EU budget negotiations may slash Horizon 2020 funding

By Jan Petter Myklebust. Negotiations in Brussels last week on the European Union’s (EU) long-term budget for 2014-20 could mean a total budget for the Horizon 2020 research programme of €69 billion (US$92 billion) – far short of the €80 billion proposed by the European Commission late last year. During European Council negotiations in Brussels on 8-9 February, the budget for the EU for 2014-20 was proposed by President Heman van Rompuy, with a ceiling of 1% of the gross national index of all 27 EU member states. This would mean a cap at €960 billion – as against €972 billion proposed by Van Rompuy in November – and, adjusted for inflation, a cut in spending to €908 billion. Read more...