Research MEPs seek to boost EU scientific excellence, empower expert advice, and improve links between research and competitiveness.
On Tuesday, Industry, Research and Energy Committee MEPs voted on the Parliament’s position on the 2028-2034 Horizon Europe programme that aims to strengthen the EU’s scientific base and sustain Europe’s long-term competitiveness, technological innovation, and ability to address major societal challenges. MEPs want to restructure the link between the programme and the new European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), to ensure an effective pathway for the practical application of research.
Bigger budget, greater transparency and traceability
MEPs want to increase the programme’s overall budget from the Commission’s €175 billion to €200 billion in current prices (€177 billion in 2025 prices) and they support maintaining its existing format – and funding – around four policy areas: science excellence; competitiveness and society; Innovation; and the European Research Area. MEPs are proposing in their text strong budget guarantees for the European Research Council (ERC), which funds frontier research, and the European Innovation Council (EIC), which funds innovation in a lab-to-market approach. They also warn against any erosion of the independence of the ERC and the EIC. MEPs want to reinforce budget transparency and traceability by giving each pillar dedicated budget lines, and by capping transfers within pillars by the Commission at 10% of the relevant appropriations.
Towards an expert-led model
Committee MEPs propose the creation of a high-level council for collaborative research and innovation, composed of at least 30 independent high-level experts from science, industry and civil society. This council, as proposed by MEPs, would provide strategic advice on thematic priorities, European partnerships topics, resource allocation, and would help draft calls for proposals - the mechanism by which the Programme allows funding.
MEPs propose establishing “broad lines of activities”, aiming to bring a sharper focus along which the Programme should be implemented. They propose accelerating the development of research and innovation projects by creating so-called “fast track to excellence” and “fast track to innovation” schemes, as well as a European support for researchers at risk programme, and similar initiatives for the social sciences, humanities and the arts.