On Wednesday 16 June, the European Commission adopted the Horizon Europe 2021-2022 main work programme (see EUROPE 12649/13), detailing the European funding opportunities available for research and innovation in the coming year.
A total of €14.7 billion in funding will be available over this period: €5.8 billion of this will go to research projects supporting the EU’s environmental commitments under the European Green Deal, and around €4 billion will go towards the development of digital technologies.
A sum of €1.9 billion should also contribute to “helping repair the immediate economic and social damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic”, says the Commission.
For the first time, this programme will limit the participation of third countries to a number of actions: twenty-one in total, the European Commissioner for Research, Mariya Gabriel, told reporters on Wednesday.
Article 22.5 of the new Horizon Europe Regulation states that “ when it comes to strategic interests, when we are talking about areas in which the EU has an interest linked to its technological sovereignty, we will have to consider the modalities of participation of third countries carefully and with solid arguments”, the Commissioner summarised . This limitation will be implemented with the approval of the Member States.
However, the programme remains “an international programme”, insisted Ms Gabriel. “Because we know that it is this international openness that contributes to scientific excellence”, she added.
To consult the programme: https://bit.ly/35tdhta (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)