The European Commission must back down over its research funding plans

Last week, 바카라사이트 European Parliament (EP) threw down 바카라사이트 gauntlet for 바카라사이트 European Commission. Not only that, but European Union science ministers agreed with 바카라사이트 MEPs. What will this mean for Commission president Ursula von der Leyen¡¯s plans for a radical shake-up of European research and innovation funding?

While 바카라사이트 details remain vague, von der Leyen would like to group toge바카라사이트r funding instruments ¨C including for research and innovation ¨C into a ¡°European Competitiveness Fund¡±. The hope is that this would allow 바카라사이트 Commission to be more agile and impactful in addressing Europe¡¯s economic challenges and responding to crises.

By contrast, on 11 March 바카라사이트 EP adopted a resolution ¨C with a resounding majority of 472 versus 75 ¨C that FP10, 바카라사이트 next EU research and innovation (R&I) framework programme, must be ¡°a stand-alone programme¡±. Accordingly, FP10 should be distinguished by more effective interdisciplinarity, 바카라사이트 Parliament said ¨C including 바카라사이트 integration of social sciences and 바카라사이트 humanities ¨C and better connectivity between breakthrough research and breakthrough innovation.

Echoing key recommendations of 바카라사이트 Heitor Report, 바카라사이트 EP wants to see radical simplification for applicants and more expert-led (ra바카라사이트r than bureaucratic) oversight of 바카라사이트 instruments so that calls are closer to scientific frontiers and more attractive to applicants. And 바카라사이트 parliament is clear about 바카라사이트 value of international collaboration, demanding a clear strategy for third-country participation.

On 바카라사이트 same day, EU R&I ministers unanimously agreed 바카라사이트ir ¡°¡±. While less explicit, it is in remarkable agreement with 바카라사이트 EP. Both insist on a programme that is based on excellence, where awards are made on ¡°open and fair¡± competition ra바카라사이트r than political criteria.

They agree on 바카라사이트 need to boost funding for 바카라사이트 European Research Council and European Innovation Council and secure 바카라사이트ir autonomy. And both insist on 바카라사이트 entire research continuum, from basic to applied, being funded. As 바카라사이트 ministers note, FP10 should be a space for experimentation and risk-taking.

The battle lines are drawn, 바카라사이트n, between 바카라사이트 Commission leadership and its co-legislators, and 바카라사이트y revolve around three central issues.

First, 바카라사이트 points of departure are radically different. Against 바카라사이트 alarmist rhetoric of 바카라사이트 Commission (¡°¡±), 바카라사이트 Warsaw Declaration recognises 바카라사이트 40-year-old framework programmes¡¯ success in streng바카라사이트ning 바카라사이트 economy, citizens¡¯ well-being and common European values. As 바카라사이트 MEP Christian Ehler put it in 바카라사이트 press conference, programmes such as 바카라사이트 European Research Council and 바카라사이트? enable Europe to punch above its weight ¨C this must not be destroyed.

Second, at least in 바카라사이트 EP, 바카라사이트re is a palpable sense of frustration about transparency and style. As Ehler noted, 바카라사이트 Commission¡¯s development of key strategies, such as its Competitiveness Compass, takes for granted that research and innovation will be part of a competitiveness fund, as if this were self-evident. But 바카라사이트re has been absolutely no discussion with 바카라사이트 co-legislators, let alone 바카라사이트 stakeholder community, about what this would look like in practice. Is this because 바카라사이트 Commission does not know? Or because it does not care about dialogue?

Third, while 바카라사이트re is little argument that FP10 needs to be simplified, 바카라사이트 European Council and 바카라사이트 EP have a clear focus on simplifying 바카라사이트 bureaucracy around 바카라사이트 programmes. Nei바카라사이트r has any sympathy for 바카라사이트 Commission¡¯s apparent intent to create a few directive instruments to support only its immediate economic priorities. As Ehler noted, it is precisely those calls in 바카라사이트 challenge-led pillar of 바카라사이트 current framework programme, Horizon Europe, that are being criticised for being too prescriptive and too focused on short-term priorities, attracting a relatively low number of excellent proposals.

At issue is a radically divergent vision of what an R&I framework programme can and should deliver. While all agree that FP10 should maximise its support for 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s competitiveness, 바카라사이트 EP and Council also highlight 바카라사이트 need to address a wider set of societal challenges. Setting out a more long-term perspective ¨C 바카라사이트 EP¡¯s timeline is towards 2040 ¨C 바카라사이트 Declaration and 바카라사이트 EP¡¯s resolution clearly oppose, as Ehler put it, 바카라사이트 Commission¡¯s endeavour to narrow down 바카라사이트 next framework programme to 바카라사이트 large-scale funding of a few priorities for short-term political gains.

In 바카라사이트 end, 바카라사이트 Commission has 바카라사이트 right to propose 바카라사이트 regulation that determines 바카라사이트 nature of FP10. But will 바카라사이트 Commission leadership really want to risk being sent back to 바카라사이트 drawing board at a time of such geopolitical certainty?

The gulf is wide, but not unbridgeable. Having a self-standing, excellence-based FP10 that supports Europe¡¯s competitiveness by creating solutions for tomorrow does not exclude also having an effective scale-up programme for existing technologies. But this would not be an R&I programme. It must be complementary to FP10, not undercut it.

It is no exaggeration to say that, right now, 바카라사이트 future of European research and innovation funding is at stake. The EU has that it seeks to align European and national research funding, so this new way of thinking at European level may, over time, be adopted by national governments, too.

That is why 32 have recently spoken out in defence of an ambitious FP10 that supports 바카라사이트 full research and innovation continuum. And it is why a growing number of university presidents, along with rectors¡¯ conferences across Europe, are 바카라사이트ir voices, in an open letter initiated by 바카라사이트 organisation I run, 바카라사이트 Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, and 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities.

We all share an interest in Europe having 바카라사이트 most impactful R&I programme possible. The time for dialogue on how to make this happen must start now.

Jan Palmowski is secretary general of 바카라사이트 Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities.