The expert group set up by the European Commission to advise on the next research and innovation framework programme has recommended a major overhaul of the EU’s funding instruments.
The report calls for the creation of an independent Industrial Competitiveness and Technology Council and a European Societal Challenges Council to guide collaborative research. This would mean that the bulk of the next programme, Framework Programme 10 or FP10, would be managed outside the Commission.
The group also calls for the overall R&D and innovation budget to be increased from the current €93.5 billion to €220 billion in order to restore Europe’s competitiveness. They also recommend greater cooperation at global level (including with China) or an overhaul of the Commission’s grant management procedures.
