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Universities united for the best Horizon Europe

15 June 2018

Fourteen European associations representing universities, among which the Coimbra Group, united to respond to the proposal of the Ninth Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (Horizon Europe).
The universities ask the European Parliament and the Council to support Horizon Europe and to incorporate necessary changes in order to ensure that it will fulfill the EU’s ambitions.

Read the full statement:

Universities united for the best Horizon Europe

 

In the March issue of the CG newsletter, we reported on the joint statement published by on 21 March by several research university networks calling for a doubling of the budget for research and innovation in the coming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF 2020-2027). On 7 June, The European Commission published its proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the next framework programme, Horizon Europe. The budget allocated to the next framework programme is €97.6 billion (€3.5 billion of which will be allocated under the InvestEU Fund) while €2.4 billion are allocated to the Euratom Research and Training Programme.

The new programme, to run between 2021 and 2027, will be implemented through three pillars (with one fourth pillar referring to “Strengthening the ERA”, see image below) and will introduce the following new features:

  • A European Innovation Council (EIC), designed to help the most innovative start-ups and companies scale up their ideas;
  • A mission-based approach focusing on global challenges (Health, Inclusive and secure society, Digital and industry, Climate, energy and mobility, Food and natural resources);
  • Synergies with Structural and Cohesion funds;
  • Open access to publications and data (Open Science).

The proposal is now with the European Parliament, which has appointed MEP Dan Nica, former deputy prime minister of Romania and a member of the Socialists and Democrats group, as the rapporteur on the overall regulations and rules of participation of the programme. Mr Nica, who sits on the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, has invited stakeholders to provide feedback and input for the various articles in the proposal, and to make suggestions on possible amendments and their underlying rationale by the end of June.

It is for this reason that during the last two weeks, the Coimbra Group, together with thirteen university networks, have gathered several times in Brussels for intensive and thorough discussions on the Horizon Europe Regulations with the aim to draft a joint document with amendments, to be sent to Mr Nica at the end of this month. We were also invited by Dan Nica to attend an open debate on Horizon Europe on Tuesday, 26 June, which was intended as a Q&A session with stakeholders and the institutions: Dan Nica, Carlos Moedas (Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation), Ciprian Preda (Romania’s Deputy Minister for Research and Innovation) and Jean-Eric Paquet (General Director, DG RTD, European Commission).

At the open debate Mr Nica informed that his report will be presented on 10 July. The deadline for tabling amendments will be on 6 September (date to be confirmed after the European Council), while the public hearing on Horizon Europe is expected to take place on 8 October. The goal is to have the vote of the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy in January 2019 with the formal approval of the programme taking place in March 2019.

Read the joint statement by the fourteen associations here

Follow our plead on Twitter #UniversitiesForHorizonEU

To find out more about Horizon Europe: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/publications/research-and-innovation-including-horizon-europe-iter-and-euratom-legal-texts-and-factsheets_en