During a plenary session on 15 April 2014, MEPs rubber-stamped a €22 billion parcel of 11 initiatives, which were amalgamated in the “innovation investment package" formulated from agreements reached in negotiations with member states and industry over the past few months.
This vote marked the final say of the European Parliament on the remaining research initiatives of the European Union’s main research programme, Horizon 2020.
Six of these initiatives will manage research competitions in the areas of innovative medicines, aeronautics, bio-based industries, fuel cells and hydrogen, electronics and rail transport – and are collectively steered by the European Commission and industry in public-private partnership agreements (PPPs).
The remaining four initiatives are in the public-public partnership (P2P) and would seek to help national governments integrate their research programmes better together in fields as diverse as clinical trials, SME financing, active ageing and metrology.
The majority of these initiatives existed under Horizon 2020’s successor, the seventh framework programme (FP7), and are returning with more robust budgets. It’s likely the Council will grant the final adoption of these initiatives mid-May 2014.
The final approval of the package by the member states is expected in the coming months with a view to launching these partnerships in July 2014.
