Member States’ Ambassadors to the EU supported, on Friday 18 December, the Interinstitutional Agreement on the Regulation establishing the Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation - an agreement reached, against all odds, as early as the previous week (see EUROPE 12621/10).
The text will still need the political endorsement of the European Parliament before it can be definitively adopted at second reading.
The European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) has already approved it in a vote on Thursday 17 December. The plenary is expected to take a decision at its next session, to be held from 18 to 21 January.
As the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 has been formally adopted by the EU Council (see EUROPE 12625/37) and by the Parliament (see EUROPE 12626/27), nothing should stand in the way of the final adoption of this proposal for a Regulation.
With a budget of €95.5 billion (current prices), the Horizon Europe programme will not, however, have to wait for this somewhat late final adoption to begin: the European Commission has in fact been authorised to launch its first calls for projects as early as next 1 January, without waiting for the final green light from the co-legislators.
Consult the provisional agreement: https://bit.ly/2WyTfZJ (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)