Mixed long-term outlook for EU research funding

The European Commission expects to spend more money on the Framework programme in future, but less on developing regions through cohesion funds, which also support research and innovation.

The Commission set out its thoughts on the future of EU finances, particularly in light of the UK’s impending departure from the bloc, in a ‘reflection paper’ published today. Brexit will reduce the EU budget by a minimum of €10 billion per year, and funding defence and security could double this shortfall, the budget commissioner Günther Oettinger said in an accompanying article. 

A combination of new sources of funding and cuts to existing budget lines will be needed to close this shortfall, Oettinger said on Twitter. Cohesion funding, as well as agriculture, “cannot be excluded” from these cuts, he said, although neither he nor the reflection paper said which areas of EU cohesion spending might be cut.