• European Commission Research and Innovation

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20 February 2011This Green Paper launched in February 2011 initiated a public debate on the key issues to be taken into account for future EU research and innovation funding programmes. Specific proposals for funding programmes are due to be adopted by the end of 2011.

These programmes will be part of the Commission's proposals for the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) presented in June 2011.

The research, business, government and civil society communities and citizens are called upon to engage in this important debate. Delivering on the widely supported Europe 2020 objectives of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth depends on research and innovation as key drivers of social and economic prosperity and of environmental sustainability. This is why the European Union has set itself, in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy, the objective to increase spending on R&D to reach 3 % GDP by 2020.

The Innovation Union flagship initiative advocates a strategic and integrated approach to research and innovation. This sets the framework and objectives to which future EU research and innovation funding should contribute, based on the provisions of the Treaties. The Council called for future EU funding programmes to focus more on Europe 2020 priorities, address societal challenges and key technologies, facilitate collaborative and industry-driven research, streamline the instruments, radically simplify access, reduce time to market and further strengthen excellence.

The Budget Review put forward key principles which should underpin the future EU budget: focussing on instruments with proven European added value, becoming more results-driven and leveraging other public and private sources of funding. The Budget Review proposed that the full range of EU instruments for research and innovation work together in a Common Strategic Framework. At its meeting on 4 February 2011, the European Council discussed innovation and supported the concept of the Common Strategic Framework to improve the efficiency of research and innovation funding at national and EU levels. This Green Paper identifies key questions on how to achieve these ambitious objectives. While this Green Paper focuses on research and innovation, there are important links to other EU programmes, as identified in the Budget Review, and notably with the future Cohesion policy Funds and Education programmes.

Related links

Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF)

Blog on the Green Paper consultation

A summary analysis ( 562 KB) June 2011, of the consultation, based on written responses and around 1300 online questionnaires that were submitted by interested individuals, companies, research institutes and citizens.