Commission proposes €400M boost for Horizon 2020

15 Sep 2016 | News
EU research programme could recover some of the €2.2B lost last year to European Fund for Strategic Investments

The European Commission has proposed adding €400 million to the Horizon 2020 research programme as part of the mid-term review of EU’s seven-year budget for the period 2014-2020, also known as the Multiannual Financial Framework. 

The move would see the research programme recoup a portion of the €2.2 billion it lost last year to the €315 billion European Fund for Strategic Investments, often referred to as the Juncker Plan.

That cut in the Horizon 2020 budget is still a sore spot for researchers. The windfall would come at the expense of regional development, with the cohesion programme standing to lose some of its financing. In addition, some of the money would come from reserves.

The €400 million boost for Horizon 2020 is part of a €6.3 billion package of extra funding for programmes relating to jobs and growth and to work in the areas of migration, security and external border control.

The proposals must be agreed by the European Parliament and the EU member states, with the Commission hopeful most of the negotiations can be completed before the end of the year.

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