Socialists and Democrats demand strong investment in research and innovation, as a way to address the challenges European societies and economies are facing, mainly in the context of globalisation, digitalisation and growing inequalities. One of the goals of the S&Ds is to make sure that innovation, research and technological change bring benefits to all in society, and that no one is left behind. Today, the plenary of the European Parliament backed a report drafted by S&D MEP Dan Nica on the future of this programme after 2020.
S&D spokesperson on industry, energy and research, Dan Nica MEP and draftsman of Horizon Europe Framework programme Regulation, said:
“We call for €120 billion to ensure an ambitious and properly funded framework programme for research and innovation. Through science, innovation, and ground-breaking research, Europe can become more competitive and stay at the forefront of global research and innovation, creating quality jobs.
"We addressed the scientific and technological divide while maintaining excellence as a core principle of the programme. We made sure that at least 35% of the total budget under this programme would be allocated to support EU’s climate objectives.
"Horizon Europe needs not only to be more ambitious but also simpler, clearer and more accessible to reduce administrative burden and promote fair and objective participation of all research and innovation teams across the EU.”
Soledad Cabezón MEP, S&D spokesperson for the Horizon Europe Specific Programme, said:
“Research and innovation drive about two thirds of Europe’s growth and they are the engine for quality jobs in the future. We need to adequately fund Horizon projects if we want to foster sustainable growth and to have a positive impact on society. Public funding and public return on public investment are crucial and need to be combined with private funds from industry.
“We have worked very hard to embed a progressive character to the specific program implementing Horizon Europe. We have successfully introduced the SME Instrument, global challenges, climate change, gender balance and SSH. This will give a social balance to this proposal that was missing in the European Commission proposal.”
Note to editors:
Horizon Europe introduces five new features: the European Innovation Council (EIC), new EU-wide research and innovation missions, maximisation of the innovation potential across the EU, more openness, and a new generation of European Partnerships and increased collaboration with other EU programmes.
