Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council – Interim evaluation of the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP)

By Decision No 912/2009/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 16 September 2009 the EU agreed to participate in a joint research programme called the Eureopean Metrology Research Programme (EMRP), with a contribution of up to €200 million for the period 2009-2017, equivalent to the contributions of the 22 Participating States.

The above mentioned Decision (the "EMRP Decision") is based on Article 185 TFEU (previous Article 169 EC Treaty) which, in implementing the Multiannual Framework Programme, makes it possible to coordinate national research programmes, through a voluntary integration process between the Participating States, covering scientific, management and financial integration.

The joint implementation of the national research programmes requires the establishment or existence of a dedicated implementation structure. The participating States had agreed to propose EURAMET e.V. as dedicated implementation structure to implement the EMRP. The dedicated implementation structure should be the recipient of the Union financial contribution and should ensure the efficient execution of the EMRP.

In the EMRP Decision the Parliament and the Council recalled that metrology is a cross-disciplinary scientific field which is a vital component of a modern knowledge-based society. Reliable and comparable measurement standards, and appropriate validated measuring and test methods underpin the processes of scientific advancement and technological innovation and thus have a significant impact on the economy and quality of life within Europe.

The EMRP Decision requires an interim evaluation of the EMRP carried out by the Commission with the help of independent experts three years after the start of the EMRP. This evaluation shall cover progress towards the objectives as well as recommendations concerning the EMRP on the most appropriate ways to further enhance integration and the quality and efficiency of the implementation, including scientific, management and financial integration and whether the level of the financial contributions of the participating States is appropriate, given the potential demand from their various national research communities.

An expert panel supported the Commission in this evaluation with its findings and issued an interim evaluation report which provides an in-depth analysis of EMRP concerning the progress towards the initial objectives as well as recommendations on the most appropriate ways to further enhance integration and the quality and efficiency of this initiative.

The present Report provides the Commission's views on the main recommendations expressed by the experts in the interim evaluation report.

EUR-Lex: COM(2012)174: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2012:174:FIN

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