HomeNews & EventsEuroTech Universities Alliance Statement on the European Commission’s EFSI proposal

EuroTech Universities Alliance Statement on the European Commission’s EFSI proposal

09 February 2015

Clear evidence is needed that EFSI will not damage European Research and Innovation

Today, the EuroTech Universities Alliance expresses its views on the European Commission’s EFSI proposal. Whilst welcoming the Commission proposal’s aim to create jobs, the EuroTech Universities insist that the final decision on EFSI must include regular, transparent and evidence based tests to evaluate whether the transfer of funds from H2020 to EFSI is a genuinely positive sum game for European research and innovation.

The EuroTech Universities’ statement (please see full statement here: EuroTech Universities Alliance Statement on European Commission’s EFSI proposal) highlights concern that a significant part of EFSI will be funded by transferring resources allocated to H2020. The statement calls for a clear and transparent rationale for distributing the cuts across H2020, especially in view of the relatively high penalization of research and innovation addressing societal challenges. The EuroTech Universites especially regret the highly disproportionate reduction proposed for the EIT’s budget.

The EuroTech Universities Alliance welcomes the EFSI proposal’s focus on increasing access to financing for SMEs and requests that this access should include university start-ups which are essential drivers of a competitive SME sector in Europe. While the Alliance supports the priority accorded to infrastructure projects, this should include ‘knowledge’ infrastructures.

The EuroTech Universities Alliance calls on Parliament and Council to ensure that robust and transparent mechanisms are fully integrated within EFSI in relation to research and innovation. This will contribute to EFSI projects’ success as well as reassure stakeholders and citizens alike that the future of Europe’s research is safe in its leaders’ hands.