Extra €10.9bn proposed for R&D programme is welcomed, but falls short of expectations
Research leaders have welcomed the boost for research and innovation funding suggested by the European Commission in its revised 2021-27 EU budget proposal, but some expressed disappointment, confusion and concern about the precise nature of the allocations.
Under proposals unveiled by Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on 27 May, the overall EU budget would be about €1.1 trillion and would sit alongside a new instrument for funding the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, called Next Generation EU, which would be worth about €750 billion.