On Wednesday 20 March, the European Commission adopted the second strategic plan for the EU’s research framework programme, Horizon Europe. For the last three years of the programme (2025-2027), the Commission has identified three strategic orientations: the green transition, the digital transition and a “more resilient, competitive, democratic and inclusive Europe”.
The Commission wants these strategic axes to operate according to the principles of ‘open strategic autonomy’ and the promotion of Europe’s leading role in the development and deployment of critical technologies.
The plan, which is intended to be easier to read, also identifies existing gaps in research funding in Europe and contains a new section devoted to the safety of research.
Furthermore, as announced by the European Commissioner for Research, Iliana Ivanova, this second strategic plan, in addition to the objectives already pursued for climate-related spending (35% over the total duration of Horizon Europe) and digital activities (€13 billion over the same period) includes a commitment to devote 10% of the total Horizon Europe budget for the period 2025-2027 to biodiversity-related actions.
The strategic plan also identifies nine new co-financed European partnerships and co-programmed partnerships. The ‘New European Bauhaus’ becomes a transversal issue, across several Horizon Europe segments, and the strategic plan identifies the New European Bauhaus Facility.
Finally, the plan takes stock of the new European missions and includes some specific issues, such as the balance between research and innovation and the integration of the social sciences and humanities.
The plan’s guidelines will be implemented through Horizon Europe’s work programmes. The European Commission has already announced, for April 2024, that it will open up the possibility for stakeholders to provide feedback for the 2025 work programme.
Link to the strategic plan: https://aeur.eu/f/bfx (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)