Brussels briefing

Máire warns of R&D funding stagnation

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn took a swipe at member states when she reviewed their spending on research and development — her bailiwick in the European Commission.

She noted that EU-based firms increased their spending on R&D by 8.9% last year but this did little to increase combined public and private research spend and at just 2.03% of GDP it is now unlikely to reach the 3% target by 2020 that member states have all committed to.