Brussels, 13/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European University Association (EUA) has criticised the European Commission's proposals to trim 2.7 billion euros from the Horizon 2020 programme to be channelled into the new European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).
In an open letter to the President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, the European universities express their concerns at seeing research sidelined. They have also written to the members of the European Parliament, calling upon them to oppose the Commission's plan. “The suggested cuts in the research sector are a worrying U-turn in the Commission's approach. In recent years, the Commission was a key advocate for further research investment and there was strong support for collaborative research activities (…). If the proposal goes ahead, the EU will put itself at risk of losing ground against competitors that are investing heavily in research”, commented Lesley Wilson, secretary general of the EUA.
The European universities commend the Commission's efforts to boost the creation of jobs and growth, but this should not come at the cost of expenditure on the European research sector, which is the lifeblood of Europe's competitiveness in the future. The EUA also calls for scientific monitoring to be included in the selection of projects to be governed by the EFSI, to ensure that research and innovation fully play their part in meeting the many challenges facing Europe. (Isabelle Lamberty)