The report was presented in Brussels by the Chair of the Group, Louise O. Fresco, President of the Executive Board of Wageningen University and Research Centres, accompanied by the Group's Rapporteur, André Martinuzzi, Head of the Institute for Managing Sustainability, Vienna University of Economics and Business.

Welcoming the report, Commissioner Moedas said: "Rigorous evaluation is essential in assessing how European investment in research and innovation is contributing to economic growth and job creation, as well as to our efforts to tackle major societal challenges. This report of the High Level Expert Group provides exactly that kind of detailed analysis. I would therefore like to thank Mrs. Fresco, Mr Martinuzzi and the other members of the Group for their excellent work. Their report provides an essential insight into how FP7 has performed. The Commission will publish its response to the Group’s report early in 2016."

The High Level Group looked at the achievements and impacts of the full range of actions financed by FP7 between 2007 and 2013. While the central focus of the report is on evaluating FP7, it also contains recommendations that were integrated into the current Horizon 2020 programme and will serve as a bridge to the mid-term evaluation of Horizon 2020 which is due by the end of 2017. The Commission has already applied many of these recommendations, and is pursuing them further, as seen for example in the continued strong focus of Horizon 2020 on tackling societal challenges and increasing the participation of industry and SMEs in particular.

In line with its firm commitment to transparency, the Commission is today making the HLEG report public. It will formally communicate the conclusions of this report, accompanied by the Commission's observations, to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions in the form of a dedicated Communication foreseen for January 2016.

Background

FP7 ran from 2007 to 2013, had a budget of €55 billion and was structured around four Specific Programmes supporting transnational collaborative research, investigator-driven research, career development of individual researchers, as well as training and mobility, and enhancement of research capacities in Europe.

Following proposals from Member States and other stakeholders in research and innovation, the Commission appointed the members of the High Level Expert Group in September 2014 on the basis of their expertise and experience in the areas of science and technology covered by FP7.

For more information:

• HLEG Report website

Press contacts:

• EC Spokesperson for Research, Science and Innovation

Source: DG Research and Innovation / News