The budget for research and innovation for agriculture will more than double after 2013
Research and innovation will be crucial in the coming years to ensure food security while helping farmers to tackle climate change. The agriculture of tomorrow will be a knowledge-based agriculture, stated Dacian Cioloş, European Commissionner for Agriculture and Rural Development, after the adoption by the College of an important research and innovation package, « Horizon 2020 ».
He added : « These decisions confirm that this is a priority of the European Commission ».
The European budget for innovation and research for agriculture will more than double. We will have after 2013 all the tools to develop the technologies and practices that are the most relevant for farmers and to guarantee that these technologies go out of the laboratories and have a concrete and positive impact on agriculture and food production".
The framework programme for Research and Innovation adopted by the College confirms the commitment taken by the Commission in June in the Multiannual Financial Framework proposals to target research in agriculture as a top priority, earmarking €4.5 bio for research and innovation on food security, sustainable agriculture and the bio-economy.
With "Horizon 2020", these €4.5 bio will contribute to finance research and innovation in the Societal Challenge "Food Security, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research and the bio-economy" (€4.02 bio), to participate in the financing of the biotechnology activity of Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies (LEIT) in part II of Horizon 2020 (€0.35 bio) and to finance the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (€0.13 bio).
