EUA “concerned” over H2020 cuts, but sees programme benefits

The European University Association (EUA) has expressed its “concern” about the removal of funding from Horizon 2020 under the investment plan of Jean-Claude Juncker.

In a statement, the EUA said it welcomed the “underlying aims” of the scheme and its objective of supporting infrastructure, education, research and innovation projects, but nevertheless worried about the proposal to remove funding from Horizon 2020.

In a statement, the EUA said: “In the course of the recent discussions on the EU’s annual budget, the EUA has consistently highlighted the importance of maintaining the planned levels of EU investment in research and education (Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+) and for this reason reiterates that funding for Horizon 2020 must be protected.

“In particular, the EUA would like to underline the importance of preserving the budget allocated to the Excellent Science pillar of Horizon 2020, as it plays a crucial role in supporting basic research, the basis for developing competitive knowledge-based products and services. European-level funding for basic research should therefore not be “diverted”, as cuts in this pillar could compromise the capacity of Europe to innovate in the years to come.”

Under the plan presented by the European Commission last week, around €544m will be removed from the Excellent Science pillar, including €221.2m from the European Research Council. The EUA added that a core message from its national rectors’ conference last week was that the budget of Horizon 2020 should be shielded from cuts.

The EUA added that any projects benefitting from funding should be assessed using “clear and transparent guidelines concerning the nature of project proposals”, adding that it was important that universities have the “opportunity to participate in relevant projects through a structured and transparent process”.