Transport Research Knowledge Centre- Country Overviews

Country Overviews

EU PROGRAMMES

Introduction
European Commission Directorates-General
Other Sponsors of International Transport Research in Europe

See Programmes

Introduction

Part of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) is devoted to responding to the challenges of making transport more sustainable. Over the course of seven years (2007-2013), it will use EUR 4.16 billion to develop safer, greener and smarter pan-European transport systems that will benefit all citizens, respect the environment, and increase the competitiveness of European industries in the global market.

The two major relevant programme lines within FP7 are:

Aeronautics and Air Transport (AAT) which focuses on reduction of emissions, work on engines and alternative fuels, air traffic management, safety aspects of air transport, and environmentally-efficient aviation.
Sustainable Surface Transport (SST), including rail, road and waterborne, with a focus on the development of clean and efficient engines and power trains, reducing the impact of transport on climate change, intermodal regional and national transport, clean and safe vehicles and infrastructure construction, maintenance, and integrative architectures.

There are additional relevant programme lines dealing with transport (TPT), security (SEC) and information technologies (ICT).

The 'transport' theme covers all four modes of transport with the following sub-priorities:

1. Aeronautics and air transport

The 'greening' of air transport
Increasing time efficiency
Customer satisfaction and safety
Improving cost efficiency
Protection of aircraft and passengers
Air transport of the future

2. Road transport

Creating 'greener' road transport
Encouraging modal shift and decongesting transport corridors
Ensuring sustainable urban mobility
Improving safety and security
Strengthening competitiveness

3. Rail transport

Interoperability
Intelligent mobility
Safety and security
Environment
Innovative materials and production methods

4. Waterborne transport

Safe, sustainable and efficient waterborne operations
A competitive European maritime industry
Managing and facilitating growth and changing trade patterns

5. Multimodal transport

Research undertaken under FP7 also seeks more efficient use and greater integration of all four modes by funding research into multimodal transport.

In addition, transport research under FP7 is providing support to the European global satellite navigation system Galileo and the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS).

The Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) was the European Commission’s main instrument for achieving its priorities for research and development in the 2002-2006 period. It covered a wide range of themes, including several which were related to transport, and aimed to support the development and implementation of the European Union’s policies, as well as integrate and strengthen the European Research Area (ERA). It followed on from FP5, which ran from 1998 to 2002, and FP4 (1994 to 1998).

Transport-related research at EU level is mainly funded and commissioned by four Directorates-General of the European Commission, the Directorates-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), for Research (DG RTD), for Environment (DG ENV) and for Information Society (DG INFSO). However, not all research under the Framework Programmes is fully funded by the European Commission. In many cases considerable industrial and private co-funding is required.

European Commission Directorates-General

FP6 – INTEGRATING (Specific research and demonstration programme aimed at integrating and strengthening the European Research Area)

Main sub-programmes, or priority thematic areas (PTA), related to the Transport Research Knowledge Centre are “Information Society Technologies” (PTA 2), “Aeronautics and Space” (PTA 4), and “Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems” (PTA 6).
www.cordis.europa.eu/fp6/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.FP6HomePage

FP5 GROWTH – Promoting Competitive and Sustainable Growth

Subdivided into four major Key Actions: “Innovative products, processes and organisation” (KA1), “Sustainable mobility and intermodality” (KA 2), “Land transport and marine technologies” (KA 3) and “New perspectives for aeronautics” (KA 4).
www.cordis.lu/growth

FP5 EESD – Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development

Subdivided into two relevant Key Actions: “The city of tomorrow and cultural heritage” (KA 4) and “Economic and efficient energy for a competitive Europe” (KA6).
www.cordis.eu/eesd

FP5 IST – Creating a User-friendly Information Society

The only transport related Key Action is “Systems and services for the citizen” (KA 1).
www.cordis.eu/ist/ist-fp5.html

FP4 Transport RTD Programme

www.cordis.eu/transport

FP4 Telematics Applications Programme

www.cordis.eu/telematics

COST Transport

A European framework for the coordination of nationally funded research.
www.cordis.europa.eu/cost-transport/home.html

MARCO POLO (2003-2013)

An intermodality programme, intending to help the transport and logistics industry to achieve sustained modal shifts of road freight to short sea shipping, rail and inland waterways. The current Marco Polo II programme runs from 2007 to 2013 and includes “motorways of the sea” and traffic avoidance measures. The programme has also been extended to countries bordering the EU.
www.ec.europa.eu/transport/marcopolo/home/home_en.htm

Interreg IV

A programme initiative by the European Community to stimulate transnational cooperation in the EU between 2007 and 2013.
www.ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/themes/transport/index_en.htm

MAP – TEN-T Multi-annual Programme (2007-2013) and MIP – Multi-annual Indicative Programme (2001-2006)

A funding mechanism to grant EC aid to projects of common European interest related to the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T). In this context, the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-T EA) was created in 2006 to implement and manage the TEN-T programme on behalf of the European Commission
www.ec.europa.eu/transport/infrastructure/index_en.htm