Op-ed article by Maria da Graca Carvalho published in the Diário Económico :
Science, Education and innovation are the pillars of economic growth and job creation. Europe has to focus on innovation if it is to develop new products and services that create new sources of growth and more jobs, making Europe more competitive and producing a better quality of life,. And we must innovate if we are to research.
Research and innovation are at the heart of the Europe 2020 initiative of the European Union. At the end of next year the European Commission should present a proposal for the Eighth Framework Programme for Research, which will take effect 1 January, 2014. However, the mechanisms of European research funding have been the target of much criticism, mainly due to its bureaucratic complexity and the financial requirements that must be met at the outset. Recently, 9000 European researchers have signed a petition demanding criteria that are as simple and reliable as possiblein applications for funding.
I myself was a witness to the difficulties highlighted by these researchers in the course of my work at the Instituto Superior Técnico. Today, while MEP by the Parliamentary Group of the Social Democratic Party, I had the honour of being appointed rapporteur for the Simplification of Rules for Participation of current and future European Programmes for Science and Innovation. Being a Rapporteur is a complex process that is amongst the noblest functions that an MEP can aspire to in the conduct of his or her business in Parliament.
In fact, it is indeed necessary to simplify the Framework Programme for Research. This Framework has been greatly expanded over the past 25 years, both in its application and its available budget. The ever increasing number of participants has meant the introduction of a large number of control mechanisms whose goal is to ensure the proper implementation of EU funds. With the adoption of more rules and more administrative procedures, participation in projects has become very complex, especially for organizations that are less well equipped, as is the case for small and medium-sized businesses, start-ups and smaller high technology institutions.
In my opinion the current system, based on cost analysis, has to give way to a system in which trust is accorded a major role. The idea is to simplify the control of financial aspects and to strengthen technical/ scientific evaluation and approval of peers based on the excellence of projects. It is clear that all financial transactions involve a degree of risk, but the concern of controlling the risk by administrative means greatly increases the overall cost of the process. So the idea is, first, to be more tolerant to risk, streamlining the bureaucratic mechanisms of control and, secondly, to evaluate projects based on greater trust in the scientific community and industry. We must find a balance between trust and control, between risk taking and overexposure to risk if we are to ensure sound financial management of EU funds for research.
The need to simplify access to funds for research to develop an evaluation culture based on a trusted partnerships among all stakeholders in order to enhance research and innovation in Europe, making it an attractive place to live and work.