The Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN) has welcomed the Warsaw Declaration which was adopted unanimously by Member States at the Informal Meeting of the Council Competitiveness on 11 March 2025. YERUN supports the Declaration’s commitment to fostering excellent research, innovation, and collaboration within Europe and beyond.
In its statement, YERUN stresses that protecting the Framework Programme’s independence and funding is fundamental and says it should remain a central pillar of the ERA. More concretely, YERUN strongly supports the following:
- The continuation of FPs as the main European instrument for fostering collaborative research and innovation (R&I), and its potential to create new cooperation networks and a competitive Europe.
- Providing a long-term outlook and independence are necessary conditions in FPs for boosting Europe’s competitiveness and to respond to current and future challenges. European researchers work at their best when they are in the driving seat, adhering to the highest scientific standards without political interjections, in a stable, predictable and continuous R&I environment. This is also critical for attracting and retaining the best talent.
- Securing a robust budget and allocating sufficient resources for bottom-up research, as well as interdisciplinary approaches, to tackle global and societal challenges. In this context, YERUN highlights the key importance of the European Research Council (ERC). The ERC’s autonomy and governance must remain intact.
- Strengthening synergies, simplifying rules for applicants, and reducing administrative burdens are crucial for the next FP to maximise returns on investments and ensure a holistic approach to R&I funding throughout the entire research continuum.
YERUN also points out that it is important to recognise that the FP cannot address every challenge in isolation, and that achieving Europe’s aspirations in R&I requires embedding the ‘fifth freedom’, allowing cross-border research to thrive on a large scale. The association regards it as equally crucial for Member States to step up national R&I spending and cooperation.
Finally, YERUN stresses that the joint ambition of the Council and of the European Parliament needs to remain strong to commit the necessary investments and conditions to keep European research & innovation as the backbone of Europe’s competitiveness and sustainable prosperity.
For more information:
Strengthening Europe’s Research Future: YERUN’s statement on the Warsaw Declaration