| Background
Currently research is funded according to many input oriented indicators.
At present the financial regulation - the relevant legal funding framework - treats research in similar way as procurement processes for any goods.
This condition is unsatisfying for researchers, research organisations and the European Community as a whole. It hinders the development of ground-breaking results through ineffective research funding.
The funding of European research should be based on trust. Today European researchers face many red tape and cumbersome financial regulations. We are not against rules. Rules are important and accountability is essential. However, research has to be funded in recognition of the nature of research, thus, the financial regulation and associated rules have to be adapted to primarily output oriented objectives and to conditions creating a transparent justification of costs.
What we need is a change in philosophy!
As results we want to achieve:
- Effective funding for research facilitating ground breaking results that have straight forward positive impact on our society and economy.
- Simplified research funding while keeping the necessary tasks of full financial accountability in dealing with tax payers money.
- Harmonised standards of research funding at European and national level, thus avoiding all kinds of unnecessary technical details.
- Stable legal framework throughout the different research and innovation programmes.
- Tolerable risk concept being recognized as an important success factor in research and innovation.
- To involve the best scientists and all stakeholders needed.
As Commissioner Mrs Maire GEOGHEGAN-QUINN said
in her opening remarks at the European Parliament:
"(...) Simplifying FP7 financial and administrative procedures must be addressed. We need a proper use of funds, proportionate controls and professional management.
We must maximise simplicity without compromising on audit or evaluation quality. For our vital Public Private Partnerships this means more innovation-friendly operating rules and conditions. Parliament has a critical role to play in securing an agreed and consistent institutional consensus in these matters.
A world of zero risk, is a world of zero innovation.(...)"
Nature says: "Simplification is essential"
The new European research commissioner deserves political support from member states of the European Union to drastically reduce the dead weight of Brussels bureaucracy
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