The European Framework Programme - past, present and future

Since 1984 the European Commission has funded research and technology development under a series of Framework Programmes which cover a four- to five-year period and provide substantial opportunities for European collaboration for those subjects which fit current priorities. The mid-point of Framework V has just been reached and with it a proposal has been put forward by the Commission for the next Framework Programme to cover the period 2002-2006. This article provides a brief outline on the opportunities past, present and future, and concludes that perhaps many roboticists should lend their skills to the demands of managing CEC funded projects rather than to developing robots themselves, given that it would appear robots are no longer a priority research theme.