ERC must keep ¡®excellence¡¯ focus, says commissioner

The European commissioner for research, science and innovation has defended 바카라사이트 European Research Council's "geographically blind" basis for distributing grants, which critics say disadvantages weaker science systems in eastern Europe.

Carlos Moedas, in Brussels to mark 바카라사이트 ERC's 10-year anniversary, urged delegates to "remain united" in a "vision of an ERC based on scientific excellence".

"The ERC is unique because it has a purely excellence based approach to science. One which is geographically blind," he said.

"We must remain united in defending an open, excellence based vision of science with 바카라사이트 ERC as a spearhead. Regardless of how many member states 바카라사이트 EU will have in 바카라사이트 coming years," he added.

There have been longstanding concerns that because it focuses purely on "excellent" research, 바카라사이트 ERC distributes 바카라사이트 vast majority of its grants to already successful research countries such as 바카라사이트 UK and Germany. In , for example, EU countries that have joined since 2004 ¨C mostly in Eastern Europe ¨C won just three ERC advanced grants out of nearly 300.

This system has been called "", with Eastern European researchers having "next to no chance" of winning a grant.

With 바카라사이트 UK ¨C which has been a big winner of ERC grants ¨C leaving 바카라사이트 EU and possibly it's research framework programmes, 바카라사이트 balance could be tipped in favour of a more redistributive approach.

Mr Moedas also announced that 바카라사이트 ERC would be given an extra €50 million (?43.3 million) in funding for 바카라사이트 duration of 바카라사이트 EU's current research framework programme, Horizon 2020.

Comments by Pascal Lamy, former director general of 바카라사이트 World Trade Organization and chair of a panel scrutinising EU research spending, also indicated that 바카라사이트 ERC will continue to play a large role in future framework programmes. None of 바카라사이트 group reviewing Horizon 2020 had questioned that 바카라사이트 ERC has been a "clear success", he told delegates.

But Europe needed to make sure its innovation was as good as its science, he said. "Europe's capacity to transform new knowledge into a better life [for citizens]...needs to be improved," he said.

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