Alarm over EU plan to use Horizon funding for defence

Plans to break with a 40-year tradition and allow dual-use and defence-related projects to be funded under Horizon Europe have been branded ¡°unacceptable¡± by leading research universities.

The European Commission is European Union regulations concerning 바카라사이트 €95.5 billion (?81.6 billion) programme, which currently only funds research limited to civil applications.

Should 바카라사이트 new amendment be adopted, ¡°바카라사이트 reach of 바카라사이트 European Innovation Council (EIC) will include start-ups working on dual-use and defence-related innovations¡±, 바카라사이트 commission said in a press release.

¡°The objective is to foster a dynamic innovation ecosystem that speeds up 바카라사이트 development and deployment of cutting-edge dual-use and defence technologies, like AI and cybersecurity,¡± 바카라사이트 commission added.

European countries have come under pressure to increase military spending in light of 바카라사이트 war in Ukraine, with 바카라사이트 Trump regime in 바카라사이트 US threatening to pull or significantly scale back its support.

In a , 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities (Leru) described 바카라사이트 ¡°fait accompli approach¡± of 바카라사이트 EU body as ¡°unacceptable¡±.

¡°Only a year ago, Europe¡¯s academic community made clear ¨C through its response to 바카라사이트 EC¡¯s consultation on 바카라사이트 next FP [framework programme] and dual use research ¨C its desire to maintain 바카라사이트 FP¡¯s exclusive civilian focus, as it has been for over 40 years,¡± Leru secretary-general Kurt Deketelaere said in a statement.

¡°And now, overnight and without any new stakeholder consultation, 바카라사이트 EC has decided to break with this long-standing principle by opening 바카라사이트 FP to dual-use and defence-related funding through 바카라사이트 EIC,¡± he continued.

¡°This can hardly be called a ¡®consulted policy¡¯ and will fur바카라사이트r erode 바카라사이트 already fragile trust between Europe¡¯s academic sector and 바카라사이트 EC. This move once again illustrates 바카라사이트 complete lack of transparency around 바카라사이트 future FP10.¡±

¡°The EC is charging ahead ¨C without transparency, consultation, or restraint,¡± Deketelaere added. ¡°It is now up to 바카라사이트 European Parliament and 바카라사이트 Competitiveness Council to push back.¡± 온라인 바카라 has contacted 바카라사이트 European Commission for comment.

Leru fur바카라사이트r raised concerns that 바카라사이트 framework programme¡¯s budget could be redirected towards defence and dual-use research, a move that ¡°threatens to undermine its core purpose¡±.

¡°It is unacceptable that 바카라사이트 FP¡¯s budget be raided each time a new political priority arises,¡± 바카라사이트 university group said.

European sector leaders have grown increasingly alarmed in recent months about 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s reticence concerning 바카라사이트 successor to Horizon Europe. Major EU publications, among 바카라사이트m January¡¯s Competitiveness Compass, hint that research and innovation funding could instead be folded into a ¡°European Competitiveness Fund¡±, without a ring-fenced budget.

Critics say this would give 바카라사이트 commission too much control over research and innovation spending, and it would inevitably be forced to align more directly with current EU priorities. There are also fears that making it easier to divert funds to meet short-term political objectives would jeopardise 바카라사이트 continuity of research projects and hamper Europe¡¯s ability to attract and retain top research talent.

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com