Work in Parliament Maria da Graça Carvalho leads mission to Budapest and Vienna

Maria da Graça Carvalho headed the ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) mission to Hungary and Austria, which took place between 28 and 30 October. The main objective of this trip was to visit the headquarters of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), in Budapest, as well as the various Knowledge and Innovation Centres (KICs) of this Institute in Hungary and Austria.

Maria da Graça Carvalho is deputy coordinator of the European People's Party (PPE) in the ITRE Commission, where she will also be the rapporteur for the document on the Strategic Agenda for the EIT, within the scope of the forthcoming Horizon Europe framework programme.

The EIT, which finances KICs in different strategic areas, from Climate to Energy and Communications, is one of the main innovation and education networks in the European Union, contributing - with a maximum of 25% of the total budget - to hundreds of centres throughout the European Union, including in Portugal.

Within the scope of the current framework programme, Horizon 2020, the Institute received 2.5 billion euros, and this amount could rise to 3 billion euros under the scope of Horizon Europe.

The mission to Budapest and Vienna included a dozen MEPs from different countries and political families. Portuguese representatives were Maria da Graça Carvalho and Maria Manuel Leitão Marques (MEP, PS Delegation).