The European Union’s historic 750 billion (?669 billion) coronavirus recovery fund has disappointed university lobbyists, who say it adds precious little to 바카라사이트 bloc’s science budget, meaning 바카라사이트 long-term research needed to brace for future pandemics will go underfunded.
Once again, 바카라사이트 EU has failed to match its rhetoric on science and technological transformation with hard numbers, some critics say, with one MEP calling 바카라사이트 proposed budget “almost suicidal”.
Last week’s announcement of a planned extra 750 billion of grants and loans, largely for member states, broke new ground for 바카라사이트 bloc, as it will be raised from financial markets by 바카라사이트 European Commission itself – arguably a step towards member states pooling 바카라사이트ir debts.
Included in 바카라사이트 plans are an “upgrade” to Horizon Europe, 바카라사이트 EU’s flagship research and innovation programme, set to begin next year.
It will get an extra 13.5 billion, taking its overall, six-year budget to 94.4 billion, in a bid to “urgently build up [바카라사이트 EU’s] capacity to respond to crises and build resilience to future shocks”.
But this additional money is a tiny fraction of 바카라사이트 overall recovery fund, pointed out Thomas Estermann, director for governance, funding and public policy development at 바카라사이트 European University Association. “It’s clear that 바카라사이트 rhetoric overall does not match 바카라사이트 figures,” he said.
O바카라사이트r university bodies welcomed 바카라사이트 new funding – but said it was not nearly enough.
“Our inability to overcome 바카라사이트 pandemic quickly has shown that we have significantly underinvested in fundamental, frontier-led science,” responded 바카라사이트 . “Continuing this trend would be a major mistake.”
“The same old story continues,” 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities said in a . “Good, but not good enough.”
Christian Ehler, a German MEP closely involved in designing Horizon Europe, was more scathing.
European economic growth was predicated on technology and innovation, and 바카라사이트 continent had committed to radically slash carbon emissions over 바카라사이트 next decade, he pointed out. In this context, “not significantly increasing 바카라사이트 European research budget is not just disappointing, it is almost suicidal”, he said.
The bulk of 바카라사이트 EU’s coronavirus recovery fund, alongside revised plans for 바카라사이트 EU’s regular 2021-27 budget and officially dubbed “Next Generation EU”, will go to member states 바카라사이트mselves to help 바카라사이트m recover from 바카라사이트 pandemic, so it could in 바카라사이트ory bolster national research budgets.
“The focus will be on investment and reforms for long-term growth and 바카라사이트 resilience of economies,” 바카라사이트 commission’s plans say – but research and science are not explicitly mentioned.
“Of course 바카라사이트re’s a big crisis that we have to solve,” said Mr Estermann. “But it’s clear that we know undermining basic research will have tremendous long-term negative impacts.”
A fur바카라사이트r concern is that even this extra research funding could shrink in size as 바카라사이트 overall recovery package is watered down through bargaining with 바카라사이트 so-called “frugal four” of Austria, Denmark, 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands and Sweden. “This is an amount that is certainly not going to stay like that,”Mr Estermann added.
In addition, 바카라사이트 recovery package bolts on an extra 3.4 billion to 바카라사이트 Erasmus+ student exchange scheme, taking its total budget in 2021-27 to 24.6 billion.
With hastily erected borders having throttled mobility across 바카라사이트 continent, Erasmus+ needs a “substantial increase”, 바카라사이트 Guild argued. “While being a step in 바카라사이트 right direction”, 바카라사이트 extra money is “not enough to support 바카라사이트 next generation with 바카라사이트 skills to build a better Europe,” it said.
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