EU research and innovation funding

EU research and innovation funding – immediate changes to cut red tape for  researchers and SMEs

 

 

Research and Innovation are at the core of the EU’s Europe 2020 strategy for growth and jobs as set out under the Innovation Union flagship initiative. A pre-requisite for delivering the best results is that research programmes are highly attractive and accessible to researchers, European industry and entrepreneurs, universities and other research and innovation actors. This requires clarity of objectives and instruments, consistency and stability of rules, and lightness and speed of administrative procedures. The improvement adopted will feed through into better research results, achieved more efficiently, and lead to new products and services that will create new sources of growth and jobs.

 

Over 25 years, the scope and budget of the EU’s Research Framework Programme has expanded significantly. A number of different rules and administrative procedures were developed to optimise European effort in research, but participation in EU-funded projects became more complex.

What are the main changes being made now?

Hungary has taken over the presidency of the European Union

The Hungarian Presidency wishes to work along four priorities during the first half of   2011  Their four key priorities include:

1. Growth and employment for preserving the European model

The changes in Europe due to the economic crisis over the past year have presented great challenges to the sustainability of the Union’s current economic model.This priority seeks to emphasize and promote growth to maintain/improve the situation.

2. Stronger Europe

Securing access to food, energy, and water is a fundamental concern of the Hungarian Presidency.

3. Citizen friendly Union

Reaffirming the cultural diversity and focusing on issues which affect the daily lives of  European citizens is a critical aim that Hungary seeks to highlight during its tenure.

4. Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy

Hungary is supporting the introduction of Croatia into the EU and looking at the various ways to improve relations with nearby Eastern European states.

During this period a total of 250 events will be held, including one accentuated event, the Oriental Partnership meeting, 18 ministerial informal meetings, 10 ministerial conferences, 60-70 high-ranking events and meetings of experts.

Calendar of the Hungarian Presidency:  http://www.eu2011.hu/files/bveu/documents/HU_PRES_calendar_2020101201.pdf

More updated information about the Presidency can be seen at the portal: www.eu2011.hu