UK government calls for R&D to get an increased share of the EU budget

EU research and innovation programmes should continue to receive a high - and ideally an increased proportion - of the future EU budget. But the budget needs to be re-prioritised to focus on sustainable growth and should be smaller overall, says the UK government in a position paper setting out its views on Europe’s R&D spending from 2014 – 2019.

Future EU funding should concentrate on research programmes that demonstrate excellence and added-value, and should address global challenges as well as developing new technologies.

The Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts called for a focus on issues including climate change, food security and the ageing population. “EU funding should also drive innovation and place a greater emphasis on areas such as information and communications technology, biotechnology and nanotechnology that have the potential to meet these challenges head on,” he said.

The position paper comes in response to the European Commission’s Green Paper, “From Challenges to Opportunities: Towards a Common Strategic Framework for EU Research and Innovation Funding,” published in February 2011.

Funding for EU research and innovation from 2014: a UK perspective: http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/science/docs/f/11-901-funding-eu-research-innovation-from-2014.