At a crucial moment for the future of the EU's research and innovation landscape, as discussions on Framework Programme 10 (FP10) and the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) intensify, EERA has joined the Joint Declaration for a Bold FP10: Investing in Research, Development and Innovation to Boost European Productivity and Competitiveness, coordinated by EARTO and BusinessEurope and co-signed by 86 European associations.

By supporting the declaration, EERA adds its voice to a broad coalition calling on the EU institutions to:

• Allocate a substantially increased budget to FP10, providing the level of investment needed to address the Union's pressing challenges, including decarbonisation, energy security and competitiveness;
• Strengthen Pillar II as the cornerstone of collaborative research and innovation;
• Ensure that FP10, together with the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), supports the full research and innovation continuum, from fundamental research to deployment and scale-up, through strong governance and effective synergies between the two programmes.

Reflecting many of the key recommendations set out in its own position on FP10, EERA believes that this joint statement represents an important contribution to building the political momentum needed to secure an ambitious and well-funded FP10, thereby helping to strengthen Europe's long-term competitiveness, reinforce its energy security and accelerate the clean energy transition