Calls have been launched across almost all thematic priority areas. Over € 600 million will be allocated to research in health, ICT developments supporting the European Digital Agenda framework will receive € 1.2 million. € 800 million will be spent to support SMEs – the backbone of the European economy. There are new areas launched for nanotechnologies and environmental research.

ICT, being one of the dominating thematic priorities for WBC participation, makes up for 13.4 % of all WBC project participations. Other thematic priorities comprise the areas of Food, Agriculture, Fisheries, Biotechnology (FAFB) and Nano-Sciences, Nano-Technologies, Materials and New Production Technologies (NMP).

In the framework of Work Package 2 of the WBC-INCO.NET project, a priority setting process took place with the main goal to identify joint RTD priorities and potentials for the region of the Western Balkan countries. Researchers from the WBCs have full access to all open calls. All countries from the region and associated to FP7 are equal to EU Member States in the process.

Researchers and research institutions from the WBCs should pay specific attention to two specialised schemes:

1. Unlocking and developing the research potential of research entities established in the EU’s convergence regions and outermost regions – FP7-REGPOT-2011-1.  This action aims at strengthening the potential of research entities established in the convergence and outermost regions of the European Union that need to increase their knowledge and further enhance their potential concerning infrastructure and human resources and to ensure sustainability via networking and cooperation.

2. The ERC Starting Independent Researcher Grants (ERC Starting Grants) – ERC-2011-StG will boost the independent careers of excellent researchers by providing adequate support at a critical stage, meaning when they are about to start or consolidate their own independent research team or programme.

In conclusion, it is noticed that no dedicated calls are launched for countries from the WBC region. Even though FP7 guarantees equal access, so far the research potential of the WBCs cannot be benchmarked with that of bigger EU players. This call package is the biggest ever covering a variety of research disciplines. But will it improve the scientific boundaries of less developed Associated Countries? Excellence is sometimes the “sole” criterion, but is it possible to reach excellence in the periphery equal to countries in the center?