17/03/2021 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 16 March, the Council of the EU adopted its position on the regulation establishing the EU’s 2021-2027 Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. An agreement on this text was reached in December between the co-legislators (see EUROPE 12621/10). “This brings us only one step away from the final adoption (of the programme)”, commented, on Tuesday, the Portuguese Science and Technology Minister Manuel Heitor. The European Parliament still has to approve the EU Council’s position: the vote is expected to take place during the April plenary session. The text establishing Horizon Europe will then apply retroactively from 1 January 2021. The Commission and the EU Council Presidency did not wait for the legislative process to be completed before starting to implement the programme (see EUROPE 12678/17, 12649/13). See the text approved by the EU Council: https://bit.ly/3lswoLc (AC)