Policy Context
European funding is a complex matter. We help you to understand the policy context of the Horizon Europe programme.
Strategic dimension – Flemish government
The various work programmes with calls for proposals are drafted by several Programme Committees consisting of delegates of the participating countries in Horizon Europe & Digital Europe.
Representatives from the Department of Economy, Science and Innovation (EWI) inform on the drafting process and collect input from stakeholders located in Flanders to bring it on the Belgian and European level, which results in a concrete work programme. This input can typically consist of suggestions for new topics, requests for adaptations on scale or content of proposed projects.
Contact details of Horizon Europe programme committee delegates are available here. Contact details of the Digital Europe programme committee delegate are available here.
Strategic dimension Horizon Europe – European Commission
In 2023, the Commission organised a public consultation on the past, present, and future of the European Research and Innovation Framework programmes. The insights gained from the consultation provide valuable input and will feed into the ongoing strategic planning process for the next Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027, which was launched in Autumn 2022, and into the preparations of the next Framework Programme for Research & Innovation (FP10).
The strategic plan defines the orientations for the Horizon Europe programme (mainly for Pillar II) and outlines the contributions of its various parts. These orientations mirror the political priorities of the European Union, outline the way research and innovation can address them and enable the Commission to better measure impact. The Strategic Plan 2025-2027 is expected to be adopted beginning of 2024. Find out more here.
In September 2023, EWI published a ‘Flemish reflection paper on the tenth European Framework Programme for R&I’ as a contribution to the preparation of the next Framework Programme.
Horizon Europe Monitoring by the Commission
- Horizon Europe programme analysis page : Horizon Europe programme analysis (europa.eu)
- Results of recent public consultation (concluded on 23/2/23) on the future of EU research & innovation programmes: The results of the public consultation on the future of EU Research and Innovation programmes are now public (europa.eu)
- First report on the performance of European Partnerships under Horizon Europe: First report on the performance of European Partnerships under Horizon Europe (europa.eu)
- First assessment of EU Missions: Horizon Europe: EU Missions (europa.eu)
Testimonial
Miricle - Mine Risk Clearance for Europe
The Miricle project, ‘Mine Risk Clearance for Europe’, obtained funding under the European Defence Industrial Development programme call ‘Underwater control contributing to resilience at sea’. The main objective of the project was to achieve a European and sovereign capacity in future mine warfare and create a path for the next generation ‘made in Europe’ countermeasure solutions. In order to realise this objective, Miricle addressed various stages: studies, design, prototyping and testing. These stages inter alia included the successful testing of an XL Unmanned Underwater Vehicle, a protototyped mine disposal system and multiple innovative systems to detect buried mines. Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), was one of the five Belgian partners in the consortium. Within the project, VLIZ was able to forward its research on the acoustic imaging of the seabed to spatially map and visualize buried structures and objects - in this case buried mines - in the highest possible detail. VLIZ also led the work on ‘Port and Offshore Testing’, building on the expertise of the institute in the field of marine operations and technology.
