Florin Zubașcu

The largest piece of EU science infrastructure in Eastern Europe is also the first to be built – at a cost of €300M - with structural funds. Money was not an issue, but rules for constructing roads and railways don’t work for research facilities

Farmers will be compensated for cuts of 5% to direct subsidies by an increased investment in research that will bring agriculture into the digital age, reducing inputs, boosting productivity and improving food safety

MEPs and research lobby groups say €100 billion is good but not enough. Parliament ‘will fight’ for €120 billion.

The new rules would enable researchers to access structural funds for projects when Framework programme R&D funding is not available

The European Commission is looking to build synergies between different sources of funding. A joint workshop of Science|Business and the European University Association came up with 6 ideas

Stakeholders are urging the European Commission to improve regulations and funding mechanisms for research infrastructures. It is not enough to fund their construction, operating costs must be covered to ensure long term viability  

Court of Auditors says legal complexity of Horizon 2020 is creating risk. The regulations, rules, guidelines, procedures and processes must be further simplified in the successor Framework Programme 9

East-West debate over research funding intensifies, as papers urge a new look at EU geography and pay rules

A report by the European Parliament’s science and technology options assessment panel calls for the Commission and member states to put more effort into bridging the geographical divide in research and innovation