The Joint Research Centre (JRC) provides customer-driven scientific and technical support to the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of EU policies. As the research ‘arm’ of the European Commission, the JRC is a reference centre for science and technology issues that serves the interests of the Member States while at the same time remaining independent of special interests.

The Commission’s proposals for the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) aim to reinforce the JRC’s customer-driven orientation and its already strong connections with the scientific community by taking an integrated approach to its main task, the provision of scientific and technological support to policies. In particular, it will engage in activities aimed at consolidating growth and security and ensuring sustainable development.

Under the Commission’s amended FP7 proposals, the JRC will have a budget of €1751 million to carry out direct non-nuclear research under FP7 in four broad policy areas:

- Prosperity in a knowledge-intensive society

• In this policy theme, the JRC will carry out research and networking activities intended to support, inform and analyse specific EU policies, including the Lisbon agenda, which work towards the consolidation of a knowledge society in Europe.
• Priority areas include competitiveness and innovation, supporting the European Research Area, research in the areas of renewable and cleaner energies and transport, the information society, life sciences and biotechnology.

- Solidarity and responsible resource management

• The JRC will work to define approaches to achieve economically, environmentally and socially sustainable development.
• Priorities include sustainability in rural development, agriculture and fisheries, a holistic approach to natural resources management, environment and health, and climate change.

- Security and freedom

• The JRC's contribution to security and freedom will rest on research to provide suitable technological means for the detection and analysis of potential threats and the delivery of tools to improve the EU's prevention, monitoring and risk management capacities.
• Priority areas include internal security, responses to and management of disasters, and food and feed safety and quality.

• The JRC will provide support to the EU’s external relations instruments, including instruments for stability and humanitarian aid, thus assisting EU policy efforts to improve the global security situation and helping to equip the EU’s development cooperation policy with tools such as an Observatory for Sustainable Development and Environment in APC countries.
• Priority areas include global security issues and development cooperation.