Over 60 civil society orgqnisations have joined forces to call for the immediate and complete removal of the “innovation principle” from Horizon Europe, the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. Supporters of the call believes the innovation principle threatens the Precautionary Principle and attempts to keep regulation of dangerous products at bay.
The far-reaching implications and the threat the innovation principle poses to human health, the environment and true sustainability mark a red line for civil society. Ahead of the final meeting between the EU institutions to agree the legislative package for Horizon Europe, we strongly urge the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament to act now and delete all references to this dangerous tool.
Civil society does not support the innovation principle because:
- It has no legal basis
- It is incompatible with the EU’s Precautionary Principle
- It is an industry-created tool to undermine key policies and regulations protecting human health
and the environment - It creates additional measures intended to delay key regulations
- It is unnecessary as a tool to support innovation for society’s benefit
- Regulation spurs innovation
The inclusion of this ‘principle’ in Horizon Europe would set an extremely dangerous precedent for regulation and policy making in the EU. We urge the Council and Parliament to recognise these risks and remove this unacceptable tool.
Supported by
1. Global Health Advocates
2. SDG Watch Europe
3. Friends of the Earth Europe
4. Greenpeace European Unit
5. European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
6. UNI Europe
7. European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)
8. EPSU (The European Federation of Public Services)
9. BEUC (The European Consumer Organisation)
10. Women’s Environmental Network (WEN)
11. European Alliance for Responsible R&D and Affordable Medicines
12. SOLIDAR
13. Birdlife International
14. European Coordination Via Campesina
15. foodwatch international
16. Slow Food Europe
17. Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)
18. Transnational Institute
19. Commons Network
20. CEEweb for Biodiversity
21. Alliance for Cancer Prevention
22. Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC)
23. UK Hazards Campaign
24. GLOBAL 2000 - Friends of the Earth Austria
25. Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren (CBG)
26. Ecologistas en Acción
27. Debt Observatory in Globalisation (ODG)
28. Pesticide Action Network Germany (PAN Germany)
29. France Assos Sante
30. EuSAIN
31. NoGracias Spain
32. Kom op tegen Kanker (Stand up to Cancer), Belgium
33. ETC Group
34. TP Organics
35. TB Alert
36. Public Foundation “Kyrgyz Coalition Against Tuberculosis”
37. GMWATCH
38. EKPIZO-Consumer Association the Quality of Life, Greece
39. Sumofus
40. PAN EUROPE
41. Test Aankoop/Test Achats
42. Fundacja “Rozwój TAK - Odkrywki NIE”, Poland
43. Center for medicine ecology and research MERC, Macedonia
44. Associazione Italiana Elettrosensibili
45. Associazione Malattie da Intossicazione Cronica e Ambientale (A.M.I.C.A.)
46. Sciences Citoyennes
47. Générations Futures
48. Agir pour l’Environnement
49. Health Action International (HAI)
50. Prescrire
51. UFC-Que choisir
52. AIDES
53. Amalyste
54. Renaloo
55. Réseau D.E.S France
56. Epilepsie-France
57. AFTOC (Association française de personnes souffrant de troubles obsessionnels et compulsifs)
58. Générations Mouvement
59. TRT-5
60. Speranta Terrei
61. ARAS - Romanian Association Against AIDS
62. Comitato Veneto Sensibilità Chimica Multipla
63. Associazione Viviamo Vitinia ONLUS
64. Associazione Medici per l’Ambiente - ISDE Italia
65. AIDS Action Europe
(list updated on 11/03/2019)