Horizon Europe is a 7-year European Union scientific research initiative, successor of the Horizon 2020 programme and the earlier Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development. The European Commission drafted and approved a plan for Horizon Europe to raise EU science spending levels by 50% over the years 2021–2027.

EU Members of Horizon Europe

Budget

The budget of €95.5 billion for Horizon Europe, which was launched in 2021, is up from the €77 billion budget for its predecessor, Horizon 2020. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Independent observers had predicted the final approved funding to be much lower after completion of the lengthy negotiations with the European Parliament and EU member states. ^[4] Former EU commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas, along with many advocacy groups, had pushed for a more expansive EU science budget. In order to build political support for the budget increase, he used American originated ideas of " moonshots" to focus research efforts and boost the public interest. ^[5]

Details

The proposal called for €100 billion in research and innovation spending for years 2021–2027. Of that sum, €2.4 billion is earmarked for the Euratom nuclear research programme and €3.6 billion is put away for an umbrella investment fund, called InvestEU. After accounting for 2% annual inflation, in 2018 the funding for Horizon Europe amounted to €86.6 billion. ^{[6] [7]}

Wealthier EU members have expressed opposition to the increase in funding, with Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte saying the draft budget was "unacceptable". ^[8]

To pay for the €100 billion science spending, the Commission's plan calls for cuts to agriculture and cohesion funding by 5 per cent. Additionally, the plan seeks to tie funding to adherence to the rule of law in member states, including judicial independence. ^[8]

Compared to the previous framework programme Horizon 2020, some changes in terms of cost reporting have been implemented with the objective to simplify the grant management process. ^[9]

Horizon Europe adopts five missions:

1. Adaptation to Climate Change: support at least 150 European regions and communities to become climate resilient by 2030
2. Cancer: working with Europe's Beating Cancer Plan to improve the lives of more than 3 million people by 2030 through prevention, cure and solutions to live longer and better
3. Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030
4. 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030
5. A Soil Deal for Europe: 100 living labs and lighthouses to lead the transition towards healthy soils by 2030 ^[10]

Cooperation beyond the EU: Associated Members

Horizon Europe supports European partnerships in which the EU, national authorities and / or the private sector jointly commit to support the development and implementation of a programme of research and innovation activities. To be deemed a Horizon Europe Associated Member is to engage in "the closest form of cooperation in research and innovation for non-EU countries, by providing, as far as possible, the same rights and obligations to these countries' research and innovation entities as those accorded to entities of EU Member States." ^[11] Associated Countries are "non-EU countries that pay into the Horizon Europe budget to be treated equally to the EU Member States for the purposes of the programme." ^[12]

Horizon Europe expanded its partnerships beyond the 27 member states of the EU, this includes:

Associated non-EU countries
State	Joined	Note	Ref
Albania	1 July 2022		[13]
Armenia	November 2021		[13] [14]
Bosnia and Herzegovina	December 2021		[13]
Canada	pending	associated to Pillar II	[13]
Faroe Islands	1 June 2022		[13]
Georgia	December 2021		[13] [15]
Iceland	6 October 2021		[13]
Israel	December 2021		[13] [16]
Kosovo	December 2021		[13]
Moldova	22 November 2021		[13]
Morocco	pending		[13]
Montenegro	December 2021		[13]
New Zealand	December 2022	associated to Pillar II	[13] [17]
North Macedonia	December 2021		[13]
Norway	6 October 2021		[13]
Serbia	December 2021		[13]
South Korea	25 March 2024		[18] [19]
Switzerland	pending		[13]
Tunisia	1 July 2022		[13]
Turkey	January 2021		[13] [20]
Ukraine	1 January 2021	The Agreement entered into force in June 2022. "associated third country" status was applied retroactively from 1 January 2021	[13] [21] [22]
United Kingdom	January 2024	associated to the entire Programme, with the only exception of the EIC fund	[13] [23]

• In August 2022, the United Kingdom launched formal dispute resolution proceedings over its access to the programme. ^[24] In September 2023, the United Kingdom and European Union reached an agreement on the UK rejoining Horizon starting from 1 January 2024. ^[25]
• Participants from non-associated non-EU countries, can participate in Horizon Europe actions, but not always with funding. ^[13]

In addtion, the following countries are interested in exploring the concept of association to Horizon Europe:

State	Note	Ref
Australia		[26]
Japan		[26]
Singapore		[26]

See also

• Science and technology in Europe

References

External links

• Horizon Europe official website