Open letter to ministers: The Government should stand firm on an ambitious European research budget with a clear priority for global health
Updated: 5 days ago
The open letter to Minister for Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister for Finance Peter Hummelgaard, and Minister for Science, Higher Education and Digital Affairs Christina Egelund is signed by:
Mette Lybye, Executive Director, Danish Alliance for Global Health
Adam Jacobi, Chief Representative, WaterAid Denmark
Anna Frellsen, CEO, Maternity Foundation
Else Marie Agger, CEO, NIVI-D
Lars Christian Østergreen, CEO, AIDS-Fondet
Maria Lindhardt, Political Director, Danish Family Planning Association
Susanne Dahl, Secretary-General, UNICEF Denmark
Trine Angeline Sig, CEO, Real Relief
Ulrik Koefoed Johnsen, CEO, Giv Effektivt
Excerpt from the letter:
The Danish Alliance for Global Health calls on the Government to work towards an ambitious and protected budget for research and innovation in the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and to ensure that global health has a clear place in Horizon Europe 2028–2034, also known as FP10.
The European Commission has proposed a standalone FP10 with a budget of €175 billion and highlights research and innovation as essential to Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and security. The latest MFF negotiating box provides for an indicative budget of €140 billion, underscoring that the research budget is under significant pressure in the ongoing negotiations.
At a time of geopolitical competition and constrained budgets, research must not be treated as an expenditure that can be reduced when other priorities compete for resources. It is a long-term investment in Europe’s ability to develop its own solutions and respond to future crises.
