Prospects of water research in the 6th Framework Programme

1. Prospects of water research in the 6th Framework Programme Panagiotis Balabanis DG Research - Directorate I Water Cycle and Soil-related aspects panagiotis.balabanis@cec.eu.int

2. FP6: A changing role for EU Research Programmes • Objective “Lisbon”:to become the most dynamic and most competitive knowledge-based economy within 10 years • Objective “Göteborg”:sustainable development (environment, health, economy, employment) • European Research Area (ERA):…Integrating, reinforcing, structuring… and stimulating investment in R&D (1,9%3,0%)

3. Enlargement • EU • Candidate countries: • Bulgaria • Cyprus • Estonia • Hungary • Latvia • Lithuania • Malta • Poland • Czech Republic • Romania • Slovenia • Slovakia • Turkey

4. Sixth Framework Programme (EC)

5. FP6: Eight Priorities to integrate RTD activities • genomics and biotechology for health 2255 • information society technologies 3625 • nanotechnology, materials, production 1300 • aeronautics and space 1075 • food safety and health risks 685 • sustainable development & global change 2120 • citizens and governance 225 • wider field of research (INCO, CRAFT, ...) 1300

6. Within the 6th Framework Programme International Research in Water can be funded both within the 6FP Thematic Priorities as well as the International Co-operation (INCO) Global Budget allocated to International Research Co-operation Thematic Priorities 285 mi EURO INCO 315 mi EURO Additional resources will be available through ‘Human resources and mobility’ to fund research training for third-country researchers in Europe. International Co-operation within the 6th Framework Programme

7. Participation of 3rd Countries Dedicated International Co-operation activities for specific groups of countries and regions Budget: 315 M Euro Objective: Mutual Aid Support via RTD Actions for implementation of EU foreign and development aid policies Developing countries: health, food security, rational exploitation of resources Mediterranean: environment, health, water, cultural heritage protection Western Balkans: Environment, Energy, health Russia & other NIS: Stabilisation of RTD potential, changing industrial production systems; environment and health protection, safety

8. SMEs • General activities • At least 15% of the total budget allocated to SMEs • Taking into consideration specific regional economic and social situations • Support for technological needs of SMEs • Specific activities • ‘Co-operative research’: carried out by research centres for SMEs or by high-tech SMEs in collaboration with research centres and universities • ‘Collective research’: carried out by research centres for industrial associations or industry groupings in entire sectors of industry dominated by SMEs

9. Strengthening the foundations of ERA Coordination of research activities (programmes) at national level ERA-NET at international level 270 M€ Coherent development of Research and Innovation policies 50 M€

10. Sustainable Development Social Economy Environment Cultural Political Pillars of Sustainable Development

11. Priority 6 Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems • Sustainable energy systems (810MEuro): clean energy, energy savings, alternative motor fuels, fuel cells, energy carriers/transport/storage • Sustainable surface transport (610MEuro): environmentally friendly transport, interoperability, safety • Global change and ecosystems (700MEuro): greenhouse gas emissions, water cycle, biodiversity and ecosystems, natural disasters, land management, climate observation, complementary research, cross-cutting issues

12. Global Change and Ecosystems Research needs • advance knowledge on the impact of greenhouse emissions and atmospheric pollutants on the ecosystem, including the water cycle and biological diversity • tools for EU Sustainable Development impact assessment of policies • define science-based thresholds of sustainability • application of new methodologies to sustainable management of land use - important for agriculture, forest and coastal management

13. Expressions of Interest • more than 11 700 submitted overall • more than 2 800 for Priority 6 • more than 1 400 for Global Change and Ecosystems • 15-20 % are mature • IP/NoE ratio: 65%/35%

14. Expressions of Interest • few SMEs and industry participating • mostly academic and RTD institutions • little international co-operation • helpful in drafting the work programme • has created larger consortia • analysis published at CORDIS

15. Global Change and Ecosystems I. Impact and mechanisms of greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric pollutants on climate, ozone depletion and carbon sinks II. Water cycle, including soil-related aspects III. Biodiversity and ecosystems IV. Mechanisms of desertification and natural disasters V. Strategies for sustainable land management, including coastal zones, agricultural land and forests VI. Operational forecasting and modelling including global climatic change observation systems VII. Complementary research VIII. Cross-cutting issue: Sustainable Development concepts and tools

16. Water Cycle, including Soil-related aspects • Understand the mechanisms and assess the impact of global change and in particular climate change on the water cycle, water quality and availability, as well as soil functions and quality • Provide bases for management tools for water systems to mitigate the impacts.

17. Work programme structure

18. Call of proposals • 1st call published: 17 December 2002 • Deadline for proposals: 8 April 2003 • One-stage evaluation in the 1st call • 2nd call expected on July 2003 • Two-stage evaluation foreseen in the 2nd call • Expected deadline for outline proposals: October 2003 • Full revision in 2004

19. GLOBAL CHANGE AND ECOSYSTEMS Water cycle, including soil-related aspects FIRST CALL: Improved modelling of climate-water interactions at catchment-regional scale (New) Development of a European (Virtual) Centre for Flood and Drought Studies (New) Assessment of ecological impacts of global change on freshwater bodies, development of ecological indicators of ecosystem health and related remediation strategies (New) River-soil-groundwater system functioning (New) Twinning European/third countries river basins(Trad.) Technologies for monitoring and mitigating the impact of water scarcity (Trad.)

20. 2nd Call – Indicative topics forIPs or NoEs • Methodologies of integrated water resource management and transboundary issues • New approaches to water stress • Water scenarios for Europe and for neighbouring countries

21. 2nd Call – Indicative topics for STREPs or CAs • Soil-groundwater protection and rehabilitation • Wastewater treatment and re-use.

22. Methodologies of Integrated Water Resource Management and Transboundary issues • Build on the integration of research activities in European river basins and in different parts of the world • Emphasis on transboundary river basins/catchments • Create a "world-wide platform" integrating physical, engineering, ecological and socio-economic sciences, and gender issues • Development and exchange of experiences as well as transfer of validated methodologies

23. Methodologies of Integrated Water Resource Management and Transboundary issues • Integrated sensitivity and uncertainty analysis in modelling • Scale issues and spatiotemporal variability • Optimisation of catchment functioning across various economic sectors • Managing risks in the light of increasing unceratinties • Governance issues

24. Priority “8”: research in support to policy (STREPs) • Environmental quality assessment • Horizontal quality standards for soil, sludge and wastes (1.5 M€) • WFD: Relationships between the chemical and the ecological quality (3-4 M€) • WFD: Intercalibration of quality assessment methodologies (4-5 M€)

25. Instruments to be used • Integrated Projects (IP) - New! • Networks of Excellence (NE) - New! • Specific Targeted Research Projects (STREP) • Co-ordination actions (CA) • Specific support actions (SSA)

26. Integrated Projects Clear and Quantified Deliverables and Integration... Objectives Real breakthroughs, Support to Industry, Sustain. Development … across ScientificAreas Climate change, carbon sinks, ozone depletion, water cycle, ecosystems … across Activities from basic research Support to SMEs Technology transfer to dissemination and training… 50% EC Funds … among participants and funding bodies governments, contractors, industry, universities, research institutes, etc.

27. Networks of Excellence Objectives To assemble EU Research Capacities and strengthen S & T Excellence Advancing Knowledge and Integration ... … to strengthen EU poles of excellence global change, water management, biodiversity, natural disasters Joint Program of Activities (JPA) Coordination of partner’sactivities, sharing platforms and facilities,staff mobility 100% EC Funds for Integration of resources Participants Wishing a Progressive and Lasting Integration of Research Capacities

28. Other Instruments • Specific Support Actions (SSA) - preparing future research activities, future scenarios, road-maps • Co-ordination Actions (CA) - strengthen links between national, regional & EC RTD projects, co-ordination with EUREKA, COST & ESF • Specific Targeted Research Projects (STREP)

29. Evaluation issues...Integrated Projects • Relevance to call 3/5 • Potential impact 3/5 • S & T excellence 4/5 • Quality of the consortium 3/5 • Quality of the management 3/5 • Mobilisation of the resources 3/5 24/30 Common for all priorities

30. Recommendations to IP proposers • Flagship project with ambitious & consolidated action plans (as well as contingency plans) • Pragmatic and coherent management/framework (e.g. board of management, permanent secretariat) • Combined financial resources such as venture capital, EIB funds, national funding, etc. in addition to the EC funds • Inclusion of supporting modules/elements, e.g. training, SMEs, INCO, IPR set-up, ethics, etc.

31. Evaluation issues...Networks of Excellence • Relevance to call 3/5 • Potential impact 3/5 • Excellence of the participants 3/5 • Degree of integration & the J P A 4/5 • Organisation and management 3/5 20/25 Common for all priorities

32. Recommendations to NoE proposers • Overall, proposal should correspond with a strong commitment of proposers for a lasting integration of capacities • Ambitious & consolidated action plans (as well as contingency plans) • Pragmatic and coherent management framework(e.g. board of management, permanent secretariat), supported by the partners’ top managers • Inclusion of supporting modules/elements, e.g. training, SME’s, INCO, ethics, gender equality.

33. Information • To build on current EU Research: www.cordis.lu • Information on FP6: europa.eu.int/comm/research/nfp.html • FP6 Instruments: europa.eu.int/comm/research/nfp/networks-ip.html • Expressions of Interest: www.cordis.lu/fp6/eoi-instruments • Evaluators: www.cordis.lu/experts/fp6_candidature.htm