Report suggests lack of schemes for near-miss EU proposals

Commission says recognising Seals of Excellence still voluntary, but recommends member states do more

Many EU member states lack schemes for funding proposed research and innovation projects that the bloc considered to be high quality but was unable to fund due to a lack of budget, a European Commission report has suggested.

The EU awards a quality stamp called the Seal of Excellence to such proposals. The certificates are intended to signal to national, regional and other funders that project proposals might deserve their support.