The European Commission has launched on 9 February a public consultation about the improvements to be introduced in EU research and innovation funding in order to achieve higher level of participation, increase scientific and economic impact and improve value for money. The Green Paper put forward by the Commission covers all the “innovation chain” and aims to simplify procedures and rules in order to make it easier to access EU funding. Stakeholders will have until 20 May 2011 to send their points of view to the Commission.

The Common Strategic Framework presented by the European Commission and set out in a Green Paper, would cover the current Framework Programme for Research (FP7), the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) as well as the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). With this Strategical Framework, the European Commission aims to maximise value from every euro the EU invests in research and innovation, ensuring that this enormous potential generates growth and jobs.

This Framework will provide a full set of instruments which will provide coherence to the innovative process as a whole, from basic research to bringing innovative products and services to the market, as well as supporting non-technological innovation such as design and marketing. Just as it was highlighted by the Competitiveness Council back in October 2010, it is necessary to simplify the procedures within the research framework programmes, in order to make them more attractive for potential beneficiaries and to increase their impact.

Key aspects to build an EU Common Strategic Framework for research and innovation

• A clear focus on three mutually reinforcing objectives: giving the EU a world-beating science base; boosting competitiveness across the board; and tackling grand challenges such as climate change, resource efficiency, energy and food security, health and an ageing population.
• Making EU funding more attractive and easier to access for participants: in addition to instruments such as a single entry point with common IT tools or a one-stop shop for providing advice and support to participants, the Common Strategic Framework will allow a simpler and more streamlined set of funding instruments covering the full innovation chain. Flexibility will be promoted to encourage diversity and business involvement. Applicants should be able to apply for several different projects without repeatedly providing the same information.
• Much simpler and more consistent procedures for accounting for the use of the funds received. This may involve, for example, greater use of lump sum payments.

The Commission expects that promoting simplicity and coherence will make that more researchers and innovators, specially SMEs, apply for EU research funding, just at it was the case in previous proposals put forward by the European Commission in June 2010 aimed to cut red tape and help researchers.

The new Strategical Framework would also includes measures aimed to to pool Member States' national research funding, as well as establishing better links with cohesion funding, using EU funding to stimulate public procurement or further strengthening instruments for venture capital investments. These and other measures included in the Green Paper were among the demands made by the European Council in the meeting especially focused on innovation that was held on 4 February 2010.