The agreement details what the next Framework Programme for R&I needs: a stronger focus on research excellence, openness to international collaboration, and a distinct governance structure of the proposed European Competitiveness Fund (ECF).
We particularly welcome the agreement’s call for a ringfenced FP10 budget of €200 billion stating the importance of R&I to boost Europe’s prosperity, build its resilience, security and long-term competitiveness.
Research excellence is also highlighted as key in the agreement through clear support for basic and frontier research, reinforcing funding instruments such as the European Research Council (ERC) and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), retaining excellence as an award criterion and safeguard the instruments’ autonomy.
We further support the vision for FP10 and the ECF to have clearly distinct governance structures and be connected through a well-defined and structured interface. The agreement recognises the need for FP10 calls for collaborative challenge-oriented research to continue to be defined by the FP10 Programme Committee, so that they will remain scientifically relevant and geared towards the most innovative solutions.
At a time of geopolitical instability, the agreement also provides a strong legal basis for maintaining FP10’s global nature and strengthening international R&I collaboration. We welcome the replacement of ECF's EU preference rules with proportionate research security measures, amendments making third country association more attractive as well as the creation for a dedicated category for the UK and Switzerland, and the introduction of a “trusted partner” status. We also strongly welcome the agreement's proposal to reinstate FP10 as a civilian research programme.
The Guild urges the ITRE Committee and the European Parliament to fully endorse the agreement in preparation for the upcoming trilogues to ensure a timely launch of the next Horizon Europe Programme.
With these proposed amendments, the European Parliament will have a clear mandate for the trilogues to ensure we have an FP10 that truly delivers. Its key proposals have the strong backings of the sector, and it is imperative that they receive the strongest possible backing from the ITRE Committee, and the European Parliament. We now urge the European Council to agree on the MFF - the trilogues cannot wait!
Secretary-General Jan Palmowski
Previously published related content:
- Proposed joint amendments to the FP10 legal texts by CESAER, Coimbra Group, EUA, EU-LIFE, The Guild, LERU, and YERUN
- The Guild’s university leadership calls on the European Council to give Europe a budget commensurate with its geopolitical needs
- The Guild’s recommendations for scaling up collaborative frontier research in FP10
- Joint recommendations to create a closely connected ECF and an ambitious, self-standing FP10 with LERU, EASSH, Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE), and UNICA Network
- The Guild’s recommendations to balance the risks of responsible internationalisation with the risks of non-collaboration
- The Guild’s position on balancing openness and security in FP10 while maintaining its civilian nature in response to the introduction of dual use in Horizon Europe
- The Guild’s advocacy for the strengthening the African knowledge society