On 13 January 2015, the Commission published a proposal for a regulation on the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI). It proposes to redirect a total of EUR 2 700 million of the funding allocated to Horizon 2020 to the EFSI.
The Commission states that the multiplier effect generated by the EFSI will allow for a significant overall increase of investment in the policy areas covered by Horizon 2020.
Experts have however voiced concerns that the redirection of funds will undermine the EU’s ability to conduct innovation-enabling research, which is crucial for achieving long-term strategic goals and improving quality of life in the EU.
1. What steps does the Commission intend to take to reverse disinvestment in universities' higher-education and research activities, which is taking place in a significant number of EU Member states according to the annual Public Funding Observatory published by the European University Association (EUA), and which risks being further aggravated by the Horizon 2020 funding cuts?
2. Does the Commission intend to take any steps to ensure that universities are not disadvantaged in the selection of projects under the EFSI, which are expected to be ‘market-oriented and demand driven’?
3. In particular, what role, if any, does the Commission intend to assign to scientific experts for managing the EFSI?