Joint Position Paper: Prosperous and Competitive Europe: A truly interdisciplinary FP10

At this critical moment in history, the EU needs to fully endorse research in the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), the European comparative advantage in global science. In 2025, Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe, Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, is already showing commitment by increasing the budget for research areas within democratic governance, cultural heritage and social inclusion. Knowledge generation from the SSH is essential to effectively feed the ongoing public debate from governance to ethical and sustainable technological development. FP10, the next EU Research & Innovation Framework Programme, has promising opportunities to build on the SSH integration from the former programmes to strengthen the backbone of an innovative and competitive Europe. 

With this joint statement, our associations as key stakeholders of research and innovation urge the European Commission, European Parliament and EU Member States to lay the groundwork for a value-driven Europe. We strongly believe that this will be achieved by endorsing the crucial role of SSH in FP10. 

Therefore, we call for: 

1. A European funding programme for research and innovation that: (a) places researchers representing all disciplines at the heart of all aspects of its decisionmaking processes; (b) is inclusive of all disciplines; and (c) invests more in SSH research that encourages innovation, shapes markets and environments for sustainable transformation and societal well-being. 
2. Strengthening the full integration of SSH disciplines in the implementation of EU R&I investments. 
3. Dedicated funding for SSH in FP10 to address the major threats and opportunities of Europe, from innovation to sustainable and inclusive growth. 

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