During her intervention, Maria da Graça Carvalho gave a brief overview of the future of the different EU research and innovation programmes, and talked about the importance of the new EU budget for funding research and innovation.
As an MEP and member of the ITRE committee, Ms. Carvalho has been the rapporteur for the simplification of the EU research and innovation programmes; and is also the EPP permanent rapporteur for the research area in both the current Budget Committee and in the Future Budget Committee.
In this capacity, Ms. Carvalho underscored "the need for increased funding in the present and future budgets for EU research and innovation programmes; and also presented her perspective and recommendations concerning the major guidelines for FP8. For Ms. Carvalho, the programme should involve 5 key principles: A trust based funding system; A chain from frontier research, to technological development, demonstration, valorization of results and innovation; A simpler FP with fewer instruments alongside a radical overhaul of the administration of the FP; Excellence based criteria for the FP in co-ordination with the structural funds for research capacity building; And finally, enhanced international cooperation.
Maria da Graça Carvalho hosted the EFM of April 2010 concerning to 'Research & Innovation for Manufacturing' with the participation of Commissioner Geogeghan-Quinn, which was also held in the Parliament.
The European Forum for Manufacturing (EFM) is a European Parliament initiative bringing together key MEPs across the political groupings, the Commission, Council Presidency and manufacturing companies to exchange views on issues of concern. It was launched in September 2009 at a Roundtable Dinner on 'Priorities for Manufacturing' with EC Vice President Verheugen where the financial framework for manufacturing was identified as critical to the future of European manufacturing.