Science Europe calls on EU leaders to safeguard Europe’s future by protecting its research and innovation budget
Ahead of the EU summit on 22 and 23 November devoted to the European budget for the next seven years, Science Europe has issued a Position Statement calling for adequate funding for research and innovation at European level.
Horizon 2020, the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, will bring together all EU instruments in support of research and innovation; its scope has been broadened and consequently the level of funding required to achieving those objectives has increased.
The 50 major Research Performing and Research Funding Organisations that constitute Science Europe consider Horizon 2020 an invaluable mechanism to encourage collaboration between the best researchers both within Europe and internationally, to drive cutting edge innovation and scientific breakthroughs, and tackle the major societal challenges of our time.
They also state that adequate public funding for research and innovation is good for Europe’s economy: national systems that previously increased public research spending in the past are better prepared to face the current period of financial uncertainty. Public spending on research today will make Europe more resilient to future crises; in contrast, decreasing the budget now would send the wrong signal at a time when national budgets are under threat.
"The EUR 80 billion proposed by the European Commission is a carefully calculated budget”, the Statement says. “It is the minimum acceptable budget to achieve the ambitious goals of financing both research and innovation, creating investments for the future and laying the path for growth and competitiveness in Europe […]. Europe’s future is at stake".