Brussels, 09/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - Creating more growth and jobs through a radical shake-up of EU research and innovation funding - that is the aim of a consultation launched by the Commission on Wednesday 9 February which seeks to make participation easier, increase scientific and economic impact and improve value for money. The proposed “Common Strategic Framework”, set out in a Green Paper, will cover the current Framework Programme for Research (FP7), the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). This will create a coherent set of instruments, along the whole “innovation chain” starting from basic research, culminating in bringing innovative products and services to market, and also supporting non-technological innovation, for example in design and marketing. The Commission's Green Paper also provides the basis for far-reaching simplification of procedures and rules. The changes aim to maximise the contribution of EU research and innovation funding to the Innovation Union and the EUROPE 2020 Strategy. Stakeholders have until 20 May 2011 to respond. On 10 June, the Commission will organise a major closing conference as a follow-up to the public consultation. The name for the new Strategic Framework will be announced there. Thereafter, and probably in October of this year, Research and Innovation Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn will bring forward a legislative proposal for research and innovation spending under the future EU budget post-2013.
Presenting the Green Paper to the press, Geoghegan-Quinn said she was pleased that, at the European Council on 4 February, member states had approved the principles of a common strategic framework and greater simplification of procedures and also a simplified EU financial framework (see EUROPE 10309). She said she wanted “EU funding to realise its enormous potential to generate growth and jobs and improve quality of life in Europe”. She went on: “By making our programmes more coherent and simpler, we will make life easier for researchers and innovators - especially SMEs - attract more applicants and get even better results”.
The Common Strategic Framework proposed by the Commission in its Green Paper combines three key aspects. Firstly, a clear focus on three mutually reinforcing objectives: giving the EU a world-beating science base; boosting competitiveness across the board; and tackling major challenges, such as climate change, resource efficiency, energy and food security, health and an ageing population. Secondly, making EU funding more attractive and easier to access for participants, for example, through a single entry point with common IT tools or a one-stop shop for providing advice and support to participants throughout the funding process. Furthermore, the Common Strategic Framework will allow a simpler and more streamlined set of funding instruments covering the full innovation chain, including basic research, applied research, collaboration between academia and industry and firm-level innovation. Flexibility will be promoted to encourage diversity and business involvement. Applicants should be able to apply for several different projects without repeatedly providing the same information. Thirdly and finally, there will be much simpler and more consistent procedures for accounting for the use of the funds received. This may involve, for example, greater use of lump sum payments. Greater simplicity will make financial control of EU taxpayers' money easier and more effective. “Our aim is to maximise value from every euro the EU invests in research and innovation”, the commissioner said.
Other ideas in the Green Paper include: - further steps to pool member states' national research funding; - better links with cohesion funding; using EU funding to stimulate public procurement; - more use of prizes; - further strengthening the role of the European Research Council and of financial instruments such as the Risk-Sharing Finance Facility (RSFF) and the loan guarantee and venture capital investments; - and drawing up a set of performance indicators to measure the success of EU research and innovation funding.
In the course of the coming weeks, the Commission will launch a competition to find the most inspiring name for the new common framework. (O.L./transl.rt)