39 Amendments of Paolo BORCHIA related to 2024/2109(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1735 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on establishing a framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s net-zero technology manufacturing ecosystem and amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 1a; _________________ 1a OJ L, 2024/1735, 28.6.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1735/oj
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/795 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 February 2024 establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), and amending Directive 2003/87/EC and Regulations (EU) 2021/1058, (EU) 2021/1056, (EU) 2021/1057, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) 2021/1060, (EU) 2021/523, (EU) 2021/695, (EU) 2021/697 and (EU) 2021/241 1a; _________________ 1a OJ L, 2024/795, 29.2.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/795/oj
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 c (new)
Citation 8 c (new)
– having regard to the complementary funding programme to Horizon Europe covering nuclear research and innovation “Euratom Research and Training Programme (2021–2025)”;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 d (new)
Citation 8 d (new)
– having regard to the European Commission Report “Horizon Europe and SMEs” of July 2024;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas SMEs in the EU-27 are the backbone of the economy, representing 98.9 per cent of enterprises in the EU's non-financial business economy; whereas the resources allocated to SMEs within the Horizon Europe Programme 2021-2027 in the first three years are around 20% of the overall budget, according to the European Commission’s July 2024 Report “Horizon Europe and SMEs”; whereas the European Innovation Council (EIC) has achieved the set goal of allocating 70% of the budget to SMEs;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the participation of all EU universities and companies, as well as their possibility to apply for funding in Horizon Europe is of fundamental importance to bridge the innovation gap and to maximise Europe's potential, wherever it comes from;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas creating a favourable environment for young researchers, to retain and attract talents within the European Union, is capital for the future of competitiveness;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas funding for R&D is essential for the development of net-zero technologies; whereas nuclear energy, in particular, represents an important component of the future energy mix;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas the Euratom Research and Training Programme 2021-2025, the complementary funding programme to Horizon Europe covering nuclear research and innovation, consists of a budget of €1.38 billion to implement the new programme for the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025, with direct and indirect actions, utilizing the same instruments and rules for participation as Horizon Europe;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 a (new)
Subheading 1 a (new)
Observations on the participation of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Notes that the resources allocated to SMEs within the Horizon Europe Programme 2021-2027 in the first three years are around 20% of the overall budget; Observes that, despite the portion of Horizon funds being allocated to SMEs and the EIC having met its target for funds allocation to these, the overall participation of the category remains lower compared to Horizon 2020 and, in general, compared to the number of potentially interested and eligible SMEs; Underlines, therefore, that there are still untapped potentials and administrative barriers to be overcome in order to ensure greater participation of a wider range of subjects;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Regrets that there have been negative experiences with the implementation of HEU because the shift from H2020 to HEU has mostly been experienced as an increase in complexity and bureaucracy, especially for financial reporting ; underlines that the success rates in some parts of the programme are still so low as to discourage potentially excellent applications; considers that the high cost of strategic planning (due to increased complexity, time and resources invested, as well as slowed-down implementation of the framework programme (FP)) is not compensated by any substantial benefits;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the importance of an agile FP; notes that the Heitor report outlines the importance of responding to the fast-changing field of science and innovation and recommends more self- governance in the FP through the establishment of councils as well as less prescriptive calls; recalls that the Draghi report notes that the current governance of the FP is slow and bureaucratic, that its organisation should be redesigned to be more outcome-based and evaluated by top experts, preferably coming from Universities and public research institutes, and that the future FP should be governed by people with a proven track record at the frontier of research or innovation;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes with concern that according to Council Implementing Decision 2022/2056 the entities maintained by Hungarian public interest trust foundations, including 21 Hungarian universities, cannot receive direct EU funding, including Horizon Europe funds, thus, other than consortia members, they are excluded from Horizon Europe participation;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses the importance of greater reciprocity in association agreements with third countries to give European entities, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, equivalent access to the research programmes of associated third countries;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls for greater consideration to be given to the risks to economic security, particularly when entities from associated and non-associated third countries are involved; stresses, in this regard, the importance of effective monitoring and restriction tools in order to protect the Union’s strategic interests, particularly in the critical technology and infrastructure sectors;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Calls for better use of the tools for adjusting the financial contributions of associated countries in the event of a significant imbalance as regards the amount that the entities established in the associated country receive for participating in the programme;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is deeply convinced that EU spending on science, research and innovation is the best investment in our common European future and for increasing competitiveness through strengthening of the European Research Council and EIC, ensuring their independence, well aware that research is the fuel for future innovation; agrees with Mr Draghi that all public R&D spending in the EU should be better coordinated at EU level and that a reformed and strengthened FP is crucial in achieving this; emphasises the importance of R&I in reducing EU's productivity gap with competing economies, in particular U.S. and China; underlines the existing weaknesses in the research sector, such as insufficient funding, inefficient public investment, fragmented regulatory framework, limited academic excellence and innovation clusters, and underdeveloped capital markets;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Considers, in line with the Draghi and Heitor reports, that the State aid rules are very complex and adversely affecting innovations, and that a comprehensive simplification is needed;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Welcomes the implementation of the EIC, where mixed financing and investment in technology companies with global ambitions contribute to European competitiveness;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Points out that the Euratom Research and Training Programme still has limited funds, especially to finance actions on nuclear fission;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Notes with concern that the European Commission has not succeeded in communicating clearly which entities are eligible to participate in HEU, which has led to misunderstandings and further complexities in the R&I community;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Notes that the European Partnerships have been achieving their purpose, however, the implementation aspect still needs to be improved, especially with regard to administrative and financial management by the European Commission;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Supports the need to back young researchers and the Heitor report’s urgent call to introduce a ‘Choose Europe’ co- funding line and to turn the current ‘European brain drain’ into a ‘brain gain’ by 2035, noting that this should be considered a major and unique opportunity for Europe following the recent US election and should therefore be implemented urgently from 2025including by increasing funding to Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Recommends that the Commission, following constructive negotiations with all stakeholders concerned, immediately presents a proposal revising Council Implementing Decision 2022/2056, as it is our collective interest is to ensure the participation of all EU universities and companies in the HEU;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls for FP10 to be a stand-alone and independent EU programme dedicated to EU research excellence, with a substantially higher budget that is sufficient for achieving the 3 % GDP spending target and for funding at least 75 % of the excellent proposals submitted; recommends that FP10 focus on three core objectives: (i) advancing the European Research Area (ERA) with specific measures that address regional disparities and support under-represented Member States in their innovation capacities, (ii) creating a European competition of ideas, and (iii) supporting the development of strategic technologies and strategic, large- scale collaborative research initiatives; recommends that FP10 be structured in three parts, each addressing one of the three core objectives; (iv) supporting the Research Infrastructures (RIs) and Technological Infrastructures (TIs) in the European Union;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Highlights the need to build a program that addresses bureaucratic complexity, considering the costs and resources required to remain competitive, and the uncertainty regarding projects’ approval and funding timelines;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Stresses the importance of building a programme suitable to break down administrative barriers and to ensure a more meaningful participation of SMEs;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Proposes to guarantee effective support for all types of innovation, so as to include forms of incremental innovation; suggests, to this end, that FP10 should be complemented by a new instrument specifically structured to respond more adequately to the needs of Micro and Small Enterprises and support their participation, through support for schemes dedicated to essential development phases; calls for support for funding schemes aimed at the involvement of MSMEs and led by research centres or universities, as well as for the creation and strengthening of concrete synergies with national and regional schemes to support Micro-SMEs innovation;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – introductory part
Paragraph 15 – introductory part
15. Recommends that the Commission ensure user-oriented, accessible, science- led, effective and efficient implementation of the programme, including by:
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – point a – point i
Paragraph 15 – point a – point i
i. be oriented towards facilitatingvalorisation of the best science and innovation and towards synergies among businesses, Universities and public institutions;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – point a – point ii
Paragraph 15 – point a – point ii
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – point a – point iii
Paragraph 15 – point a – point iii
iii. contribute to EU priorities and policy objectives, but on the terms of science and innovation rather than on the terms of policymakers;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – point a – point iv a (new)
Paragraph 15 – point a – point iv a (new)
iva. be based on pooling resources and expanding industrial access to overcome barriers, particularly the “middle- technology trap”;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Affirms that FP10 should strengthen the network of RIs, supporting their long-term sustainability and transnational access, recognising their role as pivotal locations for science and innovation; recommends developing the ecosystem of research infrastructures in European Union;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Urges the Commission to design the part of FP10 on strategic deployment such that it focuses on a limited number of pan- European research initiatives, taking into account the scientific experts, industry opinions and lessons learned from the implementation of Horizon Europe, with 2040 set as the time horizon and which require cross-border collaboration due to the scale and complexity of the issue in question; believes that this part should consider that these initiatives could take the form of societal missions which address socio-economic and/or ecological challenges, technology missions to accelerate the development of strategic technologies in Europe, or joint undertakings to secure joint investments by industry, Member States and the EU to support research-based competitiveness and the resilience of key sectors in the European economy; believes that all of these initiatives should receive a budget of between EUR 2.5 and 5 billion;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Agrees on the remarks of the Heitor report’s that states that addressing societal challenges through research and innovation is essential both for the ability to tackle these challenges and for safeguarding societal acceptance and democratizing science, since they represent an opportunity to empower citizens and regions, increase European well-being, resilience, inclusiveness, and competitiveness. In many cases, they must engage industry, to address challenges effectively and because they provide significant business opportunities. For example, by improving mental health, together with preventing cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, private and public sectors will benefit from healthy citizens, boosting economic productivity and wellbeing. Research and innovation are a fundamental part of the European fabric and society and as such have a fundamental responsibility to address societal challenges; Requests to the European Commission to take into account these ideas at the design of the FP10 Programme;
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Affirms the importance of consolidating and strengthening funding for the achievement of technology neutrality; is convinced that actions related to the development of strategic technologies, as set out in the Net-Zero Industry Act, in particular nuclear technology, should be covered under the new FP10;
Amendment 330 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Affirms that FP10 should continue supporting actions to promote health and to fight against cardiovascular diseases that are the number one cause of death in the EU; therefore considers that cardiovascular diseases should be included as one of the missions of the future Framework Programme and to create a European Cardiovascular Diseases Plan;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Notes that to date many funding lines are not accessible when it comes to nuclear R&D; believes, in this regard, that the funds currently available under Euratom Research and Training Programme should be increased and be accessible to a wider range of subjects;