Publications – Statements

Statement | 12 October 2026

The Guild responds to the Irish Presidency's negotiation box for the EU budget 2028-2034.

Event report | 9 October 2026

Seven leading European university and research institutes call for increased investment in R&I for Europe, arguing that FP10 will be critical to Europe’s competitiveness, economic prosperity and capacity to address societal challenges.

Statement | 1 October 2026

The Guild welcomes the opportunity to contribute to discussions on the future of the EIT and its role in Europe’s R&I landscape. While recognising the EIT’s contribution to linking education, research and innovation, The Guild highlights key areas where urgent improvements are needed to ensure the EIT and KICs have a strong future beyond 2027.

Statement | 24 September 2026

The Guild stresses that the EU’s growing focus on prosperity, resilience and security must include continued investment in sustainability and climate research to address our urgent interconnected environmental, societal and economic challenges.

Statement | 9 September 2026

The Guild, together with six leading European university and research organisations, call on EU policymakers to strengthen investment in R&I in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

Statement | 31 August 2026

At the ARUA-The Guild Summit, held at the University of Glasgow 14-17 June 2026, Vice-Chancellors and Presidents of 46 leading universities in Africa and Europe resolved to redouble their efforts to address humanity’s common challenges in health, digital transformation, environmental degradation, technological shifts, cultural tensions and geopolitical strife together.

Statement | 29 June 2026

The Guild together with sixteen research and higher education networks calls on EU decision-makers to not change Europe's proven MSCA model, and to instead, scale it and multiply its impact.

Statement | 26 June 2026

The Guild welcomes the adoption of the Council’s Partial General Approach for the next Horizon Europe programme (FP10) and calls on the European Parliament to timely complete its position and allow the trialogue to begin in fall 2026 at the latest.

Statement | 23 June 2026

The Guild shares its vision for strengthening Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities-led (SSAH) research in FP10, calling for collaborative R&I that frames the continent’s forthcoming scientific, digital and economic transformations in a societal aspiration of the Europe we want to see.

Event report | 10 June 2026

Report on the joint event The Guild co-organised on 20 April with Coimbra Group, CESAER, LERU, EUA and YERUN at the European Parliament (EP), hosted by MEP Carla Tavares to reflect on the strategic role of R&I within the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

Statement | 2 June 2026

The Guild together with sixteen other higher education organisations shares its reaction to the CULT Committee draft report on Erasmus+ 2028-2034.

Statement | 27 May 2026

The Guild together with six organisations representing key universities and research institutes in Europe have joined forces to urge the Council and European Parliament, to already lay the grounds for compromise to allow for the swift launch of FP10 and ECF in January 2028.

Statement | 1 April 2026

The Guild shares its concerns regarding the European Commission's proposal to apply the EU preference rules from the European Competitiveness Fund to research activities and stresses the key principles for the European Parliament and the Council to ensure a sustainable FP10 that boosts Europe's competitiveness and prosperity.

Statement | 17 March 2026

The Guild warmly welcomes the draft reports from MEP Christian Ehler and MEP René Repasi for the European Parliament on the European Commission’s proposals for the Horizon Europe framework programme 2028-34 (FP10).

Statement | 25 February 2026

The Guild together with six other research and innovation organisations put forward proposals of how the next Framework Programme for R&I and the European Competitiveness Fund should complement each other whilst preserving their respective autonomy.

Cover note | 18 February 2026

The Guild, together with sixteen other higher education organisations propose amendments to the Commission's Erasmus+ (2028-2034) proposal.

Statement | 10 February 2026

The Guild, COST, the MCAA and the U7+ Alliance call for stronger recognition of the often understated but essential role of academic and university networks in building trust, advancing science diplomacy and informing global decision‑making.

Statement | 5 February 2026 

The Guild provides four recommendations for alliances that have identified research as an important part of their activities.

Statement | 7 January 2026

The Guild, together with other higher education organisations representing Europe's higher education community call for the Member States, the European Parliament and the European Commission to ensure a budget of at least €60 billion for the next Erasmus+ programme (2028-2034).

Statement | 9 December 2025

The Guild welcomes the AU-EU Summit’s commitment to collaboration in research and higher education, and stresses their importance in the AU-EU Joint Vision’s concrete implementation to ensure as both continents must address central challenges in health, climate, technology and the economy with maximum impact and sustainability.

Cover note | 1 December 2025

The Guild, together with other organisations representing Europe’s research and innovation community present a coordinated set of amendments to the European Commission’s proposals for the 10th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10).

Statement | 27 November 2025

In response to the Commission’s proposal to launch moonshot projects for the next Horizon Europe programme (FP10), The Guild proposes four societal moonshots which address interdisciplinary challenges and align technological progress with societal welfare.

Statement | 17 October

The Guild has submitted its response to the European Commission’s Call for Evidence on the Digital Omnibus - Digital Package on Simplification, highlighting that legal uncertainties are of equal challenge to the research community, especially universities.

Statement | 8 October

The Guild has submitted its response to the European Commission’s Call for Evidence on the future European Innovation Act, urging policymakers to fully recognise universities as central drivers of innovation across Europe.

Statement | 29 September 2025

The Guild calls on the European Commission to develop a comprehensive EU Cardiovascular Health Plan, providing a coordinated EU-level response that leverages Research and Innovation across prevention, early detection, treatment, and long-term care.

Statement | 29 September 2025

The Guild's response to the Call for Evidence on the ERA Act highlighting critical areas for the production and development of excellent research, including R&D expenditure, academic freedom, data access, research careers and infrastructures.

Joint statement | 24 June 2025

European research organisations urge the EU to preserve MSCA's bottom-up approach.

Joint statement | 10 June 2025

CESAER and The Guild member universities call on the European Commission and the member states to ensure widely spread and predictable call deadlines of Research and Innovation (R&I) Framework Programmes.

Joint statement | 19 March 2025

Prominent universities and research institutions from Africa and Europe are calling on the EU to enhance its strategic commitments to Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Sign the open call!

Statement | 10 March 2025

The EU’s global competitiveness and the well-being of its citizens depend on strong investment in health research and skills development. As we anticipate the Life Sciences Strategy, EU Biotech Act, and the implementation of the EHDS, The Guild urges stronger research funding in MFF & FP10.

Open letter | 6 March 2025

Open letter addressed to leaders of the EU institutions in support of an FP10 as we know it!

Statement | 12 March 2025

The Guild welcomes the objectives of the Union of Skills strategy to boost high quality education and skills development, and to foster shared EU values.

Joint statement | 12 February 2025

European representatives of R&I organisations issue a joint statement to urge the European Union to invest in research to strengthen European leadership.

Statement | 28 January 2025

The Guild reacts to the discussions on the adoption of a Competitiveness Compass.

Statement | 17 October 2024

The Guild welcomes the Expert Group's report on Horizon Europe and its recommendations for the next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10)

Joint statement | 3 October 2024

R&I organisations across Europe call for the MSCA to be recognised as a crucial R&I instrument and ask for an increased budget to unlock its full potential.

Statement | 20 September 2024

The Guild publishes recommendations on European research and education policies ahead of the commissioner candidate hearings.

Statement | 20 September 2024

The Guild publishes recommendations on European research and education policies ahead of the commissioner candidate hearings.

Statement | 20 September 2024

The Guild publishes recommendations on European research and education policies ahead of the commissioner candidate hearings.

Statement | 20 September 2024

The Guild publishes recommendations on European research and education policies ahead of the commissioner candidate hearings.

Statement | 20 September 2024

The Guild publishes recommendations on European research and education policies ahead of the commissioner candidate hearings.

Statement | 20 September 2024

The Guild publishes recommendations on European research and education policies ahead of the commissioner candidate hearings.

Statement | 20 September 2024

The Guild publishes recommendations on European research and education policies ahead of the commissioner candidate hearings.

Statement | 20 September 2024

The Guild publishes recommendations on European research and education policies ahead of the commissioner candidate hearings.

Open Letter | 4 June 2024

As part of the #ResearchMatters campaign, leading research and innovation organisations from across Europe are calling for a significant increase in investments in research and innovation.

Statement | 22 May 2024

The Guild’s response to the European Commission's roll out plans for the higher education package.

Statement | 29 April 2024

The Guild’s Deans of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities stress the importance of the re-association of the UK to Horizon Europe and its successor programmes, full empowerment of SSAH research collaborations in EU framework programmes and the urgent need for Switzerland to associate to enhance Europe’s competitiveness and resilience to better address societal challenges.

Statement | 12 February 2024

The Guild's contribution to the current discussions on the future funding of the European Universities alliances.

Statement | 6 February 2024

The Guild welcomes the European Commission's proposal on enhancing research security and offers key recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders to navigate all the economic security initiatives in ways that safeguard the indispensable principles of international R&I collaboration which we need to tackle global challenges.

Joint Statement | 31 January 2024

Eight organisations, representing key actors in the public research and higher education sectors, released an open letter today addressed to Ilze Juhansone, Secretary-General of the European Commission, and colleagues demanding the Commission prioritise research and education in its ex-ante impact assessment process.

Statement | 9 November 2023

The Guild emphasises the need for responsible internationalisation.

Joint Statement | 2 November 2023

Read the concerns of the university sector on the European Framework on Research Careers.

Statement | 13 September 2023

The Guild's reaction on Iliana Ivanona as Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth

Statement | 7 September 2023

The Guild reacts to the UK association to Horizon Europe.

Joint statement | 28 June 2023

Joint Statement of LERU, CE7 and The Guild for the EU institutions.

Joint statement | 27 June 2023

Joint Call for Action | 1 June 2023

The Guild, ARUA and leading universities and research organisations in Africa and Europe, call on the AU and the EU, in partnership with African and European states, to pilot an integrated Africa-EU STI Programme for the period 2023–2027.

Statement | 22 May 2023

The Guild shares the concerns expressed by LERU and EU-LIFE in their joint statement on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “Save Cruelty-free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without Animal Testing”.

Statement | 15 May 2023

The Guild shares its concerns over academic freedom and institutional autonomy in Sweden.

Joint Statement | 8 May 2023

The Guild, and other associations of universities and university libraries, formulate recommendations to the co-legislators engaged in the interinstitutional negotiations for the adoption of the Data Act to ensure that this piece of EU legislation promotes fair access to data for research purposes.

Statement | 3 May 2023

The Guild shares its recommendations in light of the evolving discussion on a full-scale EEI.

Statement | 17 April 2023

The Guild shares its concerns over the current financial unsustainability of the academic publishing system in Europe.

Joint statement | 2 March 2023

The Guild, as part of a wider network of key organisations of universities and research funders in the UK and Europe, welcomes the announcement of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the EU is open to implementing UK association to Horizon Europe.

Statement | 24 January 2023

The Guild calls for strengthening the research focus of missions funded from the Horizon Europe budget, so that their original goals of addressing transformative, inter- and transdisciplinary and societal challenges can be met effectively.

Statement | 5 December 2022

Ahead of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Summit, research and innovation organisations voice concerns regarding the Intellectual Property (IP) provisions for EIC-funded Transition and Pathfinder projects. As they currently stand, the provisions create serious obstacles to the knowledge valorisation services undertaken by research-performing organisations. This poses serious threats to the exploitation of research outcomes.

Statement | 7 July 2022

Published on 5 July, the New European Innovation Agenda puts forward a number of key actions to develop the innovation ecosystems in Europe. By putting emphasis on deep tech, the Agenda misses to embrace all types of innovation and neglects the crucial role of some actors, including universities, in developing these ecosystems.

Statement | 20 June 2022

Contributing to MEP Christian Ehler’s report on the implementation of the European Innovation Council (EIC), The Guild calls for the EIC to better recognise the role of universities’ technology transfer offices as key actors in the emergence of breakthrough innovations.

Statement | 24 May 2022

The Guild expresses concerns about the provisions in the Horizon Europe grant agreement that give ‘EIC inventors’ indefinite royalty-free access rights. Ensuring that universities across Europe have well-functioning knowledge and technology transfer offices would be a better approach to maximise the exploitation of research results.

Statement | 17 May 2022

Ahead of the June Competitiveness Council, where the ministers will be invited to adopt conclusions on research assessment and implementation of Open Science policies, The Guild urges the member states to ensure that Open Access serves science, not publishers.

Statement | 4 May 2022

The Guild welcomes the publication, on Tuesday 3rd May, of the European Commission’s proposal for a regulation on the European Health Data Space (EHDS).

Statement | 27 April 2022

The German U15, The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, and Udice emphasise the necessity to strengthen international cooperation in research to meet global challenges.

Statement | 8 April 2022

The Guild welcomes the Council conclusions on a European strategy empowering higher education institutions for the future of Europe.

Statement | 28 March 2022

The Guild urges the member states and the European Commission to address critical obstacles that researchers are facing when conducting multinational clinical trials, particularly regarding the sharing and reuse of health data.

Statement | 21 March 2022

The Guild issues a set of recommendations for concrete support measures to help staff and students from Ukraine, urging the European Commission, the French Presidency of the Council, and the national governments to support universities effectively and flexibly.

Statement | 8 March 2022

The Guild suggests definitions of key terms to support universities in achieving more diversity, equity and inclusion.

Statement | 28 February 2022

The Guild voices its concerns on the Commission’s proposal for a Data Act, urging fair access to privately held data for research purposes.

Statement | 25 February 2022

The Guild calls on Europe’s governments, and the EU, to enable our universities to support Ukrainian students and staff on our campuses, and through the provision of distance education where needed.

Statement | 16 February 2022

Through the proposed AU-EU Innovation Agenda, announced on 14 February ahead of the AU-EU summit, universities are assuming a central place in the development of AU-EU relations.

Statement | 25 January 2022

At the start of the new Erasmus+ programme (2021-2027), universities are struggling to meet the mobility expectations of their students. Although the programme promised to be more inclusive and accessible, the actual level of funding universities received in 2021 for Key Action 1 remained at the level of 2018 funding.

Statement | 20 January 2022

The Guild welcomes the Strategy as a framework which recognizes the rich potential and contribution of Europe’s universities to our society through research, education and innovation. Although there is much to welcome, there is a genuine question whether the strategy is visionary enough.

Statement | 13 January 2022

The application process for Horizon Europe calls requires further clarity while a more stable and user-friendly submission platform is needed, researchers and research support officers from The Guild universities highlight.

Statement | 7 January 2022

The Guild calls for university grant and financial managers to be included in any further evaluations of Horizon lump sum funding.

Statement | 17 December 2021

The African Research Universities Alliance and The Guild emphasise the critical importance of strengthening African research universities in a wholistic way, calling to action the AU and EU, national governments, public science bodies, and universities and their communities themselves.

Statement | 14 December 2021

The Guild voices its concerns on the burdens the European Commission’s proposal for an Artificial Intelligence Act may impose on research and researchers and calls for the Commission to involve researchers in the future monitoring and amendment processes of the Act.

Statement | 25 November 2021

The Guild calls for the new European Research Area to develop and implement a holistic vision to strengthen and deepen excellence in less R&I performing (Widening) countries.

Statement | 4 November 2021

The European Union’s research and innovation community calls for the European Commission and President Ursula von der Leyen to finalise the United Kingdom’s association to Horizon Europe immediately.

Statement | 22 October 2021

The Guild calls for dedicated funding streams for knowledge transfer activities, and capacity-building measures to enhance the capacities of researchers and technology transfer offices to innovate.

Statement | 17 June 2021

As a core principle of the EU, academic freedom must be protected vigorously and decisively by the Commission and all EU institutions. The Guild urges for the creation of a European Ombudsperson for the defence and support of academic freedom.

Statement | 25 May 2021

Collaboration within the European Universities initiative needs to grow bottom-up, based on the alliances’ distinctive strategies. Innovation and originality can flourish only by developing new practices in universities and overcoming national obstacles.

Statement | 27 April 2021

The Guild considers it critical that the Pact for Research and Innovation will prominently address the key question that ERA was founded on: how to strengthen Europe’s research capacity.

Statement | 9 December 2020

The Guild calls for an urgent funding boost to the Excellence Science Pillar of Horizon Europe in order to achieve a balanced resourcing of the three pillars of the programme.

Statement | 30 October 2020

The Guild voices its concern that ending ERDF support to universities’ research capacities undermines the goal of reducing the research and innovation divide in Europe.

Statement | 1 October 2020

The Guild considers that the visions for the European Research and Education Areas published by the European Commission represent an important opening for a dialogue on common priorities and their implementation.

Statement | 11 September 2020

The coming weeks will decide the direction of the EU’s research and innovation policy for the coming seven years. As the global pandemic has brought societies and economies nearly to a standstill in the past six months, it has become clear that researchers are at the forefront of Europe’s ability to overcome the pandemic and orient our societal development towards the future.

Statement | 24 July 2020

As a world-leading mathematician, and through his deep understanding of subjects right across the disciplinary spectrum, Prof. Bourguignon enjoys the deep trust of the scientific community. As ERC President, Prof. Bourguignon has been an outstanding leader of Europe’s pre-eminent research council, recognised as Europe’s spokesperson on behalf of frontier-led science.

Statement | 22 July 2020

The Guild welcomes the European Council compromise on the next Multiannual Financial Framework and Next Generation EU. It now calls on the European Parliament to focus on improvements in spending on Horizon Europe and Erasmus+, which are critical in ensuring that the EU can become more resilient in addressing its future challenges.

Statement | 7 July 2020

The Guild reissues its call for the European Research Area (ERA) to focus on strengthening the production of new knowledge through academic research.

Statement | 28 May 2020

The Guild urges the Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament to increase their commitment to research, education and innovation in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), and ensure a timely start for 2021.

Statement | 8 April 2020

The Guild expresses its full support to the European Research Council (ERC), following its request made on 27 March for Prof. Mauro Ferrari to resign as President of the ERC.