AbstractEuropean community research has succeeded in breaking into new fields like biotechnology and no longer has a completely nuclear orientation. In the fusion programme it has taken over prime responsibility from the national governments. However, the total Community budget represents only about one fifth of the national budget of one of the larger member states, and the EC R&D budget only gets 3.1% of this. Has it the means to achieve its ends? Major projects in the Framework Programme, like the Joint Research Centre and thermonuclear fusion, have had their problems but are the EC R&D programmes helping to promote Europe's industrial competitive position vis-à-vis the US or Japan?