Few ‘new’ EU members applying for research funds

The vast majority of applications for European research funds come from countries which were members of the EU before the major expansion of the Union in 2004, according to Janez Poto?nik, European commissioner for science and research.

Only one in ten requests for funds made under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) came from one of the 12 countries that have joined the EU since 2004. FP7 makes €50 billion available for major research projects and runs from 2007 to 2013. 

Speaking at the Research Connection Conference in Prague last week (7 May), Poto?nik said research activity in new EU countries had increased since accession, but “the potential of the EU12 has not been fully tapped”. 

He said a new progress report on FP7 paints a mixed picture of participation in research across Europe, with new EU members having a slightly lower success rate when applying for funding. 

21.8% of applications from countries that were members of the EU before 2004 are accepted, compared to 17.9% of requests from those that joined after 2004. 

However, Poto?nik said the contrast between ‘new’ and ‘old’ countries was not clear cut, with several Eastern European nations outperforming their Western neighbours.

“The overall success rate of the Czech Republic in the first two years of FP7 is close to the EU 27 average and higher than that of Austria, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece,” he said. 

Despite having lower success rates, on average the EU 12 group of old member states receive proportionally more money from the framework programme than they invest at home. 

Poto?nik said the European Commission would continue to help less performing countries to integrate better into the framework programmes. 

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