The deal is almost done: the new European Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 will receive roughly € 70 billion from 2014 to 2020. On 25 June, an agreement was reached between the (outgoing) Irish Presidency of the EU Parliament and the Commission to put the "treasure" in the shelter of any other budget cuts from now 'til next years.
Grueling negotiations have been carried out the last months, but now an agreement has been reached, not so downward as feared (although - as Nature noted - 13% lower compared to the initial question of the Commission and of 30% compared to that demanded by the Parliament) and with considerable bureaucratic simplifications for access and reporting would raise a little 'pains from euroburocrazia (read here).
The pillars of the program have been confirmed as well: 37% will be allocated in "Excellence Science" (then basic research and infrastructure peak); 22.5% in "Industrial leadership" (ie applied research and with an eye to to small and medium-sized enterprises), 38% in "Societal challenges" (a container for the challenges of environmental and health). The rest will be split among European Institute of Innovation and Technology, Joint Research Centre,
For the final confirmation of the numbers, we have to wait the signing of the Parliament and the Commission, but now seem to keep agreements. It shows the budget for 2014 prepared within the multiannual financial framework, which, despite a decrease of 6% compared to last year delo budget allocates € 9 billion in the Horizon 2020 (and a total of 70 billion in various initiatives aimed at competitiveness, growth and employment.
"We present this draft budget today because the Lisbon Treaty clearly states that the Commission must do this by the 1 July at the latest", says EU Commissioner for Financial programming and Budget, Janusz Lewandowski. "However, we will adjust our proposal later on in the light of the final outcome on the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) adoption procedure".
Seán Sherlock, the current president of the council of ministers for research, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome: "Research and innovation are the engines of growth. A strategic approach aimed to develop research and innovation, spread and lead the research throughout the European Union. That's the reason why the program is a success and a kind of innovation than has been done so far". Sherlock also stressed the innovations contained in the appropriations of resources, "the program will use a simplified model of financing, which means that a greater number of organizations will be able to access the program. This means, in turn, have a greater heterogeneity in the research, more opportunities for businesses and greater benefits for the economy in general. "Negative representative of Parliament Christiane Ehler, according to which the agreement is to the downside, cautiously positive reactions of various industry associations and promotion of research and development (read here).
