Submission + - E.U. Proposal: Give Farming Funds to Science (nature.com)
smitty777 writes: There is a proposal in the EU budget which would provide a 45% increase in technology and innovation spending for the 2014-2020 time period. Interestingly,some of the increase from $79 B to $114B would come from the controversial farm subsides program, the Common Agricultural Policy. The article states that the proposal will focus on "excellence in science, meeting 'grand challenges' such as food security, and improving competitiveness.", with a special focus on "healthy aging". While some scientists and observers feel optimistic that the proposal will pass, one stated that "it is extremely unlikely that the member states will agree to anything exceeding this, so we should regard it as a ceiling" on the eventual research budget.
