EARTO lends support to new Commission investment proposal

The European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO) has welcomed European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s Investment Plan for Europe, but warned the funding for the scheme should not be drawn from Horizon 2020.

In an open letter to Juncker, EARTO president Maria Khorsand praised the EU leader for “taking a stand” and presenting an ambitious plan to the EU, adding that Europe was facing an “innovation emergency” and was losing its competitiveness to the United States and Asia.

Khorsand said: “EARTO members share your views that Europe can better use the common EU budget and Union financial instruments, such as the European Investment Bank, and that public funds available at Union level should further stimulate private investments. If European industry is to maintain its leading role on global markets … such investments should be heavily directed to supporting the renewal of European industry by making use of research, technology and innovation activities.”

However, the EARTO president also cautioned that the investment plan should “complement” Horizon 2020 and European Structural and Investment Funds, as well as include “strong research and innovation components”, with funding for the research and innovation programme protected.

“The newly launched Horizon 2020 programme is key for the future of Europe: it should be strongly protected and suffer no cuts, being the only real pan-European R&I programme today,” the EARTO President said, offering Juncker the expertise and support of the organisation in implementing the investment package.

The Investment Plan for Europe has been recently criticised by the League of European Research Universities.