18 June 2020 | Position

Research, innovation and education hold the key to Europe’s long-term recovery and resilience

The European Commission’s new proposal for the next seven-year budget of the European Union together with the Next Generation EU recovery plan falls short of much needed investment in research, innovation and education.


Excellent research, strong innovation ecosystems and inclusive and sustainable higher education have never been more crucial to the EU’s future resilience. When comparing to the latest discussions held in February 2020, the Commission has proposed increasing both the Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ programmes, which are core instruments for universities to contribute to the effort. The increases, however, are not enough to meet even the needs that existed before the Covid-19 crisis. This EUA position outlines where the EU must invest to fulfill its ambitions of fostering the green and digital transitions, piloting new forms of transnational collaboration, structuring the future of the European Research and Education Areas, and supporting reform development in the European Higher Education Area.

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