It’s not that simple

Simplification costs; is the price worth paying?

Almost as soon as the first Framework programme got under way, in 1984, participants complained that the process of applying was too complicated.

With only 11 member states and a budget, in today’s terms, of €3.8 billion, its administration should have been straightforward. But Framework 1 launched in the middle of the UK’s struggle to secure a rebate on its EU budget contributions. With UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher clamouring for better monitoring of EU spending, the days when applicants could spend grants with minimum oversight were ending.