EIC and ERC call for independence and substantial increase in budget

"It is vital that the budgets for the EIC and the ERC be increased to ensure substantial, attractive funding and more reasonable success rates for applicants. These budgets must be ringfenced in future EU R&I framework programme (FP10), even if included in an envisaged Competitiveness Fund", say the two European Councils in a joint statement on 26/03/2025.

"The ERC and the EIC, each with their own unique objectives, therefore offer complementary support to the European research and innovation ecosystem. This diversity is one of Europe’s strengths and should be reinforced", they add.

This statement comes against the backdrop of current discussions on the next MFF and, in particular, on the budget that will be allocated to research and innovation. Since 2024, stakeholders have been speaking out on this issue, calling for the envelope to be at least doubled. In October of the same year, the Commission's Directorate-General for Budget of the European Commission raised the possibility that the framework programme dedicated to research could be merged with other European programmes to…