Commission publishes proposal for simplified rules for participation in FP7
The European Commission has published a proposal on the rules for participation in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) for research, laying out the contractual aspects of the programme. The Commission intends to simplify FP7 in comparison to its predecessor FP6, and claims that this proposal 'provides the vehicle for implementing many aspects of that simplification'. The rules also build upon new principles established in FP6. In line with its simplification drive, the Commission has adapted provisions relating to intellectual property, which should make it easer for participants to establish a consortium agreement and adapt it as necessary. Three forms of grant will be available under FP7: reimbursement of eligible costs, lump sums, and flat-rate financing. At the start of FP7, reimbursement of eligible costs will be used most frequently, but the other grant forms will be introduced gradually, and used more extensively later on if successful. The actual Community funding will cover a maximum of 50 per cent of eligible costs, minus receipts for research and demonstration activities. A top up of up to 25 per cent for research activities will be available for some organisations, namely: small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), public bodies, secondary and higher education establishments and non-profit research organisations. Frontier research actions - those funded by the proposed European Research Council (ERC) - will be 100 per cent reimbursed. All other activities, including coordination and support actions, and actions for the training and career development of researchers, will be reimbursed at up to 100 per cent. Another area in which the Commission has sought to ease the administrative burden on participants is that of audit certificates. The number of required audit certificates per grant agreement and participant will be reduced, and reports and reporting periods rationalised. The main changes to the rules on dissemination, use and access rights are the removal of most obligations requiring participants to finalise conditions prior to their accession to the Commission contract, and the removal of most obligations compelling participants to request prior approval from the Commission for publication, transfer of ownership and provision of access rights to third parties. According to the Commission, these changes should allow more flexibility to participants as their projects progress. The Commission promises additional efforts to ensure that information is as clear and accessible as possible. The number and size of documents will also be reduced, and variations in the presentation of the same information in different documents will be avoided.