Brussels, 30/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - The priorities that the commissioner-candidate for research, innovation and science, Carlos Moedas, has set himself are implementation of what already exists, such as the Horizon 2020 framework programme, and speeding up implementation of what has already been decided, such as the union for innovation and the European Research Area (ERA). The commissioner-candidate from Portugal repeated several times to MEPs on the industry, research and energy committee (ITRE) at the European Parliament during his hearing on Tuesday morning 30 September that his motto would be “deliver, deliver, deliver”.
During his introduction he said: “My first priority is to make progress with creating the framework conditions that will help optimise the potential in European research, science and innovation”. To achieve this end, what is needed, first of all, is to “finalise the ERA and speed up action in the union for innovation”. The first project was launched in 2000 and the second in 2010. Moedas intends to achieve this aim by “improving policy coordination, namely, by ensuring better follow-up in the European semester process” and also by “exploring the synergies between structural and investment funds at national and regional levels”. “I will be particularly vigilant with regard to the gender dimension, not only because it is a question of fairness but also because we cannot afford to lose any kind of talent”.
One of the main challenges facing the commissioner will be management of the Horizon 2020 framework programme, whose budget is close to €80 billion. During the hearing, MEPs were quick to underline the importance of this, particularly in a context where the Council has recently proposed reducing its budget for 2015 by 11% and where payment delays are mounting up. The question of an imbalance between payment appropriations and commitments in the Horizon 2020 must be tackled “together” and this will be one of the points on which he will be working in the first few days of his term of office, stated Moedas, before calling for the support of MEPs when negotiating with the Council.
Many MPs were eager to find out how Moedas intended to manage the thematic priorities of Horizon 2020. Carlos Zorrinho (S&D, Portugal) asked him how the green and blue growth programmes would be giving supported. Will there be new projects for innovative medicines but which are not always necessarily profitable, asked Fredrick Federley (ALDE, Sweden). What is the role for SMEs and renewable energies and how can there be a more efficient transition from research to the market? These figured among a number of recurring questions. In reply, Moedas often used the same formula: “It's about implementing what we already have and not by reinventing the wheel”. He also praised the priorities that were already included in Horizon 2020. Nonetheless, he did suggest that he would be keen to develop a new indicator, that of “output” for research and innovation investment, in order to more accurately identify how this investment is translated into economic growth and job creation.
His answers were not significantly different when he was asked about the ERA. In reply to Christian Ehler (EPP, Germany), he said that “the ERA is crucial. Most of the tools at the European level are there”. The most important question is how to encourage member states to complete this process and, here, Moedas put forward a number of ideas already proposed by his predecessor: “Better alignment of national agendas to tackle duplication, fragmentation and the lack of transparency in recruitment, as well as the gender imbalance”. He emphasised that irrespective of the task undertaken, nothing would happen until the middle of 2015, when the roadmap on the ERA will be adopted.
The S&D Group, alluded to the absence of concrete or new initiatives and ITRE coordinator, Dan Nica from Romania, said: “Mr Moedas is aligned with the main principles of the S&D Group but has remained rather vague on how to deliver on them”. (JK)