The budget, the research framework programme, and support for Ukraine and association agreements were the main topics addressed by the European Commissioner for Research and Innovation (R&I), Iliana Ivanova, on Tuesday 23 January, during a meeting with MEPS on the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE).
Budget. Asked about the budget cuts that could affect the European research budget, Ms Ivanova said that she was not in favour of them and that she would prefer to see an increase in this budget, and was delighted that one was planned for 2024.
However, she said that the news from the EU Council was not cause for optimism: without prejudging the decisions of the European Summit of 1 February on the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework, the Commissioner warned that one had to be ready to choose priorities and take difficult decisions. Nevertheless, she stated that she would not stop advocating the strategic importance of R&I funding.
Horizon 2020. Ms Ivanova presented the first figures from the ex-post evaluation of the previous European R&I framework programme, Horizon2020, which will be published in the next few days.
She pointed out that the programme had attracted one million applications over a period of seven years and financed 35,000 projects. However, an additional €159 billion would have been needed to finance all the high-quality proposals.
Ms Ivanova insisted on the effectiveness of these investments: each euro invested in Horizon 2020 will, according to her, generate €5 in benefits for European citizens by 2040.
Next framework programme. The Commissioner mentioned the points to be improved in the future, such as simplification, wider participation, better communication of results, including the benefits for society, and greater synergies between European and national initiatives.
Ms Ivanova also mentioned the second Horizon Europe strategic plan. In particular, she pointed out that the structure had been simplified to make the document easier to read. The key strategic approaches have been aligned with the Commission’s objectives.
Ms Ivanova confirmed the commitment to mobilise 10% of the 2025-2027 budget for biodiversity-related objectives.
Associations. The Commissioner also spoke of support for Ukraine with the opening of the Horizon Europe office in Kyiv. She welcomed the association agreement with Great Britain (see EUROPE 13306/14), which she will visit in mid-February. She said that 19 countries will be associated with Horizon Europe in 2024 and added, among other things, that the agreement with the Faroe Islands was progressing.
The agreement with Canada could be signed in mid-2024. Ms Ivanova plans to visit the country at the end of May. The agreement will apply retroactively from 1 January 2024.
Negotiations with South Korea are also continuing. Participation in Pillar 2 should come into effect in 2025.
Finally, Commissioner Ivanova confirmed that exploratory talks with Switzerland were also continuing and that there would be a further round of negotiations at the end of January. She said that she hopes association negotiations can be launched in the spring. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)