fsfe-website/news/2011/news-20111206-01.en.xhtml

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FSFE provides input to EU's 80 billion EUR R and D funding program
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<h1>
FSFE provides input to EU's 80 billion EUR R and D funding program
</h1>
<p>
The European Commission has adopted a set of proposals for its
next framework program. Called Horizon 2020, this program will provide
80 billion EUR for research and development projects from 2014 to
2020. Prior to finalisation of the proposal, FSFE had provided
<a href="/news/2011/news-20111128-02.html">input</a>
to the Commission in order to make the program accessible for Free
Software research and projects. Our input also aims at making the
results of publicly funded research available as widely as possible.
</p>
<p> As Free Software space is dominated by SMEs and individuals we are
happy to see that the program is intended to lower the administrate
burden of participating, which is quite substantial under the current
FP7 framework program. </p>
<p> The biggest goal of FSFE'S contribution was to help the EC
maximise the social value Europeans obtain from the Horizon 2020
program, which is funded out of the taxes they have paid. The
Commission proposal states this as an objective, but does not provide
much clarity on how this is going to be achieved. FSFE maintains that
for results consisting in software, Free Software licenses should be
mandatory or at least strongly encouraged. This is not only a question
of fairness towards the European taxpayer, but also a matter of
economic efficiency and a way to encourage further innovation in the
future. </p>
<p> Much of the actual effect of the Horizon 2020 program will depend
on the further evolution of the Commission's proposal, and on the way
the program itself will be implemented. FSFE will continue to engage
with the European institutions in order to support the development of
<a href="/news/2011/news-20111128-02.html">Horizon 2020</a> in
the interest of Europe's citizens.
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<tag key="european-commission">European Commission</tag>
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