471961 E-mail: Contact

Name: DONLON, Brian (Dr) Commission Service: Environmental Protection Agency Telephone: +353-12680100 Fax: +353-12680199 E-mail: Contact

Name: STERIOTIS, Theodoros (Dr.) Commission Service: NATIONAL CENTRE FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH Telephone: +30-210-6503614 Fax: +30-210-6535294 E-mail: Contact

Name: KALUDEROVIC, Jadranka (Dr.) Commission Service: University of Donja Gorica Telephone: +382-69-449538 E-mail: Contact

Name: HAMMARBERG, Tove (Ms.) Commission Service: Naturvårdsverket Telephone: +46-86-981000 E-mail: Contact

Name: WOLSKA, Krystyna Jolanta (Dr) Commission Service: The Institute of Fundamental Technological Research PAS Telephone: +48-22-828-7483 Fax: +48-22-828-5370 E-mail: Contact

Name: VLAEMINCK, Kristof (Mr.) Commission Service: STIS (Scientific and Technical Information Service) Telephone: +32-2-2383742 Fax: +32-2-2305912 E-mail: Contact

Name: GLYNN, Carole (Mrs.) Commission Service: FRENZ - Facilitating Research Co-operation between Europe and New Zealand Telephone: +64-73-437123 E-mail: Contact

Name: ELSADR, Zeinab (Ms.) Commission Service: Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Telephone: +20-2-27927368 Fax: +20-2-27927382 E-mail: Contact

Name: SHMAKIN, Andrey (Dr.) Commission Service: Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences Telephone: +7-495-1290474 Fax: +7-495-9590033 E-mail: Contact

Legislative Reference: 2006/971/EC

Legislative Date: 2006-12-19

Official Journal Reference: L 54/54

Official Journal Date: 2006-12-30

RCN: 855
Update Date: 2013-06-19

CORDIS RTD-PROGRAMMES / © European Communities.