Background on the R&D process at EU level:
The EU Research Framework Programmes bundle all research-related EU initiatives together under a common roof for a seven-year period. Framework Programme 7 covered the years 2007-2013 and the EU is currently negotiating the political and financial package for Horizon 2020, the programe for the years 2014-2020.
For the first time, Horizon 2020 brings together all EU research and innovation funding under a single programme. Its focus is on turning scientific breakthroughs into innovative products and services that change people’s lives for the better. Horizon 2020 will focus funds on three key objectives: Excellent science, industrial leadership and societal challenges. Societal challenges are defined as major concerns shared by all Europeans and six main themes have been identified:
- health, demographic change and well-being
- food security, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research and the bio-economy
- secure, clean and efficient energy
- smart, green and integrated transport
- climate action, resource efficiency and raw materials
- inclusive, innovative and secure societies
The European Commission’s proposal for Horizon 2020 was released in November 2011. It was then discussed by the European Parliament and the European Council in parallel in 2012. ‘Trilogue negotiations’ have started in 2013 between the European Council Presidency (Ireland until July 2013 and Lithuania until December 2013), rapporteurs of the European Parliament and representatives of the European Commission.
The TB Europe Coalition Secretariat has been active during all the negotiation process to underline the importance of research for poverty-related and neglected diseases (PRNDs) in Horizon 2020 and ensure that research for new tools to prevent, diagnose and combat TB is taken into account.
Together with 30 prominent European organisations concerned by the level of investment into research and development (R&D) for poverty-related and neglected diseases, we developed a position paper with recommendations on Horizon 2020 for the European Institutions:
The negotiations around Horizon 2020 are very much dependent on the overall budget negotiations on the EU Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2014-2020. In February the Council of the European Union agreed on each programmes’ overall budget. Horizon 2020 was allocated an enveloppe of €70 billion (ie: FP7 was €54 billion). It was agreed that 10% of the overall budget would be allocated to health. We expect an overall vote on Horizon 2020 by the European Parliament right before or right after the Summer break.
It is now widely acknowldged that the bulk of the money for poverty-related and neglected diseases will go to fund the phase II of the European Developing Countries Clinical Trial Partnership initiative (EDCTP II). Global Health NGOs welcome the European Commission and member states’ commitment to EDCTP II, but generally worry that EU funding for PRNDs would only address clinical research in Sub-saharan Africa. More advocacy is currently being done to make sure that EU funding addresses R&D for PRNDs in a most comprehensive way.
See below a compilation of advocacy materials that was put together for this purpose:
Great infographics on the economic benefit of investing in Global Health R&D at EU level: 3mn video
A report by Policy Cures ‘Saving Lives, Creating Impact” building the case for EU investment in Global Health Research
A position paper from Global Health Advocates and the TB Vaccines Initiative on : Gaps and Challenges in the current negotiations on Horizon 2020 20130114_PRNDs in Horizon 2020 Gaps and Challenges
