The ERC complements other funding schemes in Europe, such as the activities of national research funding agencies, and is a flagship element of Horizon 2020, the European Union's Framework Programme for 2014-2020.
Being researcher-driven, or in other words, bottom-up in nature, the ERC's approach allows researchers to identify new opportunities and directions in any field rather than being influenced by priorities set by the political world. It thus ensures that funds benefit promising new research areas with greater flexibility.