Madrid, 7 April 2026. The Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE), together with the national rectors’ conferences of Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland and Belgium, has endorsed a joint statement calling for stronger European investment in research, innovation and higher education under the next EU financial framework.
In line with the draft report by Christian Ehler in the European Parliament, the statement calls for a budget of €220 billion for the next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10) and €60 billion for Erasmus+, as key instruments to strengthen Europe’s capacity to address current and future challenges.
In a rapidly evolving geopolitical context—marked by increasing strategic competition, pressure on democratic freedoms and uncertainty surrounding international partnerships—the signatory organisations stress that Europe can no longer take its position for granted. They underline the need for sustained investment in excellent research, innovation and higher education to ensure economic dynamism, scientific leadership and competitiveness, while addressing pressing societal challenges.
The statement highlights that this requires both increased funding and well-defined policy choices. These include a stronger budget for Horizon Europe and its successor, a researcher-focused approach, a reinforced Erasmus+ programme that expands opportunities for students across Europe, and a European Research Area that promotes openness, collaboration and talent mobility.
It also emphasises the importance of sustained investment in both curiosity-driven and applied research across all fields of knowledge—from artificial intelligence and quantum technologies to climate science and the study of democratic institutions—in order to secure long-term impact and resilience.
The signatories further underline that Europe’s greatest strength lies in its public knowledge system. A bold and collective investment in knowledge will enable Europe to safeguard its strategic autonomy while remaining open, competitive and globally connected.
The joint statement is supported by the German Rectors’ Conference, France Universités, Universities of the Netherlands, the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland, the Flemish Interuniversity Council, the Rectors’ Council of the French-speaking universities of Belgium, and CRUE.
The full joint statement is available here (PDF).
