At European level, photonics is structured mainly around:

the Photonics Unit of the European Commission, which coordinates a photonics policy  for Europe and stimulates European R&D projects, within the ICT programme http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/photonics/home_en.html

The European Commission has adopted a pro-active policy based on :

Close cooperation between the Member States and the European Commission, through the Mirror Group;

Strong links between industry, research centres and universities, in particular via the R&D projects supported by the EC

The development of synergy from European level down to regional level, on the basis of national platforms and regional photonics clusters ; POPsud plays a role in the various events and meetings of European clusters

Photonics 21 Platform, an association involving industry and other photonics stakeholders in Europe (1400 members in 49 countries), that focuses the thematic priorities defined by the European Commission, within the framework of PCRDs, by defining a Strategic Research Agenda.

The Photonics 21 Platform is divide into seven work groups :

WP 1 : Information & Communication

WG 2 : Industrial Manufacturing & Quality

WG 3 : Life Sciences & Health

WG 4 : Lighting & Displays

WG 5 : Security : Metrology & Sensors

WG 6 : Optical Components & Systems

WG 7 : Training & Education

POPsud is strongly represented within this platform, in the Photonics 21 Bureau (Gilbert Dahan is a member of the Executive board) and in the seven work groups cited above.

The European photonics market, estimated at 43,5 billion € in 2005, which represents 20 % of the world market, is a strong growth market of the order of 7 % to 12%

At European level, the market is broadly shared between 5 countries :

- Germany (40 %) : Medical engineering & life science, production technology

- France (12 %) : Optical communications

- UK (12 %) : Defence photonics

- The Netherlands (10 %) : Production technology