The EU research ministers are expected to adopt a declaration during an informal gathering in Warsaw, held under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Echoing calls from academia earlier this year, the ministers are expected to back a standalone Framework Programme 10 (FP10) and the independence of the European Research Council (ERC) and European Innovation Council (EIC).
UKRO has had access to the draft declaration, which is available for consultation. Below is UKRO’s analysis of the key points from the draft declaration:
- ERC and EIC: The ministers point out the pivotal role played by the ERC and EIC in supporting frontier research, and call on the European Commission to preserve their independence and expand their role.
- Transnational and transregional cooperation: The ministers also ask that FP10 foster the creation of new transregional and transnational R&I collaboration networks and enhance new R&I cooperation patterns across Europe, bringing together R&I professionals of different disciplines and backgrounds.
- Closing the R&I gap in Europe: FP10 should enhance R&I excellence across the Union and help tackle fragmentation of the European Research Area and the European R&I ecosystem. FP10 should also ensure significant participation of small and medium enterprises in R&I collaboration.
- Global competitiveness and strategic interests: The ministers acknowledge the need to close the innovation gap with global leaders like the US and China, and call on FP10 to deliver instruments to overcome the “European Paradox” of excellent research leading to only weak market success. FP10 should strengthen research cooperation with global partners while safeguarding EU strategic interests.
- Synergies between EU programmes: The ministers call for stronger synergies between European R&I and European initiatives such as the cohesion policy, the EU Competitiveness Fund, the European Clean Deal, the EU Life Science Strategy, the EU strategy for start-ups and scale-ups, the EU strategy on research and technology infrastructures, the ERA Act, the Innovation Act, the new European Artificial Intelligence strategy, as well as the European green, digital and industrial agenda among others.
- Budget: The ministers stress the need for increased coordination among European, national, and regional financing sources relevant for R&I. The ministers also call for further involvement and investment from the private sector (without prejudice to the negotiations on the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework).
Background
Earlier this year, the European research community had voiced fears that the EU Framework Programmes could be integrated into a future European Competitiveness Fund. In their view, if that were to happen, political control would risk undermining basic research and the excellence-based funding of the ERC and EIC.
The draft Warsaw declaration is a welcome step towards ensuring a standalone, excellence-focused FP10 with an ambitious budget in the next MFF.