The architects of Horizon 2020 have worked long and hard to simplify things for researchers and SMEs. But bureaucratic barriers remain and there is still no proper system in place for tracking research outputs
University and industry lobbyists are gearing up for a busy spring in Brussels, as the Parliament and the Council lock horns on the 2014 - 2020 budget, with investment in Horizon 2020 up for grabs once more
Figures for the 2014 - 2020 research budget are starting to emerge despite a lack of clarity from the European Council. But MEPs are determined to reject the budget, and R&D could become part of a test of strength between the EU institutions
There's less for Horizon 2020 than the €80B the Commission proposed, though R&D will get more money than in FP7. With smoke and mirrors obscuring the true figures, MEPs say the real negotiations start now
As the Council meets to continue negotiating the budget for 2014 – 2020, senior industrialists, R&D administrators, university vice chancellors, Nobel prize winners and grass roots scientists insist the proposed €80B Horizon 2020 budget must be approved