During 1999, a significant effort was made to improve some of the beam's characteristics, and a number of new projects were undertaken. The main achievements include the stabilisation of fast beam motions (using global and local feedback systems), attaining a very low coupling, successful testing of an in-vacuum undulator, and development of a new high-power front-end configuration. A promising investigation was carried out on a new type of small gap ID vessel, and some of the RF systems have been upgraded. All this had to be done while the Machine was being operated continuously for the Users, and without too great a disturbance to the X-ray beam delivery (5592 hours in 1999). Hereafter, we present our results for 1999, and then describe a selection of the topics that were studied during this period by the various groups working for the ESRF's Machine Division.