Reaction to the European Commission’s proposal for the EU’s multi-annual Financial Framework for 2021-2027 – from global development NGO Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung (DSW)
On Research and Horizon Europe:
“We had hoped that the EU would show more ambition when it came to Europe’s research agenda. Expanding the EU research budget from €80 to €97.9 billion means there’s no guarantee that the EU will be properly tooled up in to fight the major societal challenges we face in the next decade. The Parliament, researchers, and civil society had called for a budget proposal of at least €120 billion to meet the EU’s objectives, and today’s proposal falls disappointingly short of expectations.
“It’s going to be even more important now where this money will be spent, that public funding is actually targeted to public health and wellbeing and other major societal challenges, and not to boosting private sector profits. This is where it has the potential for the greatest possible impact on the largest number of people. Merging societal challenges with industrial and private sector interests would be deleterious to the EU’s efforts to tackle global challenges effectively, for example in the area of health and, worryingly, this looks likely to happen under the proposal released today. We will continue to bring this message forcefully to Commissioner Moedas and the rest of the Commission over the next month.”
On external financing and EU development funding:
“It’s a relief to see that, at first glance, it looks like funding has not been adversely affected by Brexit or other budget reallocation issues. But the devil is in the detail, as always, and that detail will emerge only when the Commission publishes its full proposal next month. Will the budget focus on migration and the security agenda? Or, will the Commission live up to the EU’s Consensus for Development and the commitments it has made as part of the Sustainable Development Goals – putting issues of human rights, gender equality, and womens’ economic empowerment at the centre of EU action in the next decade?”
– Cécile Vernant, Head of EU office, Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung (DSW)
Contact details:
Eoghan Walsh
Communications Officer
Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung (DSW)
Avenue des Arts 43 | 1040 Brussels | Belgium
T: +32 (0) 2 504 90 66 | Mob: +32 (0) 485 399 443
eoghan.walsh@dsw.org | www.dsw.org
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