Future of the European Programme for Research and Innovation - state of play of positions

Discussions on future EU support to research and innovation are in full swing. Many member states have issued position papers in the past months while some had already taken position as early as end of 2023.

Last week, a group of experts tasked with advising the European Commission on the next Framework Programme for research and innovation (R&I)  presented their report, recommending a major overhaul of EU funding instruments. 

Here below we offer an overview of contributions to the discussion:

- On the ERA Portal Austria, you can find a compilation of position papers on the next EU Framework Programme for R&I, by member states/regions as well as by many European umbrella organisations and other stakeholders. 

- On 16 October, the independent expert report 'Align, Act, Accelerate', tasked by the Commission, was published. It provides strategic recommendations on maximising the impact of EU R&I programmes in the future. It is based on the preliminary findings and data on Horizon Europe and findings/conclusions stemming from the ex-post evaluation of the Horizon 2020 programme, and on other sources. It advocates that Europe should pursue a transformative agenda to address four critical and interdependent core spheres of action. 

Science business' take on it can be found here: Time for a major shakeup of how the EU funds research, expert group says | Science|Business

- The following reports commissioned by EU bodies will also influence the discussion:

• The Report on the future of European competitiveness by Mario Draghi, former European Central Bank President, tasked by the European Commission, was published in September 2024. Find out more here.
• The Report on the Future of the Single Market by former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta, called for by the European Council in 2023, was publised in April 2024. Find out more here.