Joint Statement for an Ambitious Horizon Europe Programme

We, the undersigned 93 European associations representing key European research & innovation stakeholders, hereby urge the EU Institutions to make research, development and innovation (RD&I) a priority within the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027. We call on the Council of the EU to raise the budget allocated to the Horizon Europe programme to at least €120 billion (in 2018 prices), of which at least 60% should be dedicated to the “Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness” pillar.

We very much welcomed the EU Institutions’ efforts to reach a partial agreement on Horizon Europe. This enabled to start the preparation for the implementation of the programme in time. The European innovation community is committed to be actively involved in a concrete co-creation process towards Horizon Europe’s successful implementation. However, the programme will need an adequate budget at the level of its ambitions. The European Parliament has already taken a stand to prioritise RD&I in the EU budget. Similarly, we encourage Member States to support a budget of at least €120 billion (in 2018 prices).