Cross-border research collaboration: EU comparative advantage – Focus on citizens and society

2025-04-29
The next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is under discussion and institutional parties, namely the European Commission, the European Parliament and Member States are not yet in agreement on the architecture. One of the most debated issues is around the investment in R&I, the most prominent single budget managed directly by the European Commission.

In this paper EASSH wants to refocus the policy debate on three important principles that must be respected in any future EU budget:

  1. Placing the needs of citizens and society at the heart of the debate: refocusing competitiveness on social well-being, and equitable and sustainable societies;
  2. Recognising the fundamental importance of cooperation in scientific research as a pillar of the founding philosophy of the EU;
  3. Improving multidisciplinary approaches to strengthen solutions to the social, political, and economic challenges the EU is facing.

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