Final agreement on €79bn EU Horizon 2020 research programme will boost jobs and innovation

Minister for Research and Innovation, Seán Sherlock TD welcomed today’s (Thursday) final vote in the European Parliament in favour of Horizon 2020.

The Minister said: “This vote allows for Horizon 2020 to begin on time in 2014. This €79 billion programme presents tremendous opportunities for Irish researchers and companies and has many new features and includes an increased focus and support for SMEs. We need to be ambitious in ensuring that we maximise our drawdown of productive, job creating funds. Irish researchers and industry can win over €1 billion from this fund.”

Welcoming the agreement, Minister Sherlock said: “The vote today by the European Parliament is a victory for Co-decision between the Council, comprising the Member States, and the European Parliament. I would like to congratulate the European Parliament Rapporteurs who negotiated on Horizon 2020. Also I congratulate Commissioner Máire Geoghehan-Quinn on her role in the negotiations.”

“As Chairman of the EU Council of Ministers during the Irish Presidency, I was glad that the tripartite negotiation between the Council, European Parliament and the European Commission secured the €79 billion package that the European Parliament has rubber stamped today”.

Following the European Parliament’s vote on the EU budget 2014 – 2020 earlier this week the funding allocation for Horizon 2020 is now confirmed. The total budget for Horizon 2020 is €79 billion in current prices equivalent to €70.2 billion in constant (2011) prices. This is a real increase of nearly 30% over the current Framework Programme, FP7.

In order to maximise Ireland’s potential drawdown and encourage more participation of the Irish research community and industry there will be a Horizon 2020 launch day on 10th December 2013 in the Convention Centre Dublin. EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn and her Commission colleagues will explain the new programme and the opportunities available. “I would particularly encourage those who have not participated in previous Framework Programmes to attend as there are real and new opportunities for funding available”, the Minister concluded.

Horizon 2020 is the new EU Framework Programme for research and innovation in Europe which will provide funding of €79 billion for research and innovation and boost jobs and growth across the European Union and in Ireland over the period 2014 – 2020. Today’s vote results from the political agreement on Horizon 2020 between the Council and the European Parliament which was secured by the Irish Presidency in June earlier this year.

The launch event, which is being organised by Enterprise Ireland, will also provide an opportunity for the research community and industry to meet the Irish network of European Advisors in the key research areas. For the full programme and to register for this free event please go to www.enterprise-ireland.com/horizon2020