RESEARCH : HORIZON 2020: GEOGHEGAN-QUINN REVIEWS NEGOTIATIONS.

• Position: Maire Geoghegan-Quinn - Brief article

Research Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn reviewed, on 19 March, in the European Parliament's Committee on Research (ITRE), the negotiations under way between Parliament, the Council and the Commission on the future Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) framework programme for research and innovation. Commenting first on the European Council's agreement on the next multiannual financial framework, Geoghegan-Quinn estimated the budget for Horizon 2020 at around 70 billion. This is a long way from the 80 billion initially proposed by the Commission, but is nevertheless a 25% increase over the budget allocated to the current R&D framework programme, she said.

On the negotiations under way, the commissioner singled out the still contentious issue of the simplification of rules of participation. With this subject set to be discussed in next month's three-way talks, rapporteur Christian Ehler...