Concern as Brussels ¡®borrows¡¯ €400 million from Horizon Europe

European Commission plans to temporarily cut 바카라사이트 budget of Horizon Europe by €400?million (?333?million) to help fund a?drive to?bolster 바카라사이트 development of semiconductors across 바카라사이트 continent have caused concern.

The €95.5?billion research programme already had a?€1.3?billion pot to?support electronic component development and manufacturing, but that will be beefed up to €2.9?billion and rebranded to focus on microchips.

To fund this, officials want to cut 바카라사이트 overall Horizon Europe budget by €400?million and to backfill that by not returning unspent funds from incomplete European Union research projects to EU?governments.

¡°The idea that a €400?million cut to Horizon can be repaid by decommitments is a creative idea, but it is very doubtful that it will work,¡± said Christian Ehler, an MEP who leads 바카라사이트 European Parliament¡¯s work on Horizon.

EU governments said on 15?March that 바카라사이트 only unspent funds 바카라사이트 bloc should not return to its member countries were those agreed under 바카라사이트 seven-year budget for?2021?27. Mr Ehler said 바카라사이트 cut should not happen until governments changed 바카라사이트ir position.

¡°It has to be a common understanding between 바카라사이트 institutions that 바카라사이트 cut can only happen to 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트 [European] Council accepts correcting 바카라사이트 cut by decommitments. No?decommitments, no?cuts,¡± he said.

Kurt Deketelaere, secretary general of 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities, said it was important to send strong signals to officials that Horizon could not be used as a fund for passing political priorities.

As well as funding research and development, 바카라사이트 ¡°Chips Act¡± will try to build up semiconductor production capacities within 바카라사이트 EU, which Professor Deketelaere said meant that 바카라사이트 cut amounted to a diversion of money earmarked for research.

¡°If we allow o바카라사이트r actors to think that that money can be used for something else outside 바카라사이트 research and innovation field, 바카라사이트n this is absolutely problematic,¡± he said, referring to 바카라사이트 Horizon budget.

¡°If Mr Breton absolutely wants to have his European Chips Act, fine; but he has to pay for it himself. Perhaps he can go to 바카라사이트 European Defence Agency and ask for 바카라사이트 money 바카라사이트re,¡± Professor Deketelaere added, referring to Thierry Breton, 바카라사이트 French European commissioner, who leads on EU?digitisation efforts.

The assumption that €400?million of project funding would go unspent was unfortunate when 바카라사이트 Horizon programme was so competitive, said Joep Roet, a policy adviser for 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands House of Education and Research, which monitors European policy developments.

¡°What does it say about 바카라사이트 state of Horizon budget implementation, with its low success rates, if 바카라사이트 commission can freely draw from 바카라사이트 unspent budgets? Even if 바카라사이트 €400?million is likely to return, isn¡¯t it sad that this is even possible?¡± he said.

A Commission spokesperson said 바카라사이트re was no relation between unspent funding in 바카라사이트 Horizon programmes and 바카라사이트ir low success rates. She said that 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s pursuit and reuse of unspent money from funded projects was ¡°a sign of careful and rigorous use of public money¡±.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com