Science money slashed in EU’s €1.8-trillion budget deal

Science money slashed in EU’s €1.8-trillion budget deal

EU funds recovery, slims science spending

After marathon negotiations, European Union countries have agreed on a pared-back €80.9 billion (US$93.8 million) for the bloc’s flagship Horizon Europe research programme. The EU’s health programme, Health4EU, also saw big cuts. Its budget dropped from €9.4 billion to €1.7 billion — despite its timely goals of addressing drug shortages, stockpiles and health systems resilience. The total budget — an unprecedented €1.82-trillion package — includes €750 billion for pandemic recovery. The final figure must be hammered out after the summer break in three-way discussions between parliamentary committees, the European Commission and national governments.

Nature | 3 min read & Science Business | 5 min read