To close the EU’s persistent gap in research and innovation (R&I) and unlock excellence in countries lagging behind, the European Commission is applying special measures (known as 'widening' measures) to give those countries better access to key EU funding. In a report published today, however, the European Court of Auditors finds that a real shift depends largely on national governments, which must make R&I a priority in order to ramp up investment and reforms. Widening measures can only kick-start these countries’ progress, but on their own lack enough power to create the changes needed in national R&I ecosystems.

Participation in the EU’s multi-year R&I programmes is based on excellence, meaning only the best proposals are selected. As a result, researchers and innovators from low-performing countries – with less developed R&I ecosystems – face difficulties in competing with their peers from better-performing countries and succeed less often in winning places on the programmes, which in turn limits their countries’ potential to overcome their R&I shortcomings. The EU addressed this vicious circle by introducing measures to widen participation in the Horizon 2020 funding programme for the 2014-2020 period. These measures targeted the 13 countries that have joined the EU since 2004, plus Luxembourg and Portugal.

“To tap the EU’s potential and close the gap between innovation leaders and modest innovators, researchers from all across the EU should be able to benefit from its funding programmes,” said Ivana Maletić, the ECA member in charge of the report. “The Commission helps the underperforming countries catch up, but its support is not a miracle pill and can only act as a catalyst. To break the vicious circle, the Member States must play their full part.”