Earlier this month, MEPs from EPP Group sent a letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, pleading with them to reject the drastic cuts to European research funds, as part of an agreement on the budget for Horizon Europe. This letter is an initiative of MEPs Sven Simon, Christian Ehler and Christian Doleschal, together with a number of EU scientists, and was signed by 45 other MEPs.

On 10 November, the European Parliament and the EU member states announced having reached a deal on the multiannual budget for Horizon Europe: €1.8 trillion will be allocated for the 2021-2027 research budget. This budget will also cover the coronavirus recovery fund. In total, €4 billion were added since the most recent budget talks.

This political agreement aims to reinforce Horizon Europe, but also other EU programmes, such as EU4Health, with an additional €3.4 billion, and Erasmus+, which went up by €2.2 billion.

This agreement marks the end of lengthy debates on the budget for the next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

We invite you to read more about it here.

Sources:

• https://www.eppgroup.eu/newsroom/news/plea-to-von-der-leyen-and-merkel-to-save-european-innovation
• https://www.eppgroup.eu/newsroom/news/if-we-mess-this-up-we-are-putting-our-future-at-stake