Sir

We have examined the performance of the countries included in the recently completed fourth Framework programme of research and technology in the European Union (EU). We found that this programme cost about 3% of total research and development (R&D) expenditure within the EU, but exceeded 6% of the national expenditure of countries that devote a small share (less than 1%) of their gross domestic product (GDP) to R&D (Greece, Portugal and Spain).

Austria, Italy, France and Germany were net donors of funds, particularly Germany, whose scientists received only 18% of the funds for their country's 30% contribution to the budget (Fig. 1). Most other countries were net recipients of funds, with excess funds received by the United Kingdom and Greece representing 30% and 140% of their contributions, respectively.

Figure 1: Relationship between contributions and receipts of EU member states participating in the fourth Framework programme (FP).
figure 1

Participants: Austria (AT), Belgium (BE), Germany (DE), Denmark (DK), Spain (ES), Finland (FI), France (FR), Greece (GR), Ireland (IE), Italy (IT), The Netherlands (NL), Portugal (PT), Sweden (SE), and United Kingdom (UK). Data derived from information on funding decisions by the programme's committees. Data are not available for Luxembourg and non-member participants.

The success rate for grant applications was similar among all countries at 27% of the proposals filed, except for the remarkable 39% success rate of UK scientists. Hence the roles of the member states as net donors or recipients of funds largely depended on the involvement of their scientists in the programme. This varied, in per capita terms, 10-fold between Germany, where scientists filed the fewest proposals, and Greece.

Proposals to the Framework programme require the coordination of multinational research groups and the preparation of thorough management plans, which often outweigh the scientific or technical merits of the proposal in the evaluation process. These difficulties deter researchers who can obtain funds from less complex sources. The resources provided by the programme are far more attractive to scientists from countries where R&D resources are scarrce (Greece, Portugal and Spain) than to those in countries where R&D investment is compparatively abundant (for example, Germany and France).

The substantial economic benefits the R&D systems of the EU countries with the lowest per capita GDP obtained from their participation in the programme should be of general benefit to the EU. The development of a stronger R&D capacity in countrries where this sector has been relatively weak should deliver tangible mid-term benefits to the entire partnership at a time when countries' economies are linked through a common currency.

The fifth Framework programme (1999-2004) will improve the EU's R&D capacity further iif the application procedure is simplified and the member states allocate more resources to assist scientists, thereby achieving greater participation and overall quality.