EURAB urges scientific community to lobby ministers on FP7 budget

Brussels, 06 Jun 2005

The head of the European Research Advisory Board (EURAB) has written to research organisations across Europe, urging them to put pressure on their governments to preserve the proposed increased budget for the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The letter comes in the run up to the European Council on 16 and 17 June, where key decisions on the EU budget for 2007 to 2013 are expected to be made.

The European Commission had proposed doubling the research budget for the next framework programme - FP7 - but this is dependent upon the overall EU budget increasing. Reluctance by some countries to increase their contributions to the EU's funds means that the proposed FP7 budget of 72.73 billion euro is looking increasingly unlikely.

'The contradiction between what governments say in favour of research and how they act must be confronted,' writes EURAB Chair Helga Nowotny. 'Research and innovation in Europe will only be able to contribute to meeting the global challenges ahead if research and innovation are seen as investment into Europe's future.'

A reduction to the proposed budget would be a 'severe blow to the goal of sustainable knowledge-based growth', writes Professor Nowotny, and would 'engender dismal consequences for research and innovation in Europe'.

The letter therefore urges Europe's research community to take immediate action: 'The research community in Europe, whether in academia or industry, needs to join forces with national and European research organisations, academies of science, associations of universities and national and European industrial organisations.' Professor Nowotny advises approaching prime ministers, and ministers responsible for research, trade and industry, and finance, 'with the strongest possible plea that, whatever the outcome of the discussions on the total budget of the European Union may be, the budget for research and innovation, as proposed in the Seventh Framework Programme, should be maintained as being of vital importance for the future of Europe.'

Professor Nowotny also notes the importance of involving the media in the debate on Europe's research budget, writing that if the media is fully informed, it will be able to help secure the 'future of Europe'.

In its paper on the budget for FP7, EURAB lists eight reasons why the doubling of available funding is necessary. Rationales include the leverage effect that EU funding has on national and private research investment and enabling cohesion between the new and older EU Member States.

The paper also notes the low success rates for the submitted project proposals and claims that many high quality proposals are being turned away due to a lack of funds. 'These missed opportunities for Europe need to be decreased,' states EURAB.

The advisory board also points to the increasing need for facilities and equipment that has accompanied scientific development. The costs of this infrastructure often exceed what is available nationally, and necessitate European co-funding and international access.

For further information on EURAB, please visit:
http:///europa.eu.int/comm/research/eurab /index_en.html

To follow discussions on FP7, please visit:
http://www.cordis.lu/fp7/

CORDIS RTD-NEWS / © European Communities
Item source: http:///dbs.cor dis.lu/cgi-bin/srchidadb?C ALLER=NHP_EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=&RCN= EN_RCN_ID:239 Previous Item Back to Titles Print Item