On Tuesday 5 September, Iliana Ivanova, the Commissioner-designate for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, was heard by members of the European Parliament’s Committees on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and Culture and Education (CULT) (see other article and EUROPE 13241/9). Ms Ivanova expressed her commitment to the efficient use of research funds and to the inclusiveness of European research policies. She also made commitments to green these policies and to show solidarity with Ukrainian research communities.
Inclusiveness of European research policies
The Commissioner-designate called for research policies to be inclusive. In response to a question from Diana Riba I Giner (Greens/EFA, Spain), Ms Ivanova felt that a number of existing tools within Horizon Europe, if used appropriately, could encourage the participation of women.
She has extended this concern for inclusiveness to the vertical level of the least successful States in Horizon Europe. She felt that it was necessary to go further in using existing possibilities.
For the Commissioner-designate, it is crucial to establish equal access to information on European research policies and to ensure that the flow of information reaches all regions simultaneously. To achieve this objective, Iliana Ivanova does not rule out the launch of targeted information campaigns for regions that are harder to reach.
Budgetary issues
The Commissioner-designate had already stated that she was aware of the underfunding of research and had mentioned solutions in her written answers (see EUROPE 13234/2).
She felt that the flexibilities that have enabled research funding to be channelled have been useful in emergency situations such as the Covid-19 pandemic. However, for the future, she told Ivars Ijabs (Renew Europe, Latvia) that it was important to strike a balance and, above all, to ensure that resources were available to fund research priorities.
Iliana Ivanova reiterated the importance she attached to fully exploiting the potential of synergies. In this instance, she felt that it might be appropriate to explore further the synergies between Horizon Europe and the ‘Recovery and Resilience Facility’ (the main instrument of the NextGenerationEU recovery plan).
In addition, she declared herself in favour of a positive attitude of dialogue and incentives to encourage Member States to invest in research and innovation, but also mentioned the use of the ‘European Semester’ budgetary process to encourage them to carry out structural reforms and investments.
Greening of initiatives funded by Horizon Europe
Iliana Ivanova, responding to Jordi Solé (Greens/EFA), said that the target of 35% of Horizon Europe spending being “green” (for climate spending) was one of her priorities, and that the programme was on the right track, as was the target of 10% spending on biodiversity. “For the first time, this objective will be anchored in the Horizon Europe strategic plan”, she emphasised.
She also stated that she would ensure that a sound methodology was in place to guarantee the monitoring and transparency of the achievement of this objective, as well as the traceability of green spending.
Support for Ukraine
The Commissioner-designate said it was important to act quickly. In addition to the initiatives already implemented (recognition of MSCA for Ukraine qualifications, the dedicated section of the Jumpstarter programme of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology – EIT), Ms Ivanova felt that the Commission’s Joint Research Centre would have a role to play in the reconstruction of Ukraine, as would the cutting-edge research infrastructures that could help Ukrainian researchers. She is also committed to supporting the opening of a Horizon Europe office in Kyiv and an EIT hub in Ukraine.
Lastly, Ms Ivanova told Maria da Graça Martins Carvalho (EPP, Portuguese) that she wanted to strengthen the role of ethics advisory bodies so that they could base themselves on scientific facts when the Commission issued legislative proposals.
Following the hearing, the chairman of the ITRE parliamentary committee, Cristian Busoi, said that Ms Ivanova would make an excellent commissioner.
See the mission letter sent to Ms Ivanova: https://aeur.eu/f/8fi
See the answers to the questions written by Ms Ivanova: https://aeur.eu/f/8fs (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)