In the year 2000, the European Commission (EC) proposed the creation of a European Research Area, with the aim of creating a general framework for research in Europe which would enable the Lisbon Strategy objective of making the European knowledge-based economy the most advanced in the world by 2010 to be attained. This European Research Area anticipates the creation of an “internal market” in research, the restructuring of the European research fabric and the convergence of research and innovation policies at a countrywide level and a European Community level. In order to attain this objective, the Heads of State and Heads of Government of the European Union agreed at the Barcelona European Council (2002) to increase expenditure on research and development to 3% by 2010.

The main instrument put in place to attain these objectives has been the 6th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (2002-2006). FP6 is based around three priority areas: focusing and integrating research on a European Community level, structuring the European Research Area and strengthening the foundations of the European Research Area. Its main mission is to create a real European scientific community equipped with the highest level of knowledge and skills, and to provide support to the highest quality scientific and technical work carried out as part of transnational projects that make the most of the mobility of researchers.

FP7 (2007-2013) continues to develop the targets attained by the previous FP and aims to make further progress towards the objective of creating a real European Research Area in order to develop the European knowledge-based society and economy.

Catalonia is making an active contribution to the European Research Area with the joint position of the Ministries of the Government of Catalonia in the European Commission's open consultation process with the aim of drawing up the Green Paper on the European Research Area: New Perspectives, which the EC intends to publish in 2008, by providing support to the scientific community in Catalonia for the presentation of projects through the European and International Projects Service (SPEI) and by providing a boost to institutional participation in European projects, mainly through the following programmes: “ERA-NET”, “Regions of Knowledge” and the Researchers’ Night.