EU Inquires About Global Minimum Expenditure at the BMBF
Berlin, January 20, 2025 (hib) – The European Union has inquired about the global minimum expenditure in the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). This was announced by Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) in the Bundestag on Friday.
The EU wants to know how Germany intends to implement the global minimum expenditure of 7% of gross domestic product (GDP) for research and development (R&D) by 2030. The EU had set this goal in 2020. Germany is currently still far from this target.
Stark-Watzinger assured the EU that Germany takes the goal of the global minimum expenditure seriously. However, she also emphasized that it would be “a major challenge” to achieve it.
According to the BMBF, Germany’s R&D expenditure was 3.26% of GDP in 2021. This means that Germany would have to more than double its R&D expenditure to meet the EU’s target.
The BMBF is currently working on a concept for how Germany can achieve the global minimum expenditure. The concept is expected to be presented in the spring.
The EU’s inquiry is a sign of the increasing importance of R&D expenditure. The EU is aware that R&D is essential for innovation and economic growth. The EU wants to ensure that all member states are investing sufficiently in R&D.
The German government has also recognized the importance of R&D. In the coalition agreement, the government promised to increase R&D expenditure to 3.5% of GDP by 2025. However, it is still unclear how the government intends to achieve this goal.
The EU’s inquiry is a welcome reminder to the German government that it must take the goal of the global minimum expenditure seriously. Germany needs to invest more in R&D if it wants to remain competitive in the global economy.
Union erkundigt sich nach Globaler Mindestausgabe im BMBF
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