Thursday, 26 February 2015 22:56

EU Rectors' Conferences see EU research in danger Featured

In a today's press release,  a merger of several European academic conferences from France, UK, Netherlands and Germany warns of the consequences of a funding reduction for the EU project "Horizon 2020".

The protest is directed against plans of the European Commission to cut the European research program "Horizon 2020" by around euro 2,7 billion. Financial resources thereby released are planned to provide the new "European Fund Strategic investments"(EFSI). The fund should mobilize private investment in the euro zone and so the economy should be boosted.

Therefore the European representatives of the European academic conferences demand now that the cuts for "Horizon 2020" should be cancelled.  In particular the research excellence research that will not benefit from the EFSI funds has to remain untouched.

In fact there already exists a fund in "Horizon 2020" that pursues the same objectives as EFSI to gain private capital to support projects in the field of research and innovation by guarantees from public EU funds. "What would have been closer than to transfer these funds, which are - by the way - exactly 2.7 billion euros - and successfully tested instruments to the new fund? "said Prof. Dr. Horst Hippler, President of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) in the today's press release. "But this is not planned in the Commission proposal.

The initiators fear that the cuts are at the expense of education, research and innovation and that especially the universities will be not considered.

Additional Information:
http://www.hrk.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/pressemitteilung/meldung/rektorenkonferenzen-warnen-forschungsstandort-europa-in-gefahr-3651/
http://www.cpu.fr/actualite/common-joint-statement-from-the-hrk-cpu-universities-uk-on-the-juncker-plan/