Christian Ehler has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2004 and has been a member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) for more than a decade. He has been one of the leading figures in the design and implementation of the EU research and innovation programmes, both as Rapporteur for Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. He is the initiator of a dedicated ITRE working group that allows for a closer parliamentary scrutiny of the EU R&I programmes and he is Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s think thank STOA. One of Christian Ehler’s main priorities is to ensure Europe’s excellence in science, technology and innovation in all sectors, including health, digital and climate.
As Rapporteur for Horizon Europe, he has put forward a number of instruments to reduce the administrative burden for researchers and SMEs, as well as to boost public-private partnerships contributing to achieving EU climate and digital goals. Christian Ehler plays an instrumental role within the European People‘s Party as the group’s Coordinator for the ITRE Committee.