Liberal ministers met ahead of the Competitiveness (Research) Council (COMPET) of Tuesday 9 December to send a clear message that people must stay at the heart of European competitiveness.
Representatives attending the meeting included Christina Egelund (Moderaterne, DE), James Lawless (Fianna Fáil, IE) and Maria Nilsson (Liberalerna, SE). The meeting was chaired by Ivars Ijabs MEP, Vice-President of the Renew Europe group (Latvijas Attīstībai, LV).
With the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) fast approaching, ministers focused on the future of the Horizon Europe programme and how to protect its bottom-up approach while adapting to new geopolitical pressures.
Europe needs to encourage research that serves both civilian and military needs. Ministers agreed that this shift cannot come at the expense of what makes Horizon Europe successful, its excellence driven by researchers and bottom-up ideas.
Protecting Horizon’s bottom-up approach while responsibly integrating dual-use needs is the key to keeping people at the centre of Europe’s competitiveness story.