Brussels, 03/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - The two ideas suggested by European Research Ministers during their Brussels meeting on Tuesday 3 March include exact criteria for research and innovation projects (R&I) and related infrastructure and for R&I experts to be part of the European Fund for Strategic Investments committee.
The Research Council is adamant about obtaining guarantees on the research and innovation projects being included in EFSI as part of the Juncker investment plan. They therefore suggested to the European Commission, which appears to have accepted the idea, that it establish precise criteria in this area during the project selection process. They also said that it would be necessary to include R&I experts in the investment committee, a point upon which Denmark had insisted.
Such an approach is testimony to the concern or indeed a certain distrust of ministers with regard to the promised impact of the EFSI on research. The Commissioner responsible for this field, Carlos Moedas, attempted to reassure them by referring to the “complementarity” between the “Horizon 2020” Framework Programme and EFSI. He argued that this fund would dip into the programme budget and lead to investments containing greater risk. He did promise, however, more impact, including positive repercussions for R&I, which would ultimately increase Horizon 2020's “firepower”. Was he able to convince them? Not entirely if Belgium's reaction is to be believed. During the discussions held behind closed doors, this country argued that they really did have to believe in a substantial return. It subsequently expressed fairly widespread doubts about the coefficient of the leverage (x15) effect exercised by EFSI, which was judged too optimistic by some commentators with regard to the possible benefits from EFSI on European research. (Jan Kordys)