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<font face="Calibri">On December 11, 2014, Informatics Europe sent
the following letter to the relevant EU authorities in response to
the proposal of the President of the European Commission for a
significant change of policy and budget for the Horizon 2020
support program for research and innovation:<br>
<br>
President of the European Commission<br>
President of the European Council<br>
President of the European Parliament<br>
Commissioner for Research and Innovation of the European
Commission<br>
Director General of the Directorate for Research and Innovation of
the European Commission<br>
<br>
As President of Informatics Europe---the association of computer
science departments and research laboratories in Europe---I am
charged to write to you to express our concerns that the recent
discussion about changes in research funding under Horizon 2020
might weaken the initiatives in all sectors of science, and in
particular in Information and Communication Science and
Technology. We believe that any weakening of the EU budget that
would reduce the ability to support long-term research would
endanger Europe's ability in the future to nurture innovation and
sustain competition.<br>
<br>
This is especially true for our sector. Although Information and
Communication Technologies are already at the heart of the society
we are creating for our future, long-term research investments are
crucial to fuel short-term developments with the results of
high-risk research efforts that investigate radical innovations
that would lead to truly secure cyber-infrastructures upon which
the future society may safely rely. By weakening its RTD budget,
and in particular its long-term research support, Europe will
impoverish its human capital and will miss the boat of innovation
and competition.<br>
<br>
Informatics Europe expresses at the same time its willingness to
collaborate at all levels to improve Horizon 2020 initiatives in
ICT at all levels and to contribute to making the investments as
fruitful as possible.<br>
<br>
On behalf of the Executive Board and the members of Informatics
Europe, I urge you strongly to to take our concerns in due
consideration.<br>
<br>
Carlo Ghezzi<br>
President of Informatics Europe</font><br>
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