[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/6151\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe scale of Horizon 2020 is a vote of confidence for research \u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETogether with President Barroso, you were the driving force behind Europe\u2019s biggest ever research programme. How hard was it to convince Member States?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The 30 % budget increase for Horizon 2020 is a real vote of confidence in the power of research and innovation. Going into the budget negotiations the signs weren\u2019t good. There were different groups of Member States fighting for agriculture, for Structural Funds, and those wanting to cut the overall EU budget. Research was at risk of becoming a casualty of this battle, but in the end it was one of very few budget areas to see a significant increase.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We had to work very hard to achieve this, and the research and business communities also spoke out loud and clear on the risks to the European economy if research and innovation was cut. The European Parliament also backed the Commission proposals and in the end we saw that Member States realised how important this area is for jobs and growth.\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat was the pivotal moment?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018There were a few moments, but I will never forget a marathon Competitiveness Council meeting in Luxembourg in October 2012, under the Cyprus Presidency. After we had long discussions around the table and in the corridors, Member States agreed on the rules of participation in Horizon 2020, including the radical simplification measures proposed by the Commission. The other key moment for me was the political agreement between the Council and\u0026nbsp;the European Parliament in June 2013 under the Irish Presidency, effectively sealing the deal on Horizon 2020.\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018I think we\u2019ll be able to look back in years to come and see a programme that delivered what it promised.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EM\u00e1ire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science 2010-2014\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDid you achieve everything you set out to do when you started as research commissioner in 2010?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem style=\u0022font-size: 13.0080003738403px; line-height: 1.538em;\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We certainly achieved what we set out to do with Horizon 2020, including a larger budget, radical simplification, more attention to innovation and societal challenges, a focus on SMEs and gender equality. I think we\u2019ll be able to look back in years to come and see a programme that delivered what it promised.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We have also taken a decisive step forward on the European Research Area (ERA). While this is a continuous process we have now created the conditions at European level to make the ERA a reality. What we need now is implementation at Member State level.\u2019\u003Cem style=\u0022font-size: 13.0080003738403px; line-height: 1.538em;\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou championed the under-representation of women during your time as research commissioner. What still needs to be done in this area?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The situation is improving, albeit much too slowly. Fewer than a third of researchers in the EU are female, despite the fact that women graduates outnumber their male colleagues. The higher up you go, the worse it gets: only 10 % of the rectors of universities are women. That is why we need a push to promote gender equality in research and we\u2019re leading by example in Horizon 2020 and in our work on the ERA.\u2019\u003Cem style=\u0022font-size: 13.0080003738403px; line-height: 1.538em;\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat advice would you give to your successor Carlos Moedas?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I\u2019ve met Carlos Moedas on a number of occasions now, and was very impressed by his performance at his European Parliament hearing. He has outlined the key issues perfectly: improve the framework conditions for research and innovation in Europe; deliver on Horizon 2020\u2019s promise; and defend the principle of excellence in research. So I don\u2019t think he needs very much advice from me \u2013 he has an excellent team supporting him in the\u0026nbsp;European Commission.\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-cjkq3m-zwudqnlysh6uouzjh-qbv49ooixskexti9hk\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-cJKQ3M_zwudQnLYsh6UoUzJH-qBv49OOixSKEXTI9Hk\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]