Analytics, Education and Science, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Innovations, Technology

Reps introduced the main topics and goals of the Estonian EU presidency in the field of research and innovation and answered questions posed by MEPs. The central theme in the field of research is the Horizon 2020 research program, which is the basis of funding EU research and innovation - the results of the interim evaluation of the program and suggestions for the next program are set to be discussed under the leadership of Estonia as the EU presidency.

Reps said that focus will be on finding fresh arguments why investments should be made into research and innovation. Even though member states have jointly set a goal of achieving a research investment rate of 3% of GDP, this has yet to be achieved. The funding of research and innovation in the European Union as a whole makes up 2.03% of GDP and numerous cuts have been made to the Horizon 2020 program. "Contributing to research is not an expense, but an investment into economic growth and the development of the society. It is a message which we need to stand for more powerfully during budget negotiations as well as in the wider society," the minister said.

Estonia's goal is to also make the Horizon program simpler and more transparent so that more researchers, research institutions and businesses could be a part of it. "The landscape of funding research in the European Union is too complicated at present. There are a lot of different measures and familiarizing oneself with them requires a separate administrative resource as well as a network of contacts, the lack of which will be a hindrance particularly to smaller participants and newcomers," Reps said.

Ministers of research of the European Union are set to discuss these questions at an informal meeting in Tallinn on July 24 and 25.