EU's priorities! Brussels will spend £112m on ELECTRIC CARS - and just £41m on anti-terror

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Scientific projects and innovative designs will take precedent under Horizon 2020 funding

Despite the issues gripping Europe and the growing migrant crisis, the European Commission has announced its intention to spend FOUR TIMES more on researching and developing electric car batteries than it will on learning more about the long reach of Islamic State.

The Horizon 2020 work programme, the biggest ever EU research funding project, will oversee the spend of £65bn over seven years.

The aim of the programme is to fund science and innovative projects, to place Europe ahead of other world powers.

But the huge cash spends reveal, rather than focusing on fighting terror, joining up the EU approach and controlling the migrant crisis - the Commission is looking at becoming a scientific superpower.

Yesterday, the next two years of spending was announced revealing Jean Claude Juncker's group remains focused on becoming a global player in growing industries which could be profitable in the future, like renewable energy.

This has seen millions of pounds earmarked for the development of electronic cars.

The report states: "Research to support the future development of a production base for next generation Lithium battery cells or post-lithium battery cells would enable Europe to compete with world leaders in this sector. 

"The €133million (£112m) call for Green Vehicles includes around €20million (£17m) for the development of a new generation of cells and their integration in competitive batteries.

"The ambition is to allow Europe to recover competitiveness in the production of future cells and batteries for transport and energy applications."

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The European Union wants to become a major player in the electrical car industry

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A budget of £10m has been allocated for the 'Greening the economy' initiative which looks to unite water research and innovation efforts across Europe and a further £70m will be spent on developing energy storage systems.

These investments will bring the total spend on the "Energy Challenge" which includes the spend on batteries, to almost €200 million.

According to the Commission the main priority is to "get Europe growing again" through the creation of jobs and spending on research and innovation.The report states there is an "immediate need to engage the re-industrialisation of Europe" and a longer-term objective of "building solid knowledge needed for the next wave of innovative breakthroughs". 

A massive £525m has been earmarked for spending on electronics, computing, networking, robotics and photonics, with a further £47m on digital security.

The Commission's report reveals a focus on ensuring EU residents do not "miss out on" goods and services which are bought online and funding will also go to internet companies and start-ups so they can expand as fast as possible.

But while Europe looks to become a global leader, research on terrorism under the horizon project will receive less than half of the spend on cars.

Money has also been set aside to help the Union become a "leader on immigration policy" despite the Union repeatedly failing to control the crisis.

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Over the last year the Schengen zone across the main bloc has all but collapsed as millions of refugees and migrants crossed freely over borders.

In a desperate bid to end the horrific deaths of Syrians and Africans Europe agreed to pay £4bn to Turkey to take migrants back when they land in Greece.

Under the Horizon programme the Union will spend money on vital research to understand migration - but it will be less than half the spend on lithium battery research.

A package of £9m will be spent on migration research and mapping - comparing asylum laws and identifying ways to "harmonise" them.

This week's announcement also reveals the security teams have been allocated a budget of £41m to develop new ways of "fighting and preventing organised crime and tackling terrorist ideas and beliefs" while allowing all EU citizens to protect their rights and beliefs.The announcements also makes clear the Union is looking to bring member states ever closer in terms of policy.

One one the major changes this year is the announcement of the Open Research Data Pilot to improve transparency and allow funded researchers to check they are not duplicating the work of others.

But this will not apply to all projects, which will all be given the option to "opt out" of the programme.

UKIP defence spokesman Mike Hookem said the spending "showed the low priority the EU has for security of law abiding citizens if it places batteries above anti-terror projects."

"The EU, along with other leaders like Angela Merkel, is responsible for allowing jihadi fighters to come to the continent causing more blood shed and horror.

"Surely the European Commission should be satisfied with the sterling (or euro?) work of the wind turbines covering the countrysides of Europe, chomping birds and subsidising millionaire farmers whilst pensioners have to choose between heating and eating?"

"If they want the continent to grow there is one thing the European Commission could do to help that: quit.

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Lithium batteries will eat up millions of pounds of funding so scientists can research them

The Horizon 2020 Work Programme directly reflects the ams of the Commission with the aim of boosting the EU's "global competitiveness".

A further £190m will contribute to boosting and renewing Europe's industrial capacities and £279m is to be spent on "personalised medicine" which funds research into the elderly, diseases and effective prevention, diagnosis and treatments.

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Source: EU's priorities! Brussels will spend £112m on ELECTRIC CARS - and just £41m on anti-terror