In a letter to the Presidency of the EU and the European Commission, Ivars Ijabs and his colleagues in the EP Committee on Industry, Research and Energy are calling for increased investment into research and innovation from the national envelopes of the European structural and recovery funds. 
Increased R&I investments from these funds is especially important in the light of cuts to the proposed budget of Horizon Europe programme that were made by the European Council last month. 
Upon Ijabs’ initiative, 11 members from the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy of the European Parliament reemphasized the need for increased European funding for R&I.

Full letter here:

Anja Karliczek
Minister of Education and Research
Federal Republic of Germany
Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Mariya Gabriel
European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth

4 August 2020

Dear Minister Karliczeck,
Dear Commissioner Gabriel,

A successful European recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, as well as achievement of the EU strategic goals such as the European Green Deal and digital transition depend on our capacity to ensure our leadership in research and innovation. Therefore we are writing to you to express our deep concern about the future of innovation and science in the European Union, and the long-term adverse effects of underinvestment in this area on the global competitiveness of the EU. 

We regret the decision of the European Council to allocate to Horizon Europe only €80.9 billion (including €5 billion from Next Generation EU funds) that amounts only to roughly two thirds of the research and innovation funding that was called for by the European Parliament. Equally regrettable is the missed opportunity to scale up education funding, with the total amount for Erasmus+ limited to €21.2 billion, far from the original Commission proposal of €24.6 billion.

We are all aware of the long-standing and unfulfilled commitment of the EU member states to invest 3% of GDP in Research and Innovation (R&I). In 2018, spending on R&I in the EU was still barely 2% of GDP. In comparison, the OECD average stood at 2.4%, while China spent 2.2% and the US 2.8% of their GDP. Declining investment in R&I thus puts the EU at a disadvantage on the global stage, and will have an impact on European competitiveness, depriving it of the added value provided by innovation.

Hence, investment in research should be prioritised in the national recovery plans to access the grants of the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Investment in research and innovation should be encouraged in negotiating the national investment programmes under the European structural and investment funds. We therefore encourage the Commission to set guidelines for future projects and monitor the implementation of these initiatives, to ensure the EU meets its long-term objectives and guarantee its position at the cutting edge of innovation and science globally. 

Beyond the economic consequences of underinvestment, adequate funding for research and innovation is crucial to achieve the strategic objectives of the EU, including the European Green Deal which aims at climate neutrality by 2050. The COVID-19 pandemic has also shown that there is a need to strengthen European technological sovereignty. These goals require substantial investment and strengthened scientific cooperation in Europe, which can only be achieved by a common European understanding about the importance of investment in research and innovation. 

We would like to reiterate the position of the European Parliament which in its Resolution of 23 July 2020 the European Parliament stated that it does not accept the political agreement on the 2021-2027 MFF as it stands and reaffirmed its commitment to improve it in the negotiations with the Council. 

We believe that a strong commitment of member states to foster investment in research and innovation through the Recovery and Resilience Facility would facilitate reaching an agreement between the co-legislators on Multiannual Financial Framework and the programmes for the period of 2021-2027.

Sincerely yours,

Ivars Ijabs (Renew Europe)
Susana Solís Pérez (Renew Europe)
Iskra Mihaylova (Renew Europe)
Andris Ameriks (S&D)
Christian Ehler (EPP)
Romana Jerković (S&D)
Eva Kaili (S&D)
Łukasz Kohut (S&D)
Leopoldo López Gil (EPP)
Tsvetelina Penkova (S&D)
Maria Spyraki (EPP)
Patrizia Toia (S&D)
Members of the European Parliament, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy