There have been three ESPRIT programs: ESPRIT I, 1984–87; ESPRIT II, 1987–91; ESPRIT III, 1991–94. They were funded by the European Community, and formed major components of the Community’s successive R&D Framework Programmes (I, II, and III respectively).

Under Framework IV (1995–98), the ESPRIT label was dropped and the program went under the name RTD Programme in Information Technologies (RTD is short for Research and Technological Development). Subsequent programs were Framework V (1998–2002) and Framework VI (2002–06), and Framework VII (2007–13). In 2013 the name was changed to Horizon, the current program being Horizon 2020 (2014–20).

See also ESSI.

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/ The Horizon 2020 programme home page