Six MEPs are urging the committee charged with drawing up the European Parliament’s position on the EU budget from 2014 – 2020 for a near-doubling of spending on research and innovation, from the €52.5 billion funding available under the current Framework Programme 7 (FP7) to €100 billion.
The demand comes in the form of a motion submitted within the EU Parliament’s Policy Challenges Committee (more usually referred to as the SURE committee). SURE was set up in July 2010 with a one year mandate to prepare the Parliament’s common position on how and where Europe should spend its money in the next five year budget cycle beginning in 2014.
Such a hefty budget request could meet a frosty reception in Europe’s current political climate – and indeed, in December several European leaders sent a letter to Commission President Barroso urging budgetary restraint. British Prime Minister David Cameron said at the time, “All around Europe, countries are tightening their belts to deal with their deficits. Europe cannot be immune from that. We want to see real budgetary restraint for 2014-20.” The letter was also signed by the German, French, Dutch and Finnish leaders.
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Author: Peter Koekoek
