EU leaders approve budget with €70.2 billion for science research

Science : The European Union’s leaders have agreed on the organization’s budget for the next seven years. When the budget was first proposed in February, the EU parliament requested €100 billion for the scientific research program, while the European Commission requested €80 billion. Because of continuing financial concerns across Europe, however, the final budget was further reduced, with the research program receiving just €70.2 billion. That final figure for the upcoming seven-year program, called Horizon 2020, is 23% more than was allocated to the previous seven-year scientific program, Framework Programme 7. However, the €8.8 billion allotted for 2014, the first year of Horizon 2020, is 13.6% less than what was allotted for 2013. To help make up the difference, the parliament adopted more flexible spending rules that will allow funding set aside for later in the seven-year period to be used earlier. The budget still needs final approval from the EU member states.