On Friday 26 June, the EU Council approved its partial negotiating mandate on the regulation and the specific programme for Horizon Europe, the EU’s tenth Research Framework Programme for research and innovation (see EUROPE 13896/6).
The partial mandate - which excludes financial and horizontal issues linked to the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and does not yet take a position on the future of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) - covers two legislative proposals under the Horizon Europe programme: the regulation establishing the framework programme, together with its rules for participation and dissemination, and the EU Council decision establishing the specific programme implementing Horizon Europe.
It notably provides for a close link with the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) and strengthens Member States’ involvement in setting Horizon Europe’s strategic priorities.
It “introduces improvements and additional safeguards concerning European Partnerships, research security and support for innovation, including for dual-use and defence applications”. It also strengthens horizontal principles such as gender equality and simplification measures for the benefit of beneficiaries.
The EU Council position also clarifies the provisions relating to European partnerships between the Union and public and/or private partners - such as industry associations, Member States, universities and foundations. The EU Council and its advisory bodies will play a stronger role in identifying priority areas and defining the strategic direction of the partnerships.
One of the thorny issues, namely support for Member States lagging further behind in research (enlargement countries) or in the process of catching up (transition countries), was resolved through a formula intended to satisfy everyone: the mandate thus encourages sustained convergence in research and innovation by maintaining existing widening instruments and allowing new measures to support the development of those Member States. These provisions form part of a broader package of measures, closely linked to the ongoing negotiations on the MFF.
Statements. Several Member States wished to issue statements. Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia indicated that their agreement remains partial as long as the rest of the negotiations on the MFF have not been completed. Those countries also consider it essential that the Programme should continue to guarantee access to capacity-building measures for both enlargement countries and transition countries, with differentiated arrangements for the latter.
Germany, for its part, considers it crucial to maintain the assurance that no EU funds will be allocated to research (including research involving the extraction of stem cells) in which human embryos are destroyed, such practices being prohibited in Germany.
European Parliament unhappy. “The progress made in the Council is a good foundation for negotiations, except two issues of major concern,” reacted the European Parliament’s rapporteur, Christian Ehler (EPP, German), on 25 June.
He says he is “concerned about the removal of references to the freedom of scientific research. Secondly, transferring Pillar 2 (competitiveness and society) programming to the ECF governance structure is, in my view, a strategic error. The relatively limited budget for the ECF will create pressure for ECF to cannibalise Horizon funding for ECF objectives”. Research and innovation concerns will be “ignored and sacrificed”.
Links to the documents and statements: https://aeur.eu/f/mlg ; https://aeur.eu/f/mlt ; https://aeur.eu/f/mlx (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)