For the next long-term EU budget 2021-2027, the Commission is proposing €100 billion for research and innovation through Horizon Europe. An ambitious programme that will be based on the achievements of the previous research and innovation programme (Horizon 2020) and keep the EU at the forefront of global research and innovation.

An agreement on the next long-term budget in 2019 would provide for a seamless transition between the current long-term budget (2014-2020) and the new one in order to ensure the continuity of funding.

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Press Release

The Commission's proposals on telecommunications markets presented in September 2016 strive to put the EU at the forefront of internet connectivity by 2025. Next generation data communication – 5G, the future wireless and mobile communications -, will require additional radio frequencies, a timely access to spectrum and targeted improvements in the spectrum management. This way, 5G will offer a multitude of new opportunities for citizens and businesses with services crossing national frontiers. That is why the Commission considers that 5G roll-out should be a European matter.

112 and warning systems are key to Public Safety, therefore some of the new rules at a EU level will also apply to emergency services and public warning systems.

• The Code provides that caller location information can be retrieved from both the network and, where available, from the handset itself. In order to accommodate developments in use of new technologies the Code clarifies that the concept of emergency communications includes not only voice but also text, video and other types of communications. This also helps to improve the accessibility for end-users with disabilities to reach emergency services.

• Recent terrorist attacks in Europe have highlighted the need for more efficient public warning systems in the Member States. In order to increase the protection of citizens in the Union, the Code therefore includes a provision to establish a system that transmits public warnings to citizens on their mobile phones.

Such a public warning system will enable citizens and travellers to be informed of imminent or developing threats in the area where they are located.

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On 19 June, Sanja Holen (PSCE) chaired the special session Critical communications and public safety – National and European Perspectives at the European Conference on Networks and Communications (EuCNC) in Ljubljana.

During the 11th meeting of the community of users on secure, safe and resilient societies, a dedicated workshop was held on the 5th of June focusing on information exchange and interoperability. The session was divided into four parts: science to science, policy to policy, Research and Innovation to market and Interactions with practitioners.