22 Oct 2024
EUA supports call of High-level Group Report to strengthen the next Framework Programme
In a reaction to the report ‘Align, Act, Accelerate: Research, Technology and Innovation to boost European Competitiveness’ presented by the European Commission’s Expert Group on the interim evaluation of Horizon Europe on 16 October 2024, the European University Association has welcomed the document and expressed its support of the report's call to strengthen FP10 and protect its budget.
In its reaction to the report, EUA highlights the recommendations that it regards as being of crucial importance to universities and offers suggestions to further strengthen them. For instance, EUA is critical of the proposal to split the current Pillar 2 into two Councils – an Industrial Competitiveness and Technology Council and a Societal Challenges Council – since this division could create silos, potentially undermining the programme’s collaborative spirit.
EUA especially welcomes the Expert Group’s calls to:
- Increase the budget of the next EU R&I Framework Programme (FP10) to €220 billion.
- Ring-fence the FP10 budget.
- Increase national expenditure on R&I to meet the 3% GDP investment target.
- Reinforce the structure, governance and budgets of the European Research Council (ERC), the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) and the European Innovation Council (EIC).
- Ensure the full independence, authority, and quality of the ERC Scientific Council and the EIC Board.
- Recognise the role of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in providing solutions to societal challenges.
- Foster an attractive and inclusive R&I ecosystem.
- Ensure simplification for beneficiaries by reducing complexity, increasing agility and improving user orientation.
- Adopt a proactive, strategic approach to international cooperation.
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