EU-LIFE urges the EU leaders currently gathered for an historical European Council summit to adopt a long-term vision on the EU’s next seven-year budget

EU-LIFE urges the EU leaders currently gathered for an historical European Council summit to adopt a long-term vision on the EU’s next seven-year budget. Last week, EU Council President Charles Michel announced a new proposal for the EU’s next seven-year budget foreseeing €89.4 billion for Horizon Europe, €5 billion under the European Commission’s latest proposal. This proposal results in a much less ambitious program than expected and endangers the capability of the EU to tackle future global challenges and safety for Europe.

In the midst of unprecedented crisis & wide recognition science is the only way out to challenges like a pandemic.  As mentioned by Marta Agostinho, EU-LIFE Coordinator, “whenever a new global crisis arises, we all look at science for solutions, because we know that existing solutions for past crises such as AIDS resulted from discovery-driven research.” That is why a strong Horizon Europe budget is essential to ensure that discovery-driven research has the necessary resources in Europe.

EU-LIFE declares therefore its full support to European Research Council (ERC), one of the most outstanding emblem of the European excellence in research. We strongly support the ERC Scientific Council statement  regretting the cuts predicted in Charles Michel plan  and warning that science and innovation would stagnate for the first time in the history of the European Union if this proposal is approved.
 

Read related EU-LIFE statement "How to ensure Health safety in Europe?"