65 Amendments of Lina GÁLVEZ related to 2024/2109(INI)
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas investments in R&D are essential for EU societal progress, innovation and competitiveness; whereas the report on the Future of European Competitiveness (the Draghi report) and the report by the Commission Expert Group on the Interim Evaluation of Horizon Europe (the Heitor report) recommended a budget for the 10th framework programme for research and innovation (FP10) of EUR 200 billion and EUR 220 billion respectively;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the Letta report proposes the establishment of a “Fifth Freedom” to encompass research, innovation and education as a new dimension of the Single Market as the four original freedoms are fundamentally based on 20th-century theoretical principals.
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Recalls that we are at a crucial moment for R&I, and President Ursula Von der Leyen stated that Europe needs to put “research and innovation at the heart of our economy” during the presentation of her program in the European Parliament in July 2024 for her second term as president of the European Commission.
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 a (new)
Paragraph -1 a (new)
-1a. Notes that the Draghi, Letta and Heitor reports put R&I in a central place to achieve European competitiveness and stress the urgency to act not to fall behind. Thus, a strong commitment is needed to achieve a future Framework Programme that constitutes a crucial contribution to the competitiveness of Europe and the well-being of the entire European project.
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the Draghi and the Heitor reports are a wake-up call for Europe to face global competition and the significant rise of Chinese science in recent years; welcomes the higher success rate of HEU compared to Horizon 2020 (H2020); appreciates HEU’s responsiveness in crises, such as COVID-19 and geopolitical challenges, but regrets not only the lack of additional funding but also the continuous funding cuts , which compromises original priorities; notes that national spending for research should not be cut with reference to EU research funding; highlights that a joint effort of European and national funding for research and innovation is needed;
Amendment 34 #
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; underlines that the success rates in some parts of the programme are still so low as to discourage potentially excellent applications;, especially from researchers of research institutions with smaller budgets and SMEs 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 38 #
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 and that the future FP should be governed by people with a proven track record at the frontier of research or innovation; notes that innovative ideas can not always be predicted and programmed and underlines the need for sufficient funding that is not pre-programmed in order to tap the full potential of developing innovation;
Amendment 66 #
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; 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; underlines that, in order to ensure a real added value, R&D spending should also be better coordinated at national level between member states; reiterates that the reformed fiscal rules exclude national co- funding of programmes funded by the Union to be excluded from its scope; calls on the Member States to make fully use of this possibility in order to boost EU research funding.
Amendment 70 #
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 societal progress and competitiveness; 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;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers that administrative simplification stagnated under HEU and might even have reversed, given that transaction costs rose significantly; underlines that simplification must be for the benefit of the applicants;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recalls that, while acknowledging concerns about the perceived complexity and bureaucracy of some Horizon Europe requirements, gender equality measures are a critical mechanism for fostering inclusivity, which in turn delivers higher excellence research results.
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that a large number of beneficiaries do not consider the introduction of lump-sum funding to be a simplificationthe introduction of lump- sum funding received different assessment from different beneficiaries; also notes that simplification efforts at EU level should be implemented with coherence at national level;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Underlines that research projects funded under Pillar 1 should adhere to the principle of ‘high risk/high gain’; suggests clarifying evaluation criteria to strictly ensure the realization of ‘high risk/high gain’ when evaluating research proposals; observes that ‘high risk’ also means employing new research methods; highlights the need for low-threshold applications in order to attract talent; suggests introducing a new anonymized evaluation method for individual research grants, according to which only research proposals are evaluated without considering the person of the applicant and the research institution s/he belongs to;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4 a (new)
Subheading 4 a (new)
7a. Asks for an adequate share of the budget for Pillar 1, amounting to at least 30% of the total programme’s budget, in line with the allocation in Horizon 2020.
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4 b (new)
Subheading 4 b (new)
7b. Supports the Letta report right to stay to avoid internal brain drain and the Heitor report initiative “Choose Europe” to foster research careers and turn the current “European Brain drain” into a “brain gain” by 2035. Notes that this pilot should be implemented from 2025 using the unique moment for Europe after the US elections.
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Concludes that Pillar 2 remains too complex; believes that the implementation of this pillar should be improved, simplified and streamlined; notes that the number of instruments involved, the unsuccessful implementation of missions, and the many budgetary shifts have resulted in unnecessary complexity which discourages applicants, and especially newcomers, from participating;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Concludes that Pillar 2 remains too complex; believes that the implementation of this pillar should be improved, simplified and streamlined; notes that the number of instruments involved, the unsuccessful implementation of missions, and the many budgetary shifts have resulted in unnecessary complexity which discourages applicants, and especially newcomers, from participating;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Suggests to use a modern concept of innovation and that comprehensively consider the various facets of innovation, for example, social innovation.
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6 a (new)
Subheading 6 a (new)
8c. Notes that EIT contributes to strengthening links between Higher Education and Business closing the ‘skills gap’ and that synergies should be explored with the academies introduced in recent EU legislation (e.g. Net Zero Industry Act, Critical Raw Materials Act, Cybersecurity Package).
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6 b (new)
Subheading 6 b (new)
8d. Moreover, highlights that the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) activities contribute to reducing the European innovation capacity divide. Recalls that more synergies to bridge the innovation divide should be created between the EIT and other actions such as the EU Preparatory Action 'Innovation for place-based transformation'1a _________________ 1a https://place-based- innovation.ec.europa.eu/projects- 0/preparatory-action-2024-2026_en
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6 c (new)
Subheading 6 c (new)
8b. Recognises the vital role of universities as drivers of place-based innovation.
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the fact that there has been an increase in the number of participants, from widening countries, in HEU; Acknowledges that the innovation divide persists despite a slight decrease in the disparities in innovation performance across Europe. Notes that Widening should be taken into account by region, not by member state.
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Notes that a thriving European innovation ecosystem requires strong and well-connected place-based innovation ecosystems. Better connected European innovation ecosystem will be essential for enhancing the competitiveness of Europe, its resilience and strategic autonomy. Collaboration among territorial ecosystems enables European regions to leverage their combined strengths to develop innovative solutions more efficiently. This collaboration also accelerates the commercialisation and scaling of technologies, bolstering the EU’s competitiveness also globally.
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls that the Commission communication entitled ‘EU Missions two years on: assessment of progress and way forward’ did not positively evaluate missions and concluded that missions had failed on core objectives such as crowding, hence their execution needs to be improved to fully access their potential to contribute to achieving climate-neutral cities by 2030 and on climate change adaptation in extgenernal funding;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls that the Commission communication entitled ‘EU Missions two years on: assessment of progress and way forward’ did not positively evaluate missions and concluded that missions had failed on core objectives such as crowding in external funding;concluded that missions need to improve their governance, impact and crowding in external funding to live up to the potential of the concept to tackle ambitious societal challenges.
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls on the Commission for a thorough evaluation of the missions, including their governance and impact, to assess the next steps and before new missions are introduced in FP10.
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Supports the Heitor Report call for the need to “elevate” the “political ownership” of the current (and future) Missions and Partnerships, in order to facilitate the coordination among different DG’s and national administrations, as well as to attract funding beyond the framework programme.
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10c. Highlights the need to strengthen the science communication role of the missions. This will bring research results closer to society and help address the challenge of mistrust in R&I, while simultaneously helping gain societal approval for public investments in R&I.
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that no significant changes have taken place in the implementation of the missions since the publication of the communication; concludes, therefore, that further funding of missions under the 2025, 2026 and 2027 work programmes would not be an effective use of the limited resourceremains availuable to HEU and should therefore be stopped; encourages the Commission to find funding for the continuation of missions in other parts of the EU budget and at national levelbut adjustments of missions need to be made;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Insists that the Commission should reduce the use of lump-sum funding under HEU until there is substantial evidence that lump-sum funding provides a simplification for the beneficiaries over the full life cycle of the project, including the audit, as well as for the programme as a whole, reflected by lower administrative and transaction costs for beneficiaries with lump-sum projects; ; supports the recommendation of the European Court of Auditor11a to define the scope of ex post controls for lump-sum grants; _________________ 11a https://www.eca.europa.eu/ECAPublicatio ns/AIB-2022/AIB-2022_EN.pdf
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Although some efforts have already been made, regrets that synergies between the European Innovation Council (EIC), the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) and the European Research Council are not enough developed.
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Notes that inclusive gender equality in R&I is a crucial driver of a sustainable research environment that lays the foundation for high standards of the research profession in the European Research Area (ERA) with improved career prospects and working conditions. Without effective measures to promote inclusive gender equality in Europe, research quality and competitiveness suffer, hindering potential scientific advancement and resulting in the loss of valuable talent.
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Significant advances have been made in the framework of Horizon Europe with Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) as an eligibility criterion, the gender dimension in the content of R&I as an award criterion by default across the programme, and gender balance as a ranking criterion for ex aequo proposals. Recent analyses confirm that the GEP eligibility criterion has had a catalytic effect. Therefore, the Gender Equality Plans as eligibility criteria for funding should be kept in FP10 as a permanent and integral element of EU research funding requirements.
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 d (new)
Paragraph 13 d (new)
13d. Recognising that inclusive science is foundational to excellent science, calls on the Commission to safeguard the requirements for sex and gender consideration in FP10 and further strengthen intersectional considerations; build upon existing policies to enhance participation of women and other population groups in science; and to fund research aimed at closing the gender health gap and delivering innovations in women’s health.
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 e (new)
Paragraph 13 e (new)
13e. Considers that gender as a research topic from an intersectional perspective is essential for understanding the development of our gendered societies, addressing current societal challenges such as anti-gender discourse in Europe, and identifying effective solutions.
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 f (new)
Paragraph 13 f (new)
13f. Prioritising inclusive gender equality provisions in Framework Programme 10 will enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of the ERA. By embedding inclusive gender equality in R&I policies, we maximise the potential of diverse talents, ensuring that Europe remains at the forefront of scientific excellence. Promoting inclusive gender equality serves as a catalyst for innovation, driving creative solutions and enhancing the relevance of R&I outputs. The higher productivity and innovative outcomes produced by diverse teams can translate into potential economic benefits for the EU and an additional competitive edge in the global research environment. Primarily, however, promoting gender equality makes the fundamental values of the EU a reality. Therefore, a steadfast commitment to inclusive gender equality is both a matter of social justice and a strategic investment in the future of research and economic prosperity in Europe
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 g (new)
Paragraph 13 g (new)
13g. Calls on the Commission to report on the Horizon Europe Key Impact Pathways, including the scientific, societal and economic/technological impacts, which analyse the overall societal impact of research and innovation projects in order to assess the Program's progress towards the achievement of its objectives.
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Insists on the need for strong political commitment to ensure adequate financial resources and a specified budget for FP10.
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls for FP10 to be a stand-alone EU programme dedicated to EU research excellence, with a substantially higher budget of at least EUR 220 billion 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 strategic, large-scale collaborative research initiatives; recommends that FP10 be structured in three parts, each addressing one of the three core objectives;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Considers that sustained investments in R&I at both EU and national levels are important to ensure adequate national investments in R&I. Moreover, firmly believes the need to mobilise more private investments in R&I all over the Union.
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Considers crucial to keep funding basic research and applied research.
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Recommends the improvement of synergies with cohesion funds. Also highlights to strengthen and coordinate synergies between innovation programmes managed by different administrations.
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 d (new)
Paragraph 14 d (new)
14d. Urges the Commission to launch from 2025 a task force to guarantee a better efficacy of the European Semester, in line with the Union’s share towards the 3% target, as clearly described in the Draghi and Heitor reports;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 e (new)
Paragraph 14 e (new)
14e. Notes that Horizon Europe has seen an increase in bureaucracy compared to Horizon 2020 and efforts for simplification should be taken for FP10 for the benefit of beneficiaries and the contribution of excellent research. However, simplification cannot erode the progress made in previous framework programs such as the advances achieved thanks to green and gender conditionalities.
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – introductory part
Paragraph 15 – introductory part
15. Highlights that the 10th Framework Programme should be guided by the excellence principle in R&I. Recommends that the Commission ensure user-oriented, science-led, effective and efficient implementation of the programme, including by:
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – point a – point ii
Paragraph 15 – point a – point ii
ii. be less dominated by policy objectivesin line with the general policy objectives defined at EU level;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – point a – point ii
Paragraph 15 – point a – point ii
ii. be less dominated by policy objectives;Recalls the need to keep policy objectives as guiding principles
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – point a – point iv
Paragraph 15 – point a – point iv
iv. be based on the principle of self- governance, through which top experrecognized specialists from the relevant field can determinethat act in the public interest, excluding any sort of conflict of interest, can advise on how research and innovation can best contribute to the achievement of the policy priorities set by policymakers;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – point b
Paragraph 15 – point b
(b) setting up the four councils proposed by the Heitor expert group, composed of eminent experts from the field, to decide that act in the public interest, excluding any sort of conflict of interest, to recommend on the strategic direction of the different parts of FP10, and in particular a European technology and industrial competitiveness council and a European societal challenges council;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – point c a (new)
Paragraph 15 – point c a (new)
(ca) establishing an experimental unit to test new programmes and instruments with fast track to funding as recommended by the Heitor report;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Recommends that the objective of the part of FP10 on advancing the ERA be to build an excellent, unified ERA; underlines that this requires attracting talent, integrating newcomers, providing access to leading research and technology infrastructures whilst remaining open for excellent research proposals irrespective of the supporting research institution, supporting joint early research programmes with national funders, and developing European universities alliances into European scientific institutes;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls for a strong ecosystem of research and technology infrastructures (RIs) throughout the Union as a fundamental prerequisite for excellent R&I to be performed in Europe.
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Believes that an expanded European Research Council (ERC) and European Innovation Council (EIC) should be at the heart of the part of FP10 dealing with a European competition of ideas and that this part should receive half of the FP10 budget; recommends that these programmes be designed so that they create a European, bottom-up funnel for innovation to develop quickly from fundamental science to innovation scale- up; considers that the EIC can only succeed if it can both offer blended finance as a single project and act with the same speed and agility as private actors on the venture capitalist market through a tailor-made legal entity for implementation; underlines that the strengthened autonomy and self- governance of both the ERC and the EIC are crucial to achieving this; holds the opinion that basic research should go beyond ERC and EIC and that funding basic research must also be considered when tackling the EU’s strategic objectives; is therefore convinced that the ultimate source of innovation is the creation of new information through basic research, which must coexist (with other forms of research) with an emphasis on high-risk breakthrough research and innovation;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Believes that an expanded European Research Council (ERC), the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) and European Innovation Council (EIC) should be at the heart of the part of FP10 dealing with a European competition of ideas and that this part should receive half of the FP10 budget; recommends that these programmes be designed so that they create a European, bottom-up funnel for innovation to develop quickly from fundamental science to innovation scale- up; considers that the EIC can only succeed if it can both offer blended finance as a single project and act with the same speed and agility as private actors on the venture capitalist market through a tailor-made legal entity for implementation; underlines that the strengthened autonomy and self- governance of both the ERC and the EIC are crucial to achieving this;
Amendment 313 #
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 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 322 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Notes that the allocation of at least 35% of the programme Horizon Europe expenditures to climate objectives served the general EU objective of mainstreaming climate actions into its sectoral policies and funds. Calls to ensure that FP10 pursues the effort to fund adequately science research and innovation that support the EU climate objectives
Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Considers that collaboration is key for excellent research and innovation and highlights that international collaboration should continue in the next FP10, as open as possible and as closed as necessary to tackle global challenges jointly.
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Reiterates the need for sufficient funding for research projects that address societal challenges and that fall within the area of social sciences;
Amendment 332 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Recalls the important participation of SMEs in Horizon Europe and their central role in the European R&I ecosystem and highlights the need to maintain measures reinforce their presence in the next Framework Programme.
Amendment 333 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Calls for making data from FP10 funded projects more accessible in order to maximise the research impact of FP10;
Amendment 338 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19c. Calls for additional measures to reduce the geographic divide, making the programme more accessible for entities located in low-income countries and promoting interest and capacity for applying to the EIC for companies in less advanced regions.
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19c. The programme should recognise the role of interdisciplinary research in addressing societal challenges, also including a better integration of Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts (SSHA).
Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)
Paragraph 19 d (new)
19d. Leverage the programme’s capacity to strengthen society’s trust in science. FP10 should provide more opportunities for the engagement of citizens and society as a whole, raising awareness of the role they can play in contributing to research activities.
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)
Paragraph 19 d (new)
19d. Urges the European Commission to increase efforts to boost women's involvement in high-risk innovation by expanding targeted initiatives such as Women TechEU and the Women Leadership Programme.
Amendment 359 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Notes that FP10 should take into account the use of AI as a way to foster European research development while identifying specific risks of an abusive use of AI in the scientific environment and the corresponding mitigation measures.