Text · Opinion parliamentary committee draft
On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Horizon Europe, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, for the period 2028-2034 laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulation (EU) 2021/695
Full title
On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Horizon Europe, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, for the period 2028-2034 laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulation (EU) 2021/695
Document REGI-PA-782392 · COM(2025)0543 – C100164/2025 – 2025/0543(COD)
- Kind
- Opinion parliamentary committee draft REGI-PA-782392
- Date
- 5 February 2026
- Committee
- Committee on Regional Development
- Rapporteur
- Şerban Dimitrie Sturdza
- Dossier
- 2025-0543
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- Formats
- Official page PDF Word
- Subject matter
- RDT, PREG
- Reference
- COM(2025)0543 – C100164/2025 – 2025/0543(COD)
In short
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The Committee on Regional Development gives its draft opinion on the Commission proposal for Horizon Europe 2028-2034, the tenth EU research framework programme. It welcomes the proposal but asks for a stronger territorial dimension, closer links with Cohesion Policy and support for less-experienced regions. It proposes amendments to add regional balance to the programme's objectives, to define smart specialisation strategies and regional innovation ecosystems, and to widen access for regional universities, SMEs and first-time applicants. The amendments also address brain drain, disaster-risk funding, simplification through lump sums and modular consortia, and the classification of widening countries and regions.
Position. The rapporteur proposes that the Committee on Regional Development ask the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy to incorporate amendments reinforcing the territorial dimension of Horizon Europe, its synergies with Cohesion Policy and support for less-performing regions, while keeping excellence as the primary funding criterion.
Key points
- The committee welcomes Horizon Europe 2028-2034 but says the framework should better integrate the territorial dimension and reinforce synergies with Cohesion Policy.
- It finds participation uneven across member states and regions, with funding concentrated in a limited number of hubs, and calls for a geographically balanced European Research Area.
- It asks for stronger coordination between Horizon Europe and Cohesion Policy in the next Multiannual Financial Framework to avoid fragmentation and duplication, and supports clearer synergies with the ERDF, ESF+ and other programmes.
- It supports a strategic portfolio of European Partnerships with balanced stakeholder representation, including regional and local authorities, and adds them as possible partners in the definition of European Partnership.
- It reaffirms excellence as the primary funding criterion but says excellence should be inclusive, nurturing emerging centres and new actors in widening countries and regions and promoting brain circulation.
- It asks for simplification to benefit first-time applicants, SMEs and regional universities, and for smaller, more flexible consortia, modular project structures and staged participation.
- It proposes new definitions of smart specialisation strategy and regional innovation ecosystem, and adds territorial cohesion and diffusion to the programme's objectives.
- It asks that disaster risk, preparedness and response funding streams be clearly defined and separate from crisis reserve mechanisms under National and Regional Partnership Plans.
- It wants widening participation to address regional disparities, not be treated as a transitional status based on national averages, and lists the widening countries while acknowledging internal regional disparities.
- It asks that access to capacity-building measures from 2030 not penalise less-performing regions and take account of regional disparities within member states.
- It calls for MSCA to promote balanced brain circulation and for the Joint Research Centre to cooperate with national and regional authorities on territorial uptake of scientific evidence.
- It asks that collaborative research allow differentiated contributions along the innovation cycle, especially at demonstration, testing and dissemination stages, and that award procedures consider modular approaches and smaller consortia.
Who is affected
- Regions and member states with lower research and innovation capacity, which would gain capacity-building support and a place-based approach.
- Regional universities, SMEs, start-ups and first-time applicants, which would benefit from simplification and more flexible consortia.
- Local and regional authorities, which would take part in European Partnerships and joint award procedures.
- Researchers, who would be supported in building careers across regional ecosystems and in brain circulation rather than one-way mobility.
Figures and deadlines
- At least 3% of GDP to be invested in research and development.
- From 2030 onwards, access to capacity-building measures is restricted to widening countries that increased real public investment in research and development.
- The 2021-2027 eligible member states should be divided into two groups for the whole duration of the programme.
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Short justification
The REGI Committee welcomes the Commission proposal establishing Horizon Europe 2028–2034 as the tenth EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
Drawing on the 2021–2027 experience, the REGI Committee considers that the framework should better integrate the territorial dimension, reinforce synergies with Cohesion Policy and ensure that excellence-based funding supports balanced innovation capacity across the Union, contributing to cohesion, upward convergence and stronger overall competitiveness.
Horizon Europe has proven effective in supporting excellence, frontier research and breakthrough innovation, notably through the ERC, MSCA and EIC.
However, participation remains uneven across Member States and regions, with funding concentrated in a limited number of hubs. While excellence must remain central, a geographically balanced European Research Area is a condition for sustaining excellence. REGI positions have consistently highlighted the need to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems, smart specialisation and place-based approaches, while supporting less-experienced beneficiaries and emerging regional innovation ecosystems.
Regional innovation ecosystems, operating through partnerships that involve industry, academia, public authorities and civil society, contribute not only to capacity building but also to faster time to market and better diffusion of innovation outcomes. In this context, Cohesion Policy investments in research and innovation act as a key driver of economic transformation and convergence, enabling regions to build functioning innovation ecosystems, upgrade industrial value chains and translate research outcomes into productivity, quality jobs and sustainable growth.
The REGI committee therefore considers it essential that the new Horizon Europe programme reinforces complementarities with smart specialisation strategies at national and regional level. Such alignment does not undermine excellence based selection, but rather enhances the overall Union capacity for innovation by ensuring that research results can be effectively absorbed, scaled up and deployed across diverse territorial contexts.
In this regard, stronger coordination and complementarity between Horizon Europe and Cohesion Policy should be prioritised in the next Multiannual Financial Framework in order to avoid fragmentation, duplication or sub-optimal use of public resources, while maximising the territorial impact of Union research and innovation investments. The REGI proposal supports clearer and more operational synergies between Horizon Europe, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and other relevant Union programmes. Furthermore, the experience of instruments such as the Seal of Excellence and the Stairway to Excellence demonstrates the potential of better coordination between Horizon Europe and Cohesion Policy funds, as well as their role in enabling follow-up funding and regional deployment of high-quality projects beyond leading innovation hubs.
European Partnerships remain key for industrial involvement and co-investment. REGI supports a more strategic portfolio while ensuring balanced stakeholder representation, including regional and local authorities. Partnerships should reflect territorial diversity and support place-based ecosystems and value chains.
The REGI committee reaffirms its strong commitment to the principle of excellence as the primary criterion for the allocation of Horizon Europe funding. At the same time, excellence should be understood in a dynamic and inclusive manner, recognising the need to nurture emerging centres of excellence and new actors, including SMEs, start-ups and research organisations in widening countries and regions, and to promote brain circulation rather than one-way mobility of talent.
Universities play a central role, including regional institutions closely linked to their territories. Simplification, smaller and more flexible consortia and modular participation should improve equitable access to the Programme. Furthermore, citizen engagement, open science and stronger links between science and society are essential for impact.
The REGI Committee aims to reinforce the territorial dimension of R&I, by improving synergies between the tenth EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation and Cohesion Policy, while ensuring that excellence-driven research and innovation can emerge, be absorbed and be deployed across all regions of the Union. It is only by integrating excellence with inclusiveness and by better aligning European, national and regional innovation efforts, Horizon Europe can fully realise its potential as a cornerstone of Europe’s knowledge based economy and strategic autonomy.
The Committee on Regional Development submits the following to the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, as the committee responsible:
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (1) It is an objective of the Union to strengthen its scientific and technological bases by strengthening the European research area (ERA) in which researchers, scientific knowledge and technology circulate freely and encouraging it to become more competitive, including in its industry, while promoting all research and innovation (R&I) activities to deliver on the Union's strategic priorities and commitments, which ultimately aim to promote peace, the Union's values and the well-being of its peoples. | (1) It is an objective of the Union to strengthen its scientific and technological bases by strengthening the European research area (ERA) in which researchers, scientific knowledge and technology circulate freely and encouraging it to become more competitive and resilient, including in its industry, while promoting all research and innovation (R&I) activities to deliver on the Union's strategic priorities and commitments, which ultimately aim to promote peace, long-term productivity growth, the well-being of its peoples and the Union's values. The EU must foster the proper conditions for excellence-driven R&I to emerge across all its territories, which would contribute to economic, social and territorial cohesion, so that no people, communities or regions are left behind. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (7a) Strengthening the Union’s competitiveness and long-term resilience should prioritise excellence in R&I together with boosting territorial capacity to generate, absorb and deploy innovation across the Union. In this regard, Cohesion Policy investments in research and innovation represent a core driver of economic transformation and convergence, enabling regions to build functioning innovation ecosystems, upgrade industrial value chains and translate research outcomes into productivity, quality jobs and long-term productivity growth. Therefore, in the next Multiannual Financial Framework, a particular emphasis should be given to a stronger coordination and complementarity between Horizon Europe and Cohesion Policy to avoid fragmentation, duplication or sub-optimal use of public resources. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (9) It should be possible to implement parts of the budget through European Partnerships together with other public and private entities, where this is the most effective implementation form to achieve the policy objectives. European Partnerships should be established where a close involvement of the Union is required and should ensure appropriate voting rights for the Union as well as sufficient co-investment by other partners to leverage Union funding. In view of fostering synergies and efficiencies, it is necessary to ensure harmonised rules. Therefore, a strategic and coherent portfolio of a limited number of European Partnerships should be established. | (9) It should be possible to implement parts of the budget through European Partnerships together with other public and private entities partners, including industry, research organization, local and regional authorities, where this is the most effective implementation form to achieve the policy objectives. European Partnerships should be established where a close involvement of the Union is required and should ensure appropriate voting rights for the Union as well as sufficient co-investment by other partners to leverage Union funding. In view of fostering synergies and efficiencies, it is necessary to ensure harmonised rules. Therefore, a strategic and coherent portfolio of a limited number of European Partnerships should be established. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (13) The European Research Council (ERC) should provide attractive and flexible funding, thereby enabling talented and creative individual researchers—with a deliberate emphasis on nurturing early-stage researchers—to pursue the most promising avenues at the frontier of science. This commitment to investigator-driven research, selected through Union-wide competition based solely on the criterion of excellence and open to talent regardless of nationality or origin, is fundamental to attracting the world's brightest minds and further establishing Europe as a world-leading centre for research and innovation. | (13) The European Research Council (ERC) should provide attractive and flexible funding, thereby enabling talented and creative individual researchers—with a deliberate emphasis on nurturing early-stage researchers—to pursue the most promising avenues at the frontier of science. This commitment to investigator-driven research, selected through Union-wide competition based solely on the criterion of excellence and open to talent regardless of nationality or origin, is fundamental to attracting the world's brightest minds and further establishing Europe as a world-leading centre for research and innovation. In this regard, a special focus should be given to the territorial dimension as well, which requires proper investments targeted at strengthening R&I ecosystems across several regions of the Union. This would enable a wider range of actors to contribute to European research and innovation, thus enhancing the Union’s overall competitiveness capacity. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (14) In a knowledge-based global economy, the Union’s long-term competitiveness, technological leadership and capacity to address global challenges should depend notably on its ability to develop, attract and retain a highly skilled and internationally connected research workforce. Strategic investment in excellent researchers, in their training, mobility and career prospects, within and outside academia, is essential to sustain innovation, economic resilience and societal well-being. In line with the principles of the European Charter for researchers, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) are instrumental in advancing this objective. The Programme should reinforce links between universities and innovation ecosystems, including the private sector. It should enable the completion of the European Research Area, including via development of European higher education sector capacity to compete with global counterparts through collaboration, nurturing and attracting talent and leveraging more private investments, including through higher education initiatives like European Universities Alliances, in synergy with Erasmus+, and in line with the objectives and activities of this Regulation. | (14) In a knowledge-based global economy, the Union’s long-term competitiveness, technological leadership and capacity to address global challenges should depend notably on its ability to develop, attract and retain a highly skilled and internationally connected research workforce. One of the Union’s challenges is represented by brain drain and by the one-way mobility of researchers which undermine economic, social and territorial cohesion and, ultimately, weaken the European Research Area by concentrating excellence in a limited number of centres across the Union. In the long term, such concentration risks undermining the Union’s overall competitiveness and resilience. Strategic investment in excellent researchers, in their training, mobility and career prospects, within and outside academia, is therefore essential to sustain innovation, economic resilience and societal well-being. In line with the principles of the European Charter for researchers, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) are instrumental in advancing this objective. To counter this trend, in synergy with the Framework Programme, investments under Cohesion Policy in research and innovation should be strengthened and better coordinated in order to build attractive place-based innovation ecosystems across all regions, support the ‘right to stay’ and reduce one-way mobility of researchers. The Programme should reinforce links between universities and innovation ecosystems at national, regional and local level, including the private sector, which would promote genuine brain circulation by combining mobility opportunities with measures that strengthen regional innovation ecosystems and their capacity to absorb and deploy R&I results. It should enable the completion of the European Research Area, including via development of European higher education sector capacity across all Union’s regions to compete with global counterparts through collaboration, nurturing and attracting talent and leveraging more private investments, including through higher education initiatives like European Universities Alliances, in synergy with Erasmus+, and in line with the objectives and activities of this Regulation. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (19) The Programme should support European research infrastructures and technology infrastructures in driving scientific and technological excellence and industrial competitiveness, by supporting the continuum of the research and innovation cycle from basic to applied research towards societal and market deployment. | (19) The Programme should strongly support European research infrastructures and technology infrastructures in driving scientific and technological excellence and industrial competitiveness, while ensuring broad and balanced territorial access, by supporting the continuum of the research and innovation cycle from basic to applied research and facilitating the effective dissemination of results at national and regional level, towards societal and market deployment. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (20) The Programme should implement concrete measures in support of capacity building in widening countries and strengthening collaborative links across the Union enhancing the research and innovation capacity in widening and transition countries, leading to a more cohesive and integrated European R&I system and contributing to the target to invest at least 3% of GDP in research and development. The eligible Member States from the 2021-2027 period should be divided into two groups for the whole duration of the Programme , on the basis of the Innovation Scoreboard Index and the relative financial return per Gross National Income (GNI), based on the following criteria: i) ‘Transition countries’, with both an Innovation Scoreboard Index (2023-2025) above 75% of the Union average and positive relative financial return per GNI (2021-2025) under Horizon Europe; ii) ‘Widening countries’, all other Member States eligible under the 2021-2027 period. | (20) The Programme should implement concrete measures in support of capacity building in widening countries and regions, and of strengthening collaborative links across the Union, with a view to enhancing research and innovation capacity in widening and transition countries and regions, taking into account territorial disparities within Member States, thereby contributing to a more cohesive and integrated European Research Area and supporting progress towards the Union’s objective of investing at least 3 % of GDP in research and development. In this context, widening the participation to R&I constitutes a structural challenge, linked to long-standing structural and opportunities-related differences in regional research and regional innovation ecosystems, and should therefore not be treated as a purely transitional status based solely on aggregate national performance indicators. Country-level widening classifications risk masking deep regional disparities and misrepresenting territorial realities by focusing on national averages rather than regional performance. The eligible Member States from the 2021–2027 period should be divided in two groups for the whole duration of the Programme, on the basis of a combination of indicators, including the European Innovation Scoreboard Index and the relative financial return per Gross National Income (GNI), while ensuring that such indicators are used as analytical tools and do not result in the exclusion of less-performing regions from capacity-building measures. In this context, regional-level performance, including at NUTS 2 level as reflected in the Regional Innovation Scoreboard, should be duly considered. The two group division should be based on the following criteria: i) ‘Transition countries’, may be identified as those eligible Member States with both an Innovation Scoreboard Index (2023-2025) above 75% of the Union average and positive relative financial return per GNI (2021-2025) under Horizon Europe, acknowledging the existence of less-performing regions within the transition Member States that could still be eligible for widening and capacity-building support for R&I; ii) ‘Widening countries’, all other Member States eligible under the 2021-2027 period; support allocated to this group should include the strengthening of institutional capacity of innovation actors, interregional cooperation and the ability of regional innovation ecosystems to absorb, deploy and scale up research and innovation results. |
At national level, R&I performance is often concentrated in major cities, while surrounding regions lag behind. Relying on a single, national-level measure therefore fails to capture the full picture of R&I performance. Thus, R&I assessment should go beyond national averages and adopt a place-based, regional perspective. Therefore, this amendment ensures that the differentiation between ‘transition’ and ‘widening’ countries does not rely solely on aggregate national indicators and does not lead to the exclusion of less-performing regions from capacity-building support.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (23) In light of increasing risks linked to natural hazards, health emergencies, technological accidents, evolving security threats, and other disruptions, it is essential to enhance the Union’s and Member States’ capability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to crises and disasters. The Programme should support research that strengthen disaster risk and crisis management, invest in climate resilience, and enhance the resilience of vital societal functions, and build a more resilient, secure, and prepared Union, in line with the objectives of the EU Preparedness Union Strategy. | (23) In light of increasing risks linked to natural hazards, health emergencies, technological accidents, evolving security threats, and other disruptions, it is essential to enhance the Union’s and Member States’ capability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to crises and disasters. The Programme should support research that strengthens disaster risk and crisis management, invest in climate resilience, and enhance the resilience of vital societal functions, and build a more resilient, secure, and prepared Union, in line with the objectives of the EU Preparedness Union Strategy. In this context, any funding streams dedicated to research and innovation in relation to disaster risk, preparedness and response should be clearly defined and separate from the crisis reserve mechanisms already foreseen under the National and Regional Partnership Plans envisaged by the next Multiannual Financial Framework. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (26) Simplification in the Programme’s implementation is essential to ensure its accessibility and efficiency, particularly by reducing the administrative burden on beneficiaries and minimising the risk of errors. To this end, the Programme should primarily rely on lump sums as the default form of Union funding. Advancing efforts over the previous Framework Programmes to streamline funding rules and minimise errors, the reimbursement of personnel costs should also be further simplified by using personnel unit costs, which reduces complexity for participants and facilitates reporting. | (26) Simplification in the Programme’s implementation is essential to ensure its accessibility and efficiency, particularly by reducing the administrative burden on beneficiaries and minimising the risk of errors. To this end, the Programme should primarily rely on lump sums as the default form of Union funding. Advancing efforts over the previous Framework Programmes to streamline funding rules and minimise errors, the reimbursement of personnel costs should also be further simplified by using personnel unit costs, which reduces complexity for participants and facilitates reporting. Excessive administrative complexity disproportionately excludes actors and regions that have less resources, and therefore, simplification is a key prerequisite for equitable access to the Programme in order to render a wider pool of actors across the Union to become more competitive in R&I. In this regard, simplification measures should be designed in a way to benefit first-time applicants, SMEs and regional universities. The Programme should also promote smaller and more flexible consortia, modular project structures and staged participation in order to facilitate broader participation and effective inclusion across all territories of the Union. |
Modular project structures and staged participation would allow Horizon projects to be broken into manageable components and enable a wider variety of partners to join research at different phases of the project’s lifecycle. This would reduce administrative and financial burdens on smaller actors and would allow less-resourced regions, SMEs and regional universities to contribute meaningfully at different research stages as per their capacities, particularly in testing, deployment and scale-up. This would better support wider territorial participation and impact.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (29) Support measures are needed to strengthen and better connect innovation ecosystems. Such measures should support organisations and innovators to create competitive, robust and connected innovation ecosystems and improve framework conditions through cooperation and knowledge exchange. They should help connect national, regional, and local ecosystems by removing barriers in the single market such as market fragmentation, limited capital access and segmented national capital markets, slow innovation uptake and the underutilisation of innovation procurement. | (29) Support measures are needed to strengthen and better connect innovation ecosystems. Such measures should support organisations and innovators to create competitive, robust and connected innovation ecosystems and improve framework conditions through cooperation and knowledge exchange. Particular attention should be paid to emerging regional innovation ecosystems, by enabling smaller actors, first-time applicants, regional universities, SMEs and local innovators to effectively participate in and benefit from the Union’s research and innovation activities. They should help connect national, regional, and local ecosystems in a place-based manner, by removing barriers in the single market such as market fragmentation, limited capital access and segmented national capital markets, slow innovation uptake and the underutilisation of innovation procurement, while strengthening the capacity of regional ecosystems to absorb, deploy and scale up research and innovation results, including through improved synergies with Cohesion Policy instruments and interregional cooperation. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (6) ‘European Partnership’ means an initiative, where the Union together with private and/or public partners commit to jointly supporting the development, implementation and evaluation of a programme of activities, and where the costs are shared between all partners; | (6) ‘European Partnership’ means an initiative, where the Union together with private and/or public partners such as industry, research organizations, local and regional authorities, commit to jointly supporting the development, implementation and evaluation of a programme of activities, and where the costs are shared between all partners; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (6a) 'smart specialisation strategy' means the national or regional innovation strategy which sets priorities in order to build competitive advantage by developing and matching research and innovation own strengths to business and stakeholders’ needs, including regional, local authorities, and universities in order to address emerging opportunities and market developments in a coherent manner, while avoiding duplication and fragmentation of efforts; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (6b) ‘regional innovation ecosystem’ means a territorially based network of actors, including enterprises, research organisations, higher education institutions, public authorities and civil society, which interact to foster research, innovation, skills development and the uptake and scaling-up of innovative solutions; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. In line with the general and specific objectives of the European Competitiveness Fund, the Programme shall strengthen the EU’s competitiveness, scientific technological base, and address global challenges based on excellent research and innovation. | 1. In line with the general and specific objectives of the European Competitiveness Fund, the Programme shall strengthen the EU’s competitiveness, scientific technological base, and address global challenges based on excellent research and innovation, while ensuring that excellence can emerge and can be deployed across all territories of the Union, thus contributing to economic, social and territorial cohesion and to the Union’s long-term resilience. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| – Create high-quality knowledge, skills and attractive careers for researchers and support the realisation of the European Research Area (ERA). | – Create high-quality knowledge, skills and attractive careers for researchers and support the realisation of a strong and cohesive European Research Area (ERA), including by fostering a balanced territorial development of research and innovation capacities and thus, supporting brain circulation within the Union rather than one-way mobility. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| – Increase EU-wide and international collaborative research, knowledge sharing and valorisation. | – Increase EU-wide and international collaborative research, knowledge sharing and valorisation, while ensuring the effective diffusion, uptake and deployment of research and innovation projects and results across regions with different levels of R&I capacity. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| – Align EU, national and regional priorities to create a pan-European research and innovation ecosystem. | – Align EU, national and regional priorities to create a pan-European research and innovation ecosystem, in a way that reflects territorial specificities and builds further on place-based approaches, including Smart Specialisation Strategies, in order to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| – Reduce national and regional disparities in research and innovation capacity, skills, and talent to strengthen innovation ecosystems. | – Reduce national and regional disparities in research and innovation capacity, skills, and talent to strengthen innovation ecosystems, notably by enabling regions with different levels of capacity, regional universities and smaller academic entities with less experience at the European level, SMEs and local innovators to participate effectively in the Union’s research and innovation activities in order to better absorb, deploy and scale up results that would boost European competitiveness. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| – Support excellence in research and innovation and ensure its effective diffusion and uptake across the Union, including through regional and local innovation ecosystems and smart specialisation strategies. |
Introduces a territorial and diffusion-oriented dimension to the Programme objectives, consistent with previous parliamentary positions, without undermining excellence-based funding and also considering the value adding of the different research local dimensions.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| – Support smaller, regional and local universities in participating to Horizon Europe with specific and integrated programs at EU, national and regional level. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| – De-risk and mobilise more private research and innovation financing, particularly for supporting deep tech and the scaling up of innovative startups and SMEs. | – De-risk and mobilise more private research and innovation financing, particularly for supporting deep tech and the scaling up of innovative startups and SMEs, including by strengthening wider regional innovation ecosystems and improving synergies with Cohesion Policy instruments in order to boost private investment for R&I beyond already well-known leading innovation hubs. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| – Contribute to increasing public and private investment in research and innovation in Member States, thereby contributing to reach an overall expenditure of at least 3% of Union Gross Domestic Product (‘GDP’) in research and development. | – Contribute to increasing public and private investment in research and innovation in Member States, thereby contributing to reach an overall expenditure of at least 3 % of Union Gross Domestic Product (‘GDP’) in research and development, while ensuring that investment efforts also support capacity-building and convergence in less-performing regions in order to foster performant R&I ecosystems across all the Union. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (ii) Innovation ecosystems including activities to foster the integration of the knowledge triangle – higher education, research and innovation, and business – across the Union. | (ii) Innovation ecosystems including activities to foster the integration of the knowledge triangle – higher education, research and innovation, and business – across the Union, including support for emerging and less-resourced innovation ecosystems, first-time applicants, regional universities, SMEs and local innovators. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (iii) widening participation and spreading excellence. | (iii) widening participation and spreading excellence, while ensuring that persistent territorial disparities in research and innovation capacity at regional level are addressed. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (b) advance scientific knowledge and contribute to the creation of informed, effective, and responsive public policies across the Union and beyond. The Programme shall actively promote the use of the results of publicly funded research and of scientific evidence in policy-making processes at all levels, fostering stronger links between research, innovation, and the development of evidence-informed public policies. This shall include encouraging collaborative mechanisms, R&I initiatives and science-for-policy interfaces connecting policy makers with the scientific community, as well as facilitating the use of research outcomes in shaping future legislative and regulatory frameworks at all levels. Special emphasis shall be placed on ensuring that scientific insights are accessible and relevant to decision makers and citizens, with instruments for the effective use of research results, policy briefs, and recommendations. | (b) advance scientific knowledge and contribute to the creation of informed, effective, and responsive public policies across the Union and beyond. The Programme shall actively promote the use of the results of publicly funded research and of scientific evidence in policy-making processes at all levels, fostering stronger links between research, innovation, and the development of evidence-informed public policies. This shall include encouraging collaborative mechanisms, R&I initiatives and science-for-policy interfaces connecting policy makers with the scientific community, as well as facilitating the use of research outcomes in shaping future legislative and regulatory frameworks at all levels. Special emphasis shall be placed on ensuring that scientific insights are accessible and relevant to decision makers and citizens, with instruments for the effective use of research results, policy briefs, and recommendations, including at national, regional and local level, in order to strengthen the effective territorial diffusion and implementation of research and innovation results. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. Award procedures under the Programme may be jointly conducted under direct or indirect management with Member States, Union institutions, bodies and agencies, third countries, international organisations, international financial institutions, or other third parties, provided the protection of the financial interests of the Union is ensured. Such procedures shall be subject to a single set of rules and lead to the conclusion of single legal commitments. For that purpose, the partners to the joint award procedure may make resources available to the Programme in accordance with Article 7 of this Regulation, or the partners may be entrusted with the implementation of the award procedure, where applicable in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c), of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. In joint award procedures, representatives of the partners to the joint award procedure may also be members of the evaluation committee referred to in Article 153(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, | 2. Award procedures under the Programme may be jointly conducted under direct or indirect management with Member States, Union institutions, bodies and agencies, local and regional authorities, third countries, international organisations, international financial institutions, or other third parties, provided the protection of the financial interests of the Union is ensured. Such procedures shall be subject to a single set of rules and lead to the conclusion of single legal commitments. For that purpose, the partners to the joint award procedure may make resources available to the Programme in accordance with Article 7 of this Regulation, or the partners may be entrusted with the implementation of the award procedure, where applicable in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c), of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. In joint award procedures, representatives of the partners to the joint award procedure may also be members of the evaluation committee referred to in Article 153(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. The Member States may finance actions to which a Competitiveness Seal was awarded. | 4. The Member States may finance actions to which a Competitiveness Seal was awarded and are encouraged to make use of other European and regional funding instruments, including those under the Cohesion Policy, to ensure the effective deployment and scaling-up of research and innovation actions and results, thereby strengthening regional innovation ecosystems. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions shall support the career at all stages, skills development, and mobility of researchers from all over the world subject to security considerations. MSCA shall foster research excellence, attract and retain excellent research talents, and support sustainable research careers in the Union with the aim to increase the Union’s competitiveness in research and innovation. | 1. The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions shall support the career at all stages, skills development, and mobility of researchers from all over the world subject to security considerations. MSCA shall foster research excellence, attract and retain excellent research talents, and support sustainable research careers in the Union with the aim to increase the Union’s competitiveness in research and innovation, while promoting balanced brain circulation and strengthening research and innovation capacities across regions with different levels of development. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The MSCA shall fund excellent doctoral networks, post-doctoral fellowships, R&I staff exchanges, as well as support mechanisms to foster sustainable careers in view of attracting and retaining the most promising talents. A strong focus shall be put on international, inter-sectoral and inter-disciplinary cooperation as well as science outreach. The funding shall support cutting edge research and focus on developing research talent, with targeted support for early career researchers. It shall support to establish the Union as a leading destination for researchers. | 2. The MSCA shall fund excellent doctoral networks, post-doctoral fellowships, R&I staff exchanges, as well as support mechanisms to foster sustainable careers in view of attracting and retaining the most promising talents. A strong focus shall be put on international, inter-sectoral and inter-disciplinary cooperation as well as science outreach. The funding shall support cutting-edge research and focus on developing research talent, with targeted support for early career researchers. It shall support the establishment of the Union as a leading destination for researchers, including by enabling researchers to build long-term careers within diverse regional research and innovation ecosystems across the Union. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The Joint Research Centre shall provide independent, evidence-based knowledge and science, supporting EU policies to positively impact society. This shall be undertaken through JRC direct actions and through participation of the JRC in indirect actions. Chapter II of Title II shall not apply to direct actions. By way of derogation from Article 21(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, the revenues or amounts resulting from the JRC’s research activities (e.g. patents, licenses etc) shall be reusable by the JRC. | 1. The Joint Research Centre shall provide independent, evidence-based knowledge and science, supporting EU policies to positively impact society. This shall be undertaken through JRC direct actions and through participation of the JRC in indirect actions, including, where appropriate, cooperation with national and regional authorities to support the territorial uptake of scientific evidence in policy-making. Chapter II of Title II shall not apply to direct actions. By way of derogation from Article 21(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, the revenues or amounts resulting from the JRC’s research activities (e.g. patents, licences etc.) shall be reusable by the JRC. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. Collaborative research shall support the creation of transnational research and innovation cooperation networks, bringing together entities of different disciplines, to support the development and swift diffusion of high-quality results in favour of the Union’s industrial competitiveness, space, security, clean transition, preparedness and resilience, and addressing societal challenges, including culture and creativity, and to strengthen the impact of research in developing and supporting Union policies. | 1. Collaborative research shall support the creation of transnational research and innovation cooperation networks, bringing together entities of different disciplines, to support the development and swift diffusion of high-quality results in favour of the Union’s industrial competitiveness, space, security, clean transition, preparedness and resilience, and addressing societal challenges, including culture and creativity, and to strengthen the impact of research in developing and supporting Union policies, while fostering more inclusive cooperation models that enable the participation of a wider range of actors, including regional universities, SMEs and local innovation actors in transnational R&I networks. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. Activities shall be carried out in a balanced manner between lower and higher Technology Readiness Levels, thereby covering the whole value chain. | 2. Activities shall be carried out in a balanced manner between lower and higher Technology Readiness Levels, thereby covering the whole value chain, allowing for differentiated forms of contribution along the innovation cycle, in particular at demonstration, testing and disseminations stages, where regional innovation ecosystems can add value. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The Programme shall support organisations to create competitive, robust and connected innovation ecosystems and framework conditions. Synergies with Union, national and regional programmes shall be pursued to this end. | 1. The Programme shall support organisations to create competitive, robust and connected innovation ecosystems and framework conditions. Synergies with Union, national and regional programmes shall be pursued to this end, with particular attention to enabling less-resourced and emerging innovation ecosystems at regional level to develop, strengthen institutional capacity and participate effectively in the Union’s research and innovation activities. Such support should promote place-based approaches, interregional cooperation and efficient coordination with Cohesion Policy instruments, in order to improve the capacity of ecosystems to absorb, deploy and scale up innovation outcomes beyond already well-known leading innovation hubs. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The Programme shall support activities to foster the integration of the knowledge triangle – higher education, research and innovation, and business – across the Union. | 2. The Programme shall support activities to foster the integration of the knowledge triangle – higher education, research and innovation, and business – across the Union and shall further facilitate the cooperation between universities, research organisations, private sector and public authorities at national, regional and local level. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. ‘Widening countries’ are Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia for the purposes of funding the actions under paragraph 5, points a) and b). | 1. ‘Widening countries’ are Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia for the purposes of funding the actions under paragraph 5, points a) and b), while acknowledging the existence of significant internal regional disparities in the field of research and innovation capacity within those Member States. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 7. From 2030 onwards access to capacity building measures is restricted to those widening countries that have increased their real expenditure of public investment in research and development in the latest known year compared to the year prior to it. | 7. From 2030 onwards access to capacity building measures is restricted to those widening countries that have increased their real expenditure of public investment in research and development in the latest known year compared to the year prior to it, while ensuring that access to capacity-building support is not conditioned in a way that penalises less-performing regions or undermines the structural and place-based nature of widening, and takes into account different and regional disparities within Member States. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (b) at least one other legal entity established in another Member State or an associated country. | (b) at least one other legal entity established in another Member State or an associated country, while allowing, where appropriate and without prejudice to excellence, for smaller and more flexible consortia or alternative collaborative configurations, in order to facilitate access for regional actors and emerging innovation ecosystems. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 12. The work programme or the documents related to the award procedure may specify the eligibility criteria set out in this Regulation or set additional eligibility criteria for specific actions including to take into account specific policy requirements. | 12. The work programme or the documents related to the award procedure may specify the eligibility criteria set out in this Regulation or set additional eligibility criteria for specific actions including to take into account specific policy requirements. The award procedure should consider the inclusion of modular approaches and smaller or more flexible consortia considering that this enhances accessibility and effective participation to research and innovation across all territories of the Union. |
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- Licensed CC BY 4.0.
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- 25 September 2026
Cite as
European Parliament (2026). “DRAFT OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Horizon Europe, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, for the period 2028-2034 laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulation (EU) 2021/695”. Text, 5 February 2026. docId REGI-PA-782392. EU Parl Watch Research. https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/REGI-PA-782392 (retrieved 25 September 2026). Data: EP Open Data API: document record, https://data.europarl.europa.eu/api/v2/documents/REGI-PA-782392 (CC BY 4.0).
BibTeX
@misc{epw-text-regi-pa-782392,
author = {{European Parliament}},
title = {{DRAFT OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Horizon Europe, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, for the period 2028-2034 laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulation (EU) 2021/695}},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-02-05},
howpublished = {\url{https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/REGI-PA-782392}},
url = {https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/REGI-PA-782392},
urldate = {2026-09-25},
publisher = {EU Parl Watch Research},
note = {Text. docId REGI-PA-782392. Data: EP Open Data API: document record (CC BY 4.0)}
}