Sherlock: EU research deal needed

Seán Sherlock has said an agreement on EU spending on research and innovation must be found by the end of the country’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The Irish Minister for Research and Innovation made the comments at the Future Internet Assembly conference in Dublin, echoing the calls of European Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn that a budget on Horizon 2020 was needed by 30 June 2013.

Speaking to delegates, the minister said: “There must be a seamless transit between FP7 and Horizon 2020. It is critical that we get institutional agreement soon. We do not want to see a hiatus or a vacuum develop.”

The ICT conference is taking place at Dublin City University’s Helix venue. An initiative of the same name is being supported by over 150 research projects to help the EU remain competitive in internet technology.

Geoghegan-Quinn previously described the situation as “disastrous” if  no EU budget agreement is found.