In its progress report published on Friday 28 November, the Danish Presidency of the EU Council has concluded that technical workshops are still needed to finalise the ‘Horizon Europe’ framework programme for research and innovation (R&I) 2028-2034 (see EUROPE 13732/13).
With a view to continuing the negotiations, the Presidency considers it useful to reflect on two points in particular. On the one hand, it considers that Member States should devote sufficient time and effort to informed and constructive discussions on key issues of strategic importance, including through the use of technical workshops.
Furthermore, according to the Presidency, the Member States must discuss how to integrate the text’s six blocks presented in July (see EUROPE 13683/7). These six blocks cover the text’s four pillars as well as the general provisions and the rules for participation and dissemination. This integration should consolidate the thematic provisions of the Framework Programme and the specific programme into comprehensive and integrated proposals, so as to ensure a clear overview and the coherence of the entire text.
Since last July, the Presidency has presented three compromise proposals for each of four of the blocks. And two compromise proposals for each of the remaining two blocks. “Although they do not purport to represent any agreement, [they] reflect a good outcome at this stage of the negotiations and in view of the ones still to follow”, it said in the report.
It emphasised that, in general, the overall architecture of the framework programme, structured around pillars, had not been called into question. Only a few Member States have so far considered or requested the transfer of certain specific parts, either to other pillars as a cross-cutting part of the programme, or to other EU programmes, mainly the European Competitiveness Fund.
One of the main outstanding issues concerns the overall governance of the priority-setting process and the involvement of Member States in this process. This is why a conditional clause has been included in the specific programme, to guarantee a major consultative role for the Member States.
Denmark has put this issue on the agenda for the Research Council meeting on Tuesday 9 December. To this end, it has prepared a note with questions which the ministers will try to answer (see EUROPE 13761/4).
Read the progress report: https://aeur.eu/f/js6 (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)